The Ultimate Homeschool Holiday Gift Guide!

Gifts for ages 3 to 8

Life of Fred Math Books

Learning math, like literacy, is the key to endless doors in life. Story-based math learning has proven time and again to be one of the most enjoyable and effective ways to encourage this life skill. Math savant Dr. Stanley Schmidt created lovable characters Fred and Kingie whose adventures are so engrossing kids don’t even realize they’re learning m-a-t-h. Gift a child in your life the beginning series to set them up for success in life. Don’t forget to add a plush Fred doll, adding another positive dimension to learning math. Friends help friends succeed – whether it’s math learning or otherwise. This holistic teaching method is sure to bring joy and success to your homeschool and beyond.

Reusable Wall Stickers

From the wonders of the solar system to the miracle of the human body, these interactive play sets spark curiosity, delight and learning in every child. Made from reusable, non-BPA decal materials, they can go on walls, car windows and any surface ready to be used for fun, discovery, and knowledge mastery. The durable mini-sets are especially portable, great for road trips or plane travel, and to pack for a play date. Mona MELisa is a family owned and operated business, and manufactures products in the USA!

Homeschool Complete

How about one amazing bundle for all of kindergarten? This family owned and operated business created a complete kindergarten kit from Math to Language Arts and everything in between. Why? So you don’t need to curate resources and plan lessons yourself. New-to-homeschoolers will appreciate the detailed plans so you can follow along without hemming and hawing about what to do – it’s all laid out! So much thought is put into this curriculum set – from the 3 ring binders and the specially durable paper, to flash cards for easy practicing, and calendars to keep you on track.

Learn to Read Kit

Ready to spark that moment when a beginner finishes their first book? Hooked on Phonics is the #1 recommended Learn to Read program in the US, and for good reason: it’s helped multiple generations of learners master reading and phonics. The Learn to Read Kit comes with 28 original stories and 8 bonus books by renowned children’s authors – one of these will be that first triumphant book! The pacing is designed to encourage those who struggle with reading to first gain confidence, have fun, then master reading. It’s so easy to follow along that children can even teach themselves to read with this program. 

Gifts for Ages 9 to 12

Times Tales – Learn Multiplications Fast

What if you could turn a discouraged learner into a confident master? What if you could make one the biggest challenges in your child’s academic life not only easy, but fun? That’s what you can do with Times Tales – kids learn their times tables in an hour! This 1 hour DVD uses stories and mnemonic devices to help kids learn their times tables in a snap – without rote memorization.

Magic School Bus Science Club 12 – Month Subscription

This is the perfect gift to inspire and encourage the kids who ask “why?” The famous Magic School Bus series took hold in the 90’s and has been getting kids excited about STEM ever since. The Science Club Kit takes the story based learning to the next level with comprehensive, hands-on kits that come right to your doorstep each month for a full year. And each month, you have at least 7 experiments! This is a great choice for families with multiple children, kinesthetic, and visual learners – and just a fun, educational activity for a rainy day! The kits include experiments related to Volcanoes, Weather, Water, Fossils, Bacteria and Fungi, Star and Planets – the world around us. Best of all, each kit comes with a colorful, Magic School Bus themed manual and a paired guide for adults. You don’t need to be a science nerd to be able to have fun leading and learning as a parent. There’s also an online clubhouse with further information for young explorers. This is truly a gift that keeps on giving.

ShillerMath Fractions

That feeling when…math finally clicks! The Shiller Math Fraction set is a complete package of lesson plans for multiple ages, manipulatives for hands-on and visual learning, and a truly step-by-step guide for parents. Thinking through and preparing every lesson detail is something you won’t have to do when teaching fractions, because Shiller Math already has. Based on a montessori teaching methods for a homeschool audience, this kit provides the play by play to teach fractions to children at different levels. And because it’s so drawn out, you not only get more for your investment for teaching multiple ages, but you save gobs of time in prep work, which is priceless. That, and when your child masters this important skill. Colorful, varied, and well thought out, this is one of the best gifts you can give your children and yourself.

Gifts for Ages 13 to 15

LearnToMod – Minecraft

If you have a youngster, you’ve probably heard of Minecraft. It’s one of the most popular games for kids. And this coding game takes it to the next level. Kids learn to modify their Minecraft world with a year-long online “course”, and in doing so, learn computer programming with Java™! This is not just a fun game. This is a game that stokes creativity and guides kids toward technological confidence: how about giving your child two of the most important attributes in the 21st century, wrapped up in a game?

Math Madness Book Set

If you’re looking for new ways to inspire a child who’s already math whiz, or encouraging one who’s overwhelmed by the subject, look no further than the Math Madness Book set. The set includes two different books, “65 Short Mysteries You Solve With Math!” and “101 Things Everyone Should Know About Math” that children ages 10 to 14 find fun and entertaining.

Life of Fred Pre-Algebra

“Life of Fred” is quickly becoming a buzzword in the educational world. If any child has ever struggled with understanding math concepts, Fred is ready to jump in and help your child remember those tricky math concepts! How does he do it? Silly stories! The stories about Fred are so memorable, they will last a lifetime. As will the math lessons that are weaved into the stories. In the Pre-Algebra series, students use math and science to solve quirky, real world scenarios – all while having fun with Fred of course! In this 3-book series, Fred covers concepts like numerals, area of a rectangle, the speed of light, nine forms of energy, Hooke’s law, photosynthesis, metric system, and more. Parents of “non-math” kids will thank you for giving a gift that will help kids fall in love with math.

Gifts for Ages 16 to 18

Life of Fred High School Math

Life of Fred is preparing for college! In this series, students learn algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and a few other lessons from Fred. The Zillions of Practice books are keyed directly to the chapters and topics in the associated book. Each problem is worked out in complete detail to offer additional help for a student who may have gotten stuck along Fred’s mathematical journey.

Let me know if you find any other great deals at Educents that I should add to the Homeschool Gift Guide!

Holiday Gift Guide Toy #Giveaway: Have Yourself A MiO Little Christmas!

Simplicity is beautiful and both Creative Childhood Magazine and the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio seem to agree! They each awarded MiOa very prestigious toy award this year!

"It's so refreshing to get back to the basics of play with this beautifully crafted doll house set. The pieces are great quality and the design is very modern. Solid pieces are easy to build with, giving architects-in-training endless possibilities!”

MiO sets are adorable and unique,  open-ended modular dollhouses, cars, and sets that can be different every day.  You can rearrange the wooden boxes and roof every which way. The blocks and fabric pieces can be a table or bed or whatever kids imagine, and the little people are bean bag style so that you can arrange their bodies to "stand", "sit," or "lay down. You can tilt their heads up, down, and around. I have to admit I was having a lot of fun playing with them for the review pics! My own children are too old for them but I'll be gifting our MiO set to one of their little friends.  

With 10 different items in this new line to fit every budget and need (even stocking stuffers!), Mio sets are a wonderful holiday gift idea for kids 3 years and up! The sets are gender neutral and the pieces suggest familiar objects like a bed or table without being overly defined. How many sets include a skunk, a fox and a bear along with a school bus. Imaginative ideas and silly play is encouraged!

Ends Nov. 20 at 11 pm (US only) One winner will be able to choose any set from the photo below. Which one would you love to win? Who will the lucky gift recipient be? 

Special thanks to the wonderful people at KidStuff PR and Manhattan Toy for this review and giveaway opportunity!

This Holiday Season, Give the Gift of Adventure with Little Passports! #CyberMondayDiscount

**The links in this post are affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link.

Give the gift of adventure this holiday season with a Little Passports subscription! Not sure which adventure to choose for your explorer? Check out these other Little Passports blog posts and learn more about their four subscription options. They even have a new Science subscription now!

My kids love Little Passports! This is a pic of what we got the first month--a fun and big USA Scratch Book with around 12 pictures inside--enough for each of my kiddos to do 3 of them, a giant US Map, a notebook, a sturdy case to keep the items in and put the next month's items in when they come, a cute letter from their "pen pals" who are taking them on these adventures, and a disposable camera. The camera... you guys, my kids were like "What is this, Mom?" They'd only ever seen a digital camera! I said, "Oh, that's the old-fashioned kind of camera that doesn't show you the pictures until you develop them! It was great. When you sign up, you get to pick if you want a pre-k, World, or USA Edition. This is the USA edition, and we'll be starting the World Edition in July.

Here's a pic of the total of what will be included in the 3 months, though you may get different states from these. Each month has a cool book which features 2 states with great pictures, activities, fun stuff to learn, stickers, a postcard, and something special to build for each state. I really love it and my kids are learning so much! It's an exciting day when our Little Passports come in the mail!

This holiday season,  
give the gift of adventure! 

Freebies from Tiny Prints!! Mugs for Christmas Gifts, Holiday Cards, and More!

**I was compensated for this post. This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

I just received an e-mail from Tiny Prints with the following great offers! They have a free mug, free custom envelopes, and free holiday cards all coming up... so mark your calendar with these dates to grab your freebies!  

Free Mug on 11/3!! Click the pic to get it.

Free Christmas Cards Nov. 10-17!

All of the Upcoming Offers:

• Deal of the Day: Free Mug (or +$3 for colored Mug) + 25% Off Sitewide (11/3)
• 20 Free Custom Envelopes with any Cards and Stationery Purchase (11/4 - 11/8)
• Special Offer: 10 Free Holiday Cards + 30% Off Your Order, Exclusions Apply (11/10 - 11/17) Special Offer Code: HOLIDAYGIFT

Meaningful Gifts Matter!

I can’t believe it, but the holiday shopping season is upon us: I’m seeing holiday deals in my inbox already and it’s not even November! A lot of you might agree that holiday gift giving has lost some of what made it special in the past, and the expectation of material goods has gotten out of hand. Just google Walmart + Black Friday + injury for some of the worst.

But despite negative news, there is something really special about getting together and giving loved ones gifts that have meaning. So before you get anything to just check someone off your to-do list, take a moment to model thoughtful giving for your children, family and community. Give them a gift that will last.

Experiences create the memories that bond us. Consider taking loved ones on a local adventure, a music show, committing to an exercise routine or honing cooking skills together. Or even just setting up time for a special day with just the two of you. This can be inexpensive for your pocketbook, and rich in meaning.

Education is also a gift that lasts a lifetime. For youngsters in your life, how about a set of blocks that get their creative juices flowing, science experiments they can do with friends, or Peter and the Wolf, the Nutcracker and other classical pieces you loved as a child?

Whatever their passion as a young learner, stoke those coals. Your gift to them will last a lifetime!

Butterfly Garden Review: The Perfect Educational Gift to Spark Curiosity and Wonder

 

About 5 years ago, my children and I hatched Painted Lady butterflies.  It was simply magical!  They were very young then and don't remember the experience except through pictures, so I've ordered another kit for them. It includes everything you need to hatch and learn about 10 butterflies.  When we did this last time, we ended up with 9 gorgeous Painted Ladies!

Once you're ready, you send in a form that comes with the Butterfly Garden for your 10 free caterpillars and their food.  We'll be ordering ours early this upcoming Spring. Last time, they arrived safely via USPS. They quickly ate and grew, forming cocoons on the lid of their container.  We simply unscrewed the lid and attached it to the side of the Butterfly Garden so they could have a nice space to emerge about a week later.

The day they began to emerge was amazing! My youngest daughter woke me up exclaiming that we had a butterfly. Throughout the day, nine butterflies emerged, simply gorgeous. We let them go out into the world a few days later. Every child should experience this at least once! Such an incredible way to learn about God's amazing creation!

 

The Butterfly Garden is the perfect gift because it's something they'll never forget. Since you don't need to order the caterpillars until you're ready, it can be done this spring which will be here before we know it! It will give the kids something to look forward to. Even though mine have already done it once, they've asked me a few times, "Mom, when can we order our new caterpillars?" This is one gift that will be a hit for much more than a day or two, unlike most of the toys they get and end up playing with once!

Save 10% and receive free shipping with the code WOW10 or get $10 off your $25 purchase with this coupon!

Hello Fresh: A Whoppin' $40 off your First Box Coupon Code!

UPDATE

If you missed the giveaway or didn't win, you can still save a whoppin' $40 off your first box! Just use the code B5YRBP at checkout!

HelloFresh is one of my favorite meal delivery companies! They were one of the first, and they are definitely one of the best! I love their recipes--very family-friendly. Each week, you get to choose which 2 or 3 meals (depending on your plan) that you'd like to cook out of the 5 they have available.

The box comes filled with everything! Fresh produce, pre-measured spices, condiments for cooking, and meats--it's all there along with brightly colored, easy-to-follow recipe cards.

The meals are so delicious and will give you chef status in your home! I've definitely become a better cook because of them--I'm learning how to pair ingredients even when not cooking with them. These are their Italian-Style Pork Chops with Lemony Potatoes and Minty Zucchini Salad.

  

There is also usually a fish dish if you'd like one. My hubby loves their salmon! This one is the Spiced Salmon with Arugula Salad, Couscous, and Lemon Shallot Dressing. I've recently discovered that I love shallots. They bring such a delicious taste to your veggies!

The Most Gorgeous, Personalized Gifts at Charmed Collections #GiftsForHer

Charmed Collections sent me what has got to be the most beautiful, creative review package I've ever received in 5 years of blogging. Read on to discover just how gorgeous and amazing they are!

Charmed Collections is a collaboration of three moms who create jewelry keepsakes for all of the special moments in your life--or no occasion at all. Let them create the perfect gift for you and your loved one!

Charmed Collections are handmade sterling silver & gold jewelry with custom designs. I chose the Foundations Mom Necklace. It includes my childen's names as well as two pretty beads. Everytime I wear it, I get so many compliments! It's absolutely gorgeous, beautifully simple, and so special.

 

Jewelry from Charmed Collections is so wonderful because it's so personal. It will touch the heart of any woman who receives it and it is customizeable from the type of jewelry (ring, necklace, bracelet) to the names upon the piece, and even the beads can be hand selected by you. The customer service and thoughtfulness I received stood out more than any other company's has in the past!

Use the code TSISTERHOOD for free shipping in the US through November 2nd.

 

The Most Groovy Christmas Gift for Kids!

Our first Groovy Lab in a Box was definitely nothing short of groovy!!  Inside this snazzy box, we found enough cool stuff to make at least 4 different kinds of rockets. In many ways, STEAM has been our theme this year. Our 3 favorite rockets are shown in this post.  Today was a beautiful autumn day for rocket launching and since it's that time of year again, this is the first item of this year's Holiday Gift Guide series! Ladies and gents, put your hands together for... Groovy Lab in a Box!

We started with the foam rocket because it sounded exceptionally awesome! And it was.  My son followed the directions and built this awesome rocket out of some of the supplies in the box.

Off it goes, and mom was too slow to catch the rocket in  motion! As you can see by his expression, it went an impressive distance... and as I could see from his expression, this let's-take-school-outside-for-Science-class idea is a hit! I love products that can help me break up the monotony of the daily drivel... especially when there's zero preparation involved! Groovy Lab did it all for me!

Off the rocket goes from another angle! This time it hit the side of the house. Groovy dude!

Next up, Alka-Seltzer rockets!

This guy was hot glued and ready to blast off! There was enough Alka-Seltzer in our kit to get the parachute pretty high.  Once, the lid hit the roof of the porch and made everyone go, "Whoa! That was cool!" We want to try again with a bigger bottle and more Alka-Seltzer!

Next up, Balloon Rocket!  We let it go and it flew super fast across the backyard--the perfect culmination for a day of STEAMy fun!

Groovy Lab in a Box is the perfect gift for kids 8+ because it's not just a toy they're going to get tired of after 1 day. It's an opportunity to focus their imaginations, determination, and inquisitive nature using the "Engineering Design Process" that's a part of every box. My kids loved it, and so will yours! I've got to admit, by writing this review I've convinced myself that I need to purchase them some more of these boxes!

You can get a Groovy Lab in a Box for as low as $18/box with this $10 off coupon! You can choose your box in a theme: Shake It Up, the earthquake box; Fly with Me, the aaeronautics box; or Stitch a Circuit, the technology box. You can also purchase a discounted gift subscription for 1, 6, or 12 months.