Thrift Schooling

  Living on a homestead has its perks—silence is not one of them. Although we haven't had sheep yet, we have had our share of goats—and they always liked to let us know they were around! Farm noises take some getting used to, but they are worth it. We did visit some friends with sheep recently, and though the sheep are not quiet, they are pleasant—especially during lambing season!  As homeschoolers, how can you incorporate homesteading, farming, and traditional skills into your homeschool when you do not have a homestead?  CREATE YOUR OWN UNIT STUDY! Creating your own unit study does not have to be as intimidating as it may sound—and it provides a hands-on educational experience. Choose a topic you want your children to know more about, then find 3–5 creative ways to introduce or reinforce it. Consider using any of the following: Themed Board Games Recipes Video Playlists Field Trip Lapbook Diorama  Collage Copywork Picture Books Counting Sheep without Falling A...

The 4th Grade Timberdoodle Kit continues to gain momentum as my son works through it. The beginning stages of the homeschool year are crucial when it comes to igniting a passion for learning, but how does this happen with a struggling reader?  Graphic novels (comic books) have been working surprisingly well when it comes to encouraging independent reading—even with history, generally a topic that can be met with resistance.  The  Disasters in History 8-Book Compilation  is a book that can be read anytime, anywhere, by a child of almost any reading level.  This book is divided into two sections: Part One: Exploration and Space Disasters The Donner Party Shackleton and the Lost Antarctic Expedition The Apollo 13 Mission The Challenger Explosion Part Two: Fire and Wartime Disasters The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire The Hindenburg Disaster The Attack on Pearl Harbor Teaching about historical disasters needs to be handled with care—...

True North Legal  filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Christian Counselors Freedom Alliance (CCFA) challenging a Minnesota law that punishes counselors for counseling-room speech that helps minor clients struggling with gender confusion embrace his or her sex.   The Minnesota law, enacted in 2023, expressly allows a licensed counselor to affirm and encourage a young person’s same-sex attraction or rejection of their sex but forbids the very same counselor from helping that same child pursue the opposite goals—reducing unwanted same-sex attraction or living in alignment with their sex. To avoid the law’s steep penalties, which can include loss of their professional licensure, CCFA members have no choice but to censor themselves in the counseling room . “Minnesota’s law banning so-called conversion therapy is a farce that forces Christian counselors to check their deeply held religious beliefs at the counseling room door and withhold much-needed help from children struggling wi...

Our Thrift Steading Craft Kits are now available on Etsy!     Perfect to have on hand for rainy days, sick days, or breaks—these kits are great for elementary-aged kids and up.  After selling these at craft fairs and homeschool conventions over the past few months, we have found that adults enjoy treating themselves to a kit, too! So, go ahead and grab some for your kids, yourself, or a crafty friend with a birthday in the near future.    The listings are LIVE, and at a discounted price of only $22.95/ea. (reg. $25) Order a bundle for savings of over $10.  Or purchase individual kits here: Alpaca Fiber Needle Felting Kit  Seed Cards Papermaking Craft Kit  Seed Bombs Indoor/Outdoor Wildflower Kit     BONUS: Thrift Schooling Readers  may use code: FREESHIP for free shipping on all single kits or bundles.  Hurry, the code ends at 11:59 pm on 9/4!

  Challenge games are the perfect addition to any homeschool bookshelf—or travel kit. This past summer our family traveled to several homeschool conventions. The kids had filled their backpacks with coloring books, printable games, snacks, and small toy cars to keep them entertained in our monstrous 15-passenger vehicle with no CD, DVD, or even tape players. The radio works, but when traveling across state lines, attempting to find a radio station everyone agrees on without exposing the kids to unpleasantries never seems worth it. Even though going in, I knew the car rides were covered (after many years of practice!), I had a different challenge in front of me—keeping the kids entertained at the convention booth for each event. My kids can only visit the other booths at events so many times—even with my strict rule of only one piece of candy per booth per day. (I do not want my kids to be the annoying ones visiting booths throughout an entire event, wiping all of a company's marke...

  Back-to-School for homeschoolers tends to look different than in the traditional school setting, but we can still have fun! Something about the new school year gets kids excited and ready to learn—even if you hear a little complaining along the way.  Push through the complaints, and you might be surprised to see how excited they really are. This is your special time with them. You kept them home, and that is precious. Adding a few surprises and treats at the beginning of the year can help ease the transition, making back to homeschool  a pleasant experience not only for children, but parents! Thrifty Ways to Celebrate 1. Buying new folders, binders, notebooks, and themed school supplies Are your kids into space this year? How about music? Buy cute stickers or space-themed materials to use in your homeschool. Sometimes it is just the simple things that count. This year, we found fun, themed erasers  to help keep the momentum going with the beginning of the new year...