The Benefits of Volunteering

Being a volunteer can help you explore a career field of interest. Volunteering helps other people and organizations. It is also very beneficial to you:

• You will become comfortable in serving others.
• Develop and use your talents and skills to benefit other people.
• Make a real, positive difference in the world.
• Make new friends.
• Expose yourself to a variety of people.
• Gain confidence in yourself.
• Earn a letter of recommendation for college or a job.
• Connect with professionals in the workplace.
• Find out if you want to pursue a particular career or field of interest.
• Learn job skills like: responsibility, time management, work ethics, accountability, and working with others.

Here are some volunteer ideas to get you started:

Hospital, nursing home, pregnancy care center, nursing homes, serving widows and the elderly, state park, nature center, hiking trails, animal shelter, pet hospital, animal foster care, horse care and stable worker, wildlife preserve, food or clothing drives, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, tutoring, ESL programs, library, prison ministry, orphanage, festivals, fairs, parades, hospice companion, Red Cross, language translator, waiting room reader, speaker to kids, deliver meals, disaster relief, kids recreation center, host a foreign student, teen hotline, bell ringer, after-school mentor, thrift store worker, immigrant and refugee ministry, housekeeping for elderly, concession stand worker, working farm for disabled people, maintenance and preservation projects, science museum, living history museum, computer tutor or consultant, evangelistic organizations, prison ministry, trash clean-up, construction and remodeling, political campaign volunteers, voter registration drives, help at the polls, administrative and clerical assistance at church, technical assistance at church, music ministry at church, nursery and children’s ministry worker, wedding coordinator, church photography, summer camp counselor, VBS, event planner or worker, short-term mission trip, Jr. High Youth group helper, or go to any business or organization that you are interested in and ask if you can volunteer.

Encouraging My Kids to Volunteer

Encouraging my kids to volunteer Works for Me.

Kids can receive a variety of benefits through volunteering. They can:

• explore a career field of interest.
  
• become comfortable in serving others.
• learn about subjects (like science) through hands-on activities.
  
• develop and use their talents and skills to benefit other people.
• make a real, positive difference in the world.
• make new friends.
• meet a variety of people.
• gain confidence.
• get homeschool credit.
  
• earn a letter of recommendation for college or a job.
• connect with professionals in the workplace.
• find out if they want to pursue a particular career or field of interest.
• learn job skills like: responsibility, time management, work ethics, accountability, and working with others.

My oldest daughter volunteers in the children's church and with VBS. My son volunteers his computer skills. As a family, we all volunteer at our church's Harvest Party in October. I've found that church is a great place to find volunteer work. I plan to encourage my kids to volunteer even more at church: doing community outreach, church clean up days, baking, and going on short-term mission trips.

Learning Experiences at Church

Works for Me Wednesday Meme

This is what works for our family. We center most of our family activities around church. Since there are 7 of us, it's great that I don't have to drive all of town at various times. We go to one location, our church, and get involved in the activities. There is usually something going on for every age level at our church - even on Youth Group night. My teens go to youth group, my husband and I volunteer, and my younger kids go to a class for the volunteer's kids.

Church is a great place for kids to learn. They use teaching methods that kids enjoy. There aren't any tests given or assignments due.

Here are some learning experiences my kids have had at church:

• History lessons from the Bible
• Singing and choir practice
• Socialization skills
• P.E. - roller skating, dodge ball, group action games
• Group Jeopardy Game
• Christian DVDs
• Journal writing
• Reading: from the Bible, lessons, lyrics projected on to the wall
• Art Projects
• Drama
  
• Slide show presentation of trip to Israel
• Ancient Jewish culture and customs presentation
• Music and dance performances
• Volunteering and community service projects
• Baking

My Other Works for Me Wednesday Ideas:

• Kids Make Their Own Birthday Cakes
  
• 10 Steps to Multiplication Memorization
• Save Time When Cooking Hamburger
  

Homeschool Burnout

It's that time of year, when many homeschool families start to burn out. Spring fever is in the air and homeschool frustration sets in. Don't give up on homeschooling. You have options.

At the end of the year, some families switch from a structured homeschool method to Unschooling or an Eclectic Method. It is perfectly fine to switch your method or curriculum during the year, if you want to. You can even switch back next Fall.

Hear are some ideas that will hopefully keep you from Homeschool Burnout.

• Go on Vacation - I've written posts about what our family has learned on our trips to New York City and Oregon. You can adapt some of the ideas for your own trip.

• Play Games - You can get games for each basis subject: Math, Language Arts, Science, History, and Geography.

• Get More Involved in Church - Church is a great place to learn. I made a list of Learning Experiences that my kids have had at church.

• Participate in Real Life Learning - Every day there are real life experiences and events that our children can learn from. Here are many Real Life Learning Ideas to get you going.

• Choose Your Own - You can make lists of learning ideas for each of the basic subjects and let your kids choose what they want to do each day. I have made a Choose Your Own Science List. I hope to make lists for the other basic subjects, too.
  

Field Trip to New York City

My husband had to take a work related trip to New York City. So, the rest of the family went too. My goal was to learn and experience as much as we could on this trip, with out spending much money. While in NYC, I carried around a guidebook and read aloud the information for each site that we saw.

Here is what our family learned and experienced on this trip:

• Free Ferry ride to Manhattan from Staten Island
  
• Statue of Liberty
• Ellis Island
• Battery Park
• Financial District
• Saw the Site of the World Trade Center and Memorials
• Rode on the Subway
• Saw where Dave Letterman is recorded and his two guests leaving the Ed Sullivan theater.
• Times Square
• Grand Central Station
• Walked over 22,000 steps in Manhattan, PE
• Played in Central Park, PE
• Ate New York style pizza.
• Drove around Staten Island.
• Read the Book - Dreams in the Golden Country (Dear America - NYC, 1903)
• Read the Book - Journey to Ellis Island by Carol Bierman
• Street sign practice.
• Map Skills
• Socialization with many adults we met along the way.

Real Life Social Studies

History, Geography, Government, Civics, Economics, Sociology, and Psychology are so much a part of our daily life.

Here are some real life ways to learn about social studies:

• Watch TV documentaries and DVDs.
• Play Internet and board games.
• Visit tourist sites.
• Use maps.
• Read magazines.
• Church Bible lessons and sermons.
• Go on a short-term mission trip.
• Host an exchange student.
• Attend town council meetings.
• Work on election campaigns.
• Visit Senate and House of Representatives while in session.
• Watch the news on TV.
• Read about current events in a newspaper of online.
• Chat online with people in other countries.
• Talk with an older relative about his life.
• Read historical fiction and biographies.
• Learn about a historical time period or event.
• Be involved in historical reenactments or renaissance fairs.
• Listen to daily radio shows.
• Learn about genealogy.
• Volunteer for a non-profit organization.
• Start a charity or ministry.
• Volunteer at church.
• Baby-sit.
• Travel

Field Trip Ideas: Children's Museum, field trip tours at universities, radio station, TV station, airport, ethnic food stores and restaurants, art gallery, police station, fire station, nursing homes, children's hospitals, 911 dispatch center, newspaper, hospital, bank, natural history museum, local missions, tour homeless shelter or food pantry, ride public transportation, the workplace of a homeschooling parent, behind the scenes at a church, local arts and craft fair, bus stations, train stations, native American cultural center, historical village, and the national guard armory.

Real Life Science

It is surprising how much science we learn about everyday. I've noticed that my kids have a natural desire to learn about science, especially if it is hands-on.

Here are some real life ways to learn science:

• Watch DVDs about science.
• Go to a hand's on science museum.
  
• Watch science shows and documentaries on TV.
• Have science related hobbies like: electronic kits, rocketry, chemistry labs, science experiments, gardening, pets, solar projects, nature, and horticulture.
• Join science and naturalist clubs.
• Go to science camp.
• Build projects that are science related.
• Fix broken electronic items.
• Invent
• Read science magazines.
• Read about science and scientists for fun.
• Research about something you are interested in on the Internet.
• Play online and board games that involve science.
• Enter science fairs and competitions.
• Go on nature walks and use field guides.
• Join 4-H, FFA, or Scouts.
• Volunteer or get a part-time job in a scientific field.
• Improve your nutrition.
• Audit a college science class.

Learn about science on field trips: planetarium, aquarium, hands-on science museum, botanical gardens, tour a nature preserve, hospital lab, scientific tour at a university, farm, nursery, orchard, arboretums, landfill, taxidermy shop, zoo, glass factory, bread factory, conservatory, Christmas tree farm, potato chip factory, dairy farm, electrical power plant, waste management and recycling center, worm farm, animal shelter, weather center, fish and wildlife area, Coast Guard station, water district, local mine, nature trail, duck pond, cheese factory, cabinet makers, the workplace of a homeschooling parent, tour a pet store, fish farm, dam, science camp, summer college day camp, cave tour, and lawn and garden show.

Real Life Math

My kids do math workbooks, but we don't go overboard with the thick textbooks. I let them do the assignments at their own pace. They keep up with the lessons, because they want to get ahead in Math. I don't want them to dislike math. It's such an important and necessary part of life.

Here are some real life ways to learn math:

• Compare prices and figure out the sale price.
• Personal and family budgeting.
• Calculate for a building project.
• Figure out distances and gas mileage while driving.
• Plan and set up a garden.
• Measure for cooking and double recipes for baking.
• Use a bank account.
• Invest money.
  
• Hobby - sport statistics.
• Be treasure for a club.
• Bookkeeping for a home business.
• Read charts.
• Learn computer programming.
  
• Do math game websites.
• Play math board games.
• Get a book to learn mental math.
• Join a rocketry or math club.
• Read magazines - Zillions or Consumer Reports.
• Use math for planning a trip and while traveling.

Real Life Spelling

I noticed that I was getting frustrated with the Spelling lists that my kids were using. They consisted of words that people seldom ever write. In real life, if we don't know how to spell a "big" word, then the computer spell checker catches it. I'm not saying that spelling isn't important. I still correct my kids spelling when they write and suggest that they write certain words down in their "Spelling Notebooks". We also have to keep in mind that "big words" will be on an SAT test.

Here are some real life ways for kids and adults to improve their spelling:

• Turn the spell checker on.
• Read a lot and pay attention to how words are spelled.
• Write misspelled and difficult words in a Spelling journal.
• Play word games.
• Copy poems, songs, and pages of books.
• Write a lot: letters, e-mails, stories, and articles.

Real Life Writing

• Read a lot and pay attention to how good authors write.
• Keep a journal
• Write thank you notes, letters, and e-mails to family and friends.
• Make a newsletter and distribute it through the Internet.
• Write letters to the editor, politicians, and businesses.
• Write articles for your own website.
• Write a blog.
  
• Write stories and essays for contests.
• Write a book or novel.
• Write articles for non-profit websites.
• Write stories to be published on a writing website.
• Write articles and submit them to magazines.
• Take a writing workshop and go to a writing conference.
• Read writing magazines.
• Read creative writing books.
  
• Join a writers critique group.
• Play online games that involve writing.
• Copy work - write pages from a well written book.

Our Five Week Field Trip to Portland

A year ago, at Christmas, we took a 5 week trip to Oregon. I didn't plan anything educational, because I was so caught up in preparing for the trip. However, when we got back home, I thought about all of the learning experiences that "just happened".

Here is what our family learned on our 5-week trip to Oregon:

• Grandma taught us how to knit hats with a circular knitting loom.
• Grandpa took my son downtown Portland on the commuter train to see city life.
• Grandma took 2 of my daughters to a ceramic shop to paint and fire their own ceramics.
• The kids learned about family life during the Depression while watching Season 2 of the Walton's as we traveled.
• We got to see the great variety through out America as we drove through 14 states.
• Grandpa took one of my daughters to a donut shop and she got to see the machines making the donuts.
• We went to the Oregon Coast and looked at all the sea creatures living in the tidal pools.
• My son read 6 books that he got for Christmas.
• The kids played games that they got for Christmas: Dutch Blitz, Monopoly, Phonics Games, and Mille Borne.
  
• My daughters worked on needlepoint and crocheted while traveling.
• Grandpa took the kids to OMSI - The Hands On Science Museum
• Made Christmas cards and ornaments and gave to people in rest areas and at toll booths.
• We sent the knitted hats to orphans.
• For P.E. - went roller-skating, swimming, practiced dancing, played on outdoor equipment at parks, and played on indoor equipment at restaurants.
• Socialized with relatives, friends, and fellow travelers everyday.

Choose Your Own Science

I noticed that my kids hadn't been enjoying science lately. So, I thought up a bunch of ideas and taped the list to the refrigerator.

Here's what I put on the list:

• Magazines: Big Backyard, Ranger Rick
• TV: Nova, Nature, Scientific American Frontiers, Kratt Brothers, Fetch, etc.
• Science DVDs from the library.
• Experiment books from the library.
• Library books about science.
• Brain Quest Science Questions
• Science Board Games
• Electronic Kit
• K'NEX
• Roller Coaster Tycoon CD ROM
• Chemistry Lab
• FunSchool Math and Science Games
• Prongo
• Room 108 Science Games
• IKnowThat
• PrimaryGames
• Scholastic Kids
• KidsKnowIt Games
• National Geographic for Kids
• Online Science Games (Animals, Plants, Space, Physics, Weather, Biology, Anatomy)
  
• BBC Schools
  
• Steve Spangler Experiments
• Zoom Sci Experiments
• Jack Stargazer Cartoons
• Science News for Kids