Spring Activities
Outside is the place to be! Spring provides a host of activities for the family: Gardening, birdwatching, hiking, nature walks, the list goes on for activities that are great for your kids to share in and explore. Here are some practical ways they can help out and have fun!
- learn woodworking while building a birdhouse
- collect pine cones and coat with peanut butter and birdseed to help feed the birds
- use a suet box to collect nesting materials for the birds, such as, horse hair, grass, moss, small twigs, cotton balls, leaves, etc
- plant a special flower or shrub that is theirs to name and take care of
- pull weeds to keep the gardens beautiful and thriving
- help gather vegetables and herbs that can be used for meals
- collect wildflowers that can be made into a centerpiece for the family table
- go on a nature walk to look for bugs, bird nests, animal tracks, etc. Have them make a journal of their findings.
- collect various types of leaves and do leaf rubbings as an art project.
- run around outside and play ball with family pets…good for everyone
Teaching by the Books
Reading to young children is critical for their development. Check out the list of benefits…
- supported cognitive development
- improved language skills
- preparation for academic success
- developing special bonds with your children
- increased concentration and discipline
- improved imagination and creativity
- cultivating a lifelong love of learning
*As a parent with now grown and nearly grown children, a homeschool co-op teacher, a librarian, and a lifelong reader myself, I can attest to each of these. You will never waste a single moment that is spent reading to your child or listening to them read to you…no matter their age. It is beneficial to hear books read aloud even when we are older. Our kids are more likely to grow up strong readers which leads to strong leadership and emotional/social awareness and becoming readers themselves, which keeps the literacy growing with future generations! Model reading! Let your children be surrounded by books in the all the rooms in your home as well as seeing you with books, newspapers, magazines etc in your own hands. Our world sometimes discourages adults from being creative and imaginative by telling us to “grow up” and “act our age”, but the reality of it is reading allows us to travel to places we may never otherwise visit. It allows our minds to imagine what people and places look like instead of relying on others telling us in visual movies. Reading allows us the opportunity to know there are others like ourselves, with similar backgrounds and issues that we may struggle with in life. Reading is connection and we are relational beings. Reading is for ages 0-99 and beyond. We now have the ability to have large print, audio, graphic novels, and so much more. Never stop reading!
Explosion of Feelings
Kids feel all kinds of emotions. They see different feelings in their homes, their schools, and everywhere they go! Here are a list of children’s books that highlight different types of emotions so they know there are others just like them.
The Colour Monster by Anna Llenas, 2012 (all about feelings)
When Sadness is at Your Door by Eva Eland, 2019 (sadness)
Rhino Swallowed a Storm by LeVar Burton, 2014 (fear, overwhelm)
Olivia Wrapped in Vines by Maude Nepveu-Villeneuve, 2022 (anxiety)
The Anger Inside by Michelle Clayton, 2022 (anger)
My Worried Worrier by Christopher Fequiere, 2021 (worry)
The Jar of Happiness by Ailsa Burrows, 2016 (happiness)
Marigold & Daisyby Andrea Zuill, 2018 (jealousy)
A Dog Provides a Life Lesson
Have you ever read a book with no words? What??? Picture books without words allow the reader to “write” their own story. As children are beginning to learn to read, they provide the opportunity for them to feel successful because there are no words to sound out but they accomplish “reading” to their parent or sibling or even to themselves.
One of my favorite wordless picture books is Found by Jeff Newman and Larry Day. The story begins with a little girl who has lost her dog. She finds a stray when she’s out for a walk. He comes home with her and she begins experiencing all kinds of emotions: joy in not being alone, sadness in still missing her dog, anger that this dog was playing with her dog’s toy, etc. She is eventually confronted with a decision when she runs into a boy who is missing his dog, which happens to be the stray she found. What will she do?
Life is all about teachable moments. No matter our age, we learn each and every day. Are you open to what might happen along your journey?
The illustrations in this storybook are incredible yet simple. It was published in 2018 by Simon and Schuster Books. ISBN #9781534410060
Horse Powered Reading
Horse Powered Reading is a supplemental program that brings learning outside the classroom. It unites students with horses who are natural teachers. It’s a hands-on learning that adds to what is already being taught in the classroom setting. The sessions can benefit any age and can simply add some fun, extracurricular learning or give that one-on-one tutoring in certain areas of reading and the English language.
I have recently earned by certification in this program, and I’m very excited to begin offering tutoring sessions with “Equine Story Starters“. I am planning to begin a “Barnyard Bookworms” for elementary age kiddos that want to get together and share whatever books they are reading. There are also opportunities to take part in “Equine Ears” where kids can come and read to a horse to gain confidence and courage in their reading. “Hoofprint Helpers” will be offered for those who could benefit from a homework buddy.
For more information on the history and the power of this program, please visit the program’s direct site at http://www.horsepoweredreading.com
I’m so excited for all this program can do to help kids LOVE reading and gain confidence in those skills. As one who struggled with reading in early elementary school, I wish I could have an opportunity like this! I want to help others succeed and bring literacy to a whole new level! Contact me at farmlife22.kbc@gmail.com and schedule your visit!