My Little Robins

Loving and Learning in the Nest

DIY Simple Hand Kites to Explore the Wind

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In March's Idea Nest, we'll explore the wind. Wind is something that is so magical for children, yet we often forget that we can study it because it's invisible. When Miss H was not quite four, we made paper kites and took them outside to fly them on a windy day. For Spring Tinkergarten two years ago, we made hand kites to explore the wind. It doesn't take anything elaborate to get your child enjoying and exploring a windy day! In this post, I'll explain how to make a simple hand kite out of ribbon and a mason jar ring. 

Using a mason jar ring makes these less expensive than using a thick wooden ring that you can buy at a craft store. I think it would cost less than $10 to make several of these (as opposed to $15 each online!)  I also like the upcycling component, which I look for in a lot of the handicrafts that we make! 

I've used affiliate links to share supplies with you. You can read about these in my policies.

​Related: THiNK OUTSiDE Boxes

Make A Simple Hand Kite

You will need: 

  • ribbon (in whatever colors you'd like- I used rainbow colors) 
  • the outer ring of a Mason jar

Directions:

1. Cut the ribbon into about 18 inch long strips. I used six different colors and a total of six ribbons.  Make sure to cut the ribbon at a diagonal with sharp scissors to reduce fraying. 

2. Tie the ribbon around the mason jar ring in a double knot. Do this with all of the ribbons that you'll use. 

3. Arrange all of the ribbons so that they are next to each other. All done! (See? So simple!) 

Related: Outdoor Play Inspired by The Big Snow

Related: Making the Most Out of Outdoor Play in the Early Years

Exploring the Wind With Hand Kites

This is an open-ended toy with so many possibilities, but taking these hand kites outside on a windy day is by far our favorite way to play with them.  We like to see the direction from which the wind comes by watching the different colored ribbons float away. 

We also like to run with these hand kites, to see how quickly we can get the ribbons to fly out horizontally behind us. 

Hand kites also make fun decorations, or quiet wind chimes, when hung up vertically. 

The Idea Nest is a monthly resource that's free in 2020! You can sign up to get it through the sign-up box below!

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Homeschooling with Little Ones Around- Busy is Not The Goal

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We don't use worksheets or busy work or cute activities in our home. When my children are working on formal lessons, I want them to be engaged with books and ideas and math problems, not just busy. It doesn't differ much in the early years. I present books and ideas from nature. They are engaged, but keeping them busy is not something I aim for. 

People often ask me how to keep little ones busy while older children do formal lessons. I think mamas really want to know how to minimize disruptions while homeschooling, and I don't know how to answer that! Since I started homeschooling Miss H, it is a big challenge to simultaneously care for a toddler and preschooler while trying to impart wisdom on a six-year-old. 

In a Read Aloud Revival master class, Sarah Mackenzie said, "Homeschooling is not an emergency." This has helped change my perspective on homeschooling with little ones around, and has encouraged me to interact more with my two little boys while homeschooling. I'm not trying to keep them out of my way. I'm homeschooling them, too, although without formal lessons. They need to know that they are also a part of our learning atmosphere, and not just a problem to be solved. Every child is different, but this is our approach for homeschooling with little ones around. 

Related: The Complete Charlotte Mason Preschool Guide

I've used affiliate links in this post to share some of the things my little guys use while we're homeschooling. You can read more about affiliate links in my policies. 

Related: Why Our Charlotte Mason Preschool Will Be Different This Time Around​

1. Embrace the interruptions

Getting annoyed over every little interruption didn't work. I tried. Amazingly, my frustration didn't prevent my little guys from interrupting. So I've learned not to stress out so much about delays. If I feel like I have a tight schedule to adhere to, then maybe I have too much planned, or too many activities in our day. 

Embracing interruptions does not mean that I'm totally open to interruptions 100% of the time. I still have boundaries. Sometimes I put up a hand and say, "Let me finish this paragraph first!" or, "After this lesson, okay?" But, knowing that I'm available to them seems to make my little guys need me less. I'm not an off limits temptation, giving all of my attention to someone else. This release on controlling interruptions has made a huge difference in our homeschool. 

2. Include Them

For the same reason that I embrace interruptions, I include my little guys. They want to feel like homeschooling is for them too, because it is. I don't value academics in the early years, but I do value my children's desire to learn. I try to follow his lead (my four year old, at least. My two year old is interested in toys and vacuums!) 

Our school room is set up in our basement, and we also have the majority of our toys down there. This helps immensely! The younger two play during homeschooling time, and they have plenty of options to choose from. 

 A quick look at what including looks like in our home: 

  • Telling them that morning time is for all of them, not just big sis
  • Including books for the little ones in our morning basket
  • Presenting ideas from the Idea Nest all together, my oldest included
  • Having coloring books accessible for "school work" 
  • Letting little ones sit on my lap while I'm reading 
  • Taking breaks in between lessons to play with my little guys or to help them with their Lego Duplo creations 
  • Giving one-on-one time to each boy  before we start our lessons for the day
  • Allow them to participate in any lessons as much as they can (both of my little boys especially love playing with math manipulatives!) 

These are some of the things that keep my four-year-old engaged during lesson time. My two-year-old also loves Duplos! 

We have several Duplo sets, and my middle guy calls playing with these Science. 

So this IS a workbook, but this one is so sweet. It doesn't have an academic feel. 

H and I are studying birds this year, so E likes to color in this book during science lessons. 

3. Work on Habits

This is starting to sound like a go-to answer, but I believe that whenever we hit troubles in homeschooling, we need to evaluate which habits could help us solve them. I am currently working with my boys on playing together nicely. When we are working on homeschool lessons, 85% of our interruptions involve two fighting boys! We've been practicing not taking things from each other while playing, and it's starting to help! 

Related: How to Form Positive Habits

4. Move Lessons Outside

It's the middle of January in Colorado, and while that doesn't say much weather-wise (it has been 50 degrees for the past week!) our backyard is still iced over thanks to its north-facing position. In the fall, when it was sunnier, I often moved our lessons outside. I just grabbed all of the books that I could, spread a blanket, and got to work. Everyone loved this! The little guys could play safely and supervised, and big sis enjoyed the fresh air. 

When we don't do this, it's a struggle to get my little guys the outdoor time that they need. This allows us to hit our outdoor time goal (this year we're shooting for 1000 hours outside!) 


5. Make a Checklist

This year, now that H is a great reader, I made her a checklist of work that she can do independently. This includes copywork, handwriting, nature journal entries, and sometimes math reviews. I print this list out each weekend, and give it to her during the week. It's her responsibility to complete it. When I get pulled away by one of the little boys, or by the laundry buzzer, I give her the checklist and she gets to work. 

This has been hugely helpful because our day can keep moving forward even when I step away. She loves the responsibility of keeping track of "homework" on her own, too. If your child is too young for a checklist, you probably can find a line of copywork or a sand tray to keep your homeschooled child engaged while you care for your little ones. 

Related: Home Education: A Curriculum from Charlotte Mason's First Volume​

Is homeschooling with little ones around possible? Absolutely.

Is it easy and peaceful? No way. 

But if we remind ourselves that our little ones need us, just as our older children do, then our perspective will shift a bit and we'll be able to see our young children as included members of our homeschools and not as distractions. 

 


Introducing Idea Nest- Free Early Years Resource

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I was in the camp of "you don't need a curriculum for your young child" until I had a young child who needed a curriculum. He didn't need instruction, but structure. We tried many options, and I realized that I wanted a different feeling in our home for the early years. 

Playful experiences. 

A life fed on ideas. 

Not a lesser amount of formal lessons. 

Nothing formal at all. 

For over a year, I've toyed with the thought of creating a play-based menu of ideas. something that we could pick and choose from, have a structured activity when we need it, and not feel the guilt of another to-do list left undone. 

Related: The Complete Charlotte Mason Preschool Guide


Introducing the Idea Nest

In 2020, I'm putting together free monthly ideas for your early years preschool and mine. The ideas will center around a theme, but not in a unit-study kind of way. We'll explore ideas through books, hymns, Bible stories, and play-based activities. 

January's theme is Fresh Start. You and your family can work on the habit of forgiveness and rework your routines for a fresh start in the New Year. 

Not A Curriculum

Since I didn't want a curriculum, this isn't one. Choose activities that work for your family. When creating this resource, I also thought about my older child. There are things in the Idea Nest that she will love, too, and can be used as a supplement to her year one curriculum. 

My middle guy is so obviously pleased when he knows I have a plan for him and not just his sister. When I pull out a designated book to read to him, or have a little activity, he suddenly feels included. Homeschooling is no longer something just for his big sister and me. He's a part of it, too. 

Read: Why Our Preschool At Home Is Different This Year

Low Prep Ideas

I am not a mom with a lot of extra time for cutesy stuff (have you seen my Instagram account? Hardly a cutesy thing present. Except for my kids 🙂 ) There are a few tools that we use outside that are really fun, but they are mostly ready to go. If there's any preparation for an activity in the Idea Nest, it is very straightforward and not time consuming. 

Sign up below to receive your free Idea Nest and to get access to the subscriber library. 






Kids’ Advent Calendar Handicraft

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When I think of the word “handicraft,” I think of a project that my kids and I have made together that won’t go into the trash after a couple of weeks. Unlike those little cardboard Advent calendars filled with sub-par chocolates that the grocery store sells, I wanted to make a way to celebrate the season that we’d use year after year. This simple Advent calendar is magnetic and therefore space-saving: just put it up on your refrigerator or other magnetic surface, and when January rolls around, stack the jars and put them away. Kids will love helping you make this, and will especially enjoy revealing a surprise every day.

Advent calendars are often used as a way to merely count down the days until Christmas. But if we thoughtfully consider how what we want to put inside each little jar, an advent calendar can help children focus on Christ at Christmas. You can tie this into other advent traditions, like the Jesse tree or acts of kindness.

Related: 100 Handicrafts for the Early Years

(I’ve used affiliate links to share how to make this handicraft. You can read more about my policies here.)

Kids Advent Calendar Handicraft

I was able to find magnetic spice tins at the dollar store. There were two in each pack. The lids are clear; which kind of ruins the surprise, but if you’ll stuff the containers with Bible verses, the clear lids won’t be a problem at all. We also found the number stickers at the dollar store, except they aren’t very sticky. You can either make sure you buy high-quality stickers, or paint the numbers on with acrylic paints.

To avoid the inevitable fight about who gets to open each door, I bought three different colors of stickers, one for each child. They will know what color sticker they are, and hopefully this will help stop arguments. If it’s not a red day, they’ll have to wait.

Materials

  • 24 or 25 small magnetic spice tins, available at a dollar store (there were 2 in each package)
  • A magnetic surface for your spice tins- this can be a new, clean cookie sheet, or your refrigerator door! You could also use a square piece of wood big enough to fit the 25 tins, and hot glue them on. But that doesn’t save much space, does it?
  • Acrylic paint, in a color of your choice
  • Hot glue gun and sticks
  • Decorative scrapbooking paper, or colored tissue paper
  • Number stickers (optional) I used three different colors, one for each of my children
  • 25 small pieces of paper with Bible verses, acts of kindness, etc., OR small trinkets

Directions

  1. If you chose to use a wooden board, paint it in a color of your choice. If you have a metal pan or are using the refrigerator front, skip this step.
  2. Place the stickers on the tins. This is a great thing for little ones to help with, and a fun by-the-way activity to help reinforce their understanding of numbers!
  3. Measure how big the window is on top of the tin lid. Cut a circle out of the decorative paper so that you can glue it, pattern side up, under the lid. This will hide the passages or objects you put inside the tins. Because I was short on time, I chose to stuff each tin with a little bit of tissue paper to hide the treasures inside.
  4. If you are using a wooden board, hot glue the tins onto the board. If you are using a magnetic surface, arrange the tins how you’d like them. Be prepared to arrange them over and over again, because little ones love playing with these tins!
  5. Open one tin each day to see what’s inside!

 

Things to Put in Your Advent Calendar

Kids Advent Calendar Handicraft

Lottie Dolls: Wholesome, Inspired Fun

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*This post contains affiliate links. I received a Lottie Doll in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

As the mom of a little girl, I often worry about the messages she gets from other people, media, and even her toys. I recently saw this Facebook post comparing Girls’ Life and Boys’ Life magazines. The Boys’ Life cover encouraged boys to think about their future and explore the world. The Girls’ Life cover encouraged girls to “wake up pretty” and get their “dream hair.” I’m guessing you’re with me when I say that I want more for my daughter! I want to inspire her to think and explore, and not to strive solely for prettiness. That’s why I was thrilled when I was asked to review Lottie Dolls. These wholesome dolls feature characters who explore, work hard, and use their imaginations. This is the perfect toy to inspire our young daughters! (Make sure to stick around for a giveaway at the end of this post!)

Lottie Dolls

What Are Lottie Dolls?

In response to ultra-sophisticated, unrealistic grown up dolls, a new wave of wholesome dolls has arrived. Lottie Dolls are modeled after a 9-year-old girl, not a completely unrealistic adult standard. They are well-made, and can literally stand on their own two feet, which sends a strong, symbolic message. Many of the dolls are nature inspired, which is perfect for our Charlotte Mason preschool at home!

Choosing a Lottie Doll

Miss H was thrilled to get to choose her own Lottie Doll. This was a BIG decision! It took her days to decide.  I encouraged her to pick a doll with a nature theme, and she had lots of options-

  • Wildlife Photographer Mia
  • Stargazer Lottie
  • Forest Friend Lottie
  • Fossil Hunter Lottie
  • Kite Flyer Finn Boy Doll
  • Autumn Leaves Lottie
  • Muddy Puddles Lottie
  • Butterfly Protector Lottie
  • English Country Garden Lottie

There are lots of other sweet themes, but I thought a nature focused doll would be a welcome change! The fact that we chose our Lottie Doll the day after the solar eclipse probably inspired Miss H’s decision- she picked Stargazer Lottie. 

Accessories

Miss H also got to choose an accessory for her Lottie Doll. She LOVED the Canoe Adventure Playset, but ultimately decided on the Astro Adventures Outfit. 

Lottie DollLottie Arrives

I usually wouldn’t feel the need to give you so many details about the day we got Lottie, but this was just too sweet to pass up. Friends, Miss H started crying! She was so happy to get her new toy that she cried happy tears. Now that is a toy worth taking up precious space in my house! Lottie came in a super-adorable outfit: tights, a shirt, overalls, a jacket, a scarf, boots, and an adorable hat. But the outfit isn’t the point, and it wasn’t what was such a big hit with Miss H on that day. The part that was the most exciting to Miss H was Lottie’s sweet little telescope. This is the telescope that will inspire lots of imaginative play, questions about stars, and the overall desire to learn more about astronomy. Lottie also came with a little chart about space, and little cards that showed famous women in astronomy.

Astronaut Lottie

It didn’t take long for Miss H to break out Lottie’s astronaut suit. It’s a one piece suit, complete with a helmet and boots. It also came with glow-in-the-dark stars.

Imaginative Play

Miss H loves playing with her Lottie Doll! She has been so careful to take good care of her, brushing her hair and making beds for her to rest on. Currently, she’s working on creating some more accessories for her (a black-as-space background made from a cereal box, and a rocket ship made from a toilet paper tube!) As much as I love how she’s inspired to play, I REALLY love how Miss H wants to learn more about space since getting Lottie. We’ve read our Stargazers book (by Gail Gibbons) several times in the past few weeks!

If you are like me and are careful about the ideas you put in front of your little girl, these dolls are a great option!

(Giveaway Closed)

I am so excited to be able to give away a Stargazer Lottie doll to one of you! The doll will ship straight from the company.  By entering this giveaway, you agree to receive updates from the Lottie mailing list. Your information will not be shared with other third party sites. This giveaway ends at 12 AM Mountain Time on Monday, September 25.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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