Search Results for: blog the joy of clay

The Joy of Clay

Yesterday, my daughter spent an hour building a clay dinosaur. Lately we have also been creating letters out of clay. We love clay. For children who are kinesthetic learners, clay is especially wonderful. Talk about a hands-on experience! While my daughter is quite uninterested in doing a lot of artwork and does not like to work on anything for a long time, she loves the feel of clay and will work with it for a long time. This allows her to increase her focus in a way that she enjoys – getting something goopy all over her hands. To help … Continue reading →

Clay Aiken Blogs, Patrick Swayze Experiences a “Miracle,” and Amy Adams is Engaged

He is almost a dad himself, but Clay Aiken is blogging about a recent UNICEF trip he took to Somalia and Kenya. He talks about how the violence in each country has left thousands of children homeless. Even as things are looking better, many children have not returned to school. Aiken wrote, “Getting children back to school is vital for their protection, and helps build a sense of normalcy in their lives. The re-establishment of schools in the most difficult circumstances is a testament to the commitment of UNICEF and to Kenyans.” He went on to say that every child … Continue reading →

Clay Aiken – Measure of a Man

I may have given you the impression that I’m a Clay Aiken fan. Well, I am! He came out of nowhere to come in second in the American Idol competition, and has outsold Rueben Studdard who did take home the title. With “Measure of a Man,” we have Clay’s debut album. When Clay was getting ready to release this album, producer Clive Davis wanted to title it simply “Clay Aiken.” But Clay wanted the title to convey more of a meaning and a message, rather than just an artist’s name, and he pushed for the album to be called “Measure … Continue reading →

2006 in Review: Homeschooling Blog at a Glance

As a new homeschooling blogger at Families.com, I wanted to know everything that has been discussed to date. In response to my own curiosity, and in an effort to make perusing our articles easier for you, our readers, I have compiled all of the blogs for the year 2006. Deciding to Homeschool Why homeschool Am I qualified for this? Reasons that Homeschooling Works! My Most Important Advice for Homeschoolers. The Cost of Homeschooling Instead of standing up for their own kids, why not stand up for all kids? Disclaimer: I am hardly an expert in education. Did You Know? ‘Empirical … Continue reading →

Community Activities For Toddlers

If you stay home with your toddler, chances are that you have realized that being a stay at home parent does not always entail as much staying at home as the title may imply. Some of this may be due to your own need to get things done like grocery shopping and other errands, but some of it depends on the temperament of your toddler. Personally, I spend quite a bit of time at home and I could stay at home for days, but Dylan likes to go places. In fact, if we don’t go somewhere on any given day, … Continue reading →

Winter Woolens: Wet Felting

The joys of some good old soap and water are not to be underestimated, especially when they’re used for a purpose. This craft will not only lead to some lovely hand-crafted toys – you’ll also get the kids all cleaned up! Of course, there’s also the danger of getting your entire living room cleaned too, but I digress. Wet felting is the perfect craft for any age. If your kids like water, they’ll like wet felting. If they’re product-oriented crafters, they’ll find it satisfying. If they’re process-oriented like my child is, then they’ll probably enjoy it too. What is wet … Continue reading →

The Brave Homeschooling Parent

Being a parent takes bravery, and a homeschooling parent is a perfect example of this. We’re pretty brave just to make the decision to homeschool in the first place, but then we add an additional layer of courage as we allow our children to experiment. Experimentation is a fantastic way to learn. It’s how all the great inventors accomplished the things they did. Can you imagine if Thomas Edison’s mother had forbidden him to play with electrical sparks? No significant amount of progress is made without some element of risk, and no real discovery is ever made without stepping into … Continue reading →

Salt Dough: A Versatile Tool

Salt dough—a staple of life when you have children. You can shape it into Christmas tree ornaments, baked to use year after year. You can keep it in a plastic tub and use it like Play-Doh, molding your creations and then smashing them back down into a blob when you’re done. But have you ever thought about using it as a tool in your homeschool? Think of all the different ways you can take this incredible compound and use it to enrich your studies. Are you talking about geography? Use the dough to create a topographical map and show hills … Continue reading →

The Role of Spirituality in Secular Homeschooling

Teaching your child how to be an ethical being in the world is something that every parent wants to do. As they get older, we also want children who know how to seek quiet comfort when they are in need and find joy and wonder in everyday things. The spiritual side of parenting and homeschooling is important, yet those of us who are secular in nature often neglect to discuss it. How can you encourage your child to develop a sense of herself as a spiritual being in the world? Practice ethics with your child. Whether it’s adopting rescue animals … Continue reading →

More Funny Epitaphs

While it is still cold and snowy here in the Northeastern United States, spring is just around the corner. For many genealogists, nice weather expands the possibilities for genealogical research because you can take your research outside as you search cemeteries for the graves of your ancestors. While I have visited the graves of some of my ancestors, I have not seen any headstones that are out of the ordinary. Although death itself is not funny, sometimes the inscription on a person’s headstone is. A humorous epitaph is a good way to let the memory of the deceased’s wit live … Continue reading →