Easy Ways to Get Ready for Back to School

I know different areas of the world are different in terms of when kids go back to school, and if you homeschool you could be on a completely different schedule, but where I live kids have been trickling back to school all month, and my daughter goes back on Thursday.

It seems like this time of year is perfect for getting your learning space organized (even if your space is just a corner of the kitchen table).

Kids Activities Blog has a great roundup of ideas for getting organized for back to school. From places to organize school supplies to ideas for storing all those papers that come home from school, this will get your years off on the right foot.

If you’re going to be helping kids with homework this year or are a homeschooling parent who could use a little extra help, these printable school “cheat sheets” from Princess Pinky Girl are something you’ll want to keep handy. There’s everything here from the parts of speech to algebra equations, multiplication tables, even cooking cheat sheets for homeschool home ec.

Speaking of homeschool, if you’re still trying to get organized for the year check out this free printable planner I shared earlier this summer.

And though it isn’t a free resource anymore, I absolutely love the printable desk mat from You Clever Monkey. My almost-7-year-old has one and it’s really helpful for writing common words, correct letter and number formation, even knowing left from right. There’s a lot of great information packed into one printable page (and it only costs $2, which is totally worth it).

Do you have any organization tips for back to school? We’d love to hear them!

[Photo via Kids Activities Blog.]

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Black History Month Activities for Kids

Learning about Hanukkah is important for people of all faiths as a reminder that December isn’t just about Christmas and that their are many other important holidays that happen during this time. Hanukkah unit studies can give you ideas for incorporating the holiday into your holiday studies that happen in December, or to use at home for learning about people of different faiths.

Homeschool Superfreak has a lot of basic ideas for how to build a Hanukkah unit study, as well as FAQs about what Hanukkah is and why it is celebrated. This list is a good stargint point but doesn’t include all the details you’ll need. For example it says you can play the dreidel game but doesn’t explain how to do that or why it’s important. (If you need that information, this post from Mama Smiles is a good source.)

Teachers Pay Teachers has lots of great lesson plans and activities if you’re willing to pay a little bit to get some good content. Two I really like are this Hanukkah PowerPoint presentation from Shelia Melton, which provides a good overview of traditions, food and the history of Hanukkah; and a virtual field trip to Jerusalem from MagiCore, which includes lots of videos showing the city and activities like playing dreidel, drawing a menorah and making latkes. It’s a Google Drive folder and also includes writing activities and more for kids in second to fifth grade.

Kids Activities Blog has some simple printables with facts about Hanukkah and things kids can color in like a Star of David, sufganiyots (jelly doughnuts) and a menorah. These are great for learning the basics.

Homeschool Giveaways has a printable ebook about Hanukkah complete with questions kids can answer after they read. This would be a good one for older kids with good reading comprehension.

NurtureStore’s Hanukkah unit study includes a printable mini book, tons of crafts, as well as math and writing activities. I love the dominoes game that’s part of the unit.

And check out our previous posts for more Hanukkah crafts and learning activities!

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