Our Favorite Things - The Celts - The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game - Read Aloud Revival

In which we check in weekly and update our Favorite Things: resources that fueled our curiosity this past week.

Documentary of the Week: The Celts: Blood, Iron and Sacrifice

Neil Oliver is another favorite among our documentarians. He has a great sense of dramatic timing and, similar to Dan Snow, finds ways to "get his hands dirty." This series was our introduction to the Celts and believe you me, we found plenty to love and plenty to hate (Vercingetorix opposing Julius Ceasar = epic / Druid and bog bodies = nightmarish). Top-notch quality, intriguing for all ages. All three episodes can be viewed on either YouTube or Amazon Prime.

Check out a preview below.

Game of the Week: The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game

No secret that I love games. But my four-year-old has started asking "Mommy, play a game with me!"

And it kinda makes my blood run cold. There is almost nothing worse than a mind-numbing game of "Chutes and Ladders." This game is perfect for my just-turned-four-year-old. The components are great quality - gotta love that cute little squirrel grabber! They feel very durable. I love that the game doesn't involve any physical jumping around (sorry, that's just asking too much of mommy...), but there is a physical challenge of utilizing those little squirrel paws.

Bonus Awesomeness: Read Aloud Revival

One of my favorite podcasts of recent months has been the Read Aloud Revival with Sarah Mackenzie. It's full of great ideas, interesting interviews, wonderful recommendations.

And...my mom got the greatest back-to-school gift for us: a premium membership to Read Aloud Revival. I've loved exploring the master classes and the forums. And I look forward to lots of great ideas for how to further develop our book-loving family culture. Check out the podcast and get inspired!

Don't forget to peek at my Instagram to see what awesome books we enjoyed this week. Got a favorite resource that fueled your curiosity this week? Leave a comment and point me in the right direction!

#Homeschool #Homeschooling #ReadAloudRevival #Celts #NeilOliver #SneakySnackySquirrel #Boardgames #Documentary #Podcasts

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won't cost you any extra money, they will help us keep this site up and running! Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Our Favorite Things - Crash Course Kids - Dr. Eureka - Beethoven's Wig

In which we check in weekly and update our Favorite Things: resources that fueled our curiosity this past week.

Documentary of the Week: Space Probes!

We're headed to the sun, guys! Seriously, you know that early this morning NASA launched a solar probe? (Why yes, yes I did set an alarm for 3:25am in order to watch the launch live. *Yawn* #nerdlife) To get psyched about all that science will gain from this probe, take a crash course on all the cool things that probes have taught us thus far. If you're like us, you'll get so attached to the Cassini probe that when you watch this video of the mission's grand finale, you might just shed a tear...) You can watch this series on Curiosity Stream or on Amazon with a Curiosity Stream channel subscription.

Check out a preview below.

Game of the Week: Dr. Eureka

This game is a great mix of hand-eye coordination, fine motor skill and quick-on-the-draw logic. My boys hate playing with me because I always beat them. I met my match playing with my sister. Great quick, simple game.

Bonus Awesomeness: Beethoven's Wig

A total of thirty seconds might elapse in our car before one of my kids asks for to listen to something. That being said, I'm always on the lookout for music that they will enjoy...and that won't drive me crazy in the process.

Enter my latest finding: Beethoven's Wig. Comprised of professional opera singers and a delightful symphonic orchestra, this group plays all the symphonies that you know and love (Moonlight Sonata, Fur Elise, Maple Leaf Rag, Pomp and Circumstance...) but instead of "la-la-la-ing" along as you have until now, this group presents you with hilarious and irreverent words that you sing with gusto! For your listening AND watching pleasure:

Don't forget to peek at my Instagram to see what awesome books we enjoyed this week. Got a favorite resource that fueled your curiosity this week? Leave a comment and point me in the right direction!

#Homeschool #Homeschooling #SpaceProbes #Science #Space #DrEureka #Boardgames #Documentary #Music #Classics #BeethovensWig

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won't cost you any extra money, they will help us keep this site up and running! Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Our Favorite Things!

In which we check in weekly and update our Favorite Things: resources that fueled our curiosity this past week.

Documentary of the Week: Rome: Rise and Fall of an Empire

History Channel documentaries have their detractors. Believe me, I've read enough reviews to know that there are people who take serious issue with how flagrantly the HC uses anachronistic firearms in their World War series or how loosely they adhere to details like strictly realistic period dress. These things don't bother me so much as the annoying way that they've structured their most recent documentaries to cite celebrities alongside of (or even worse, instead of!!) historians. Stupid celebrity worship! This series on the rise and fall of Rome is recent enough that their dramatizations kept the boys enthralled - but they stuck with actual historians to narrate throughout...and we had our favorite (Thomas Martin, hands down). This series leaves a lot to desire in explaining the nuances of the politics of the Republic; it should probably be named Roman Military Campaigns: Rise and Fall of an Empire. Regardless, it's a great series - worth sticking with all fourteen episodes - which you can see free on YouTube if you don't mind the low resolution upload.

Game of the Week: Code Names Pictures

I have never played Codenames before, although it's been on the list for awhile. I have an avid gamer who is not yet reading and so I'm always eager to find a game that lets us avoid the hold-up of having to read everything to him (Dominion = Nightmare). This is a great solution. No reading necessary, so even the youngest can play. But it's also sophisticated and challenging enough that the adults can put all the kids to bed and spend two more hours playing. Yep. It happened.

Bonus Awesomeness: Talkbox.Mom

Learning a language. It's so hard!!! Adelaide has got the solution - it's moms the world over who teach kids to speak their first language...you can use the same principles to teach them a second language (as you learn one yourself). Pick a language and speak to your kid as you change diapers or dish out snacks or play in the backyard. You can start with a book / downloadable audio that has 2000+ words and phrases that moms use basically every day. And if you're ready to go hard-core, subscribe to THE BOX and have a new set of beautiful laminated / illustrated word sheets and tags as well as challenges that will keep you learning until the next box comes.

We love this program! And we're doing Hebrew, of course, but also available are Spanish, French, German, Italian Mandarin, Japanese, and Romanian. There are several languages available on pre-order and if you have a specific language in mind that TalkBox doesn't carry yet, ask about it. That's how the Hebrew program came to be. :) Check it out.

Don't forget to peek at my Instagram to see what awesome books we enjoyed this week. Got a favorite resource that fueled your curiosity this week? Leave a comment and point me in the right direction!

#Homeschool #Homeschooling #History #Documentary #Youtube #Rome #Empire #nature #talkbox #hebrew #foreignlanguage

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won't cost you any extra money, they will help us keep this site up and running! Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!