Fall-Related Unit Studies and Homeschool Activities

I cannot believe that fall is already here. It seems like only yesterday I was celebrating the first day of summer.

Time flies when you’re having fun!

As much as I wish the warm weather could stay forever, there’s just something about this season that inspires creativity in me that I never knew existed. With the smell of the changing leaves, the colorful trees everywhere, and the crunching sound beneath our feet as we take our walks, the kids and I all love to incorporate these experiences into our homeschool routine.

With this in mind, today I’m going to share with you a list of autumn-related unit studies and hands-on activities. Enjoy! 

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Love Disney’s Tangled? Try This Free Unit Study!

The first time I ever saw Tangled, we were in the midst of our experiment with unschooling. I excitedly pointed out to my kids how Rapunzel would have been the perfect unschooler because she was just so…productive!

Today I whipped up a unit study just for you based on this movie- which happens to be my favorite Disney movie ever. Hopefully, your kids will be as inspired as we were!

Enjoy! 

The ULTIMATE List of Homeschool Unit Study Resources

In our busy, yet relaxed, homeschool, unit studies are, by far, one of our favorite approaches to learning. To me, a good unit study is the perfect combination of living books, hands-on activities, and notebooking.

There are literally thousands of unit study resources out there, and, I’m telling you, that in itself can be very intimidating to think about.

Today I’ve compiled a list of the best unit study resources I’ve come across so that you can find a slew of fantastic ideas all in one place. Enjoy! 

Free Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Unit Study

Out of all the read-alouds my kids and I have shared, the Harry Potter series has, by far, been one of our absolute favorites. Today, I’m so excited to be sharing with you this:

Free Harry Potter Unit Study

(Quick note: While these activities can be used any way you wish, for your convenience, I’ve included the related chapter for each activity. And for those of you type-A thinkers- like me- I’ve also included the subject areas each activity covers. Please, I beg you, don’t try to do every single thing I’ve suggested. You’ll drive yourself crazy. With that being said, enjoy!) 

Same Kind of Different As Me- A Free Mini Unit Study!

Summertime is right around the corner, and chances are your summer vacation may have even started already. Although it’s such a relief to get a bit of a break for a while, sometimes after just a week or two, you may begin to hear the dreaded,

I’m booored.

Mini unit studies can be the perfect solution for this. They’re long enough to keep the kids occupied for a bit, but short enough that it doesn’t feel like you’re actually doing school already. 

7 Reasons I Didn’t Buy Homeschool Curriculum This Year

As a frugal mom of 11 kids- 10 who are actually being homeschooled- I’ve turned my money-saving skills into an art. I mean, really, who actually wants to spend thousands of dollars on curriculum each year if they don’t have to?

Of all the years I’ve been homeschooling, our second year was the year I spent the most money because I was going through the “homeschool has to look like school” phase and bought individual boxed curriculum sets for each kid. 

Free Thomas Alva Edison Unit Study

(Click here for a downloadable PDF of this unit study and other free resources.)

As February quickly approaches, now is the perfect time to share with you a new unit study on Thomas Alva Edison, who happened to be born in February! My kids love anything science and invention related, so last year they were elated when I came up with my Famous Inventors/Inventions unit study. Of all the people we learned about, Thomas Edison was, by far, their favorite, so I think it was only appropriate that I would write a new one focusing only on him.

Enjoy! 

How to Use Unit Studies in a Relaxed Homeschool

Have you ever recoiled in horror at the thought of the amount of work it would take to use unit studies? Do you imagine overly crafty, resourceful women merrily dancing their way through the library and craft store in an effort to collect bountiful resources for an in-depth look at topics you’d never even considered learning about before?

Good thing you have me. 🙂

Unit studies just don’t have to be that complicated. (Unless you prefer them to be, which is an entirely different post altogether.)

I’ve got 11 kids. I homeschool. I blog. I’ve got a house to take care of. And I am not crafty. At all. But…unit studies have made our homeschool vibrant, fun, and relaxed.

Want to know how I do it? 

Fun and Frugal Thanksgiving Ideas for Kids of All Ages

Thanksgiving will be here in a mere two weeks. There’s something about the start of the holiday season that inspires me to get together with my kids to come up with fun and frugal ideas and activities to do together. This may not sound like much, but I assure you that I am not normally a crafty person, so this is big.

Last week we just finished our Thanksgiving unit study, and we had so much fun that I’ve decided to share with you some of our favorite activities and books. What better way to prepare for a holiday season that’s going to pop up before you know it, anyway? 

The Kingdom of Oceana- Review

Imagine the beautiful island of Hawaii 500 years before it was ever known by that name. Imagine a world at one with nature and all that belongs to it. Imagine a place of unimaginable warmth and beauty.

Welcome to The Kingdom of Oceana…

Have you ever wished you could escape your daily life just for a little while to visit someplace magical? Recently I’ve had the privilege to do just that.