The Wolfe Pack {Reviews~Support~Opinions for the Discerning Homeschool Mom}

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THREE Simple Ways to Make the Most of PRESIDENTS’ DAY

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I’m sure most of us are looking forward to the upcoming holiday.  I mean, who doesn’t love a well-deserved three day weekend? I know I do!

But, do we even know what the holiday is?

Is it the singular President’s Day?

Or is it the plural Presidents’ Day?

Or is it the punctuation-free Presidents Day?

Or is it Washington’s Birthday? And, I swear, when I was growing up, we had Lincoln’s Birthday too!

{I just googled this and ALL of those are considered correct, by the way! It depends on your state and how they designate the day.}

But, whatever we call it, the fact is we do have a holiday coming up that has something to do with PRESIDENTS. 

But what are we celebrating? Are we recognizing PRESIDENT Washington? PRESIDENT Lincoln?  Reagan? Trump? Or somebody else that made his mark in between those infamous men? 

No matter who we decide to celebrate on this holiday, I do believe our PRESIDENTS {both past and present} deserve recognition and respect. 

So, I would like to suggest we make this holiday more  about the actual PRESIDENTS and less about the fact that we score a three day weekend and can buy deeply discounted mattresses. 

Here are three quick and simple ways to make the most of PRESIDENTS’ DAY!

ONE: RECOGNIZE IT! Before Monday hits, do a wee bit of research about WHY we have PRESIDENTS’ DAY. Google the simple question, “Why do we have PRESIDENT’S DAY?” Or ask Alexa, “What is the history of PRESIDENTS’ DAY?“  Start with that and go from there. And share that information with your family. Don’t let the day go by without making sure each of your kids understands why they don’t have school.  It’s not just another day. Do something to RECOGNIZE IT!

TWO: ENJOY IT! Do something to make the day memorable and meaningful so your family understands the value of the day. Make snacks, play a game, create a craft; do something to ENJOY the holiday. Pinterest has a gazillion ideas! A gazillion! But my favorite snack is this easy Patriotic Graham Cracker Snack because it is super easy to make and can be made with candy or fruit.   My favorite activity for little kids is this Money Sort.  And if you have older kids,  our favorite PRESIDENTS game is Professor Noggin’s PRESIDENTS of the US. {We love it so much I even did a GAME REVIEW on it.} Like I said, there are a gazillion ideas. Some are complicated. Many are simple. But it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the choices. So, just choose something, anything,  and ENJOY IT!

THREE: LEARN ABOUT IT! Take things a step further and LEARN about the special men behind the day, our PRESIDENTS.  I’m sure the vast majority of our kids know at least something about Washington and Lincoln. That’s great. They are very significant parts of our history. VERY. But, we are currently on our 45th PRESIDENT. And each one of those FORTY-FOUR {yes, the numbers don’t match…and here is the reason for that} has made an impact on the history of our country.  So you may want to spend part of the day LEARNING historical facts about our PRESIDENTS. If you decide to do this, I have a Presidents Past and Present Fact Pack for sale on TpT {for less than $5} that covers fourteen of our presidents. It includes informational text, writing prompts and more. It’s guaranteed to teach your kids {and probably you too; I learned SO MUCH while working on this resource.} Or, I am sure Pinterest has a gazillion of resources too. No matter, what you decide to use, I think it’s a great idea to LEARN ABOUT IT!

So, how do you plan on spending PRESIDENT’S DAY?

Game Review: WORDICAL {Spelling}

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{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.} 

Wordical is available on Amazon HERE.

Read on for a detailed REVIEW. 

 

 

We’re not full-blown gameschoolers by any means, but we do incorporate a lot of  educational games into our homeschool so we’re always on the hunt for something fun to add to our game collection.  But we also have some fairly rigorous educational requirements which means we don’t just select something new without assessing the game’s educational value. But, of course, it also needs to be FUN!

Amazon is my best friend when it comes to shopping {for most things} but the reviews don’t always answer my questions and I often hesitate to buy because I’m not totally “sold.”  If you’re like us and want thorough reviews on educational games, then you’ve come to right place!

Below is a full review of our latest favorite spelling game, Wordical. 

In addition to reviewing the

FUN FACTOR and the

EDUCATIONAL VALUE, I will also include info on the

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT {because I like things neat and tidy},

TIME COMMITMENT {because life is about more than just games},

CLARITY LEVEL {because frustration is no fun}

and an OVERALL SCORE.

 

 

NAME: Wordical

PUBLISHER: Educational Insights 

CATEGORY: Spelling

TIME COMMITMENT: Moderate {30+ minutes}

PLAYERS: 2-8

AGES: 8+ {or really anybody who can spell basic words}

HOW TO WIN: Score the most points by spelling words using vowel dice and consonant cards {and the quicker, the better!}

CLARITY LEVEL: ♥♥♥♥♥ The instructions are simple and explain the game perfectly. We only needed to reference the instructions once after we started the game and that was because we only had two players. {We did choose to modify* the game slightly, which was super easy to do but not necessary at all.}♥♥♥♥♥

FUN FACTOR: ♥♥♥♥_ This is a fun, little game! Turns are quick and easy. There is little room for debate/arguing {just have a dictionary handy for potentially “made-up” words.} We only scored it 4/5, though, because it doesn’t provide a lot of opportunities for laughter or hilarious moments. But, it is fun!  ♥♥♥♥_

 

EDUCATIONAL VALUE: ♥♥♥♥♥ It’s all about spelling so the educational value is high. And, if you take the time to discuss words that could’ve been created after a turn is completed, the educational value increases {as does the time component, obviously.} There is also a teeny bit of addition practice as the points are added. ♥♥♥♥♥

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT: ♥♥♥♥♥ It comes in a cute little tin which I LOVE,  both for the size and the sturdiness. The tin contains a stack of consonant cards, two big vowel dice and the instructions. That’s it. You can keep the cardboard insert or not….either way, the game stays organized!  ♥♥♥♥♥

 

OVERALL SCORE: ♥♥♥♥_ Both my son and I enjoyed this, which is saying something because he is a HORRIBLE SPELLER, but we did modify it slightly to make playing with only two people more fun.  I think if we had not modified it, neither of us would’ve enjoyed it as much because I would have slaughtered him {score-wise}. This game does require some spelling ability and, if you play by the actual rules, players’ spelling skills should be basically on par with one another in order to make it a fair game. ♥♥♥♥_

If you are ready to offer your kids a really fun way to learn some general science facts with a bit of hands-on activities mixed in, you can buy it here on Amazon.

If you would like to read detailed instructions {with pics,} continue on….

 

 

HOW TO PLAY:

{per the instructions….our modified version* is below}

1. Open tin, unpack contents and shuffle cards. 

2. Deal each player five cards and put the draw pile in the center. 

 

 

3. Player One rolls the dice.

 

4. ALL PLAYERS use their consonant cards and the vowel dice to create words {without showing others}.

5. Each player chooses one word with the highest points and lays those cards down {leaving spaces for the vowel dice} to create the word. The vowels can be used as many times as necessary. 

 

 

6. Once all players have played a word, scores are tallied.

7. Each vowel is one point and each consonant has the assigned point value in the corner. 

8. Misspelled or made-up words are dismissed and no points are awarded for those words. 

9. The first player that laid his/her word down {assuming it was spelled correctly,} gets a BONUS of three points. 

10. The last player to lay his/her word down, only gets ONE point {regardless of the word spelled.}

11. Cards played are added to the dismiss pile {we put them back in the tin}.

12. Each player then draws additional cards until they have five cards again. 

13. Player Two rolls the die. 

14. Repeat Steps 4-12 until the Draw Pile is gone. 

15. The player with the most points at the end, wins the game!

 

 

OUR MODIFIED VERSION:

{The instructions allow for two people but we decided to modify it anyhow. Our way seemed more fun with only two…especially considering we were not equally matched in spelling at all.}

Play per the instructions EXCEPT instead of awarding the last player only one point, both players receive the points on their cards {and the first player gets the three point Bonus.}


Please check out my other GAME REVIEWS!

Totally Gross {science}

Math Dash {multiplication and division}

Flip It {multiplication}

THREE Ways Homeschoolers Can Have Some St. PATRICK’S DAY Fun

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St. Patrick’s Day is one of those small holidays that doesn’t demand much respect. It often comes and goes in the middle of the week and all that occurs are a few green treats at school, lots of green drinks at Happy Hour and some misplaced pinching at both locations. Personally, I have never been a big St. Patty’s Day celebrant but even I believe it does deserve at least some mention to our kids. Though it’s a holiday based on both the history and myths from another land far, far away, it has somehow earned a place in our culture here in the United States. So, it makes sense to allow our kids a little Leprechaun fun alongside their homeschool studies. 

Below are THREE WAYS that homeschoolers can have some St. Patrick’s Day fun!

ONE: MAKE yummy cookies or other baked goods!

We love any excuse for MAKING yummy treats and if you are like us, MAKING shaped sugar cookies is a given for practically every holiday. But if you’re burnt out on those, you could try MAKING  Lucky Charms treats, green cake balls or mint brownies for St. Patrick’s Day.  All of those look and sound delicious but, my all time favorite treat for this holiday is to MAKE some cookies to accompany Leo Leonni’s book, Little Blue and Little Yellow.   All it takes is some simple round sugar cookies {you can even use store-bought, ready to eat cookies}, a small bowl of yellow frosting and a small bowl of blue frosting. Read the book, frost the cookies to blend the two colors and MAKE some fun memories while MAKING some yummy treats!

TWO: CREATE a fun craft!

When I taught in the classroom {and also when my son was younger,} I considered the above-mentioned Little Blue, Little Yellow activity to be a sufficient example of CREATING a craft {that was eaten, of course}. But if you are a crafty mama who likes to give her kids more opportunity to CREATE, there are more than a few ideas out there for St. Patrick’s Day. Marshmallow Shamrock Stamping for the littles looks like fun {and educational too!} Shamrock Suncatchers seem like a good choice for all ages and can serve the double purpose of holiday decor. But if you have older kids with more ambition, check out these Leprechaun Traps. It looks like you can CREATE them to be as complicated and fancy as you want or keep them much more simple {which is surely what I would do!} Whichever craft your kids choose, they’ll surely have fun CREATING something memorable!

THREE: LEARN about the holiday!

As mentioned in my Valentine’s Day post, I can’t seem to let any holiday go by without expecting my son to LEARN  about it. Doing this doesn’t even need to take away from the rigor of your child’s schooling, as you can easily substitute St. Patrick’s Day-themed reading and writing for your normally-scheduled school programming. If you want to snag a FREE 24 page St. Patrick’s Day Holiday Fun Pack that includes informational text, writing prompts and more, go here. It’ll be emailed to you on March 2. If you prefer to buy it now, it’s also available on my TpT store here. 

So, whether your kids MAKE yummy cookies, CREATE something fun or LEARN about the holiday, there are loads of ways for your homeschoolers to have some St. Patrick’s Day fun!

FIVE Ways Homeschoolers Can Have Some VALENTINE’S DAY Fun

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Do you ever feel like your homeschool kids are missing out on some of the fun traditions that their public school peers enjoy every year? 

I know when I started homeschooling, I was sad to realize that our son would not get to participate in a classroom Valentine’s Day party or exchange Valentines with his classmates. 

So, my friend and I decided to organize a Valentine’s Day party for the kids in our co-op. Apparently, other moms felt the same as us because on the day of the party, there were SIXTY-FIVE kids crammed into a small rec center room. We spent the next 90 minutes controlling the chaos that included more than 4,000 cards being exchanged, popcorn with colored sprinkles littering the room and playing a cut-out heart version of Musical Chairs.

To say we didn’t plan that party very wisely would be an understatement. But, the kids had fun, the moms survived and we definitely improved things the next year. 

But, I also learned that having a party with a bunch of kids isn’t the only way to make special memories associated with Valentine’s Day. 

Below are FIVE WAYS that homeschoolers can have some Valentine’s Day fun!

 

ONE: EXCHANGE Valentines with a group of kids!

This is the classic way to enjoy this holiday. If you belong to a co-op, EXCHANGING Valentines with them would be a great idea! You could make it an elaborate event with food and games or you can keep it simple with just placing cards in assigned bags during a break between classes. Either way you do it, please don’t make the same mistake we did that first year. Ask each FAMILY to make one card for each kid. That way, if you have 25 kids participating, a family with five kids only has to make 25 Valentines. If you expect every KID to make every other kid a Valentine, a family with five kids will need to make 125 individual cards. And, let’s face it, we all know Mom will be doing the vast majority of work {I still have friends who laugh through clenched teeth as they recall when their family had to make 325 cards to pass around that first ever Valentine Party.}

If you don’t belong to a co-op, you could join an online group for homeschoolers wanting to EXCHANGE cards. This is an especially fun way to do it because the cards arrive in the mail and who doesn’t like to receive mail?!?!? Check FaceBook for groups but this is not something you can do last minute so be sure to check soon. 

Or you could step outside of the homeschool world and suggest your soccer team, karate studio or Brownie troop do an EXCHANGE. 

 

TWO: GIVE to neighbors, church members or nursing home residents!

When our son was younger, our next door neighbor was a single woman who LOVED being spoiled by him on Valentine’s Day. He would bring her a GIFT {usually candy and a card} and she would swoon over him. And it made him so happy to make her happy!  We also had the cutest twin widows who lived two doors down who always gave our son something special for every holiday so we, of course, reciprocated.  They were both diabetic so for them, we got flowers for Valentine’s Day. There is nothing quite like watching your four-year-old son ring the bell of two elderly widows with flowers in hand. 

Another way to GIFT others is to visit a skilled nursing facility or assisted living home. Simple construction paper hearts would do the trick here! {Just call ahead and check with somebody first.}

Or make a list of unmarried/widowed people in your church and make handmade, personalized cards. This GIFT would cost very little but would surely and genuinely touch their hearts. 

 

THREE: PLAY Valentine Bingo or another fun game as a family!

The fun thing about Bingo is that it can be PLAYED with a small or large group and both ways are fun! When our son was young, he even enjoyed PLAYING with just us. In order to make it more educational, I would write the words down and he had to read each one before he could find the matching picture. You can find the above version on Amazon right here. You can also find a super cheap version at WalMart in the holiday aisle. They might be cheap but they work all the same and are just as much fun! 

If Bingo isn’t your style, there are loads of other fun Valentine’s Day games  that you can PLAY at home. Pinterest has a plethora of ideas including Musical Hearts, Cupid Target Practice and Heart Hopscotch. You can find thirty different Valentine’s Day games here.

 

FOUR: MAKE yummy cookies or a fun craft!

We tend to MAKE shaped sugar cookies for just about every holiday and Valentine’s Day is simply a given. Or you could MAKE cupcakes, cake pops or red velvet blossoms. You could also start the day with heart-shaped pancakes, serve Conversation Cuties with lunch or order a special heart-shaped pizza from Papa Murphy’s. 

If you’d rather create something that won’t later get eaten, there are about a gazillion Valentine’s Day crafts to be made! Friendship Rocks with Fingerprint Hearts, Pom Pom Monsters and Lacing Hearts all look like cute ways to have fun while MAKING something special. Or if you are a super duper brave Mama, you could let your kids MAKE some Valentine SLIME!

 

FIVE: LEARN about the holiday! 

This is another given in our house. I won’t lie and say it’s my son’s favorite aspect of our holiday celebrations but no matter what we’re celebrating, we are also LEARNING about it! The easiest {and cheapest} way to approach this is at your local library. Chances are, your library has a special display on the topic already handpicked for you. Gail Gibbons has always been one of my favorite non-fiction authors. Her “What Is Valentine’s Day” book is out of print but your library might have it. If so, I highly recommend it. If you’d rather get a book to keep, there is a plethora of Valentine’s Day books starring your kids’ favorite characters available including Curious George, Llama Llama and even The Very Hungry Caterpillar. 

If you’re like me and determined to not let school totally fly out the window for the day, you might want to check out TpT for ways to turn the holiday into a LEARNING {but still fun} experience. Your kids can sort conversation hearts, make a heart-shaped flap book or write a love poem. If you want your kids to actually learn about the holiday, check out this 25 page Valentine’s Day Holiday Fact Pack that includes informational text, writing prompts, a crossword puzzle and other fun printables.  It covers the history of the holiday and includes topics such as St. Valentine, Cupid, conversation hearts, chocolate candies and more!  

So, whether your kids EXCHANGE cards with friends, GIVE gifts to neighbors, PLAY Bingo with family, MAKE cookies or LEARN about the holiday, there are loads of ways for your homeschoolers to have some Valentine’s Day fun!

 

 

You may also want to check out Three Ways Homeshoolers Can Have Some St. Patrick’s Day Fun too. 

Gift Guide for Animal-Loving Kids

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Our son loves animals more than he loves most things and is on a self-chosen path to be a Zoo Director when he grows up. He volunteers multiple times each week as an assistant animal-keeper at a local museum where he feeds a variety of creatures including 150 pound tortoises, teeny bats and bizarre mudskippers. So, gift-buying for him is often centered around animals and has been for as long as I can recall.

This gift guide includes a variety of ideas for a range of ages and spending points. I hope you can find something that works for your animal-loving kid!

 

ONE: Animal Inspired Legos

If your animal loving kid also happens to be a Lego lover like ours, gift giving can be pretty simple! Not only does Lego offer complete sets to create sharks, dogs and dinosaurs,  they also have books that show specific steps to create hundreds of different small animals while also teaching about habitats around the world. If your Lego-creating animal lover does not have a surplus of Legos lying around {my son never takes apart a build so we are always in need of more bricks,} you’ll want to grab a big box of classic bricks and some spare eyeballs. And, if you have a younger animal lover in your life, Lego has you covered with lots of animal-themed Duplo sets with small, medium, large and even larger price tags. I was lucky enough to score a huge tub containing twenty pounds of random Legos from a local buy/sell site. I added an animal building book and a baggie of 50 eyeballs to create the perfect big gift for Christmas morning! 

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TWO: Books About Animals

This is a category that I am downright embarrassed to mention. Being a former public school teacher who currently homeschools her only child and is married to an academic, I KNOW the truth behind the old adage, “you can never have too many books.” But, I’m not sure our son, who will have no fewer than 20 books beneath the Christmas tree would agree {and that’s in addition to the set of 12 How to Train Your Dragon books he’s getting for his birthday the week before.} All joking aside, he will be thrilled with his bounty of books, not only because he enjoys reading but because they are all about animals. Between the historical fiction series about Soldier Dogs and the silly starter set of Dog-Man comic-style books, he will be entertained on multiple levels. He will also enjoy this beautiful Animal Encyclopedia as well as the first book in a new series about a dog in middle school, Dog Diaries by James Patterson. If your animal-loving kid is more at the picture book stage, there are nearly a gazillion options! AND {as of 12/08/19} Amazon is offering an amazing deal where you get three books for the price of two. Below are just a few examples of awesome animal books for younger readers that qualify for that special deal. 

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THREE: Stuffed Animals

I’m not ashamed to say that our animal-loving kid, who will soon be a teenager, still collects stuffed animals. It kinda drives my husband nuts but I personally find it endearing that our son has a specific memory attached to every single stuffed animal he owns. Whether it’s of a special family member, favorite friend or significant event, the memory and animal is not something he wants to give up. He has animals carefully selected from at least a dozen zoos across the country and animals acquired in various national parks.  Just last night when I asked him what he wanted for Christmas, he launched into needing a cardinal because we had so many in our yard this summer and he didn’t want to forget their beauty. He also said he needed a lion because we had just finished reading the Chronicles of Narnia together and he loved every minute of it. {Luckily, he seemed to forget that we never found a sea lion to bring home from San Francisco last summer…so this little guy will definitely be a surprise!} The variety of animals on Amazon seems endless and can range in size from teeny stocking stuffers to giants worthy of being delivered directly by Santa on Christmas morning. Amazon haseverything from super soft baby-worthy animals to animals that proudly reflect the true physical characteristics of the species behind the inspiration. {By the way, I hate clutter and don’t allow his stuffed menagerie to leave his room. And I have every intention of making the kid take his animals when he moves out. I figure they’ll be perfect decor for his Zoo Director office!}

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FOUR: Hands-on Animal Activities

One of the gifts I am most excited about giving this year, is a book and bells combo designed to help teach your dog new tricks. Our son has a mini-Aussie that he loves to work with and I know they will both thoroughly enjoy having these tools to take their training to a new level. Something that he has sadly outgrown but that I still HIGHLY RECOMMEND for kids of nearly every age, is anything from the Backyard Safari line of toys. They have loads of options but the best items to start with include this critter shack and bug vacuum. This combo will surely get your kids excited about exploring outside! But, for days when the weather keeps your kids inside, this cool drawing book can keep them occupied. Or if you’re truly adventurous and want to bring some critters indoors, an actual ant-farm can be loads of fun! We had one years ago {for a science fair project} and the entire family enjoyed watching them dig intricate tunnels.

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FIVE: Real Animal Encounters

If I’m excited about the used Legos, surplus of books, sea lion plush and dog bells, imagine how excited I am to gift our son with some real animal encounters. And, we’re not talking cats, dogs, bugs and lizards. We’re talking penguins, sloths and camels. Obviously, these types of encounters will vary by zoo location but from a quick glance at a handful of zoos, it seems that most zoos offer some sort of behind-the-scenes animal encounters. It just takes a little research, some advanced planning  and printing up a certificate in order to gift the opportunity to swim with penguins, pet sloths and feed camels! I think I need to add these to MY LIST!

Happy Shopping and Merry Christmas!