I know most of us are probably not ready to think about the New Year as we are in the midst of holiday choas right now but with as many kiddos as I have I am always looking ahead. There are doctor appointments, dentist appointments, birthdays, and so many other events that I need to keep organized.
Our calendars keep our day to day activities running smoothly and help to keep us prepared for upcoming events. They are vital to keeping this Momma sane!
What features do you look for in a calendar? I know I like it to have enough room to write things in the blocks. I also like to have the moon phases and holidays on the calendar.
Do you like the stickers or not? I kinda like the idea of stickers and it helps me to tell at a glance what we have coming up if there are stickers on it.
While I absolutely love my Cozi mobile app and I always have it pulled up on my laptop. I keep everything from appointments to recipes on my Cozi calendar and my family members all have access to it as well. I still like to have a wall calendar as well so that I can refer to it quickly if I’m on the phone or if Mr. Awesome needs to double check something he can refer to it as well.
This led me to check out Amazon for some new planning calendars today. There is such a selection to choose from I’m really not sure which one I want to get yet but here are a few of the ones I’ve found:
**Although I try to provide as many FREE resources as possible this post may contain affiliate links alt no extra cost to you. We may earn a small commission, if a purchase is made through these links, which helps to support our blog and our family. Thank you!
Mornings:
We Start every morning off with our prayers and the Pledge of Allegiance. Below is a picture of the prayers that we say and a video of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Not the prettiest example but that’s what we’ve been using for the past few years.
Don’t have a flag? Grab one HEREand print it out to put up somewhere… you could even let the kids make a flag to proudly display. Amazon also has some little ones like this one HERE and HERE.
After this we have our calendar time also where we go over such things as the Days of the Week, the months, and some basic math.
This one came from Lakeshore Learning.
We also like to use this song during our ‘Morning Time’ to help the kids learn the 50 States.
Tip: If you want to go to a certain week/chapter or topic simply push the ‘ctrl’ and the ‘F’ button down together and a small bar will pop up. Type in the week number or chapter number you want and it will take you to it.
Week 6: Chapters 16, 17& 18 (Fire in the Chimney, Pa Goes To Town, The Tall Indian)
In this section the family is talking about Thanksgiving and Christmas. Pa went out hunting and found some turkeys. He knew where they would be when the holidays came up so he was thinking ahead and preparing for the holidays in advance.
These events could also benefit from a yearly routine. In our home we keep a Holiday & Party Binder. This helps us prepare for holiday events and party events that we may have coming up.
Every time we host a party we jot down notes and follow the routine we have written down. There are notes telling us how far in advance we need to order things to make sure we get the items we need. This helps to keep everything going smoothly and easily. It also helps us to enjoy the party when the day comes and to spend time with our family and friends while making great memories.
Does your family have a routine for handling holidays?
Make a list of things that you normally do for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Jot down some things that you would like to do but never have time for.
Work with a parent to decide when and what you need to work on to get prepared for the big day.
Think about things that may need done around the house before the holiday as well like:
Sometimes you may not have a mop or the floor may just need a good cleaning that can only be done by hand scrubbing. This would be using what we might hear as ‘elbow grease’.
How to hand scrub a floor:
Sweep the floor well before hand scrubbing.
Move anything that can be moved to make the job easier.
Gather your supplies:
bucket
hot water
cleaner
scrub sponge or scrub brush
gloves, optional
old towels
Measure the cleaner into the bucket.
Add hot water until half full.
Start in one corner and begin scrubbing in a circular motion, working your way around the room going towards the door.
Rinse out your scrubber as needed.
You may want to use an old towel to wipe up extra water.
Check the floor for any missed spots.
Empty the bucket.
Rinse the bucket and scrubbers.
Put away your supplies.
When the floor is dry you can put back any items you moved before you started.
3. Character
We will be focusing on OBEDIENCE this unit. If you don’t have the book we used you can go HERE and download a lesson plan guide to use in your home.
Memorize: Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. – Colossians 3:20
We will be studying obedience during this unit. What is obedience?
Watch this video to learn about Philippians 2:5-11.
What do you think this scripture means?
If Jesus humbled himself we should too. verse 7
Verse 8 says he humbled himself and became obedient. It is humbling to be obedient but Jesus wants us to be humble.
Do you know what the opposite of humble is? Pride
How was Jesus rewarded for his obedience? He was exalted and honored.
Ask God to help you be obedient and humble like Jesus was.
Ma and Laura acted quickly when there was a fire. Would you know what to do if there was a fire in your home?
Watch this fire safety video:
Discuss what you learned.
Come up with a fire safety plan and practice it.
2. Burn Treatment
After the fire was out Ma checked Laura for burns but she wasn’t hurt. This was a good thing.
We have learned about fire safety but sometimes we might find that we have accidentally gotten burned. Let’s learn about how to treat a burn:
Discuss what you have learned.
3. Games/Outdoor Play
Pa told them about the geese and turkeys he saw while out hunting and brought back some ducks for dinner. Have you ever watched the birds flying south for winter? If not, maybe you can keep an eye out for them in the Fall.
**Although I try to provide as many FREE resources as possible this post may contain affiliate links alt no extra cost to you. We may earn a small commission, if a purchase is made through these links, which helps to support our blog and our family. Thank you!
Mornings:
We Start every morning off with our prayers and the Pledge of Allegiance. Below is a picture of the prayers that we say and a video of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Not the prettiest example but that’s what we’ve been using for the past few years.
Don’t have a flag? Grab one HEREand print it out to put up somewhere… you could even let the kids make a flag to proudly display. Amazon also has some little ones like this one HERE and HERE.
After this we have our calendar time also where we go over such things as the Days of the Week, the months, and some basic math.
This one came from Lakeshore Learning.
We also like to use this song during our ‘Morning Time’ to help the kids learn the 50 States.
Tip: If you want to go to a certain week/chapter or topic simply push the ‘ctrl’ and the ‘F’ button down together and a small bar will pop up. Type in the week number or chapter number you want and it will take you to it.
Week 5: Chapters 13, 14 & 15 (Texas Longhorns, Indian Camp, Fever ‘N Ague)
Routines, like manners, can be used anywhere and everywhere even when we go outside.
The family was all sick during this section of the book. Do you think they kept up with their routines while they were sick? They seemed like they were all too sick to care about routines.
What happens when your mom and dad get sick? Does everyone know the daily routine well enough to keep the house running smoothly?
What do you think are some ideas for a good outside routine? Here are some ideas that could be incorporated into your routine:
Put on shoes
Put away shoes, jackets
Put on Bug Spray
Put on Sunscreen
Put on a hat, if needed
Cleaning up inside toys
Ask permission to go outside
Cleaning up outside toys
Put on outerwear, depending on the weather
Washing hands
Can you think of anything else?
Add your own ideas to this list.
Put the tasks in order from what you should start with.
How could this routine have helped keep the family from getting sick?
2. Ways to help around the house like Laura
We are going to learn how to mop. Mopping can be done a couple of ways. Some people prefer to use a mop and bucket of soapy water, others like myself like to use a steam mop, and some people use disposable mops like Swiffers.
However you mop if up to you but you need to make sure it is done properly. Sometimes we need to hand scrub areas of the floor too and we will learn about that next week.
How to Mop:
Floors need to be swept well before mopping.
Move anything that can be moved to make mopping easier.
You need to find your mop and whatever supplies you will need.
For steam mops you usually only need to fill the tank with water.
Ask for a parent’s help.
For Swiffer type mops, you just need the mop and disposable pad.
For mops and buckets you need:
a mop
a bucket filled halfway with hot water and cleaner added to it.
each time you put the mop in the bucket you will need to wring it out well before putting it on the floor.
Begin mopping in one corner of the area and work your way around.
Pay attention to areas that may be extra dirty.
Check to make sure you didn’t miss anything.
When finished you need to pour out the dirty water, if a mop and bucket was used. We usually pour it in the toilet when we use this method.
Rinse out the bucket.
Clean out your mop, throw away any disposable pads, or put the washable pads in the hamper.
Put away your tools.
Replace anything you moved before you started mopping.
3. Character
We will be focusing on OBEDIENCE this unit. If you don’t have the book we used you can go HERE and download a lesson plan guide to use in your home.
Memorize: Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. – Colossians 3:20
We will be studying obedience during this unit. What is obedience?
The girls often went exploring but made sure not to wander off. It would probably have been easy to get lost on the big prairie. Would you know what to do if you got lost?
Discuss what you have learned.
Make a list of all the steps to do if you get lost.
Work on memorizing the information you would need if you got lost.
When the family got sick they didn’t know what had caused the illness. Mrs. Scott had believed it had come from the watermelon but it had actually came from mosquitoes. How can we protect ourselves from mosquitoes and other insects?
Discuss what you have learned.
What are some ways that we can prevent bug bites?
3. Calcium for strong bones
Ma and the girls were excited to see that Pa had brought home a cow as they hadn’t had any milk for a long time. Why is milk so important in our diets?
Discuss what you have learned.
Name some of the benefits of drinking milk.
Watch this video to learn about how much calcium we need and other sources of calcium.
Discuss what you learned.
What is your favorite calcium rich food? And your least favorite?
*Although I try to provide as many FREE resources as possible this post may contain affiliate links alt no extra cost to you. We may earn a small commission, if a purchase is made through these links, which helps to support our blog and our family. Thank you!
Mornings:
We Start every morning off with our prayers and the Pledge of Allegiance. Below is a picture of the prayers that we say and a video of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Not the prettiest example but that’s what we’ve been using for the past few years.
Don’t have a flag? Grab one HEREand print it out to put up somewhere… you could even let the kids make a flag to proudly display. Amazon also has some little ones like this one HERE and HERE.
After this we have our calendar time also where we go over such things as the Days of the Week, the months, and some basic math.
This one came from Lakeshore Learning.
We also like to use this song during our ‘Morning Time’ to help the kids learn the 50 States.
Tip: If you want to go to a certain week/chapter or topic simply push the ‘ctrl’ and the ‘F’ button down together and a small bar will pop up. Type in the week number or chapter number you want and it will take you to it.
Week 4: Chapters 10, 11 & 12 (A Roof And A Floor, Indians in the House, Fresh Water To Drink)
Throughout this book we have seen that Ma has routines for many areas of her life. The family has morning routines where they get up, get dressed, eat breakfast, and clean up. Each person knows what they need to help with. It is important that each person do what is expected of them to keep things running smoothly.
Our morning routines include getting up, getting dresses, fixing our hair, putting on our glasses if we wear glasses, eating breakfast and brushing our teeth. These and parts of our cleaning routine get completed EVERY morning before we being our schoolwork. When we make sure we get up and get ready for the day we can be prepared for anything that might happen.
Watch this video about some morning routines:
Do you remember the steps in the routine?
Do you have a morning routine?
How does yours compare to this one?
Write down a good morning routine to help you get your day started right.
Here’s a little video for younger kids:
2. Ways to help around the house like Laura
Dust mopping may not be something you do in your home but it can be an easy way to keep your floors looking nice.
How to Dust Mop:
Gather your supplies:
dust mop
spray cleaner
dust pan
broom
Move anything that needs moved to make the process easier and quicker.
Spray the dust mop with cleaner.
Be careful not to spray yourself or anyone else.
Start mopping the floor in one corner and working your way around.
Push any dirt into a pile.
Sweep up the dirt.
Empty the dustpan into the trash can.
Check for missed spots.
Move the items back that you moved before you started.
Take the dust mop outside and shake it out.
Put away your supplies.
3. Character
We will be focusing on OBEDIENCE this unit. If you don’t have the book we used you can go HERE and download a lesson plan guide to use in your home.
Memorize: Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. – Colossians 3:20
We will be studying obedience during this unit. What is obedience?
Have you been obedient? Cheerful? Willing? Prompt?
What areas do you need to work on?
Watch this video about Jesus:
Did Jesus obey God?
Did he do something wrong?
What did he say when his parents wanted him to come back home with them?
Did he talk back to them? (It is important to NEVER talk back even if someone thinks you are doing something wrong but you aren’t. God knows your heart and will take care of the situation.)
What was the reward of Jesus’ obedience? Read Luke 24:52
4.Manners
– Read through the next four pages of Emily’s Everyday Manners and discuss the manners shown in the pictures:
Practice good table manners whether you are at home or eating out
Use the right utensils for food
Make a list of good table manners to use at your home.
Add to your plan as you learn more through this lesson.
Write them down in your book.
What else would you add to these suggestions?
Make a checklist for your trip.
Check out these camping hacks:
Learn about Herbs.
Herbal Lore
Not all herbs are safe to eat. Just like the snakes that the girls encountered some plants are poisonous and some can cause skin irritations. ALWAYS GET PERMISSION BEFORE EATING ANYTHING NEW.
Discuss what you learned.
Jot down notes in your notebook.
Research some herbs that might be useful in treating a sunburn.
The story talks about how hot the sun was on the prairie and mentioned how Mr. Scott didn’t tan but burned. Let’s learn some safety tips for when we are in the sun.
Discuss what you learned.
Name something that Ma continued to remind the girls to use to protect them from the sun.
Do you think the girls tanned or burned? Why?
What are some ways that we can stay safe in the sun?
Do you know how to treat a sunburn? Watch this video for tips:
2. Snake Safety
The girls enjoyed exploring and playing outside. They often saw a lot of different wildlife on the prairie but they knew to stay away from snakes. Let’s learn a little about snake safety and what to do in case you get a snake bite.
Discuss what you learned.
Write down the steps to take if you see a snake.
Write down the steps to take if you get a snake bite.
**Although I try to provide as many FREE resources as possible this post may contain affiliate links alt no extra cost to you. We may earn a small commission, if a purchase is made through these links, which helps to support our blog and our family. Thank you!
Mornings:
We Start every morning off with our prayers and the Pledge of Allegiance. Below is a picture of the prayers that we say and a video of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Not the prettiest example but that’s what we’ve been using for the past few years.
Don’t have a flag? Grab one HEREand print it out to put up somewhere… you could even let the kids make a flag to proudly display. Amazon also has some little ones like this one HERE and HERE.
After this we have our calendar time also where we go over such things as the Days of the Week, the months, and some basic math.
This one came from Lakeshore Learning.
We also like to use this song during our ‘Morning Time’ to help the kids learn the 50 States.
Tip: If you want to go to a certain week/chapter or topic simply push the ‘ctrl’ and the ‘F’ button down together and a small bar will pop up. Type in the week number or chapter number you want and it will take you to it.
Week 3: Chapters 7, 8 & 9 (The Wolf-Pack, Two Stout Doors, A Fire In The Hearth)
Ma kept a neat and tidy home. They may not have had the nicest home, and we know from the story that they had dirt floors for a while, but it was always ‘pleasant’. Do you think that Ma had a cleaning routine? Do you remember her routine from the previous book we read?
Wash on Monday,
Iron on Tuesday,
Mend on Wednesday,
Churn on Thursday,
Clean on Friday,
Bake on Saturday,
Rest on Sunday
This is an example of a routine. Do you have a cleaning routine?
We have a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly routine that we use here. This is something that did take a little bit of work to put together and we are constantly tweaking it to fit our life.
Our daily cleaning routine includes things like making the beds, washing the dishes, cleaning the kitchen, cleaning the bathroom and laundry. We also make sure to sweep the floors, wipe the table and counters as well as to pick up our shoes and put away the toys throughout the day. This helps to keep our house neat and tidy.
We also have routines for things that need to get completed once or twice a week, once a month, and once a year. Our routines help keep everything running smoothly and help us to remember things that need done.
Here’s another video about routines:
What routines do you have set in place to keep your home pleasant?
Who is responsible for what?
What things could you add to your cleaning routine?
FlyLady also has some great ideas to help you set up a cleaning routine that works for you and your family as well as other routines. She also has a ton of great tools on Amazon to help keep your house tidy and organized. We love to pair her tools with natural cleaners from Grove Collaborators.
2. Ways to help around the house like Laura
This week we are going to practice sweeping. Sweeping is probably one of the most frequently performed tasks. It needs to be done before mopping.
How to Sweep a floor:
You need to get your broom and dustpan.
Move things that can be moved like trash cans, rugs, etc. before sweeping.
Start sweeping in one corner and work your way around the room.
Sweep the dirt into piles.
Check the piles for important things like coins and valuables.
Sweep the piles into the dustpan.
Empty the dustpan into the trashcan.
Check the floor again for anything missed.
Put back anything you moved to start with.
Put the broom and dustpan back where you got them from.
Check out this video to see how to properly sweep a floor:
3. Character
We will be focusing on OBEDIENCE this unit. If you don’t have the book we used you can go HERE and download a lesson plan guide to use in your home.
Memorize: Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. – Colossians 3:20
We will be studying obedience during this unit. What is obedience?
Have you been praying for God’s help with being obedient?
How have you done so far?
Have you remembered to thank God for helping you?
Watch these videos about Moses:
What did God ask Moses to do?
Did Moses obey like Abraham? Why or why not?
Did Moses want to obey? Did he obey?
What happened because Moses obeyed God?
We need to pray for obedient hearts that don’t argue back.
Pray for help to obey even when you don’t want to obey.
‘Obedience is not always pleasant, but it is still very necessary. Obedience always brings a blessing.’
4.Manners
– Read through the next four pages of Emily’s Everyday Manners and discuss the manners shown in the pictures:
Some manners get used a lot
Some only get used once or twice
Some are used only on special occasions
5. Memory Verse
We will be memorizing Psalm 8 during this unit study. Print it HERE.
Work on memorizing a verse during the week for a special prize.
Verse 3: When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
Older kids can copy the memory verse down in their notebook.
6. Fun Activities
See if you can get or borrow a sewing kit. Start practicing the sewing skills listed on pages 6-11 of My Little House Sewing Book.
The Ingalls’ family used their fireplace not only to cook but also to keep warm. This means it was essential to use almost everyday. They kids learned how to stay safe around the fireplace and you can too.
Discuss what you have learned.
List 5 things you should do to stay safe around a fireplace.
2. Heater Safety
The Ingalls family used their fireplace to keep warm but many of us don’t have fireplaces. Sometimes people use heaters to keep warm. Let’s learn how to stay safe.
Sometimes people use things like BBQ grills to heat their home when they can’t use a heater. Do you know why this can be dangerous?
Discuss what you have learned.
Make a safety checklist for heating your home.
3. Games/Outdoor Play
Laura enjoyed watching all of the animals on the prairie and mentioned the many different types of birds she saw. You can take turns naming the birds while playing this game.
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