Teachers Pay Teachers is one of my absolutely favorite places to find creative printables to go along with our homeschool! Whether it's a holiday-themed activity or something to complement a book study, I always jump on there if I need an additional resource. 

Do you have a little detective in the house? My son dreams of being a spy or detective when he grows up! He's always asking for a new spy costume or spy gear. In fact, you can often find him sporting a fake mustache or holding a little notepad in which he's taking notes on. He even loved when Encyclopedia Brown was our read aloud, etc. You can only imagine the excitement he had when we took him to the Spy Museum in DC! 

Well, with Caleb being my detective-loving son, I brought out an old set of printables that I had made years ago for a co-op class I was teaching and it was the perfect fit! 

I had originally made this as a fun way for my students to work on their grammar skills that we had just reviewed. Talk about the perfect match for my son, ha! His obsession with being a detective/spy made this activity exciting for him -- way more than his typical workbook assignment!

And because I love going down memory lane, here's a photo of my oldest working on this same activity way back when I taught in that co-op. Ahhh...it seems like just yesterday!

If this sounds like something your kids might enjoy, be sure to click here...

Four years ago, while sitting in a hotel after a long day of exploring Yellowstone National Park, I received a call from my sister back in Indiana asking if I could make her a printable for her first day as a preschool teacher. Happy to do so, I sat there while my boys chilled in front of the hotel TV and created her this printable -- not thinking about anything more it than it benefiting my sister and her new class...

Fast forward to now and this little printable is the best selling printable I've ever made! Funny how things happen like that! Over time, this has also led to me making other handprint craft printables for various holidays, etc. If my boys were still little, you'd better believe I'd be doing these with them -- I miss seeing those sweet little hands! 

I receive comments all the time about how much the parents love receiving these crafts as gifts -- I was the same way when my boys were little! Give me a thumbprint piece of art, a hand, a foot...you name it. Anything to document their size at that time and I was in love! I mean...now I look at my oldest and he's on the verge of wearing clothes from the Men's section! (insert tears)

If you're like me -- a sentimental momma with kids that are growing up WAY too fast -- grab this or make one that fits your needs. You won't regret it when they start to have hands the same size as you and you begin to miss those days of having little ones. It's super fun watching my boys grow up and see the little men they're becoming, but the days when they were little sure were fun! I love that I have various crafts to remember them by!

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The first one in the series is a particular favorite for both of my boys -- Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: One Dead Spy. Not only did it introduce my boys to this fun series, but they love this particular period in history. Not long after my oldest first read this one, we toured a lot of sights from the Revolutionary War. We even saw a statue dedicated to Nathan Hale while in CT! It kind of helped bring all of this to life for him and it has stuck ever since then.

It amazes me how much my boys have picked up from these books. I will tell you -- they've learned more history (that they can still reference in conversation months later) from this series than anything that's stuck from traditional history textbooks. I'm honestly amazed at some of the things they'll point out. Whether we're at a museum -- this happened shortly after they read Big Bad Ironclad! -- or watching a documentary, they'll reference something they read in one of these books with complete excitement. It's the joy that comes from knowing the answer before it's taught -- it's fun seeing their faces when they'll excitedly share what they know about the topic and proudly say they knew it because of what they read in Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales. It's not every day that you find something that causes this response!

Definitely consider adding this series to your reading list this year if you have a child in elementary school! My oldest fell in love at around 8 years old, but my youngest followed in his footsteps much younger -- although I'm sure some of that was because he wanted to be like his big bro!

*UPDATE*

GREAT NEWS! Nathan Hale is releasing a new book this fall about the Cold War! I know what my boys will be reading in October! 

"The Reading Journal is 168 lessons recommended for grades 2-8. Comprised of 28 unique lessons that focus on vocabulary, word study, comprehension, and higher-level thinking skills, the journal cycles through each lesson 6 times throughout the year, providing just the right amount of practice without too much monotony.

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Ok, so if you've read previous blog posts that I've made, you made have come across one where I don't speak that highly about Story Of The World. Well, that opinion has since changed...

Ever since I tried SOTW with my oldest son several years ago, I held on to the curriculum JUST in case we'd want to try it again. You never know how curriculum is going to work -- whether it's great for you and your kid hates it, or vice versa. We are amazingly blessed with an insane variety of curriculum on the market that you're bound to find something that will for well for your family -- regardless of how it works for others you know. SOTW was once thought to be a total bore in this house. I could barely handle and it sure couldn't keep the attention of my kid. However, that same kid now begs for me to read it!

It all started when I was trying to calm my wild monkeys -- I mean handsome boys -- and get them ready for bed. They were literally climbing all over and hanging upside down on their bunkbed. They asked for me to read them a book while they tried to go to sleep, so I tried to think of something boring. I LOVE reading to them before bed, but if it's even remotely interesting or catches a hint of their attention, we'll end up sitting there reading several chapters with them begging for more. It is totally awesome, except when they really need to be asleep instead of wide-awake listening to an adventure story. ;) So that night, I decided to go into our school room and dust off our Story Of The World book. I knew it used to put them (and me) right to sleep -- maybe this was the perfect solution! Maybe, just maybe, they'd be asleep by the second paragraph. Wrong. They were so drawn in, we read a couple chapters, with lots of discussion in between, before I finally said we had to stop for the night so we could get some rest. They couldn't get enough! I guess it's an age thing? An interest thing? My oldest was the same age as my youngest is now when we first attempted it so who knows. Either way, SOTW is a total win in this house now! 

I honestly don't even think they consider this school when we're reading it. When we knock out our Saxon math or phonics/writing curriculum, sure...they know they have to sit down, press on and get through it. Sometimes it's with joy, sometimes it's a bit of a drag. But they know it's school and it's something they need to do. With SOTW  they'll randomly just ask if I'll read it to them while they're playing. We've been doing several day-trips lately, so I'll bring different books in the car to read -- both read alouds and books for them to read on their own. They'll specifically ask for me to read SOTW with much excitement. It's pretty awesome, ha. 

On one of these recent day-trips that I mentioned, I decided to bring along art pads on the drive so that they could do one of the suggested activities in the SOTW Activity book. As I handed each boy their art pad and colored pencils, they both grabbed them with enthusiasm and actually put the effort forth to work on it as I read without one complaint. I mean, it was like the twilight zone! My 4th grader generally has a good attitude about things, but let's be real. He's 9 and school work can be a drag at times. His life goals are to be outside, during every waking moment, playing Beyblades and having Nerf Wars. Even in the car, if I mention knocking out some schoolwork on a long drive, it is received with some deep sighs. Not that day. Not with Story Of The World! 

Can you sense the excitement?!

This guy took it very seriously and worked hard on his drawings...

Here is a photo of their finished product. They used the key in the Activity Workbook to create their names in both hieroglyphics and cuniform...

So...if you read my last review of this curriculum and you found yourself in the same spot -- give it time. You just never know how things might change! Here I had planned on using a different curriculum as my spine, but it never showed up. It legit got lost in the mail and we received the empty bubblewrap envelope instead (insert crying emoji). I guess that was a blessing in disguise, because it appears as though we're good to go with our SOTW set!

If you have a young, advanced reader, it can be hard at times to find the right book. My son still enjoys the fun pictures books, but as a soon-to-be 2nd grader at an advanced reading level, it was a challenge to find the right books that interest him. Below are 5 chapter book series that my son has grown to love over the last year. He always looks forward to the next book in each series and they never grow old!




If you're not familiar with Magic Tree House, I highly suggest checking them out! There are TONS of books in the series -- 28 that I know of. Each one provides a fun adventure while also teaching a little history. I love all the facts tied into the books. When my son read the one about Ancient Egypt, it sparked a whole new interest in learning about that time period. Before we knew it, we were grabbing other books about Ancient Egypt all because of MTH -- total win! They're enjoyable even for little ones, too. My (just turned) 7 year old will read them to my 4 year old and they keep his interest.


Not only are the Geronimo Stilton books fun, colorful, and full life on the pages, there's also a cartoon series to go along with it! My son was first introduced to a random Geronimo Stilton book at the library about 6 months ago and fell in love. He was just beginning All About Reading Level 4 and wanted to find something along that level. We found one at the library and he was instantly hooked. They will make you laugh as you join them on an adventure in each book. Some even add a little history to the mix, which I love! Lastly, they vary between style -- some are chapter books, while others are graphic novels. Either way, they're a hit in our family!



Brought to you by the makers of Adventures in Odyssey, this is a GREAT adventure series! Always tied around something historical, you follow two kids as they go back in time and experience something from that time period. They also tie in Christian values, which I love. At times, this has left my son on the edge of his seat. Before he could read these on his own, I would read this to him before bed, and he would beg to read another chapter every time we stopped, ha. They're fun, wholesome, and educational -- what more can you ask for!?


The Magic School Bus...need I say more?! Who doesn't love this series?! Between the cartoon series and the picture books, we've been hooked on this series for years. We love the wild adventure attached to every book. Plus, the fact that there is a legit science lesson every book is fantastic! My son will retain more knowledge from reading one of these chapter books than a month of sitting in front of a textbook going through lessons. Even if your child isn't ready to read these on their own, I highly recommend grabbing these for read alouds!



If your child likes space-themed books, this is a great transition from picture books to chapter books. My son has enjoyed all that he's read from this series and thinks the drawings are amusing. This series is purely for entertainment (unlike that others I listed that tie in a few educational aspects), but introduces topics like being the new kid in town and learning to adjust, making friends, etc. It's a fun series and definitely worth checking out!

***There are other fun series like Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot, The Who was series, Matt Christopher Sports Series (my all-time favorite as a kid!), etc. However, I didn't list them as the 5 above are my son's absolute favorite!***


If your child has a favorite not listed above, leave a comment! I'm always up for new ideas!

Have you started planning for the new school year? Part of me wants to hold off until August, but then I'll be rushing to figure it all out before we start. Who wants to do that?! I'm so impressed by those I see online that have already bought all their curriculum and have started planning their lessons. So impressed!


So with talking about planning for the next school year, I thought I would share my updated planners and a few others that I love!

Have you bought your new school planner? Or do you even use one? Each and every homeschool is different. I personally like to have everything written down in an organized fashion. Not only does it help keep me on track, but I like to have it on hand if I ever need to look back and reference what we did.

Back when we first started homeschooling (2 years ago), I didn't find a specific planner that I was totally sold on. They were either way out of the price range that I was willing to pay, or the format wasn't right. This resulted in me deciding to go ahead and create my own. I love being able to customize it to fit exactly what I need. Plus, it has been very cost efficient! What doesn't love that?!


I have since shared the ones that I've created on both Etsy and Teachers Pay Teachers. I'm so glad others have been able to enjoy them, too! Here are a few of the new ones I made -- now to decide on which one I'll actually use...






And for those that would rather buy a pre-printed, designed, complete planner, definitely check out Erin Condren! Her planners are beautiful and have EVERYTHING you could possibly think of wanting in a planner. If I were to buy one, I'd definitely choose one of these...

According to Amazon, the recommended age range for the series is 9-13 years old (grades 3-7 on most). My guy just turned 7 a few days ago and is going into the 2nd grade in the fall, but he hasn't had an issue reading through the Shark volume. I love that it's jam-packed with facts and goes in depth on all things relating to the topic. Plus, the drawings are fun and keep his attention! In fact, my son spent the first few days just looking through the book and enjoying the drawings. This book has become his reading material for the 40-60 minute drive to and from hockey each week. Total win!


After watching my son fall in love with this and request more books from the series, I grabbed the only other one I could find while at the library last week. I wasn't sure if it would pull in his interest, since it's about plagues. However, it's been a total win, too! Except, instead of my older son finding interest, my four year old has declared it his. Ha! He will sit and pretend to read it aloud as he looks through the drawings and carries it around with him everywhere. In fact, while taking a nap earlier today, I caught him holding it in his sleep. Who would've thought a book about plagues could be so interesting?!


Since we lean towards a more unit study/unschooling/Charlotte mason approach to homeschooling, I love that these books could totally be the start of a fun study! We have been homeschooling for two years now and at the start of each year, I have this big grandiose plan of what curriculum we'll use for science. Within a week or two, we drop it and go the child-led route. I let my son pick a topic and we learn about it. This Science Comics Series is PERFECT for that! There are so many fun topics that you could use as a base and branch out into an entire study! I fully intend to get more this fall and use them in our homeschool. Between being factual and fun, my son can read it on his own and actually enjoys doing so! You can't ask for anything more than that!

While it's a super exciting time and I'm incredibly proud of him, I'm a little sad. I absolutely love this program and am sad to see it end. I honestly wish they would extend it with further levels of challenging readers, attaching comprehension questions to them. My son absolutely loves the stories. I love that they're wholesome and funny. If we could continue on, we would! Unfortunately, that's a wish that probably won't come true any time soon, so we will have to move on to something else.



Since my son completed Level 4 right before summer break, my goal is to have him pick out books of interest and participate in local summer reading programs at the library, Barnes and Noble, etc. My goal is to allow him time to just enjoy the act of reading.


Beyond the summer activities, my goal is to move forward with Brave Writer. I'm working through reading The Writer's Jungle and Jot It Down and plan to incorporate various ideas into our 2018-2019 school year. I also want to do a set of Arrows. I have yet to decide if I'm going to order the standard set or pick out books individually, though.

Ultimately, after my son flew through All About Reading over the last two years, I want to take the next year and take a very relaxed approach and just enjoy the act of reading. My hope is that by going the Brave Writer route, we can have a stress-free, fun year of reading!

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My soon-to-be 4 year old will be joining us in school this fall, as he officially begins preschool! It's almost hard to even type that! It's hard to watch your youngest hit those big milestones. You always hear moms talk about how they're growing up too fast, but it's true. It's harder on me to see my sweet little Thunder start school than it was his older brother. Alas...the time has come and he's BEYOND excited! He keeps saying, "I get to do school like big bru-her!" The sweet boy -- it's so fun seeing him jump in excitement over it, ha.

So with preparing for the little man to start, I'm going to start gathering up what we'll be doing for preschool at home. When our older son was this age, I covered the main topics at home in a very relaxed fashion. The minimal amount that we did still completely prepared him for what we covered in kindergarten, so I'm confident in knowing what we need to cover and how to approach it...




1. Dollar Tree

If you haven't already checked out the wonderful (cheap!) workbooks at the Dollar Tree, I highly encourage you to do so. We love them for this age! They're character-themed, so it always grabs my boys' attention. Plus, at $1 for a colorful workbook, it's cheaper than finding fun, free, printable curriculums online! Back when we first started doing preschool at home back in 2015, I had planned on doing all sorts of fun printables I had found. In fact, I still have countless of them in my files. However, after finding the DT workbooks, I chose to print less and use these instead. Don't get me wrong -- there are still a few awesome printables that we use and love, but I don't go crazy printing when I know these DT workbooks are just as good! I have bought character-themed workbooks for the alphabet, numbers, shapes, colors, cutting activities, etc. I love them!

Note: Target also sells similar (awesome) books in August during the Back To School season, so keep an eye out!



2. Paw Patrol / Moana Handwriting Worksheets

I created the Paw Patrol version when my older son started preschool, and then made the Moana ones over the last year for my younger son. You might have seen these handwriting worksheets on the blog (either this one or my old personal blog). If not, I'll share a link here and here. Both of my boys have thoroughly enjoyed these worksheets! In fact, my older son prefers these over any of the purchased curriculum I've ordered (Handwriting Without Tears and A Reason For Handwriting). Even now...at the end of 1st Grade, my older son will occasionally ask if we can pull out the Paw Patrol worksheets to use for practice, ha!





3. YouTube

While I'm on the fence on how much screen time I want my boys to have, I really REALLY love YouTube for preschool! There's a super cute set of Alphabet videos that helped teach my older son his letter recognition and phonetic sounds. The same channel also offers counting videos that are great, too! (And many, many more!) I plan to use these again for my younger son...
4. Arts and Crafts

Aside from the DT workbooks and Handwriting worksheets that I made, I want the rest of my kids' preschool experience to be fun. Lots of fun! This is the time to break out all the paints, crayons, scissors, glue, etc. and let them go to town! I love the do-a-dot markers, too. There are times when I just bring out blank printer paper and let them get creative. Other times, I'll try and do a craft based on a book we're reading. Either way, let them get messy and explore!

For those of you that aren't the crafty type, check out your local library. There are times when I have the best intentions to get crafty, but life gets in the way. This is when I make sure to hit up the activities at our local library. They offer arts and crafts twice a week at ours, plus the craft after story time twice a week. Any chance we get, I try to utilize all that they offer! Hey, it's FREE and my boys love it!




5. Books...LOTS of books

Ever since we started homeschooling, the library has become one of my best friends! We're on a first name basis with our librarians and they know we'll be in there (at least) several times a week. At one point, we continually had 100 books checked out a time. Ha! I'm trying to slow down though, since I'm noticing the boys never want to read the books we actually own, ha. Either way, reading is a vital part of preschool! I let my boys pick what we read and spend a good chunk of time exploring all the books we find...

6. Park Group

This is the last thing that I'll mention. If you're not in a park group, find one ASAP! Once my older son started preschool, I started looking for local homeschool groups. I realize that most groups cater to kids in kindergarten and above. However, most will welcome you with open arms. It's a great way to get your kids involved in a group, and you can learn SO much from the veteran homeschoolers! When we first started, I thought I knew a good amount about curriculum and how to get started with kindergarten. However, I quickly realized there was so much more to learn once I started talking to other local moms that were already doing it! Even if you go the unschooling route and skip all the workbooks, a park group is one of the best things you can do for your kids! My boys know we go every week and look forward to it!