Fall Bucket List!!

I've loved Homeschool Share for over 10 years now...wow..that's hard to believe!  Here's a fantastic Fall bucket list from quite a few years ago that we still use. And they have a printable if you want...or don't :)  

1. Go apple picking.

2. Harvest nuts.

3. Go on a leaf walk and identify as many leaves as you can. Bring along a guide book.

4. Visit your local pumpkin patch.

5. Enjoy S’mores over a fire in your backyard.

6. Bake Pumpkin Cookies.

7. Make crayon cookies.

8. Use the crayon cookies from #7 to make leaf and bark rubbings.

9. Learn more about spiders.

10. Plant some bulbs (daffodil, tulip, hyacinth) for spring flowers.

11. Read How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World. Make an apple pie together!

12. Carve pumpkins.

13. Go on a hayride with friends.

14. Cook up some applesauce.

15. If your Farmer’s Market is open, visit. Buy some fall produce, such as a new kind of winter squash to taste together.

16. Rake a huge pile of leaves for JUMPING!

17. Craft an apple print wreath.

18. Study fruits and nuts.

19. Volunteer to work at your local soup kitchen.

20. Bake pumpkin pie.

21. Make Funny Fall Faces (after a nature walk).

22. Construct Leaf Crowns.

23. Collect scarves, mittens, hats, and coats for those who are in need for winter.

24. Drink hot apple cider together.

25. Create lovely salt dough leave prints.

26. Have each family member start a Thankfulness Journal or Thanksgiving Leaf Fan Book.

27. Decorate your home with a pretty paper leaf garland or some twisted paper leaves.

28. Go on a nature walk and scout for animal signs.

29. Start a countdown to Thanksgiving.

30. Bake  Snickerdoodle Cookies.

31. Craft Coffee Filter Fall Leaves.

32. Read Leaf Man and make some leaf people or leaf art.

33. Roast pumpkin seeds.

34. Find your way through a corn maze.

35. Knit something cozy.

36. Learn more about squirrels.

37. Make caramel apples.

38. Paint pumpkins.

39. Visit an elderly person and rake their leaves for them.

40. Create a thankfulness tree.

41. Pop a big batch of popcorn and have a family movie (or game) night.

42. Bake an apple cake and take it to a neighbor.

43. Concoct  pumpkin pie play dough and play!

44. Build a scarecrow.

45. Find a local festival to attend.

46. Serve pumpkin dip with apple dippers.

47. Craft a sunflower door hanger.

48. Preserve fall leaves.

49. Bake a batch of pumpkin granola.

50. Collect canned goods for your local food pantry.

Summer Bucket List!

I've loved Homeschool Share for over 10 years now...wow..that's hard to believe!  Here's a fantastic summer bucket list from quite a few years ago that we still use. And they have a printable if you want...or don't :)  I've updated the links since some were dead.

1. Make homemade ice cream and eat it for dinner!

2. Have a water balloon fight!

3. Pick wildflowers and give the bouquet away to a neighbor, grandparent, or someone else who needs some cheer!

4. Run through the sprinkler.

5. Go berry picking and make homemade jam.

6. Make sun prints.

7. Hang a birdfeeder.

8. Construct picture props like mustaches, hats, etc. and take silly photos.

9. Plant a sunflower house and Read Eve Bunting’s Sunflower House.

10.  Bake cookies in a solar oven.

11.  Find some smooth rocks and paint them as insects or people or create a pet rock.

12.  Go roller skating.

13.  Play at the park.

14.  Go camping in your driveway or back yard.

15.  Catch lightning bugs in a jar and read Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe

16.  Ride a carousel or a merry-go-round.

17.  Freeze some chocolate-dipped bananas.

18.  Plan a movie night!

19.  Have a teddy bear picnic! Invite friends and read The Teddy Bears’ Picnic.

20.  Ride a horse, even if it’s just a homemade stick horse.

21.  Make some summer funny faces.

22.  Catch a caterpillar and keep it until it turns into a butterfly.

23.  Set up a lemonade stand; donate profits to a charity.

24. Catch a raindrop in your mouth.

25.  Go bowling.

26.  Stay up late and go star gazing. Look for shooting stars!

27. Serve strawberry shortcake for breakfast!

28.  Have a family game night.

29. Invite another family to your house and host a water gun fight!

30. Visit a local creek and catch crawdads. Read Crawdad Creek together.

31. After a good rain, go mud-puddle splashing!

32.  Go swimming!

33.  Paint with ice cubes.

34.  Have a picnic in your backyard.

35.  Concoct some homemade popsicles!

36.  Make giant wands and blow bubbles

37.  Create a scavenger hunt for your kids, or let them create one for you!

38.  Roast hotdogs and S’mores over a fire.

39.  Have a Family Talent Show night!

40.  Make a piñata.

41.  Build a butterfly feeder.

42.  Make frozen treasures and let your kids excavate them!

43.  Craft some wind chimes.

44.  Go bird watching.

45.  Make homemade sidewalk chalk.

46.  Go to a small airport and watch the planes take off and land.

47.  Make sun tea punch.

48.  Play miniature golf.

49.  Build a balloon powered car.

50.  Lie on your back and watch the clouds go by, looking for animal shapes.

51.  Roll down a hill!

52.  Bake a fruit pizza, and eat it for dinner!

53.  Go to the zoo.

54.  Tie-dye T-shirts (outside!)

55.  Craft a outdoor painting.

56.  Go on a hike and look for animal tracks.

57. Build a worm farm.

58.  Jump rope!

59.  Make paper beads for stringing bracelets and necklaces.

60.  Construct an obstacle course in the backyard.

61.  Make mud pies.

62.  Plan a special day away to state park or museum.

63.   Have a wet sponge fight!

64.  Make a rain gauge to measure the rainfall.

65.  Build a fort!

66.  Drink root beer floats.

67.  Try a Kids Who Think challenge.

68.  Write a letter to a friend or grandparent.

69.  Visit a new festival.

70.  Have a build your own banana split night!

71.  Offer to plant flowers at a nursing home or church.

72.  Make fireworks in a jar.

73.  Blow up some fizzy explosion bags!

74.  Play Frisbee together.

75.  Wash the car or the dog (or both!).

76.  Take a family bike ride.

77.  Play games with Glow Sticks!

78.  Plan a one day road trip!

79.  Make Snow Cones.

80.  Create ice sculptures with balloons.

81.  Press some wildflowers.  - Fun ideas 

82.  Have a puppet show with homemade puppets.

83.  Make a boat and sail it in your tub, in a swimming pool, in a creek, or at a pond.

84.  Go fishing!

85.  Dance in the rain!

86.  Go to an outdoor play or concert.

87.  Craft some friendship bracelets.

88.   On a rainy day, construct a marble maze.

89.  Make homemade Lemon Shake Ups.

90.   Craft a sun catcher.

91.  Go to the movies!

92.  Build a birdhouse.

93.  Spend a day at the fair.

94.  Make a firefly jar! (So cool!)  or Here Read When Lightning Comes in a Jar.

95.  Try to read 100 books (every reader in the house can contribute!).

96.  Make ice boats.

97.  Visit a local Farmer’s Market and try something new.

98.  Watch a parade.

99.  Construct a tin foil river!

100.   Go out for a frozen treat! Read Ice Cream: The Full Scoop.

Summer NO TV Post..current edition

This is a repost from June 2012


So...what do you do when its summer,  triple digits outside and the kids are going stir crazy?

I've found these books invaluable when weather (or dinner) keeps the kids indoor.

This one is out of print but you can borrow it with ILL.

The best thing I learned from these books was to have a busy can where you list on 3 x 5 cards things your kids can do without supervision so you can get something done and not turn on the TV babysitter.  You can even let the kids decorate the can so they can have ownership of it.  The other idea that I thought was great was a traveling bag that has things your kids can do in the car.

Go check these books out...you won't be sorry :)

and when all else fails...Pintrest!  Look up summer fun and tada!  instant stuff to do.  

Crafty Crow - Forest Chore Chart!

Oh My Gosh!  This is so stinking cute!!!  This chore chart is from Crafty Crow, one of my fav sites for...well..everything crafty of course.  Click on the pic to get the instructions :)

Cardboard Treehouse!

LOVE THIS!!!


Click the pic to get the plans for it!

Natural Mosquito Repellent!

So we live where humidity + heat = mosquitos.

I have for the last 3 years been trying to find something, ANYTHING that would be natural and work.  So far I've been totally unsuccessful.  We had the mozzy bites to prove it.  But when the PIL came with the bees they also brought something I've been wanting to try out.  Lemongrass oil.  First off I couldn't figure out WHY would they be bringing lemongrass oil???  They are not exactly the natural "organic" type of people so I was confused.  Turns out lemongrass is used to attract bees when they swarm so you can capture them.  Now that you know that.....it is also AMAZING as a mosquito and tick repellent.  Here's how I use it.  I have repurposed a old bottle of organic hair detangler from the kids that had a fine mist.  I filled it with 8 oz distilled water and then 30 drops of lemongrass oil.  Shake and apply.  I will tell you that if your sweating like a pig...er...perspiring alot it might sting but that's nothing compared to days of itching or worse finding some creepy tick stuck on your scalp or worse.  The best part to all of this is you don't smell like some yucky deet bug spray but like lemons....cool!  You can find lemongrass oil online or at your local organic "groovy" store or Whole Foods Market (aka..whole paycheck).

Now go outside and enjoy your kids!

Felt Slippers Anyone??

So the leaves are starting to change and I'm thinking about what our feet will need when the floors get cold and found these felt slippers . We'll be doing ours in wool felt of course ;) Maybe we'll do elf colors for fun?