Out of the nine days my parents and I spent in Britain, the day we explored London was one of my favorites.

That morning, we took the train from Milton Keynes, where we were staying with friends, into London, and then went on the underground to Camden Station. Both stations were really full. It was a good thing the local friend who came with us was tall, otherwise we would have lost him!

We went out one of the exits and took a right. After a few minutes we realized we were in the Camden Market. There were stalls and shops of colorful bags and mugs, souvenirs as well as clothing and unique crafts lining the street.

All around London the number of different languages we heard was amazing. After that day, I wasn’t surprised to read that out of all the cities in the world, the one with the most languages spoken is London.

The directions we were using didn’t look like they were leading us to the London Zoo. We stopped at the bridge over Regent’s Canal and watched the boats moored to the side of the murky but charming waterway, while our friend messed around on his phone trying to find where we should go. It turned out we had accidentally exited from the wrong side of the station!

We walked back to where we had started, went through the other exit and finally came to the zoo.

The London Zoo is one of the largest zoos in the world.

The zebras were especially woolly. Their coats were shaggy and longer than usual to accommodate the cool British weather.

There was a building with ‘nightlife’, creatures like bats and armadillos. There were exhibits like in a reptile house, only faintly back-lit in the dark so we could see them. It was really cool.

Out of all the exhibits, though, the okapi, an animal that looks like a mix between a deer and a zebra but is neither, was my favorite. Her coat looked so velvety! She just stood there, nibbling a branch.

The penguin’s building was being remodeled, so they were put in with the other birds in the aviary. It was amusing seeing the arctic creatures amongst tropical fowl (and the occasional local specimen, which I imagine got in through the holes in the netting).

By the time we finished in the aviary, the sky was starting to drip. Out of all the days we spent in Britain, that was the only day it rained, which is very unusual. Britain is known for its precipitation.

After we had walked around the zoo for about five hours, we finally ran out of steam. I got two ‘souvenir holes’ in the socks I wore that day.

We exited the zoo and walked a block north to Primrose Hill. It’s a tall, gently sloping grassy hill with round, leafy trees along the paths up it. It’s a nice break from the grayish buildings around it, although London was surprisingly green for a big city.

Once we got to the top, we rested on some benches and gazed south. We saw the London skyline along the Thames: Big Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the London Eye and a dozen others, all tiny grey figures, just recognizable in the faintly dimming evening light.

We took the underground back to Euston Station and stopped there. It was ‘peak time’, or rush hour, so we couldn’t use our non-peak-time tickets for the train back to Milton Keynes yet.

To fill time, we decided to go out for dinner.

We walked through a part of town our friend knew. We went down an avenue of Indian restaurants, and had dinner in one of them. The others enjoyed their meals, but I ordered a ‘masala’, or ‘spicy’ dosa, which was a little too hot for me.

After our meal, we took the train to Milton Keynes.

We were all really tired when we got back, but it was worth it.

The day we went to London was one of the most fun, tiring days I’ve ever had. I’d love to go back there and see more of the amazing things the city has to offer.

About the Author

Heather Mathis is 13 and lives in Woodstock. She has been homeschooled all her life. She likes figure skating and writing fantasy stories, and has a business hand sewing one-of-a-kind sock dolls. 

Are you a homeschooler, too? Send us an article about your favorite adventure and we could feature it in

‘A Homeschooler’s Perpective’

MrNussbaum

 Ages 3-12

 FREE

The website MrNussbaum.com, is an educational website geared to young students, their parents, and teachers. There is a free and a premium version of the site–the good news is that homeschoolers will find the free option to their liking–a premium membership is not necessary.

Homeschoolers can easily use MrNussbaum.com for–

• Supplementing their homeschooling endeavors. MrNussbaum.com activities are perfectly suited for homeschoolers and serve as useful and fun remediation, enrichment, practice, and assessment.
• Setting goals. Parents can record scores their children get on games and quizzes and challenge them to reach a certain score by a specific time.
• Fun. MrNussbaum.com is so fun, that kids don’t realize they’re learning or practicing.
• Rewards. Homeschoolers can use the site as a reward for work well done.

The site was developed with the idea that crucial concepts, themes, ideas, and facts taught in the home can be enhanced over the internet through interactivity. MrNussbaum.com offers dozens of interactive games specifically designed to pinpoint one or several essential concepts taught in the elementary grades, and dozens of research themes designed to make the process of gathering information interactive and enjoyable.

By the way, there really is a Mr. Nussbaum — and I have to admit, I am not smarter than Mr. Nussbaum (this is actually a challenge on his site)! Perhaps you, or your kids are!

The site certainly has a lot to offer–a ton of information (do you know Idaho’s state bird?), MANY educational games (Math games, Science games, games in Spanish, etc.), free printables (Math, Reading, Scavenger Hunts, etc.), free videos, plus, much MORE. Almost all of the free games can be played on iPads/mobile devices .

Really, why wouldn’t you check it out? It’s free and fun–and fun learning is forever learning!

Ann Simpson

Bible Bookcase

 All Ages

 $29.95

The Bible Bookcase by EMG is not a bookcase at all, but an innovative puzzle-like game designed to teach the books of the Bible. In fact, with the Bible Bookcase, learning all sixty-six books of the Bible in sequential order becomes fun and easy! And your kids can’t make a mistake! Due to their patent-pending design, your children cannot place a book where it does not belong!

The Bible Bookcase is a perfect tool for:

• Kids and Grandkids ( of all ages )
• Christian and Homeschool Fun
• Social/Christian Fellowship Gatherings
• Sunday School Classes

The overall dimensions of the book case (with base installed and sign on top) — H: 14.5″ x W: 12.0″ x D: 3.0″. This is a wooden toy of high quality, and can be displayed in any child’s room or family room–it’s decorator quality!

The Bible Bookcase–it’s a high quality, fun puzzle-game for the entire family!

Note: The books are wooden puzzle/game pieces–not actual books that can be opened and read–but this does not detract from the product in any way. It’s really lovely, attractive — and educational too.

Aspiring astronauts will enjoy these opportunities to learn about shuttles, rockets, astronauts, and more.  Should your summer travels take you to one of these states, consider a summer space exploration.  It’s guaranteed science fun.

Alabama

U.S. Space and Rocket Center (Huntsville) – Learn about space travel in this hands-on museum featuring a simulator and rocket park, and over 1500 space artifacts. See a planetarium or an IMAX show. Space Camp and Space Academy programs available.

• Read more about the U.S. Space and Rocket Center from Travel 50 States with Kids

California

California Science Center – See the Space Shuttle Endeavour, retired in the same state it was constructed. Learn about its last mission, and see an IMAX movie.

• Read more about California Science Center from The Vacation Gals

Florida

Kennedy Space Center (Titusville) – Plan to spend the entire day at this complex – the grounds of the first human space launch in the US. Take the bus tour, lunch with an astronaut, hop aboard a shuttle simulator, tour the rocket garden and much more.

• Read more about Kennedy Space Center from Kidventurous and Trekaroo

Illinois

Henry Crown Space Center at Chicago Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago) – See the Aurora 7, take a simulated space shuttle ride, watch an IMAX movie, and more

• Read more about Chicago Museum of Science and Industry from Arrows Sent Forth

Kansas

Kansas Cosmosphere and Discovery Center (Hutchinson) – Compare over 25 different spacesuits and several space craft.  See a moon rock, a lunar module, and catch a show in the planetarium or theater.

Mississippi

Infinity Science Center (Louis) – Take a bus tour of the exhibits, learn about the solar system in the Science on a Sphere Theater, enjoy hands on exhibits, and learn about space technology that has affected our everyday life.

• Read more about Infinity Science Center from Sherri’s Traveling Classroom

New Mexico

The New Mexico Museum of Space History (Almogordo) – See space paraphernalia, watch a planetarium and an IMAX show, and examine artifacts in the International Space Hall of Fame

Ohio

Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum (Wapakoneta) – See Neil Armstrong’s Gemini 8, as well as his spacesuits and other memorabilia

Texas

Space Center Houston (Houston) – Fill your day with this museum that pays homage to the team and equipment that brought back the legendary Apollo 13. Take a tram tour to view mission control and astronaut training facilities, watch an IMAX movie and see exhibits. There is even a special space play area for younger kids.

• Read more about Space Center Houston from RWeThereYetMom? and Suitcases and Sippy Cups

Washington DC

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum – Explore the largest collection of space memorabilia. It includes Gemini 4, used by Ed White- the first American to walk in space, Apollo 11, and Friendship 7, the first piloted spacecraft to orbit Earth.

• Read more about the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum from Go Big or Go Home and The World Is A Book

Dig Deeper

• Learn more about the future of space travel from Suitcases and Sippy Cups
• Considering the existence of life on other planets? Read about Albany Kid‘s adventure along Extraterrestrial Highway to Area 51 in Nevada.
• Explore a French Space Center with Laugh-Quotes.com
• Understand one student’s perspective on why recent NASA cuts were not the right decision, from Wandering Educators.
• Keep abreast of the latest space news, and enjoy an almanac and other tools and tips for your budding astronomer at Sky & Telescope.
• Learn about astronauts, the solar system, and our universe from this official NASA site, StarChild. Parents will appreciate two levels of information; one of young space explorers and a second for older kids. Teens over 14 yrs will like NASA’s Imagine the Universe.
• Play and learn with space games and educational activities for multiple levels with NASA Kids’ Club.
• Get up close with each of the planets at Welcome to the Planets™ and learn more about the spacecraft that study each planet.

Hands On

See our Pinterest board  - Space Encounters – featuring crafts, experiments and more about space, space exploration, the moon and planets, and other “out of this world” science topics.

If you haven’t already done so, join the conversation on Facebook!

Time4Learning

 Ages 3—Teens

  $19.95 for the first child and $14.95 for each additional child

Time4Learning offers online, standards-based curriculum in Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies for Pre-K–8^th grade students. Time4Learning can be used with different student types, learning styles and teaching methods and it can be used for homeschool, afterschool and/or summer use–as a primarily stand-alone or supplementary tool.

After using the product for about two weeks–I have to say (write) — the benefits of Time4Learnng are MANY–

• 1,000+ student-paced multimedia activities (so much for the kids to do)
• The scope and sequence is both thorough and challenging (including Language Arts–Phonics – Reading)
• Multi-media lessons are educational AND entertaining (fun, quirky characters)
• Interactive, project-based activities–kids really enjoy them
• Printable worksheets are a plus (change of pace is always good)
• A student-paced approach
• Access to 3 grade levels of lessons (this is a HUGE). Children can move up or down a grade level in any of their subjects, so the program is easy to adapt
• Students can review and repeat activities at will–great for the more difficult lessons
• If a student wants to skip ahead to the quiz, s/he can do so (again, very important)
• Every student has a Time4Learning portfolio and the Parent Admin page allows you, the parent, to view your student’s records.
• Since kids can personalize their home page in regards to color, it was easy as a parent to know exactly whose page I was on–just by the color alone!
• Immediate feedback–which is great for correcting errors and misconceptions
• An automated system that grades lessons and keeps reports and portfolios
• Lesson plans & teaching tools for parents (parents can preview lessons–and brush up when needed (when was the last time you multiplied fractions?)
• The parent’s forum allows parents to connect and ask questions of one another–which is a very nice bonus
• Time4Learning offers a list of spelling words and a reading list by grade–a nice extra
• I also enjoyed the opportunity to see students’ artwork
• A fun assortment of educational games can be found on the site–and you as the parent can determine how much time can be spent in/on “the playground”
• Easy site navigation–your kids will have it down in no time! And the Time4Learning Getting Started Guide is particularly useful for new members.

Time4Learning is certainly affordable–the monthly membership is $19.95 for the first child and $14.95 for each additional child–and it comes with a two week money back guarantee. Since Time4Learning is web based (their program is most compatible with the Firefox browser), there is no software to download, no CDs and nothing additional to purchase–no hidden costs or fees.

I was curious as to whether other parents like Time4Learning as much as I do–and from reviews/comments on the Internet–they do! In fact, many parents comment that they limit the time their kids can be on Time4Learning — as their kids really like Time4Learning and want to be on it all the time! Kids loving a curriculum so much, that’s all they want to do! What more could you ask for!

Ann Simpson

Did you know that Homeschool.com has a Product Review section on our site?  We do!  It’s listed under Free Stuff, along with Free Printables, Travel Guides, and more.

I recently reviewed a number of new products for Homeschool.com, and I will be highlighting/blogging about each product over the next week.

Today’s product–the FREE website Schoolplus.

Schoolplus.com

Ages 3-8

Free–$40 in the future

Schoolplus.com is a site that believes learning can be fun. The resources, exercises and games on the site teach young children (preschool–grade 3, and perhaps a little older) the basic educational skills they need to achieve academically. The resources also teach a child that learning can be fun.

The academic categories (categories of fun) on Schoolplus.com include Math, Language, Brain Teasers, and Miscellaneous. Exercises within the categories can be used by children either alone or under the supervision of a parent/teacher.

Regarding the actual games/exercises–

• One of my favorite easy games was the memory game (the memory game has always been one of my favorites since childhood). Instead of just matching items, students match numbers with numbered items (ie., the number 3 with three light bulbs).
• The Mouse Trap is great fun–there certainly is a strategy for winning. Hint–think big–and then narrow the trap down–and make use of the barriers that open with the game.
• With many of the games, parents can play against their children. Kids like trying to beat their parents’ scores!  This also works with siblings.
• When you click on an activity, you might notice that some come with instructions–while others do not. Even without instructions, it’s easy to figure out how an activity works/how it can be beneficial for your child. Sometimes when I clicked on an activity that didn’t include instructions, my first reaction was “Huh?”, but it was quickly followed by “Oh, I like that!”
• Every time you click on a game/exercise, it causes another tab on your computer to open. Parents can open several games for their children — perhaps 3 that train multiplication skills for example — and then leave the kids to work through them all rather than having to open a new game every few minutes.  Even though I’m partial to my back button–I see the benefits of this.
• The crossword and word search generator programs (located in the ‘Other’ category from the main top menu bar) are customizable –which of course is nice–especially for homeschoolers.
• The graphics on all the games/exercises are very attractive and appealing to children.

At the moment parents can sign up and use the site for free. Schoolplus.com plans to become a subscription site around August of 2013. Notification will be sent to parents to inform them the subscription system is about to begin. There won’t be any surprises–you won’t be obligated to join at that time.  The annual subscription fee for private users will be $40/year for unlimited use of the site–it will certainly be a good value.

Why not try it out now while it’s free–and see if it’s something your kids like/use? It’s certainly a fun site — your little ones will enjoy it–and they’ll learn at the same time. You can’t beat that!

And as always, fun learning is forever learning!

Ann Simpson

My Mother kept a garden,
a garden of the heart,
She planted all the good things
that gave my life it’s start.
She turned me to the sunshine
and encouraged me to dream,
Fostering and nurturing
the seeds of self-esteem…
And when the winds and rain came,
she protected me enough-
But not too much because she knew
I’d need to stand up strong and tough.
Her constant good example
always taught me right from wrong-
Markers for my pathway
that will last a lifetime long.
I am my Mother’s garden.
I am her legacy-
And I hope today she feels the love
reflected back from me

Author Unknown

You don’t need to purchase costly prepared curricula in order to homeschool.  Home education can be affordable and there are many benefits to accepting the homeschool challenge of doing it for less.

Homeschool.com realizes how important it is to save money, so here are some ways to minimize your out-of-pocket expenses:

• Free online resources. You can find lesson plans, worksheets, classes, tutorials, science experiments and more, all online and all free of charge. Resources for every grade and age group abound.
• Online used curriculum sales. There are numerous online homeschool curriculum swap and sale sites. Just use your favorite search engine and start shopping!
• Local homeschooling support group used curriculum sales. Many local groups have curriculum sales and swaps. They are fun to attend because not only do you save money but you meet homeschoolers from your area.
• Teacher’s discount at book stores, teacher supply stores, and online sites. Here’s a newsflash–homeschoolers are teachers! If you have local bookstores, craft stores, supply stores, etc, ask if they offer a teacher discount. Have you heard of educents.com?  It’s a discount flash sales site, especially for parents, grandparents, teachers and homeschoolers (no discount card necessary). Check it out.
• Trade classes with other homeschool parents in your area. Pool your talents and your resources with other homeschoolers. Take advantage of others’ expertise and share yours. This will be a socialization and a learning experience for your child.
• Barter with those in your community. Many homeschooling families have saved countless dollars through the use of bartering. Get your child involved in the transaction. What is s/he willing to do/provide in the bartering process? Just the act of bartering teaches commerce, free trade, responsibility, etc.
• Shop garage sales and thrift stores. What a wonderful resource! Used books…yarn…art supplies…clocks that need to be repaired…your options are endless. Garage and thrift stores are fun and $20 goes a long way! This type of shopping teaches your child thriftiness, recycling, and perhaps even how to think outside the box.
• Shop the dollar store. A fun place to pick up craft supplies, books, etc. Again, $20 goes a long way. Shopping here teaches your how to be child frugal…a very important lesson.
• Check out your library. Make sure you and your child have a library card and then make the library a weekly outing. Check out books, periodicals, CDs, educational computer games, foreign language tapes, etc. And with inter-library loans, you’re not just limited to your local library! What do trips to the library teach your student–respect and responsibility! And library book sales are great fun—you can purchase books for ten cents or a quarter. How many books can you buy for $5.00? There’s a math lesson in the making.
• Field trips and community resources. Your community has so much to offer–parks, museums, historical sites, businesses, etc. Some opportunities will be advertised, others you’ll happen upon, and others you will have to solicit . Being out in the community provides a chance for learning and a chance for socialization. You and your child will get to know people in your area and you’ll both find that networking can be explosive—one adventure/learning experience leads to another.
• Volunteer in your community. The rewards of volunteering are numerous and volunteering allows your child to give back to the community. And what will your child learn? Responsibility….empathy….gratefulness, just to name a few.
• Don’t forget your own home. Take a good look around your home. Common household items can perform double-duty. A ruler or a measuring cup can be used for teaching fractions, multiplication, division, etc. Large noodles can be used for teaching addition and subtraction. Be innovative. Maybe you can teach a math lesson in the morning and eat it for lunch!
• Turn on the TV. Educational channels, history channels, wildlife channels, videos—the television can be beneficial in supplementing your home teaching.

Homeschooling for less is not impossible—it’s not even difficult. All your student truly needs is a parent that is determined to provide learning opportunities on an ongoing basis.

I’d like to share my favorite Mother’s Day memories with you, from a Mom’s perspective and from a younger perspective as well.

My favorite recent Mother’s Day memory is the one where my kids, entirely on their own, surprised me with a really nice breakfast in bed, complete with orange juice and a Baby Ruth candy bar on the side!  Why does this one stand out?  Because we didn’t have orange juice in the refrigerator that morning and I know we didn’t have a Baby Ruth in the house!  My kids pooled their money and their efforts, rode their bikes to the store for the juice and candy, and then they cooked a pretty elaborate breakfast.   What amazes me, to this day, is all the effort that went into it.  And the thoughtfulness–they remembered my favorite candy bar is a Baby Ruth and included it as dessert!

From a younger perspective, every Mother’s Day, from the time I was a teenager until I was 27 and my Gramie died, I purchased a “house dress” for her–it was part bathrobe…part dress.  It was a tradition….and I really enjoyed picking out the cutest one I could find.  I miss doing that.  I wish I could shop for a house dress this year!

Mother’s Day is important.  Not just for us…but for our children.  They make us handmade gifts, they make us breakfast, they show their love for us….and they will have memories of fun and meaningful Mother’s Days when they are older and mothers themselves.

Make sure they have the opportunity to do something nice for you.  Let them make a memory!

Ann Simpson

It’s never too soon to start homeschooling your children.  Since little ones are like wonderful, little sponges, wanting to soak up everything, it makes sense to start early–to start homeschooling your preschooler.

Following, are some tips for homeschooling the little ones in your life:

• Involve your children in your daily activities. Children love helping and they want to help.  They want to do “big people” things.  So, let your children help you prepare food and run errands. If you work from a home office, if you can, allow them “work” alongside you.
• When having your children help, be patient, as your children will take longer to do small tasks than it would take you to do the same tasks.  In a similar vein, be understanding when a task it not done up to your standards or if a mess occurs.  Do you really think your children aren’t going to spill a little water when carrying an ice tray to the freezer?  The spill will occur—but what a learning opportunity!  You can count the specific ice cube spaces; you can look at the tray full of water, then look at it again when it is frozen; you can compare the temperatures of drinks with and without ice cubes, etc.  So really, a little water on the kitchen floor is no big deal.  In fact, it’s another learning opportunity, as you can teach your children how to clean up small spills.
• While you’re involving your children in your daily activities, talk to them.  Explain why and how you are doing things. Answer questions that your children may have.  If your children ask why, why, why constantly, when appropriate, turn the question back on them, and answer their why question with a “Why not?” Your children have wonderful minds—let them figure out the possible whys or why nots.
• Build routines into your daily activities when possible. I have to admit, I’m not a routine kind of person—but young children appreciate routines. Establish a basic routine for meals, household activities, work, errands, naps, etc., thus giving structure to your children’s days. You don’t have to be totally regimented and live by a stop watch, but some routine is beneficial.
• While a routine is important, it’s also very important that you leave plenty of free time in your kids’ day for play and exploration.  Playing and exploring are how your children learn best.  When possible, much of this should be outside time, because as we all know, kids love to be active!  Being active is important as physical activity increases muscle strength, flexibility, coordination, and it helps develop gross motor skills.  Have your preschooler practice (in a fun way) walking in a straight line, walking backwards, standing on one foot, hopping, etc.
• While you’re doing all the above, focus on learning, not teaching.  When focusing on learning, keep any formal preschool lessons you might have, simple and fun. If your children get frustrated, just stop for the day.  You are building a lifelong love of learning in your children—frustration is the last thing you want.
• When possible, limit television viewing.  Replace television with games you and your children can play together. Games can teach academic skills as well as teach children how to take turns, play as a member on a team, lose gracefully, etc.  Plus, playing games with your children is fun.  You laugh, you bond….it’s much better than watching a television show!
• It’s important that you provide your children with toys that encourage imagination and that are FUN.  If they’re not fun, it doesn’t matter how educational they are, your children are not going to play with them.  Think about the toys you played with as a child….wooden blocks, Legos, etc.
• Get out of the house and go on walks with your children.  Boy, that’s a simple thing to do!  But so educational too.  Point out different plants, animals, birds, bugs, etc.  Talk about the sky, the clouds and the breeze.  Encourage your children to collect leaves, rocks, acorns, etc.
• Go on fieldtrips with your preschoolers.  Think zoos, educational farms, etc.  I guarantee your children will remember these experiences and will talk about them for months afterwards.
• When appropriate, let your children make a mess. I know…I know…no one likes a mess.  But hands-on learning is important.  Schedule the time, and make arrangements ahead of time so that clean-up is easy.

The crux of educating your preschooler is to realize that even the littlest things are learning experiences and to make the entire process  a fun, bonding experience.  If you take these things into consideration, you can’t go wrong.

And of course, have fun!  Because as we all know, fun learning is forever learning!

Ann Simpson