Win a One-Year Subscription from Groovy Lab in a Box!

Win a One-Year Subscription from Groovy Lab in a Box!

I love a GROOVY giveaway - how about you?
Our friends at Groovy Lab in a Box are hosting a sweepstakes where you can win a one-year subscription! All you have to do is type in your email address, and you are entered.

Click here to enter to win a one-year subscription from Groovy Lab in a Box!

Groovy Lab in a Box, the award-winning educational kits about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is presented in partnership with POPULAR MECHANICS for KIDS. Their STEM subscription box is interactive, hands-on and incorporates scientific inquiry and the engineering design process. Science Made Fun for Kids ages 8+.

Each month, they send out a themed box filled with investigations that are fun and hands on. The investigations culminate into an Engineering Design Challenge, where your STEMists must apply what they've learned from the investigations (and use their critical thinking skills) to complete the challenge. The boxes contain everything you need to complete all of the activities, including a groovy retro-themed lab notebook. The box activities are supplemented with their Beyond...in a Box web portal where your children will find videos, interactive and additional activities. Head over to Groovy Lab in a Box's website to learn more about this great service!
Good luck! I hope you win!

 

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Which Math Curriculum is Right for Your Family?

Math is one of those subjects you either love to teach or dread teaching.  I know a lot of parents worry about how they will help their children with upper-level math.   Youtube is a great resource to learn how to do math problems.  My daughter is in Pre-Algebra this year so I have had to brush up on my math skills in order to help her understand problems, to do so I watched a lot of Youtube videos.  I am getting pretty good at doing Y intercepts and slope.

Thank Goodness there are so many resources available to help you teach your children...you don't have to teach math by yourself. Some of the favorites that I have personally used in my home are listed below.

CTC Math - After hearing so many great things about this program, I decided to give it a try this year.  This is an online math program that is not Common Core aligned.

Students: 

Learn at their own pace
They can stop and rewind the teacher until they get it
Builds Confidence
24x7 unlimited access
Catch up or get ahead

There are two sign up options, you can sign up for a single user or for a family membership. Once signed up you can access any grade level of math K-12.  When one of my children doesn't understand or remember a concept, I have gone back to previous grade levels to review problems.

As a whole, I have been really happy with CTC math.  My kids love it and seem to be doing well with it.  However, I do believe there is value in figuring out math problems on paper and pencil.  I feel that they retain information better if they work it out on paper. Something about the act of writing transfers the information to the brain better than just typing an answer on the computer.  That's just my observation.

I love how easy it is for my children to log into their profile and finish a lesson.  Most days I don't need to help them, CTC has made my job of teaching math easier.  A big plus for me was no grading required! I use to spend so much time grading math problems.  Sometimes its easy to forget that I still need to monitor what they are learning,  it is helpful that I receive a weekly email with their progress.

Cons: the program can seem expensive.  If you are using it for more than one child, I feel that the value is great. I am getting one curriculum with multiple levels that extend from K-12.  Homeschool Families get a discount!  Occasionally CTC will offer a buy now and get 6 months free. CTC offers a free trial! Worth trying if you are thinking about using CTC.


Khan Academy is a free online math program.  Khan Academy offers so many amazing resources for free. How amazing is that?  Two of my children have used it a lot. Math is offered by subject or by grade, making it easy to navigate.  Instruction videos are available for every single math concept making learning so much easier than trying to read the directions in a textbook.      

If your budget is tight and you don't mind online math program, this is a great one to go with.  The best thing is...No grading required!

Happy Pi Day! Celebration Ideas for the Math Lovers and Non Math Lovers

Pi day is the annual celebration of the mathematical concept of PI observed on March 14th since the first significant numbers of Pi are 3.14.  Larry Shaw is believed to be the first person that organized an event celebrating pi taking place 1988 in Sanfransico.

On March 12, 2009 the US House of  Representative passed a resolution marking March 14th as National Pi Day.

Pi has been around for the last 4000 years beginning with the Babylonians who would calculate the area of a circle by taking 3 times the square of its radius which pi=3.  For more history of how pi came about check out this link: History of Pi.

Top Homeschool Curriculum Picks

I Hope Your New Year is a success! Welcome to 2018. We hope you had an amazing holiday season with your loved ones. Are you ready to start the new year with a fresh start? The beginning of a New Year is the perfect time to evoluate what is going awesome and what is going not so awesome in your homeschool. I know I sat down, pondered and prayed over what changes I needed to make in my day with my learners.  Here are some great products that can keep your little learners interested. Hooked on Phonics provides everything you need to help your kids learn to read. Hooked on Phonics Help your kids learn their multiplication facts FAST!  Times Tales Curriculum to use in 2018! Are you looking for new homeschooling curriculum to use in the new year? Or, maybe you are a parent looking to supplement what they are learning in school. Here are some of our favorite picks for 2018. Timberdoodle kits are now on Educents! Choose the grade level you are looking for and receive everything you need to homeschool. Christian and secular kits available. Timberdoodle Kits Our top selling math curriculum! Life of Fred Elementary Math includes zany stories about Fred and his friends, who learn math along the way. Life of Fred These science videos are great for introducing a topic or reinforcing a concept. Science Videos Order the Magic School Bus science kits and receive a new set each month. Science lesson plans for 2018--check! Magic School Bus Educents is such a great company and they have so many wonderful items to help your homeschool run more smoothly.  Be sure and check out all the great things they offer.  Educents.  What are you trying new this year?

George Washington Rules of Civility Copywork

George Washington was a very impressive young man that grew into an even more impressive man.  Have you ever taken the time to read his list of  Rules of Civility & Decent Behaviour In Company and Conversation? 

By the age of 16 Washington had copied out by hand 110 Rules of Civility & Decent Behaviour In Company and Conversation. This was believed to be a penmanship assignment from his teacher.   They are based on a set of rules composed by French Jesuits in 1595.

As you read through them, some may seem silly or even outdated and more suited to an early period of time.  However, as you read them, there is one thing that is obvious, they are all focused on good manners toward others. Today self-centeredness and self-interest is evident everywhere we look. Many people are focused on themselves and what they want, they forget to look outside of themselves and use good manners toward others.   Though they may sound silly, we can learn a lot from them on how to treat others around us.  

Groovy Lab in a Box and Ford STEAM Experience

How Awesome is this:

Groovy Lab in a Box recently collaborated with the Ford Motor Company in a Ford STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) Box. The Ford STEAM Box challenges children to think like a Ford engineer by building a complete prototype of a Ford Mustang GT. For the first run of the kit, Ford worked with Groovy Lab in a Box to create the Ford STEAM Box at no cost (while supplies lasted).

As with all Groovy Lab in a Box STEAM kits, the Ford STEAM Box features multiple tasks including: designing a vehicle frame out of paper using kirigami modeling, working with copper tape and LEDs to create headlights and taillights, and wiring a working motor.
Enter for the chance to win a trip for four to celebrate STEAM at the USA Science & Engineering Festival in Washington, DC, from April 6-8, 2018. You’ll also have a chance to win a monthly Groovy Lab in a Box subscription for one year, thanks to Ford STEAM Experience.

ENTER THE CONTEST HERE

Good luck! We hope you win!

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Groovy Lab in the Box Makes a great gift for STEMists

Order Groovy Lab in a Box by December 17 for Holiday Delivery

Kids are naturally curious! Why not tap into their innate curiosity with a groovy gift this holiday season? With a gift from Groovy Lab in a Box, you will give the STEMists in your life a way to learn about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) - all while having FUN!

 Right now, Groovy Lab in a Box is offering their Groovy Holiday Bundles to make your holiday shopping easier. With the Groovy Holiday Bundles, you will get a single box delivered to you in time for the holidays, with continued grooviness into 2018 with one of their subscription plans. Non-recurring prepaid plans are available in 3-, 6- and 12-month plans, and are billed at the time of order. At the end of the subscription period, these plans do not renew. These Groovy Holiday Bundles will help you save time and money because each plan is bundled with a unique single box at 20% off plus FREE shipping!

Totally groovy, right? If this sounds like the perfect gift for your child, you need to order today! All orders must be received by Sunday, December 17 to ensure holiday delivery.

 Groovy Lab In A Box

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**The links in this blog post are affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on these links, I will receive a small commission from Groovy Lab in a Box.

Christmas Gifts That Your Kids Are Sure To Love

Where has the year gone?  Can you believe it is almost Christmas? I love seeing all the lights, Christmas decorations and feeling the excitement in the air.  As much as I love Christmas, I do hate going out in the crowds and shopping for that perfect gift.  I am content with searching the web for that gift.  I thought I would share a few Christmas gift ideas with you.

Steve Spangler String Slime will make the perfect stocking stuffer! Kids will have fun with this for hours. 

NEW FORMULA! No glue, no PVA, no Borax.

• Squirt String Slime into the bowl of Activator solution. The instant the two liquids touch, you get solid String Slime. It’s that easy!

• Safe to touch, twirl and twist as you explore the science of polymers.

• Amazing fluorescent colors won’t stain your hands.

Includes: 

• String Slime liquid – 1 liter (32 ounces)

• Activator Powder – 20 grams

• Squirt bottle

• Activity Guide

Subscription boxes are a great idea for those that love to learn and explore.  My kids love receiving Little Passports in the mail.  We received the World Addition, so each month we got to learn about a new part of the world.   Right now you can save 15% by using promo code Jolly. This deal won't last, so don't wait to sign up. 

Groovy Lab In A Box, an award-winning STEM subscription is sure to please your budding scientists!  I love the thought I giving a gift that can last for months.  Choose from monthly, 3 month or 6-month plans.

With Groovy Lab in a Box, you will receive boxes full of everything you need to learn about and do hands-on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) experiments for ages 8+.

Kids Discover has over 1,000 science and social studies resources, available in 3 reading levels, vetted by subject experts and contain zero ads. Just $4 a month! Let's Do It

There are so many fun things to discover on Kids Discover.  My kids and I happened to run across this fun site and have loved learning from it.  You can sign up for free and view lots of free content, but to get the full advantages, I would suggest signing up for the $4 a month plan.  

Educents has some great sales going on right now.  Use Promo Code HOLIDAY for additional discounts off the already great prices.   Check out the prices on the Magformers right now.  

Tegu Blocks 40 Piece Set 

*Affiliate links were used in this post.  Thank you for your support.

Holiday Gift Guide

The Holiday Gift Guide 2017: Top Picks for Every Child

Christmas is fast approaching! Where has the past year gone? My family has picked out some toys that I think you will love.  At the bottom of this article, you will find a $10 off any purchase coupon!  

2017 Gift Guide

Meccano Meccanoid

Top Pick for Boys 8-12

This thing has it all for the boy that loves to build! 

Build your robot; program your robot; nickname your robot; teach your robot to play! With 3 ways to program your robot, and over 1000 pre-programmed jokes, games, fun facts, and actions (like dancing or giving a high five!), you can choose how to interact

 with the big-eyed, fully-functional robot.

He's your friendly neighborhood robot, and he can't wait for you to build him! 

This robot's official name is Meccanoid, but it's customary to give your friends nicknames. Give him or her a nickname: Meccanoid will remember it, and respond! 

Step 1: Build him/her. 

Step 2: Program him/her (use any of 3 ways). 

Step 3: Turn him/her into your best friend ever! 

Starpath 18” Dolls

Top pick for 6-12-year-old girls

Every girl needs an 18" doll to pack around, dress in cute clothes and comb it's silky smooth hair.

DrawCircuits

All Ages Will love this one

Look how cool this is! Teach kids about Circuits by drawing. 

The Circuit Scribe Ultimate kit has everything you need to introduce the ideas of circuitry and electronics to kids in a creative, hands-on approach. This kit covers light, sound, motion and has connector cables to integrate Makey Makey, raspberry pi & Arduino.

ButterflyGarden

All Ages Will love this one

My kids found a two-tailed swallowtail caterpillar, it was the oddest looking little thing.  They brought it home and were amazed to see that within a few days it had built itself a chrysalis.  It has been so fun looking at it and wondering when it will transform into a beautiful butterfly.   This experience has my children so excited to learn more about caterpillars and butterflies. What better way to learn than to purchase a butterfly garden. 

Magformers

Top pick for Pre-k -8

Magformers are a great pick for your builders.  Great for girls and boys. 

StemStructures 

Top pick for 6-12

My kids love their stem building kits.  

Modarri

Top pick for the builder - girly options are available also.

For the young artist

All Ages Will love this one

LittleHouse on The Prairie Doll

Top pick for girls that love dolls. 

 Discount

All of these items are available at one of my favorite stores, Educents. If you are a new customer, get a $10 Discount here.

All About Spelling Giveaway

This month All About Spelling is giving away the level of your choice, which includes student manual and teachers manual.  If you haven't used All About Spelling, you will also receive the Basic Spelling Interactive Kit. 

 If you have struggling spellers this is a great program to try.  I love it and use it with my children and for the most part, they love it.   It has made spelling so much easier in my home. We no longer have workbooks that they hate and that didn't seem to help them become better spellers. Now they are learning the rules of spelling. They love not having workbooks that just require memorization of words, now they are understanding the rules and rule breakers of spelling. 

All About Spelling is a seven-level program. Based on the latest research, this award-winning program provides complete and comprehensive instruction using the Orton-Gillingham approach. To learn more about the All About Spelling approach download "Six Ways We Make Spelling Easy" for free.  

The Giveaway will be open until 12am on November 1st.  A winner will randomly be selected on November 1st and will be contacted by email.  If the winner doesn't respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

ENTER HERE 

Cathy Duffy Top Curriculum Picks

Below I have listed a few of my favorite resources.  Cathy Duffy is the know-all when it comes to homeschool curriculum. She has reviewed hundreds of homeschool curricula to help educators like me make an educated decision when shopping for homeschool curriculum. So as soon as I see a product has been approved by Cathy Duffy, I am more likely to trust it. Here’s a handful of Cathy-approved educational picks available at Educents.com. I hope these double-recommended educational resources will relieve you from endless hours of shopping around for the best (and most cost-effective) homeschool resources.

Elementary Math & Science

Life of Fred Elementary Math

If you haven't heard of Life of Fred, you're in for a real treat. Dr. Stanley F Schmitt is a math teacher who developed story-based math learning series that has taken homeschooling by storm! Forget rote learning that doesn't resonate: learners follow the Fred and his pals through life and learn math concepts along the way. Kids sometimes don't even know they're learning math until they're told! Each book has a topic, like Apples, Butterflies, and Cats. I recommend supplementing math learning with the science of social studies of the same topic!

STEM Kit From Groovy Lab in a box

June's Groovy box theme is "Good Vibrations"

How fun is this? My kids love getting packages in the mail, especially packages that contain fun things to build with.  I love it because everything they need is contained in one box.  No going to the store because they need something for their creation. 

Does your STE(A)Mist love music and sound? Then make sure to get June's Groovy Lab in a Box! "Good Vibrations" is all about music, sound, pitch, vibrations, frequency, energy, and much much more.

Design Challenge: Using only the materials from your Groovy Lab in a Box, can you design and build a new musical instrument that plays at least three different pitches?

Don't forget: Every Groovy Lab in a Box comes with a groovy, retro-themed Lab Notebook plus access to Beyond...in a Box, an online web portal where kids get some groovy extended activities and can dig deeper into their STE(A)Mist's mindset and learning.

Be sure to start a subscription today so you can receive "Good Vibrations" with FREE SHIPPING!
Order Here!

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GRAPHIC:

Look What Showed Up in the Mail!!!

 

Our first Little Passports World Addition delivery! My kids were super excited to see what was in the box.  They were a little impatient with me for demanding to take pictures before I would let them open it. They had waited for a few weeks for it to be delivered.  Lucky for them, it arrived 3 days early. 

What is CopyWork?

 What exactly is copywork?

"Secure that the child begins by making perfect letters and is never allowed to make faulty ones, and the rest he will do for himself; as for 'a good hand,' do not hurry him; his 'handwriting' will come by-and-by... 

Set good copies before him, and see that he imitates his model dutifully: the writing lesson being not so many lines, or 'a copy'––that is, a page of writing––but a single line which is as exactly as possible a copy of the characters set. The child may have to write several lines before he succeeds in producing this.

A certain sense of possession and delight may be added to this exercise if children are allowed to choose for transcription their favourite verse in one poem and another." Charlotte Mason

What is STEM, exactly?

What is STEM, exactly?

 How many of you struggle with ideas for STEM projects?  I know I do and I don't always have time to sit and search for ideas on Pintrest and when I do find an idea, I don't have all the materials.  I love that Groovy Lab in a box sends a new project every month.  Have you signed up for a subscription yet?  What is your favorite way to introduce STEM to your children?  Leave a comment below.

People often reference “STEM” a lot. However, you may be wondering: “What is STEM, exactly?” Groovy Lab in a Box takes a look at what STEM is and why it is so important to the United States.
STEM is an acronym for “Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.” It’s an acronym to describe a type of curriculum in school – from kindergarten through college. The idea behind STEM is to make the United States more competitive in technology development by bringing up generations of students who can excel in high-tech jobs (Groovy Lab in a Box calls this generation, “STEMists”.) Without these STEMists, the U.S. could face a workplace development crisis.

Groovy Lab In a Box

February's Groovy Lab in a Box is A Parents’ Choice® Award Winner!

 **The links in this blog post are affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on these links, I will receive a small commission from Groovy Lab in a Box.

How fun is this Groovy Lab in a Box! My kids would love to receive a new box in the mail every month full of fun science experiments.  I also have a hard time coming up with something new for them to experiment and when I do, I don't always have everything on hand.  Groovy Lab in a box would take care of both those problems for me.
Comment below if you have tried Groovy Lab in a box.  Do your kids love it?

Lunar Launch - A Lesson in Rocket Science

Kids Discover Online

*This Post Contains Affiliate Links. Thank you for your support. All opinions are my own, I only share what I think will be of value to my readers.

I just discovered an awesome resource! Kids Discover Online! I'm not sure how I have missed running across this site in the last 4 years that I have been homeschooling.  Kids Discover Online is packed full of helpful information for every subject in your homeschool.  You can study separate topics such as Hanging Gardens of Babylon or you can study a unit of the 7 Wonders of the World.

Subjects available include:

American History 

Homeschool Resources Under $30

*This post contains affiliate links.  Thank you for you support. 

January is Homeschool Month on Educents! If you are like me, at the beginning of a new year, you evaluate what is going great or not so great with your homeschool curriculum.   Educents has some great products.  I especially love the Life of Fred books, you won't find a better price for them than on Educents...I've looked.  Us promo code STOCKUP to receive 10% off plus free shipping on orders over $150 for a limited time.  

Here's a list of the best affordable homeschool resources - all available for $30 or less on Educents. Helpful Resources Homeschool Music Journey - These 12 activities and 8 coloring pages introduce kids to a world of music-related fun, from Australian clapsticks to Indian ankle bells and Egyptian rattles. These projects fit perfectly into any homeschool curriculum where music is a part of the learning and discovery!
 Photography Lessons for Kids - Add some fun to your homeschool! Whether your kids have a point and shoot or a DSLR camera, the fundamental rules of photography can still be taught.  
Math Resources Tegu Geometric Blocks - Here's a hands-on way to learn geometric shapes. These blocks come in many shapes and colors.

It's STEM Week!

It's STEM week! What do you do in your homeschool for STEM? I have kids that love all things engineering and could construct new inventions for hours.  We love Life of Fred for math.  It is simple yet fun.  It's especially nice that it is not kill and drill.  Each chapter only has a few math problems to go along with the story. 

 Science, Technology, Engineering and Math are all crucial to learning about and participating in the modern era. And there is so much FUN to be had while diving into these subjects. I've rounded up a great resource for each discipline - whether or not these are perfect for your little ones, there are wonderful resources out there to inspire young girls and boys. Tip: Educents' Labor Day Sale code is LASTCHANCE and gets 10% Off and Free Shipping to boot!

Hot Deals for the Summer Olympics 2016

The 2016 Summer Olympics are Here!  I love watching the Olympics especially when amazing things happen like Micheal Phelps breaking swimming records. I'm sure I'm not the only one that was cheering him on as he continued to win race after race.  I love everything about the Olympics. After months and years of training these superb athletes come together to put their skills and training to the test.  What event are you excited to watch?
Now until August 21st the whole world will be abuzz with Summer Olympics, and there is so much opportunity for learning and getting active! Here are (a perfect) 10 tools to foster olympic-worthy learning and help you host your own olympics at home! Tip: Use code GETREADY at Educents for free shipping on any order.

Learn About the Olympics

1. Summer Olympics Fun Pack - Printable!