Quick Cups

This is seriously the easiest game. All you need is some plastic or paper cups, a sharpie, a timer and a cute little learner to pull this one off. If your student/child enjoys being beating the clock then they will love Quick Cups. If not, don't sweat it and find another game (or play this one without the timer).

Also think about using this game for learning other material like times tables, shapes, etc... Pretty much anything you would put on a flash card, you can put on the cups and turn it into a game! Enjoy!

Division War

I never knew how versatile the game of War could be until I learned so many variations from RightStart Math (you can buy the cards and card game book here). It's a good thing they've come up with so many ways to use this game as a teaching tool because who doesn't love the good old fashioned game? Check out my latest video showing yet another way to turn this favorite game into a sneaky way to teach children:



(I am a RightStart Math affiliate which means I earn a commission from each sale made through the links I provide. I've been using RightStart Math curriculum and materials for years and became an affiliate because of the confidence I have in their products.)

Telling Time: Hour Memory

OK, first of all, I call my daughter the wrong name here but after spending the weekend in PA with my sister Amy, can I please get a pass on this one?!?! 😜

This game is about as simple as they come and you can make the cards you need to play it in just a few minutes. Of course, I recommend the Clock Games Kit from RightStart Math because it will give you tons of games to play with your younger elementary students to work on their time telling skills.
(I am a RightStart Math affiliate, meaning I get a percentage off every sale made through the links I provide. I love RightStart Math and am excited to share their materials with you!)

Division Card Game

Here's another great game from RightStart Math's "Math Games" book. This was our first time playing it so you'll see we are just learning our way through it but that's part of the process, right? You can use my affiliate link to purchase any of the items in my videos.

Fractions Old Maid

Emmie and I have been having so much fun playing Fractions Old Maid (using a deck of Fraction Cards from RightStart Math! She often wants to play the game several times in a row and asks to play it every school day. That's the beauty of playing learning games with your children: they want to play and so they're receiving the repetition needed to master skills without having to endure the drudgery of traditional worksheets! Watch this short video to see how fun and easy it is to play this math game:




(I am part of the RightStart Math affiliate program, meaning I earn a small amount from each purchase made through the links I provide. I chose to participate in this program because I love RightStart Math and their materials. If you are ready to try anything from RightStart Math, please consider making your purchase through the link provided above. Thanks!)

Practicing Good Manners

We all want our children to have good manners and we often expect them to have good manners when we're in public but how often do we practice those manners? In our home, we have found that practicing the behaviors that we would like to see in pubic is foundational to success in this area.

Here's a quick little video showing how we practice manners and have fun at the same time!

The Game of One

Did you know fractions can be fun? When you teach fractions to your child using the RightStart Math Fractions games and activities, learning fractions is actually enjoyable! After we recorded this video, Emmie asked to play this game again and again (which we did, of course!). For this game, you just need the RightStart Math Fraction Cards (or you can make your own) and the RightStart Math Games book, which gives you the list of cards to use for this game.



(I am a RightStart Math affiliate which means I earn a commission from each sale made through the links I provide. I've been using RightStart Math curriculum and materials for years and became an affiliate because of the confidence I have in their products.)

Multi-Fun

This game from RightStart Math helps children become familiar with the multiplication chart. It's a great game but be sure to plan a good amount of time for set up and play as it's not a quick game. For this game, you will need some cards from the basic number cards deck and you will also need all of the product cards. You can find this, and other great games, in the RightStart Math Card Games book, which I highly recommend! We hope you enjoy playing this game together:




(I am a RightStart Math affiliate which means I earn a commission from each sale made through the links I provide. I've been using RightStart Math curriculum and materials for years and became an affiliate because of the confidence I have in their products.)

Old Maid... With a Twist

This game from RightStart math is a fast favorite in our house! It's quick to set-up (only uses the basic number card deck or you can use regular playing cards) and quick play which makes it a game the kids want to play over and over. Check out our video and give it a try:


(I am a RightStart Math affiliate which means I earn a commission from each sale made through the links I provide. I've been using RightStart Math curriculum and materials for years and became an affiliate because of the confidence I have in their products.)

Sum Rummy

RightStart Math has done it again with this great game! Sum Rummy is from the RightStart Math Games for Math book. This book is full of card games that teach and review important math skills in a fun and engaging way (just listen to Emmie's giggles in the video below and you'll see what I mean!). This game can be played with RightStart Math's basic set of number cards or with a regular deck of cards.




 (I am a RIghtStart Math affiliate which means I earn a commission from each sale made through the links I provide. I've been using RightStart Math curriculum and materials for years and became an affiliate because of the confidence I have in their products.)

Making Clean-Up Time Educational

OK, there's nothing Earth shattering about this post. It's just a mom cleaning up Jenga blocks with her son but when those blocks have words on them, clean-up time can become educational:




( We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.)

Fractions & Percent War

Hard to believe the year is almost 1/3 over! Just last month is was only 25% of the way through. Now, ask your elementary school student which of those values is greater. Will they know? They will if you play Fractions/Percent War with them!

Fractions/Percent War is a simple card game of war using cards that have various fractions and percentage values on them. You can make a deck yourself using some index cards or you can buy a sturdy, laminated deck from RightStart Math. The great thing about this deck is that you can use the cards for many other games (check out the RightStart Math Games book for tons of great math games).

Here's a quick popcorn-eating-filled video of my 10-year old son, Westin, & I playing a "friendly" game of Fractions/Percentage War (which I won, by the way;):


(It is required for me to disclose that I am a RightStart Math affiliate, meaning that if you make a purchase using any of the links I provide, I will earn a commission off the sale. That's a great perk for me but it's not why I am promoting RightStart Math products. I promote them because I have been a happy user of RS Math curriculum for over 15 years!)

Telling Time to the Hour: Matching Game

Our little kindergartner is starting to learn how to tell time and I'm using the same elementary math curriculum (RightStart Math) with him that I've used with his oldest sister, who is a senior in college, and his 6 other siblings!

Here's a quick video showing how we use a simple matching game to work on time-telling skills and here's a  link to the Level A math book on the RightStart Math website. (This is an affiliate link, meaning that if you make a purchase through this link, I will receive a commission for the referral. I love RightStart Math and am excited to represent them in this way!)

Taking Your Homeschool Outside

It's springtime!!! Can I hear an amen??

I don't know about you but my senses are overwhelmed in the bestest of ways by the sights, sounds, and smells of spring. So the last thing I want to do it stay cooped up all morning while the flowers are busy blooming and the birds are singing & I know my kiddos feel the same way!

My last post was on how to get them moving inside but when the weather doesn't confine you to 4 walls, take your home school outside. You and your children will be better for it:

Adding Activity to Your School Day

OK, so this isn't earth shattering or life-changing but it is a competitive way to get your kiddos moving during your school day. Little ones need some breaks throughout the day so they can refocus. Watch this video and then try this idea (or use it as a brainstorming spring board) to get your children up and moving. You'll find that they will come back to their work with new energy and focus and who knows, you all might have a little more fun in your day, too;)

(P.S. The reading book I briefly show in this video is "How to Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. I have used this program with great success with all 8 of my children so I highly recommend it. You can probably check it out from the library, as I have in the past but you can also buy it here.)

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

RightStart Math Balance

This amazing tool from RightStart Math makes balancing equations come to life! Watch the video to see how to use it for addition equations and use then use this link to get your math balance if you think you'll find it useful. (Keep in mind that I make a percentage off sales made through this link but I only promote RightStart Math products because I love them and have been using them for over a decade!)

I'll try to post a couple more videos soon showing how to use the math balance for multiplication and more but for now, watch how easy it is to use for addition:

Just. Don't. Quit.

A couple of weeks ago, I was running 4 miles at a pace that was challenging me and when I got to mile 3, the pace became too challenging to maintain. I started to entertain thoughts that were telling me to quit:

It's too hard. 
You've gotta stop. 
There's no way you can keep this pace up. 

But, by the grace of God, I was able to push those thoughts out of my head and keep going towards my goal. The amazing thing is that it didn't get any harder. It actual got easier. I just had to get over that 3rd mile hump.

Then there was my long run this week. After 13 strong miles, I started to struggle greatly. I went from running a 9-minute per mile pace to stopping and sitting on a park bench, head down and feeling defeated. I had a conversation with myself in my head, trying to decide if I should push on the 7 more miles I needed to finish or if I should call it quits for the day. I was hot, my pace was ruined and my stomach was hurting. Despite having every reason to quit, I decided to press on. At that point, pressing on didn't mean returning to my goal pace, it just meant to keep moving forward. With the encouragement of my brother on his bike next to me, I stumbled, then walked and jogged through the next three miles. But at the start of mile 18, something changed in me. My stomach started to feel better, my posture straightened and my mind started to win over my beaten body. My last three miles were strong and I even finished on pace. If I would have quit after mile 13, I would have never experienced the victory that awaited me in that comeback.

Sometimes we get to a point in a situation when things just get too hard and we don't think we can take another step, let alone keep up the pace. We're defeated, lies start pouring in and we struggle to just keep putting one foot in front of another. But... what if right when things seem so hard that you can't even lift your head... what if at the very moment you're about to give up... what if that's when you're on the verge of a break through? And what would you miss out on if you decide to call it quits?

I know that's just running and I know not everything can be related to the sport. But running isn't the only place I've learned this lesson. I've recently come through a most difficult life situation.

Very. Difficult.

Every day was about putting one foot in front of the other and every day was about just trying to keep pushing on. But, even with that resolve, I came to a place where it just got too hard and I started to entertain thoughts that told me that it was time to give up. Time to stop pressing on towards a victory that I couldn't even see and time to throw in the towel. Again, because of the Lord's grace, I was able to lift my head and push through. And in that, I learned the same lesson that I learned while out on a run. It was when things seemed their worse that I was actually on the edge of a victory. I just had to hang in there, turn that corner and things would improve.

I can't be the only one who wants to quit when things get hard.

Quit on a goal.
Quit on a marriage.
Quit on a wayward child.
Quit on a friendship.
Quit on my pursuit of the Lord.
Quit on the life path the Lord has us on.
Quit on overcoming a stronghold.

But what if... when things are at their very worse, you're really at the threshold of a break though? I think of how many times I've given up right before the sun was about to breakthrough the dark clouds and I wasn't able to see the rainbow that was waiting to stretch across the sky.

I now truly believe that things will often get harder before they get easier. But just as strongly, I believe that they will get easier if we resolve to just hang in there a little longer. Isn't that just what Hebrews 11:1 is referring to when it says. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen"? We can't see what the Lord is about to do but we have to trust that He's taking care of it!

So if you feel like you at the point where you just can't hold on any longer and things have gotten so difficult that you just can't go on, remember: Just. Don't. Quit. There may be a breakthrough waiting for you just around the next turn. 

Word Bingo

Have fun with an educational twist on a classic game kids of all ages love. Try different levels of reading words but also try multiplication facts, numbers, letters and even states and capitals. So many possibilities and so much fun to be had!
You can find this game and many more in one of my favorite books: Games for Reading: Playful Ways to Help Your Child Read

“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”

Corners!

OK, I've been holding back on you... I've failed to introduce you to our favorite math game: Corners! Even as I was writing this blog post, my 15 year-old, sitting next to me, said, "Corners is awesome." It's past her grade level now but she will still volunteer to play it with a younger sibling.

So, without further delay, here's RightStart Math's Corners (and here's where you can buy it):




(I am part of RightStart Math's affiliate program meaning I make commission on items purchased through this link. Rest assured that I'm only an affiliate with RightStart because I have used their products with great success and enjoyment for over a decade!) 

Reading Race Track

Got a fidgety little one you're trying to teach? Struggle no more. Just grab a piece of paper and send your little guy to get his favorite toy car. By the time he gets back, you can have this quick and simple "race track" ready to go! Learning accomplished... even if it was a little sneaky;)




You can find this idea and more in one of my favorite books, Games for Reading: Playful Ways to Help Your Child Read by Peggy Kaye. (I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” but I'm only recommending this book because I love it!!!)

Money War!

Money War is a go to favorite in our house for teaching younger children the names of coins and their values. This competitive game is also helpful in teaching greater than and less than concepts. For better retention, be sure to have the children say the name and value of the coins on the cards as they flip each one over.

You can get this deck of cards at RightStartMath.com. (I am part of RightStart Math's affiliate program meaning I make commission on items purchased through this link. Rest assured that I'm only an affiliate with RightStart because I have used their products with great success and enjoyment for over a decade!)