Games! Games! Games!

When I spent some time at our homeschool group's Park Day last week griping about the hard time that the big kid and I have been having with her schoolwork lately, one of my friends suggested games as a way to sneak in the learnin' without the kids noticing.

It was a happy coincidence, then, that the first thing that the big kid did on Monday morning, on the first day of our mini Fall Break, was pull out a game to play with me!

Professor Noggin's Pets

And then... another!

Connect Four

And then another!

We played Professor Noggin, Connect Four, and Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego? all before 9:00 am (yawn!).

researching what Carmen meant when she said that Ohio's state flag is a burgee

 

A break for breakfast, and then another!

Othello is one of my favorites.

 

We listened to audiobooks and my Starred songs list on Spotify as we played, sometimes singing along to our favorites, and returning, as well, to favorite games:

This kid LOVES Professor Noggin!

While I'm still not sure how to incorporate specific games into our specific fields of study (Anyone know a game that will make learning subtraction with borrowing across zeroes FUN?!?), my friend's suggestion does have me doing some more long-term thinking and planning.

Specifically, here's what I'd like to obtain:

• math games that practice operations and computation
• logic games
• games that reinforce facts about ancient history, especially the material from Story of the World
• geography games that reinforce facts about the United States
• science games related to the study of human biology
• Latin games
• trivia games at a child's level

I'll be on the lookout--and open to suggestions!--for the next two weeks, because a secretly educational but legitimately fun game for each kid would certainly be something nice to have under the Christmas tree!

P.S. Want to follow along with my craft projects, books I'm reading, road trips to weird old cemeteries, looming mid-life crisis, and other various adventures on the daily? Find me on my Craft Knife Facebook page!

Journey through Today

Went to dance class.

Went to soccer.

 
Will started soccer VERY grumpy, then forgot that she was grumpy and played happily for almost the entire game, then fell down and remembered that she was grumpy again.

Bought the girls some winter clothes (thank gawd for Goodwill!). Leggings + long-sleeved shirts + snow boots + heavy coat = warm little girls this winter.

 
Still must sew the long-promised flannel nightgowns and long skirts.

Watered the dinosaur fairy gardens:

Found some juice glasses at the Recycling Center that will be the basis of teeny tiny little Strange Folk fairy gardens next week. Am also thinking about creating fairy garden DIY kits.

Adopted two of our four former foster kittens--Gracie and Spots. Good thing that we'd told the shelter we were coming back for them, since as we walked in we spotted a third foster kitten on her way out, with a bright new red collar on her neck and in the arms of a very happy little girl. Fortunately, I managed to muffle the children as they squealed, "Hey, it's Bitey! Hi, Bitey!". Wouldn't want the new family to be warned about that particular kitty's particular bad habit until they were all well at home, at least.

Drank coffee.

Cleaned the living room.

Rearranged furniture until I was able to realize my dream of having the living room stereo, including the record player, in reach of the babies. Was rewarded by babies' insistence on listening to the Alvin and the Chipmunks' Christmas album several times:

Played Monopoly Junior. Skunked by Will.

I've demanded a rematch for tomorrow.