Our weeks are flying past.

I have been trying to engage in things that make my heart sing as well as less time on social media.  Here is a few things we have done over the past 2 week ends . A trip to Leybourne warden bay for fossil hunting me met with a group of other Local Home edders. We then washed the found items and played Archaeologists (super fun for little ones just get a bucket an old tooth bush warm water, this keeps mu lads amused for at least an hour) A trip on one of the last lightship boats that was also a floating art gallery, we made china christmas decorations.  I finished off some christmas gifts and one for me. I made a fairy garden with my youngest. We went to Dickens world tour with another group of home ed families. We made Christmas Decs, Wrote to Santa and made our tree. And I saw beauty in my son and in the sun . For those who don't know I had an early loss before I had my youngest so he's a rainbow baby, Indeed he was born the morning after a storm and the last thing we saw before it git dark was a rainbow.  I wish you all a wonderful christmas and happy peaceful new year

Our washing machine died :(

letter to santa

my Bedknob

Halloween and more seasonal workings.

 Had a wonderful time at Beluncle farm in Hoo. It's a pyo pumpkin farm , They were super busy but the staff moved quickly and the queue went really fast . Like the year before they had A lovely display , Looked lke had added another field too! Also set out is a superb choice of In-edible gourds to unusual Squashes , as well as traditional Classic orange pumpkins. Worth a look next year! http://www.pyopumpkins.com/
Wwe Made more decorations, Poundland had long black pipe cleaners in, so we made spiders, Decorated some cardboard pumpkins . We also took part in Rochesters fairy trail That has been turned into a halloween trail and was lucky enough to have our Halloween door included into the trail alongside the other Guildhall Museums door. (They run a free after school Lego club once a month that was set up by a lady from Rochester) https://www.facebook.com/fairyrochester/. Heres a link to last years blog post, we did  http://noynoyavery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/halloween-and-bonfire-night-before-you.html, We used some more Halloween sheets from Studyladder, Looks like they have added more ! https://www.studyladder.co.uk/?lc_set=  Whatever or however you celebrate, (or didn't) Have a great week!

Autumn Catchup.

It was really only last week We were having a picnic in the sun, Now this week Rain, cold..fires on, Hot choccy and bowls of steaming soup! We went to meet a new Home Ed group In Canterbury , and was welcomed with warm arms . Canterbury is such a beautiful place and only 40 minutes by train, so we shall endeavor to go more often , In fact so lovely was it, we went two weeks running! First to a scarecrow making group activity (There was a lot of hay) , Then to a Snail workshop, Run by This company http://www.hrh-escargots.co.uk/#home  . We also did a mini project of Autumn , Luke is started to be fully included into the project learning as well now, he loves it! So he did some art and some writing practice , a little counting and simple maths, again found on our fav site , the wee videos here are wonderful too ! http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/autumn . We where also lucky enough to find a local community apple pick and spent a couple of hours picking, pressing, tasting and seeing the different varieties of apples grown in the orchard. It's a lottery funded community orchard project , and I didn;t know but there seems to be a few of them cropping up (pardon the pun) about Kent at least. Winter soon..where has the year gone??

Hay for the Scarecrows workshop

Lukes Snail he drew at the snail workshop

At the community apple pick trying hand pressing after picking our haul

Lukes Bouquet of leaves..he collects them all the time!

Made with me and  a friends wee cool dude 

Using the familes handprints

Leaf printed tree

Some trees where made usnig squashed tp roll ends, others with finger prints 

Ancient Eyptians

One of our latest projects. A smallish one as we want to Join in With The Rochester seige as the Magna Carta is coming to Rochester cathedral as it is the 800th anniversary. We learned about Gods and Godesses, Eyptian life, clothing, Mumification process and funerals. Papayrus and The toys they played with, we also made some 2d to 3d Pyramids, atteneded a mummy workshop (alas no pictures of that) and later made a sarcophagus out of an old cola bottle. And Lukes practicing his writing.

http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/ancient-egypt
http://discoveringegypt.com/egyptian-hieroglyphic-writing/hieroglyphic-typewriter/
http://www.homeschoolshare.com/ancient_egypt.php

Books read and enjoyed where

A Magic Skeleton Book: Discovering Ancient Egypt

and

Project Ancient Eypt , lift the flap book (had lots of craft activitys)

Monet.

Been a while since I did A post, Mind on other sad matters.
Nearing the end of our Summer holidays. We have been keeping almost as busy, Just minus workbooks really.
We Have joined a facebook Group for Home Education Art . This month is the Wonderful Monet

http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/zpnvcdm

We also used the lapbook of artists and wall chart timeline for future artist projects from here , as well as the wall charts (Famous impressionists link) and Freebie friday minibook

https://practicalpages.wordpress.com/?s=monet

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/claude-monet

You can find various Free  Black and white colouring pages from a Quick google search as well.

Now off To the National Gallery Tomorrow , with the family, Also gOing to do an Art Trail of DNA sculptures

Diy.Org Botanist badge achieved..

Our third badge achieved from this site (and about 17 in progress!). If you haven't heard of it, it's an amazing free site that offers challenges . A little like The scouts, you can buy badges but with 3 boys that means an awful lot of money, so we have just been printing off the jpegs (TIGHT huh?)

Have a look there is loads to try and a great boardem buster as well as educational to!

https://diy.org/skills

For our Botinay badge we decided to assemble a flower press and display pressed flowers..we will be adding to this collection as we all enjoyed it. We also Discovered and wrote about a wild plant that has medicinal  qualities The Dandelion and Buckhoe Platain.

Stab binding..End of year (ALMOST!) Paperwork round up

So One whole year or 18 months near abouts since home ed. We have kept most things, since The Lea could make us be regulated by them. (Due to a new government and regulations) But this times 3?! I keep Them in small cardboard boxes, then this week, I got each of the childrens  boxes and sorted them out into ..BIN!/recycle,   KEEP! .. You can decide. Thankfully about half went into recycle, a third went back into a file for keeping for next years to touch on again (ie seasonal ideas Halloween etc) and the last was to keep but put away. Some time ago I used to work for The British Library in Document restoration and preservation, and I really wanted the boys to try simple book binding. An Ideal way to scrapbook papers together. Here is a simple explanation.
http://www.graeme-dawes.talktalk.net/new_web_folder/bookbinding_pages/BB_history2.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-r6c_trSxY

Of course you can do some beautiful stitches but to complex for my young beginners.

I've just added "google search f stab binding..bindings" In case the link doesn't work!
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=stab+binding+binding&rlz=2CAACAC_enGB0537GB0539&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=657&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=IuRYVaS_H8GgUoOEgegB&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ

We finished off with all 3 (well two elder and youngest with help of mummy) doing a show and tell presentation of the year. Thus ends our school year (I think it's becase we have 5 birthday in May so we tend to think of it as the end of a year and start of a new one?!) On to new things :D Can't wait!

First tentative steps in Learning.

My Baby  (Now 4 in August) has show signs of wanting to learn , He really enjoys joining in and asks "Can I do my learning Mummy?" He only lasts maybe 20 minutes before toddling off. He just about writes his name, can count up to 20 (minus a couple!) Ditto his alphabet . He can also recognise about 2/3 of the alphabet, all his colours, and Read a few words. I'm really proud of him.

I have found many resources for little ones. Hope some are of use to you! Also have a good look as many have other age resources. Have fun!

http://www.ladybird.co.uk/apps/#schoolsection
http://www.homeschoolmath.net/
http://homeschool-resource-list-sites.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/prekkindergarten.html
http://www.teachhandwriting.co.uk/index.html
http://allinonehomeschool.com/grades/first-grade/ 
http://www.progressivephonics.com/
http://www.schoolexpress.com/
http://www.starfall.com/
http://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/index.htm
http://supersimplelearning.com/resource-center/
http://www.softschools.com/

Harry potter visit..Pic heavy!

A lovely lady arranged a Home Ed Trip to Harry potter studio tours, exhausting but such great fun!And Thanks to my mum for coming..again!  Thank you..you know who you are.

My pintrest board with link ideas..https://uk.pinterest.com/noynoyavery/harry-potter-visit/
And activity Village..http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/harry-potter

A prop from the " Chocolate feast" 

Make up props

Gryffindor dorms

Gyriffindor common room

Self stirring (yes they worked!) Cauldrons

Chamber of secrets door

Hagrids hut

Self knitting needles..I want some!

weaslys house!

Gobin special effects