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.
Previous months:
For February the themes are love and Norse mythology. Finn decided on which mythology we do, we'll circle back around to the different ones I'm sure.
Foods:
Chocolate-Covered Strawberries: Dip strawberries in melted chocolate and let them cool.
Valentine's Day Bark: Melt white chocolate, spread it on a baking sheet, and sprinkle with red and pink candies.
Cupid's Popcorn: Mix popcorn with melted white chocolate and Valentine's Day sprinkles.
Red Velvet Cupcakes: Bake some red velvet cupcakes and top them with cream cheese frosting and heart-shaped sprinkles.
Love Bug Pretzels: Dip pretzels in chocolate and decorate them to look like cute little love bugs with candy eyes and sprinkles.
Valentine's Day Chex Mix: Mix Chex cereal with melted white chocolate, pink and red M&Ms, and heart-shaped sprinkles.
Strawberry Shortcake Skewers: Skewer pieces of pound cake, strawberries, and marshmallows, then drizzle with chocolate.
Odin's Mead: A traditional honey wine that was believed to be the drink of the gods. This can easily be made without alcohol.
Freya's Honey Cakes: Sweet cakes made with honey, nuts, and spices, perfect for a goddess of love and beauty.
Yggdrasil Salad: A salad with a mix of root vegetables, greens, and nuts, symbolizing the World Tree.
Heimdall’s Guardian Soup: A hearty vegetable and barley soup, nourishing for a watchful guardian.
Idunn’s Apples: Baked apples with cinnamon and honey, inspired by the goddess who kept the gods youthful.
Crafts:
Heart Garland: Cut out hearts from colorful paper and string them together to make a garland.
DIY Valentine's Cards: Provide various craft supplies like stickers, glitter, and markers for them to create personalized cards.
Mason Jar Love Notes: Decorate mason jars and fill them with little notes of appreciation or candy.
Friendship Bracelets: Use pink and red threads to make friendship bracelets for their friends.
Heart-Shaped Dream Catchers: Use wire and yarn to create heart-shaped dream catchers and decorate them with beads and feathers.
Handprint Hearts: Dip their hands in washable paint and make heart shapes on paper.
Paper Plate Love Bugs: Use paper plates, paint, and googly eyes to create cute love bugs.
Heart Stamps: Cut a potato in half and carve a heart shape, then use it as a stamp with some paint.
Valentine's Day Collage: Provide red, pink, and white paper, stickers, and glue for them to create a collage.
Heart Suncatchers: Use contact paper and tissue paper pieces to make colorful heart suncatchers.
Handprint Hearts: Make a heart shape using their handprints with washable paint.
Viking Shields: Create your own Viking shield using cardboard, paint, and markers.
Rune Stones: Paint or carve ancient Norse runes onto small stones or clay pieces.
Yggdrasil Tree: Craft a model of the World Tree using twigs, string, and a base.
Norse Mythology Story Stones: Paint scenes or characters from Norse myths on flat stones to use in storytelling.
Thor's Hammer Coloring: Print out a simple outline of Thor's hammer and let them color it in.
Rune Stone Painting: Give them smooth stones and non-toxic paint to create their own rune stones.
Yggdrasil Tree Art: Use finger paints to create a colorful tree representing Yggdrasil.
Sensory Bin:
Red and pink dyed rice or pasta
Heart shaped confetti
Scented playdough
Foam hearts
Trinkets like plastic roses, fake chocolate, plastic hearts
Red, pink, and white pom poms
Fake flower petals
Heart shaped molds
Heart foam pieces
Honestly there's so much that you can put in a sensory bin for both older kids and little kids.
Miniature Viking Figures: Small figurines of Vikings, gods, and mythical creatures. I couldn't find any except for DND miniatures, which would work but are more expensive. The link leads you to some HTYD toys, which count? I think?
Rune Stones: Small stones with runes painted on them.
Sand or Gravel: To represent the rugged landscapes of Norse mythology.
Miniature Ships: Small model Viking longships.
Thor’s Hammer: Small replicas or toy versions of Mjolnir.
Plastic or Wooden Swords and Shields: Miniature versions for added play.
Feathers: To represent Odin’s ravens, Huginn and Muninn.
Small Animal Figures: Wolves, ravens, and other animals from Norse myths.
Colored Beads or Gems: Representing treasures and magical items from the myths.
Activities:
Valentine's Day Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of Valentine's themed items for them to find around the school or at home.
Valentine's Day Bingo: Make bingo cards with Valentine's Day symbols and play a few rounds.
Heart Cookie Decorating: Bake heart-shaped cookies and let them decorate with icing and sprinkles.
Love Letter Writing: Encourage them to write love letters to family and friends, or even to themselves!
Heart Scavenger Hunt: Hide paper hearts around the house with little love notes or treats attached.
Love Rocks: Paint rocks with love-themed designs and messages, then hide them around the neighborhood for others to find.
Heartfelt Story Writing: Write a short story about love and friendship together.
Love Potion Science Experiment: Make a fun and safe “love potion” using different household ingredients.
Heart Stickers: Let them decorate paper with heart stickers. It's simple and they’ll love it!
Love-Themed Storytime: Read books about love and friendship, like "Guess How Much I Love You."
Heart Matching Game: Create a simple matching game with heart-shaped cards.
Love Songs and Dance: Sing and dance to songs about love and friendship.
Story Time: Read simple, age-appropriate stories about Thor, Odin, and other Norse gods.
Treasure Hunt: Hide "treasures" (like plastic gems or toy hammers) around the room for them to find.
Rune Matching: Create simple rune cards and have them match pairs.
Mythology Trivia: Create a trivia game with questions about Norse gods, creatures, and myths.
Mythical Creature Drawings: Have them draw and color mythical creatures like dragons, Fenrir the wolf, or Jörmungandr the serpent.
Rune Writing: Teach them to write their names or simple words using runes.
Research Topics:
The History of Valentine's Day: Look into how Valentine's Day started and how it has changed over the years.
Valentine's Day Around the World: Explore how different countries celebrate Valentine's Day.
Famous Love Stories in History: Research famous couples from history and their love stories.
The Science Behind Chocolate and Love: Investigate why chocolate is often associated with love and Valentine's Day.
The Role of Symbols in Valentine's Day: Study the meanings behind common Valentine's Day symbols like hearts, roses, and Cupid.
The Nine Realms: Explore the different realms in Norse mythology and their significance.
Gods and Goddesses: Research major gods and goddesses like Odin, Thor, Loki, and Freyja.
Mythical Creatures: Look into creatures like Fenrir, Jörmungandr, and the Valkyries.
Yggdrasil: Study the World Tree and its importance in Norse mythology.
Ragnarok: Investigate the end-of-the-world prophecy and what it entails.
Viking Beliefs and Practices: Learn about how Norse mythology influenced Viking daily life and rituals.
Norse Sagas and Eddas: Read and summarize some famous Norse sagas or poems from the Eddas.
Comparing Mythologies: Compare Norse mythology with another mythology, like Egyptian or Greek.
Books:
(These might change depending on what I can get at the Library and what we own, but here is a fun list of books to check out!)
Non-Fiction:
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And the Norse Mythology themed playlist here
ASL:
Love: Cross your arms over your chest, like you're giving yourself a hug.
Heart: Use your index fingers to draw a heart shape in the air.
Valentine: Sign "heart" and then "day" by placing your hand flat in front of you and moving it downward.
Kiss: Bring your fingers to your lips and then move them away as if blowing a kiss.
Friend: Hook your index fingers together twice.
Sweetheart: Place your fists over your heart and move them up and down like you're pumping your heart.
Hug: Cross your arms in front of your chest and squeeze, like you're giving yourself a hug.
Thor: Place your dominant hand in an "S" shape (fist) and make a hammering motion, like you're using Thor's hammer.
Odin: Use an "O" handshape, then bring it to your forehead as if you're putting on a crown (symbolizing Odin's wisdom and kingship).
Loki: Use an "L" handshape and move it in a sneaky, zigzag pattern to represent Loki's trickster nature.
Viking: Place both hands in "V" shapes (index and middle fingers extended) and place them on either side of your head to represent Viking horns.
Freya: Use an "F" handshape and move it in a small circle near your heart, representing love and beauty.
Valhalla: Use both hands to sign "V" and then move them upward and outward, as if opening the gates to Valhalla.
Rune: Use your dominant hand to trace a rune shape in the air with your index finger.
Yggdrasil: Use both hands to show a tree growing upward, with fingers wiggling to represent branches.
Life Skills:
These aren't necessarily life skills, but skills I still want him to learn.
Writing letters or cards and how to mail them out
Expressing gratitude
Baking, especially cookies
Other stuff:
Finn is learning to play the electric guitar, so the songs I want him to practice this month are:
Field Trips:
Chocolate Factory Tour: Explore how chocolate is made and indulge in some sweet treats with your loved ones.
Bakery Tour: Learning how to make sweet baked treats and what goes into running a bakery would be a lot of fun.
Museum of Ice Cream: Something about sweets just makes me think of Valentines Day.
Love Lock Bridge: Visit a bridge where people attach padlocks as a symbol of their love and throw away the key, signifying their everlasting bond.
Love Potion Workshop: Attend a workshop where you can create your own love potions or scented candles.
Valentine's Day Cooking Class: Join a cooking class to learn how to prepare delicious Valentine-themed treats with your friends.
A trip to a flower farm: Some farms offer tours and workshops on flower arranging, which could be a sweet way to celebrate.
Nature walk with a Valentine's twist: Organize a nature walk and have the kids collect heart-shaped leaves or rocks, then make Valentine's crafts with them.
Coloring pages:
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