My adventures in homeschooling my kiddos.
Hi all! I've decided to do themes each month for the kids that includes foods, activities, research topics, signs, books, movies, and more. I will still do regular school with them, but this is just a little extra fun.
What I'll do is at the beginning of the month I'll post the theme and activities and such we'll be hopefully doing. Keep in mind that this is for my 2 year old and my 11 year old. Most of these can work for all ages, but if you want suggestions for older than 11 let me know!
This post is going to be LONG. Should I do different posts for different themes? I also have STEAM (Science, technology, engineering, art, and math) things for each of these, I can post those separately so it's not as long. Maybe like a shorter post in case you don't want to read this one.
Also maybe I'll start separating the posts by grade like one post for the littles and one post for the older kids? This one is just really long.
For the time being I'm just going to break this up into two or three parts, because it's so long I can barely type.
Previous months:
I had a few suggestions from others for my Schoolin' With My Homies, about adding more than one or two themes so they have stuff to pick out of, and making sure there's a science and history theme, along with talking about holidays for each month.
So, March is packed full, women's history, weather, and St. Patrick's Day stuff! So you can pick and choose if you want to do one theme, two themes, or all three!
Foods:
Women's History:
Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon: Celebrate the iconic chef with her famous French dish.
Amelia Earhart’s Banana Bread: Known to carry banana bread on her flights, you can bake a loaf in her memory.
Marie Curie’s Polish Pierogi: Celebrate this Nobel Prize-winning scientist with traditional Polish pierogi.
Harriet Tubman’s Gingerbread: Known for her gingerbread, you can bake some in her honor.
Jane Austen’s Regency Era Foods: Try making some Regency-era dishes like white soup or syllabub, inspired by the famous author.
Eleanor Roosevelt's Favorite: Make a batch of Eleanor's favorite oatmeal cookies to enjoy.
Frida Kahlo Fruit Platter: Create a colorful fruit platter with vibrant fruits like mangoes, strawberries, and kiwis to celebrate Frida's love of color.
Marie Curie's Science Snacks: Create "atom" snacks using grapes and cheese cubes connected with pretzel sticks.
Weather:
Sunny Days
Sunshine Smoothie: Blend together mango, pineapple, banana, and orange juice for a bright and refreshing drink.
Sunny-Side-Up Eggs: Make classic sunny-side-up eggs and serve with toast and a side of fresh fruit.
Sunshine Fruit Cups: Fill small cups with a mix of orange and yellow fruits like oranges, pineapples, and mangoes.
Cheese Sunbursts: Use a round cracker as the base and arrange slices of cheese around it to look like sun rays.
Rainy Days
Rainy Day Soup: A comforting chicken noodle soup with lots of veggies.
Cloudy Mashed Potatoes: Fluffy mashed potatoes with a drizzle of gravy to represent rain.
Raindrop Grapes: Purple and green grapes can look like little raindrops.
Puddle Pudding: Make chocolate pudding and top it with a dollop of whipped cream to look like a puddle.
Stormy Nights
Thunderstorm Chili: A hearty and spicy chili, perfect for a cozy night in.
Lightning Bolt Fries: Cut sweet potatoes into lightning bolt shapes and bake them as fries.
Stormy Trail Mix: Mix dark chocolate chips, pretzels, and nuts for a stormy-looking snack.
Thunder Popcorn: Popcorn drizzled with dark chocolate and a sprinkle of sea salt.
Snowy Days
Snowflake Sugar Cookies: Decorate sugar cookies with white icing and sprinkle with edible glitter.
Hot Chocolate: A rich, creamy hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and marshmallows.
Snowball Truffles: White chocolate truffles rolled in coconut flakes.
Frosty Yogurt Bites: Freeze dollops of yogurt with blueberries to look like little snowballs.
Windy Days
Windmill Sandwiches: Make pinwheel sandwiches with tortillas, cream cheese, and your favorite fillings.
Whirlwind Pasta Salad: A spiral pasta salad with colorful veggies and a zesty dressing.
Twisty Pretzels: Soft pretzels twisted into fun shapes.
Pinwheel Wraps: Tortilla wraps with cream cheese and veggies, rolled up and sliced into pinwheels.
St. Patrick's Day:
Irish Soda Bread: A classic! It's a quick bread that doesn't require yeast, and it has a slightly sweet flavor. Perfect with some butter and jam.
Corned Beef and Cabbage: This is a traditional St. Patrick's Day dish. Slow-cooked corned beef with cabbage, potatoes, and carrots makes for a hearty meal.
Shepherd's Pie: A savory dish made with ground meat (usually lamb or beef), vegetables, and topped with mashed potatoes. It's comfort food at its best.
Irish Stew: A rich and hearty stew made with lamb or beef, potatoes, carrots, and onions. Perfect for a cozy meal.
Colcannon: This is a traditional Irish dish made with mashed potatoes, cabbage or kale, and lots of butter. It's creamy and delicious.
Green Velvet Cupcakes: A fun twist on red velvet cupcakes, these are dyed green for St. Patrick's Day. Top with cream cheese frosting and some festive sprinkles.
Shamrock Shakes: A fun and festive green milkshake made with vanilla ice cream, milk, and a touch of mint extract. Add some whipped cream and green sprinkles on top!
Shamrock Pretzels: Dip pretzels in green candy melts and sprinkle with green sugar or sprinkles. They look like little shamrocks!
Lucky Charms Treats: Make Rice Krispies treats but use Lucky Charms cereal instead. The colorful marshmallows add a festive touch.
Mini Irish Soda Bread Muffins: Turn the classic Irish soda bread into bite-sized muffins. Perfect for snacking!
Leprechaun Hats: Use large marshmallows, dip the tops in green candy melts, and place them on a chocolate-covered cookie. Add a small buckle with icing to complete the hat look.
Crafts:
Women's History:
Inspirational Quote Posters: Create posters featuring quotes from influential women in history. You can use paint, markers, or even digital tools to design them.
Historical Figure Dolls: Make dolls or figurines representing famous women in history using materials like fabric, clay, or paper.
Story Collages: Make collages that tell the stories of notable women. Use magazines, newspapers, and printed images to create a visual narrative.
DIY Bookmarks: Design bookmarks with images and facts about women who have made significant contributions in various fields.
Heritage Scrapbooks: Put together a scrapbook that celebrates the lives and accomplishments of women in your family or community.
Empowerment Bracelets: Make friendship bracelets or beaded bracelets with empowering words or names of inspiring women.
Hand Puppets: Make puppets of influential women using paper bags, felt, and other craft supplies. Put on a puppet show to tell their stories!
Handprint Art: Create handprint art inspired by famous women. For example, make a handprint flower and talk about a woman who loved nature, like Jane Goodall.
Paper Plate Faces: Make paper plate faces of influential women. Use markers, yarn for hair, and googly eyes to create simple portraits.
Weather:
Sunny Crafts
Sun Catchers: Use clear plastic lids, glue, and colorful tissue paper to create sun catchers that look like the sun.
Paper Plate Suns: Paint a paper plate yellow and add rays made from strips of orange and yellow construction paper.
Sun Handprints: Paint their hand yellow and help them press it onto paper to create a sun with handprint rays.
Paper Plate Sun: Paint a paper plate yellow and add yellow and orange tissue paper for the rays.
Rainy Crafts
Rain Sticks: Use a cardboard tube, fill it with rice or beans, and seal the ends. Decorate the outside with paint or markers.
Umbrella Art: Draw and cut out an umbrella shape, then use blue paint or markers to add raindrops around it.
Rain Cloud: Cut out a cloud shape from gray paper and attach blue streamers or strips of paper for rain.
Umbrella Collage: Draw an umbrella on paper and let them stick on colorful pieces of paper or stickers for decoration.
Stormy Crafts
Storm in a Jar: Fill a jar with water, add a few drops of blue food coloring, and swirl in some cotton balls to look like storm clouds.
Lightning Bolt Art: Use aluminum foil to create shiny lightning bolts and glue them onto a dark construction paper background.
Stormy Sky Painting: Use dark blue and gray paint to create a stormy sky on paper. Add cotton balls for clouds.
Thunder Drum: Decorate an empty container with markers or stickers, then fill it with a few small objects to make a thunder sound when shaken.
Snowy Crafts
Snowflake Cutouts: Fold white paper and cut out intricate snowflake designs.
Snow Globe: Use a clear plastic cup, glue a small winter scene inside, and fill it with glitter and water to create a snow globe effect.
Cotton Ball Snowman: Glue cotton balls onto paper to create a snowman. Add buttons, a hat, and a scarf with markers or paper.
Snowflake Stamps: Use a toilet paper roll, cut into a snowflake shape, and dip it in white paint to stamp snowflakes on dark paper.
Windy Crafts
Wind Socks: Decorate a piece of construction paper, roll it into a tube, and attach streamers to one end. Hang it up to catch the wind.
Pinwheels: Create pinwheels using paper, a pencil, and a pin. Decorate the paper with weather patterns before assembling.
Wind Streamers: Attach colorful ribbons or streamers to a paper plate ring or a stick. Let them run around and watch the streamers fly.
Pinwheel: Create a simple pinwheel using paper and a straw. Help them blow on it to see it spin.
St. Patrick's Day:
Shamrock Suncatchers: Use clear contact paper and tissue paper in different shades of green. Cut out shamrock shapes and stick the tissue paper pieces on the contact paper to create a stained glass effect.
Leprechaun Hats: Make mini leprechaun hats using green construction paper, a black strip for the band, and a yellow square for the buckle. These can be used as decorations or worn as fun accessories.
Pot of Gold: Use a small black pot (or paint a small container black) and fill it with gold-wrapped chocolates or coins. Add a rainbow made from construction paper or pipe cleaners.
Shamrock Garland: Cut out shamrock shapes from green construction paper and string them together to make a festive garland. You can also add some glitter for extra sparkle.
Lucky Charm Bracelets: Use green beads, shamrock charms, and elastic string to create fun and festive bracelets.
Leprechaun Traps: Use a small box and decorate it with green paint, glitter, and other craft supplies to create a trap for catching leprechauns. Don’t forget to add a “bait” like a gold coin or a rainbow!
Shamrock Stamps: Cut a shamrock shape out of a potato or sponge and use it as a stamp with green paint to create fun patterns on paper or fabric.
Paper Plate Leprechaun: Use a paper plate as the leprechaun's face. Let your child color or paint it orange for the beard and add a green hat made from construction paper. You can help them glue on googly eyes and draw a smile.
Handprint Shamrocks: Dip your toddler's hand in green paint and press it onto paper to make handprint shamrocks. You can arrange three handprints in a triangle to form a shamrock shape.
Lucky Charm Necklace: Use large, safe beads in green and gold colors and help your toddler string them onto a piece of yarn to make a simple necklace. Make sure the beads are large enough to avoid choking hazards.
Leprechaun Hat Headband: Cut out a small green hat shape from construction paper and attach it to a headband. Your toddler can wear it and feel festive!
Sensory Bin:
Women's History:
Historical Figures: Include small figurines or pictures of famous women in history. You can add sand or rice as the base and hide the figures for a fun discovery activity.
Inspirational Words: Fill the bin with letter beads or foam letters and encourage kids to spell out words like "brave," "strong," and "leader."
Books and Stories: Add mini books or laminated pages with short stories about influential women. Pair these with sensory elements like pom-poms or fabric pieces.
Art Supplies: Include small art supplies like crayons, mini canvases, and paintbrushes to represent famous female artists. Use colored rice or beans as the base.
Science Tools: Add items like magnifying glasses, test tubes, and beakers to celebrate women in science. Use kinetic sand or water beads for a fun texture.
Cultural Elements: Incorporate items that represent different cultures, such as small dolls, fabric swatches, and traditional instruments, to honor women from around the world.
Career Symbols: Include mini items that represent various careers women excel in, like stethoscopes, gavels, and microphones. Use shredded paper or colored pasta as the base.
Nature and Environment: Add elements like leaves, flowers, and small gardening tools to celebrate women environmentalists and scientists. Use soil or sand as the base.
Weather:
Sunny Day Bin: Yellow rice or sand, small beach toys, plastic sun, and sunglasses.
Rainy Day Bin: Blue water beads or dry pasta dyed blue, small plastic animals, toy umbrella, and cotton balls for clouds.
Stormy Day Bin: Black beans or dark-colored rice, small toy cars, and figures, aluminum foil for lightning, and cotton balls for storm clouds.
Snowy Day Bin: Cotton balls or fake snow, small plastic snowflakes, toy snowmen, and winter animals.
Windy Day Bin: Dried leaves, small pinwheels, paper kites, and lightweight scarves.
St. Patrick's Day:
Green Rice or Pasta: Dye rice or pasta green using food coloring. This can be the base of your sensory bin. Kids love the texture and color!
Gold Coins: Add some plastic gold coins for a "pot of gold" feel. They can dig and search for the treasure.
Rainbow Pom-Poms: Include rainbow-colored pom-poms for a soft and colorful touch. They can represent the rainbow leading to the pot of gold.
Shamrock Confetti: Sprinkle in some shamrock-shaped confetti or foam shapes for added texture and theme.
Green and Gold Beads: Add some large, safe beads in green and gold. They can string them or just enjoy the different shapes and textures.
Mini Leprechaun Hats: Include small plastic or felt leprechaun hats. These can be fun to hide and find.
Green Playdough: Add some green playdough with shamrock cookie cutters. This allows for some creative play within the sensory bin.
Colored Water Beads: Use green water beads for a squishy, fun texture. Just make sure they are safe for your child and supervise their play.
Rainbow Straws: Cut colorful straws into small pieces to mimic a rainbow. They can scoop, sort, and play with the pieces.
Plastic Shamrocks: Toss in some plastic or foam shamrocks for a fun, thematic element.
Activities:
Women's History:
Book Club: Read and discuss books by female authors or about influential women. You could choose a different book each week.
Writing Letters: Write letters of appreciation to women who have inspired you, whether they are historical figures or women in your life.
Role-Playing: Have a role-playing day where you and your friends/family dress up as famous women and share their stories.
Volunteer Work: Volunteer at organizations that support women and girls, such as shelters or mentorship programs.
Weather:
Sunny Day Activities
Solar Oven: Create a simple solar oven using a pizza box, aluminum foil, and plastic wrap. Use it to melt s'mores or cheese.
Sun Print Art: Use sun-sensitive paper or fabric to create art with leaves, flowers, or other objects by exposing them to sunlight.
Bubble blowing: Blowing bubbles is always a hit!
Water play: Fill a small pool or basin with water and let your child splash around with cups, spoons, and toys.
Sensory bin: Fill a bin with sand, water, or dry rice and let your child explore with their hands and toys.
Rainy Day Activities
Rain Gauge: Make a rain gauge using a clear plastic bottle and measure the rainfall over a week.
Water Cycle in a Bag: Create a mini water cycle using a ziplock bag, water, and food coloring. Tape it to a sunny window and watch evaporation and condensation.
Rainstick: Make a rainstorm sound effect by filling a cardboard tube with dried beans or rice.
Rain painting: Use watercolors or finger paints to create rain-themed artwork.
"The Itsy Bitsy Spider" song: Sing this classic song and act out the actions.
Stormy Weather Activities
Tornado in a Bottle: Fill a plastic bottle with water, add a few drops of dish soap, and glitter. Swirl it around to create a mini tornado.
Storm Tracker: Use online resources or a weather app to track storms and learn about weather patterns and forecasting.
Thunderstorm sounds: Play recordings of thunder and lightning to learn about the sounds of a storm.
Storm cloud drawing: Use cotton balls or paint to create storm clouds on paper.
Snowy Day Activities
Snowflake Symmetry: Cut out paper snowflakes and explore the concept of symmetry by folding and cutting paper.
Ice Lanterns: Fill balloons with water and freeze them. Once frozen, remove the balloon and place a tea light inside for a beautiful ice lantern.
Snowman building: If there's enough snow, make a snowman together.
Snowball toss: Throw snowballs gently at each other or at a target.
Snow painting: Use a spray bottle filled with water to "paint" on the snow.
Windy Day Activities
Wind Sock: Create a wind sock using a paper towel tube and colorful streamers. Hang it outside to see which way the wind is blowing.
Kite Making: Build a simple kite using paper, sticks, and string. Then head outside to fly it on a windy day.
Leaf collecting: Go for a walk and collect colorful leaves blown by the wind.
Pinwheel making: Make a simple pinwheel out of paper and watch it spin in the breeze.
"The Wind" song: Sing and act out the song "The Wind" (or any other song about the wind).
St. Patrick's Day:
Leprechaun Trap: Challenge them to design and build a leprechaun trap using household items. It's a fun way to get creative and think like an engineer!
St. Patrick's Day Scavenger Hunt: Create a scavenger hunt with clues related to St. Patrick's Day. You can hide items like gold coins, shamrocks, and little leprechaun figurines around the house or yard.
DIY Shamrock Slime: Make green slime together! You can add glitter or small shamrock confetti to make it more festive.
Irish Folktales Reading: Read some Irish folktales or stories together. It's a great way to learn about the culture and traditions.
Rainbow Science Experiment: Do a fun science experiment like creating a rainbow with a glass of water, a flashlight, and a piece of paper. It's a cool way to explore light and color.
St. Patrick's Day Bingo: Create a bingo game with St. Patrick's Day symbols. You can use candies or small toys as markers.
Green Tie-Dye: Try tie-dying a shirt or socks with green dye. It's a fun activity, and they get a cool piece of clothing to wear.
Irish Dance Party: Find some traditional Irish music and have a dance party. You can even look up some simple Irish dance steps to try out.
Handprint Shamrocks: Help them make shamrocks using their handprints with green paint. It's messy but fun!
Rainbow Craft: Use colorful paper or tissue paper to create a rainbow. They can help stick the pieces together.
St. Patrick's Day Storytime: Read some simple St. Patrick's Day-themed books together. Look for ones with bright pictures and simple text.
Green Playdough: Make or buy green playdough and let them create shamrocks, rainbows, or anything else they like.
Leprechaun Hat Dress-Up: Make a simple leprechaun hat using green construction paper and let them wear it while playing.
Color Sorting: Have a color sorting activity with green objects. They can sort green toys, blocks, or other items you have at home.
St. Patrick's Day Music: Play some Irish music and have a little dance party. They’ll love moving to the rhythm.
Nature Walk: Go on a walk and look for green things in nature. Point out leaves, grass, and any other green items you find.
Research Topics:
Women's History:
Famous Women in Science: Research scientists like Marie Curie, Jane Goodall, or Rosalind Franklin and their contributions to science.
Women in Politics: Look into the lives of women who have made a difference in politics, like Eleanor Roosevelt, Malala Yousafzai, or Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Women in Literature: Study authors like J.K. Rowling, Maya Angelou, or Louisa May Alcott and their impact on literature.
Women in Sports: Explore the achievements of athletes like Serena Williams, Simone Biles, or Billie Jean King.
Women in Art: Research artists like Frida Kahlo, Georgia O'Keeffe, or Yayoi Kusama and their contributions to the art world.
Women in Music: Look into the lives and careers of musicians like Beyoncé, Aretha Franklin, or Taylor Swift.
Women in Activism: Study activists like Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks, or Greta Thunberg and their roles in social change.
Women in History: Research historical figures like Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, or Harriet Tubman and their impact on history.
Women in Politics: Look into the lives of women who have made a difference in politics, like Eleanor Roosevelt, Malala Yousafzai, or Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Women in Literature: Study authors like J.K. Rowling, Maya Angelou, or Louisa May Alcott and their impact on literature.
Women in Sports: Explore the achievements of athletes like Serena Williams, Simone Biles, or Billie Jean King.
Women in Art: Research artists like Frida Kahlo, Georgia O'Keeffe, or Yayoi Kusama and their contributions to the art world.
Women in Music: Look into the lives and careers of musicians like Beyoncé, Aretha Franklin, or Taylor Swift.
Women in Activism: Study activists like Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks, or Greta Thunberg and their roles in social change.
Women in History: Research historical figures like Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, or Harriet Tubman and their impact on history.
Weather:
Hurricanes: The lifecycle of a hurricane and its impact on coastal areas.
Climate Change: How is climate change affecting weather patterns around the world?
Weather Instruments: How do meteorologists predict the weather using different instruments?
Extreme Weather: Compare and contrast different types of extreme weather (e.g., blizzards, heatwaves, droughts).
Cloud Formation: How do different types of clouds form and what do they indicate about the weather?
Weather Myths and Facts: Investigate common weather myths and find out the scientific facts behind them.
St. Patrick's Day:
History of St. Patrick's Day: Research the origins of St. Patrick's Day and why it is celebrated. Look into the life of St. Patrick and how he became the patron saint of Ireland.
The Science of Rainbows: Investigate how rainbows are formed and why they are often associated with St. Patrick's Day. Include experiments with prisms to demonstrate light refraction.
Irish Immigration to America: Study the history of Irish immigration to the United States and how Irish culture has influenced American society, particularly in cities like Boston and New York.
The Significance of the Shamrock: Research why the shamrock is a symbol of Ireland and St. Patrick's Day. Look into its botanical characteristics and any historical significance.
Traditional Irish Music and Dance: Explore the history of traditional Irish music and dance. Learn about instruments like the fiddle, tin whistle, and bodhrán, and the origins of Irish dance forms like the jig and reel
Irish Cuisine: Research traditional Irish foods and recipes that are commonly enjoyed on St. Patrick's Day. You could even try making a traditional dish like Irish soda bread or colcannon.
The Green Connection: Look into why the color green is associated with St. Patrick's Day. Research the historical and cultural significance of the color in Irish history.
Environmental Studies: Ireland's Landscape: Study the geography and natural landscape of Ireland. Look into Ireland’s unique ecosystems, flora, and fauna, and how they are preserved.
Books:
Fiction:
Women's History:
Weather:
St. Patrick's Day:
Picture and Board books:
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