Ancient Africa Mini-Unit Study

I don't do unit studies like some people do.  I don't worry about adding math and science and art and everything under the sun to a topic, especially for history.  What I do is try to focus on a particular topic or time period or place and study it - other subjects naturally come in, but I don't seek them out.

When we studied the ancient world in first grade (3 years ago) I decided to do it chronologically by geographic location.  Huh?  For example, when we studied ancient Africa we tried to stay with Egypt and the rest of Africa for a few hundred/thousand years before moving to the Middle East or Far East or the Americas.  Yes, we'd have to back up each time we left a location, but it seemed easier for my younger children to handle.

So, without further ado....here is what we did for Ancient Africa.  I think you could definitely use these books and activities for any elementary age, perhaps lower middle school as well.

EGYPT

Children's Atlas of Civilizations pgs. 14-15, Usborne Encyclopedia of World History pgs. 114-117, 134-139, Usborne Time Traveler  pgs. 98-127

Ancient Egyptians and Their Neighbors - Marian Broida   Excellent book.  It contains great information with activities to go with them including very hard to find groups like the Hittites.  Sadly it does not have many pictures.  We will definitely use this book again.

Bill and Pete Go Down the Nile - Tomie de Paola  They absolutely loved this, I thought it rather dumb.  We later read a science book that talked about crocs and birds which was a neat connection.  We will probably use it again just because it appeals to kids so well.

Cat Mummies – Kelly Trumble  I didn't expect to read this already, but they begged me to and they LOVED it.  They acted out the battle of the Persians and Egyptians with their animals.  Use again.  It led to some great discussions about idol worship and our religious beliefs.

Children's Atlas of Civilizations - Anthony Mason  This is a lovely little book.  Well, not little, it's big.  Each section has a 2 page spread with a map, several paragraphs of info and lots of pictures.  Very good introduction for younger kids and not as busy as DK or Usborne.  Lots of civilizations covered.  Use again.

Cleopatra - Diane Stanley We enjoyed this book, but it had some things we needed to discuss (adultery, etc) which otherwise would have made it unacceptable.  It is a good introduction to her story.

Croco'nile - Roy Gerrard  They liked this.  Short, a little silly, but didn't much information.  Not sure if I'll use again.

Egyptian Diary:  The Journals of Nakht - Richard Platt (reign of Hatshepsut) They loved this book and couldn't wait to read it each day.  It follows the life of a young boy while you learn about Egyptian culture.  It had several things we needed to discuss, but overall a good book.  We will use again.

Egyptology: Search for the Tomb of Osiris - Emily Sands  We enjoyed looking at this, but the story was slow and they weren't really interested in it.  After a few days of trying to read it and being bored out of our minds, we just looked at all the stuff and read a few captions.  Use for looking at, but not for information.

Great Pyramid: The story of the farmers... - Elizabeth Mann  The text for this was way too long for this age and I felt like we'd covered the pyramids fairly well already.

Growing Up in Ancient Egypt - Rosalie David  We didn't even bother to read this.  We'd already covered a lot of the information in a much better way.

Mummies and Ancient Egypt - Anita Ganeri  Even though we own this, we just looked through it as most of the information was a repeat.  It had some good (and gross) pictures.

Mummies in the Morning - Mary Pope Osborne (Magic Tree House)  Of course they loved this. 

Mummies Made in Egypt – Aliki  We couldn't find the book, but did watch the Reading Rainbow version.  The kids really enjoyed it and it added more information than otherwise found in the book.  We will use it again.

Mummies, Pyramids, and Pharaohs: A Book About Ancient Egypt - Gail Gibbons  This was one of our most favorite books.  An excellent broad overview of Egypt.  After reading lots of other books, this being one of the last, I said "Finally, the book I wanted to use all along."  We'll definitely use this again.

Pyramid - David Macaulay  We just looked through this as we'd covered the pyramids already.  They may read it in a later year.

Tut’s Mummy Lost and Found – Judy Donnelly One of my boys really liked this; the other didn't as much.  I will use it again though.

Usborne Encyclopedia of World History  I love this book and so do my kids.  We read a page or so for each time period we're studying.  Lots of pictures.  There is a cave man type section at the beginning which we skipped.  This doesn't 'teach it all' but it does have an excellent selection.  Will use again and can use it for many, many things.

Usborne Time Traveler We follow 4 different kids through the time they lived in.  Very well done.  Interesting and has great pictures.  Use again.
  

AFRICA

Children's Atlas of Civilizations 86-87 , Usborne Encyclopedia of World History 172-173

Anansi Does The Impossible!: An Ashanti Tale - Verna Aardema  They liked this book.  Great colors.  For once Anansi gets something right!  Use again.

Anansi the Spider - Gerald McDermott  Loved, loved, loved this book.

Ancient Egyptians and Their Neighbors - Moria Broida (has a section on Nubia)  see review above

Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain - Verna Aardema  They watched the Reading Rainbow version of this and really enjoyed.  Use again.

Great African Kingdoms - Sean Sheehan The text was way too long (and too advanced for this age) and dry to use.  I didn't even want to read it!  Find another source.

How the Ostrich Got Its Long Neck: A Tale from the Akamba of Kenya - Verna Aardema - This was a really fun book.  The illustrations were not the best (not the African bright colors), but the story is well written and the kids really enjoyed.  Use again

Misoso: Once Upon a Time Tales from Africa - Verna Aardema  They liked this collection of 'creation' type stories.  Each is short enough to read one or two a day.  Good  selection of various countries with map showing where they come from.  Use again.

Who's in Rabbit's House - Verna Aardema, a Masai story Wonderful pictures.  The kids really love this story.  Use again.  They acted out this story for weeks and weeks afterwards.

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears - Verna Aardema  Not as great as Rabbit, but still enjoyable.  A baby owl gets killed so it wasn't as 'fun', but they wanted to read it again.

Zomo the Rabbit: A Trickster Tale from West Africa - Gerald McDermott  They liked this also.  They didn't quite get the meaning of it, but enjoyed the story and art.  Use again.

EGYPT ACTIVITIES

1.  Build a sandpaper pyramid.

2.  Salt dough map.  Trace outline of ancient Egypt onto cardboard.  Use colored salt dough to fill in the map.  Let dry and paint with rivers, etc. if desired.  Recipe for salt dough:

4 cups flour
1 cup salt
1-1/2 cups hot water (from tap)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil (optional)

Mix the salt and flour together, then gradually add the water until the dough becomes elastic. (Some recipes call for 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil at this point.) If your mixture turns out too sticky, simply add more flour. If it turns out too crumbly, simply add more water. Knead the dough until it’s a good consistency. If you want colored dough, mix food coloring, powdered drink mix, or paint into the water before adding it to the dry ingredients. Or you can paint your creations after baking them at 200 degrees. Baking times will vary depending on the size and thickness of the object, but make sure that all of it is hard. If the dough starts to darken before cooking is complete, cover with aluminum foil. Painted keepsakes will need to be sealed on all sides with clear varnish or polyurethane spray.

Alternate recipe: Take about 1 cup salt and dissolve it in about 1 1/4 cup water (or a little more). Then stir in about 3 cups flour ( one cup at a time), until it's a nice soft dough.

3.  Carve the Sphinx or pyramids in green floral foam.  Draw in pencil first, then use knives, toothpicks or spoons to carve out shape.  Use eye protection - trust me on this!

4.  Build a pyramid using sugar cubes.  25 cube base, 16 cubes second level, 9 cubes for third, 4 for fourth then 1 at peak.   Have enough that they can finish the pyramid if they snitch some (which they will).

5.  Paint a clay pot with Egyptian designs.  Break it with a hammer.  Give each child the other person's broken pot and have them reconstruct it with glue.  This re-creates what archeologists go through when they find artifacts.

6.  Make paper from papyrus or "fake papyrus".  You could also (and a lot easier) do this with strips of paper about 1/2 inch (1 cm) wide and 11 inches long or so. After you weave them, soak the mat in water before you pound it flat on both sides and let it dry.

7.  Mummify an orange or a chicken.  Find instructions online.

8.  Make a mummy case.  Blow up a long balloon.  Cover with strips of paper soaked in glue mixture, no more than 4 layers..  Let dry.  Paint gold and decorate like mummy.  Seal. 

Recipe for paper mache:

Use a simple mixture of flour and water. Mix one part flour with about 2 parts of water until you get a consistancy like thick glue. Add more water or flour as necessary. Mix well to get out all the bumps. Add a few tablespoons of salt to help prevent mold! OR 1 part flour to 5 parts water... boil about 3 minutes and let cool OR you can use regular glue mixed with a bit of water. Mix using about 1 part water with 2 parts glue.  OR use wallpaper paste. Follow the directions from the manufacturer to mix this paste.  OR liquid starch.

9.  Make pharoah crown and beard.

10.  Write in hieroglyphics. 

11.  Make a cartouche necklace.  On a piece of posterboard, trace a cartouche necklace.  Cut out and spray paint gold.  Have the kids write their names in hieroglyphics.

12.  Build a shaduf. A shaduf is a machine to move water from a lower place to a higher place. You will need two large basins (or a creek and a basin), something to make one basin higher than the other, some water, a bucket, a long pole like a broomstick, and a strong bar you can lean your broomstick over, like the top of a swingset or monkey bars.  Put an empty basin on the higher place, and the other basin near it, but lower down, and full of water. Hook your bucket over the end of your pole (or you may want to fasten it on). Put a weight on your end (the end without the bucket) so that your end is about as heavy as the bucket full of water. (You might use a rock tied on with rope, for instance). Balance the broomstick with the weight on one side and the bucket on the other side. Dip the bucket down into the basin full of water and get some water. Push down on your end of the broomstick, so that the bucket comes up in the air. Swing it over so it is on top of the empty basin, and pour the water into the new basin. Then swing your bucket back to the full basin and do it again.

13.  Make a hieroglyphic scroll.  Tape several sheets of paper together to make one long strip.  With a stiff brush use paint to paint hieroglyphs onto scroll.  Let dry.  Take each end of paper to a dowel or stick.  Roll it towards the center making sure both dowels meet in the middle.  Tie with ribbon.  Do experiment to see which lasts longer - clay cunieform tablet or scroll.  Leave them outside for a week or so.  Simulate a flood by putting them in sink for 5 minutes each.  Place in 200 degrees oven (hot, dry desert) for 30 minutes.  Turn off heat and let sit another 30 minutes.  Let cool.  Roll and unroll the scroll many times (show to different people).  Do the same with the clay tablet.  Compare.

14.  Weave a basket.  Buy reeds from store or use paper strips.

15.  Make golden bracelets using toilet paper rolls.

16.  Make a model to show the flooding of the Nile.  Cover a cookie sheet (with sides) with flour or sand.  Make a trench down the middle.  On either side scoop out round or square holes, leaving a "wall" between the middle trench and the holes.  Add water down the middle and notice that it doesn't get into the holes by the fields.  Now, break through the walls so that water can fill the holes and thus water the fields.  You can also rebuild the walls to show how they trapped water in the 'holes' to use for irrigation later.  You can do this over, and over, and over, and over, and .......

AFRICA

1.  Paper bead necklace.  See Ancient Egyptians and Their Neighbors for directions.

2.  Act out the stories using plastic animals.

3.  Make up your own tale using paintings or animals.

4.  Make instruments.  Paper plate tambourines.  Plastic cup shakers.

5.  Make golden bracelets.  Put toilet paper tubes in half then cut lengthwise.  Paint gold and let dry. 

6.  Watch Animals Are Beautiful People.  They loved this fun video about African animals and it shows some African tribes that live there.  Fascinating.

7.  Do a sand paper drawing like cave art.

8.  Make your own Kente or mud cloth design.  There is a cool website which takes you through the process of making mud cloth and lets you do it virtually. http://www.mnh.si.edu/africanvoices/mudcloth/index_flash.html.  

This site shows some different examples of mud cloth: http://www.adire.clara.net/bogolangallery.htm.  This site has African music and shows some men weaving kente cloth - http://www.andycarvin.com/archives/2005/08/kente_weavers_o.html. 

More samples of kente cloth - http://www.africawithin.com/tour/ghana/kente_cloth.htm.

AND THEN....THE PARTY......
To end each of our mini-unit studies, we have a party.  It is an evening where the kids can display the various things they've made and wear any costumes that have been created.  We eat foods that the people would have eaten at that time.  For the Ancient Africa/Egypt party we made a cake like a step pyramid then had things like dates, whole grain bread, and I can't remember what else.  As we read books we'd keep track of what they were eating so we could eat it too.  Sometimes we invite friends over, sometimes we don't.  But it's always fun!!!!

The best playdough recipe ever

1 c. flour
1/2 c. salt
2 tbsp. oil
1 c. water
2 tsp. cream of tartar

Mix all the ingredients together in a medium pot and cook over medium heat, stirring often.  The mixture will get all lumpy and gross looking but will come together after 4 to 6 minutes and form a ball.  Let it cool then knead in food coloring if desired.  This makes a very soft, nice feeling dough.  It lasts forever if you store it in a baggie or container.

How I schedule school subjects

The short answer is, I don't.  Can we still be friends?  We're in our 4ish year of homeschooling and the first few years I spent hours, HOURS I tell you, writing out schedules.  Every week I sat down to write out what we'd do the following week.  Then someone would get sick.  Or the library wouldn't get the book in time.  Or my husband deployed on 24-hours notice.  Or whatever.  And the schedule would get all messed up so I would sit down and re-write it.  Then it would get all messed up.  So I would sit down and re-write it.  Then it would get all messed up....wait, there's a pattern here.  I'm sort of slow and it took me a while to figure that out.

So I changed my planning to a more generalized this-is-what-we'll-study-this month.  And wouldn't you know it, the same crazy pattern popped up.  I then started planning by the term.  Same thing.  Okay, year, the year will work.  No, it won't.

ARGH!!!!  (I think I was a pirate in a previous life because I love to say ARGH.)  Anywho....the stress I felt because I couldn't stick to a schedule was driving me insane.  Literally.  I had to change.

Now what I do is pick a book and start reading it.  When we're done, we move on to the next one.  No more figuring out that I need to read 5 pages each day in order to finish by such-and-so time.  We open the math book and do the next lesson.  If we miss a day for whatever reason, we do the next lesson the next day.  Not exactly rocket science, but hey, I'm not a rocket scientist.

In order to help my aging brain remember what I was supposed to do every day I made a magnetic chart.  I'm learning that I'm a visual person and if I ask my kids to hold me to something, they will.  With a vengeance. So we now have this chart with each day of the school week (Monday through Friday, although sometimes we learn on other days, too).  Each day has a picture (with the written words) for each subject I'm hoping to teach that day.  When we've finished a subject, we take it off the board and put it in the bag.  At a glance I can see what we still need to do that day.  And so can the kids.  "Mom, we haven't done composer study yet."  "Hey, you need to do my reading lessons."  Darn those pesky kids.

Most of our subjects are done together so there's just one magnet for History or Science.  Other subjects are individual though.  To make it easier for us all, I colored-coded those.  For example, each boy has time with me to work on reading and spelling.  So I have 3 subjects labeled "Reading time with mom".  Around the edge of each one is a boy's color (they chose red, green and black).

Because I have 3 kids in school we decided that each week a different kid would "go first", meaning they would be the first one to work with me individually while the others did their independent work.  I made a small sticker that goes on the bottom.  It sits next to a label that says, "Goes first" (I'm creative like that.)  That boy is also the School Leader for the week.  He is responsible for choosing who says morning prayer and makes sure his brothers aren't playing with toys during lessons.  He also gets the coveted job of taking the magnets off the board.

Thus far the system has worked really well for us.  It's helped us make sure that everything gets done in the day.  It's also shown me patterns that I can work on.  For a while Read-Aloud was never taken off the board.  I looked at our day and figured out a way to rearrange it and now we're getting it done.  It was just a time of day issue, but I hadn't realized it was a problem until I saw that it was never happening.

Now does this mean I have no overall plan for our education?  No.  We're doing American History right now and I have a list of books that we're reading through, in chronological order.  I'm just not worrying about getting them done in a certain amount of time.  Sometimes we fly through them and read a book in a day because we're so interested in it.  Other times we stop and spend a lot of time with a person or topic from a book.  And often we chase those wonderful bunny trails of learning - you know, the question that leads to a question that leads to another one and soon you're way off topic but you're learning and exploring together.  I've decided that it's okay if we don't finish History in one term.  It's okay to just go with it.  As long as we're moving forward and enjoying the process of learning I'm at peace.

I have the same sort of system for our other subjects too.  Science we do our own special way.  Math we just follow the book.  Same with spelling.  And scripture study.  I pick a curriculum or book or series of books and we work through them.  Ah, life is much simpler for me and I'm not wasting hours every week writing and re-writing my schedule.

In case you want to make your own chart (and really, who wouldn't?), here are some fun resources for clip-art.  I did a lot of googling as well.

http://www.phillipmartin.info/clipart/homepage.htm
http://homeschoolcreations.blogspot.com/2009/08/workbox-tags-cards.html
http://heartofwisdom.com/blog/free-printable-workbox-tags/

And in case you're wondering what subjects we have for each day....
Every day - Scriptures, Circle Time, History, Math (x2), Handwriting, Read-Aloud, Science, Reading Lessons With Mom (x3), Workboxes
Monday - Composer
Tuesday - Artist Study
Wednesday - Poetry
Thursday - Art Lessons
Friday - instead of History we do Geography.  We also don't have an 'elective' on Friday because we try to go on a field trip.

The iPod in the homeschool

I've had an iPod Touch for a year now and mainly use it for listening to music while grocery shopping.  Suddenly grocery shopping was fun and relaxing, unless I went on Saturday.  I also used it occasionally for keeping the kids quiet at the doctor's office or during a Scout committee meeting - "Here, watch this episode of Super Why or Batman."

Now, however, I've discovered Apps and I'm wondering, "How did I ever live without them?"  Suddenly school is going so smoothly.  The 3-yr-old is cheerfully sitting next to me, getting his back scratched, and practicing math facts, ABCs and other preschool-y things.  Instead of tearing apart my house he's putting together the monkey's broken fruit.  Instead of throwing himself on top off all the books we're reading, he's controlling traffic and avoiding crashes.  Instead of chucking our math cards across the room he's tracing his letters.  Aahhhh, the wonders of modern technology.

So, here are my favorite apps thus far.  I'll also include the ones we've tried and didn't like so you won't make the same mistakes.  I love you that much!

Updates as of February 2010 in italics below.

1.  iWriteWords - the full version ($1.99).  This was our first app.  Thank you for showing us the way.  My two youngest (3 and almost 6) love this one.  It shows you a letter and then shows how to trace it by putting little numbers along the line.  Follow the numbers and trace it with your finger.  Your finger creates a line so you can see how well you did.  It then says the letter name out loud twice.  It teaches both upper and lower case, numbers and simple spelling.  Don't worry if your child can't count well yet, this app does a fantastic job showing the child how to write.  Very highly recommended. Still love this app and use it all the time.

2.  Trace (free) - In this app you're trying to get your little guy from one side of the screen to the other.  You have to use your finger to trace a line he can walk/jump along.  There are various obstacles and random falling objects.  It's surprisingly easy and hard at the same time.  All four of the kids (ages 9-3) can play.  It's a great game for teaching logic and it's not violent.  Very highly recommended. All the kids continue to play this. It is one of their favorites and it continues to amaze me that even the 3-yr-old can solve the challenges.

3.  Traffic Rush (free right now, but may not be for long) - In this game you have to help cars get through the intersection without crashing.  You can stop or speed them up and it gets more hectic the longer you go.  It's a great logic game, but the cars do crash in a cartoony way.  No bodies flying though.  My personal best is 54,  the same as my 9-yr-old.  They like this one and play it often, but only a few rounds at a time.  Recommended. They don't play this one much anymore. They'll pick it up now and then but it's sort of lost its appeal.

4.  Monkey Preschool Lunchbox (.99) - My 3-yr-old plays this one all the time.  It teaches colors, counting, letters, puzzles, and matching.  You can earn a sticker after answering so many questions.  It seems a little redundant to me and I wish there were more activities, but the kids love it so I can't really complain.  Highly recommended. This one gets played CONSTANTLY by the 3-yr-old. They've added a new activity (big/small) and I hope they do more. Great investment for our family!

5.  Teach Me Kindergarten (.99) - In this game you learn letters by finding the correct beginning letter to spell a word, simple addition and subtraction, and sight words.  You can have 4 different accounts for children and can customize it for each child.  When you answer so many questions you earn "coins" which can then be used to buy stickers.  The littlest one LOVES buying stickers and gets fairly upset when he's spent all his coins.  He plays this one over and over because he loves to shop for stickers!  I appreciate that in the math section you can tap on the objects and it counts them out loud.  It also shows you how to subtract by moving objects to the trash can.  My soon-to-be-6-yr-old hasn't really played this one yet so I can't speak to that age group.  Highly recommended. Another of the 3-yr-olds favorites. He plays it regularly.

6.  WordGirl Word Hunt (.99) - We love the Word Girl cartoon so I thought this app would be fun.  My two youngest are "scared of it" and won't play it, plus it's a little above their heads.  I think it does a good job teaching vocabulary and it's fun, but thus far the older boys haven't really played it.  The jury is still out on this one....They really haven't shown any interest in this one. I'm still hoping though...

7.  Meet the Vowels (free) - My boys love the Preschool Prep Company videos (we own all the sight words one).  This app is fairly basic but the two youngest LOVE it.  They show you 3 vowels (either upper or lower case) and ask you to choose a certain one.  When you choose it the letter turns into a fun character and does something silly.  At the end of the game it sings the ABC song.  The company says they'll be coming out with other apps soon and I'll most likely get them.  Very highly recommended. How many times do we have to watch this thing? Yes, they still love it.

8.  Wheels on the Bus - (.99) - This one was so highly recommended on all the websites I checked that I decided to try it.  It's basically an animated book with some interactive things on each page.  Cute, but limited.  For some reason my 3-yr-old is terrified of the chicken on the first page and now refuses to use it.  This did not work for us.  It might work for others, but it is short and has limited (if any) educational use.  Not recommended. Still scared of it.

9.  123 Tracer Lite - (free for the limited version) - So far the kids haven't used this.  The Pop Me section is way too hard for the little ones (it has multiplication!).  The Trace Me section is not nearly as cool as iWrite and the Count Me section is a tad confusing.  I wish there was a way to customize it for younger kids, maybe the full version has that.  Overall, not an app that has much value for us.  Not recommended. I took it off. iWrite is so much better.

10.  zooSpelling Preschool (free for the lite version) - In the lite version you can find 3 animals while exploring the zoo.  To return them to the zoo you need to spell words - shorter words and sight words.  Each letter is on a different color paint blob so it's fairly easy for them to see that they need a purple letter and "e" is on the purple blob.  You can also look through flash cards to hear the words spelled then said as a whole.  I'm debating whether or not to buy the full version as the 3-yr-old really loves it and is frustrated that he's found all the animals.  Highly recommended. He still likes it quite a bit. Still trying to figure out if I want the full version.

11.  KidWords Lite (free for the preview version) - None of my kids has played this yet.  I think it's one I'd have to "require".  You can change the levels from easy to hard and choose 3-letter to 6-letter words. It shows you a picture and says the word out loud then you need to spin the dial to find the missing letter. There are usually only one or two letters missing.  A fun game (I think) but one the kids haven't been drawn to.  Still recommended though. The developer of this game contacted me after my initial review and gave me a free copy of the full version. We have been using that now and really like it. I sometimes have to 'encourage' them to use it. It's great for spelling practice.

12.  FirstWords: Sampler (free) - Both my almost 6 and 3-yr-olds play this one.  They show a cute picture with the letters to spell it written faintly underneath.  At the bottom are the letters all scrambled around and you need to drag the letters to the appropriate squares.  When you have them all in place it spells it out loud then says the word and the picture does something silly.  I think this is  fun way for non-readers to work with letters and words.  The kids have asked for more words.  The full version apps cost anywhere from $1.99 to $4.99.  Still considering.  The free app is a good start though.  Very highly recommended. I bought the full version. The two littler guys love it and use it a lot. I sometimes find the big boys doing it too.

13.  Giraffe's Matching Zoo (free) - This is a standard matching game with animal pictures and sounds.  My kids laugh at the weird animal sounds.  Fairly plain but it does the job.  More than adequate if you want a 'matching game' - why pay for one when this is free?  Highly recommended. They play this once in a while.

14.  Jumbalu Zoo (free) - This has no educational purpose, it just shows different cartoon animals in different settings and you can change their clothes and poses.  They think it's funny but it doesn't hold their attention for long.  Recommended, maybe. Still gets some use. Not as much as it did at first though. I'm just glad I didn't pay for it.

15.  SimpleDraw (free) - A very simple drawing program, thus the name.  You can only use 5 colors and a few different brush sizes, but still fun.  Recommended. My oldest boy told me this was "pretty dumb". It is rather hard for kids to figure out and sometimes when you tap it with two fingers to switch screens it ends up marking your picture. It doesn't get much use.

16.  RushHour Free (free!) - This is the lite version so it doesn't have a ton of puzzles, but still more than enough to keep us occupied.  We all love the board game version of RushHour.  All the kids (and me) can play this.  Very highly recommended. Still loving it.

17.  TapOut by TapJoy (free) - Similar to Rush Hour but with boats.  Lots of fun and great problem solving skills.  Very highly recommended. Love it. I'm amazed at what my 3-yr-old can do with it!

18.  KidCalc Free (uh, free) - This is the free preview version.  You can look at flashcards, do a math puzzle where you touch the 4 cards in order, use the calculator and do math games.  You can customize this to count by 2s, 5s, 10s, etc.  It would be nice to count by 4s and 6s and such.  You can also turn off the multiplication and division if you're working with a younger kid.  It's not "flashy" and thus loses the attention of the younger boys fairly quickly.  It's not one I'm likely to upgrade and I'm debating kicking it off altogether.  Not recommended. Okay, here is where I eat my words. The developer contacted me after my initial review and gave me the full version to try. What a different app! It's almost exactly what I wanted. Now I can have them count by all sorts of numbers (think skip counting practice). There are SO many options on how to configure this - backgrounds, numbers, age range, difficulty level, etc. The only thing I could ask for now is that I could have different users set up, so that I wouldn't have to change the settings each time a different child used it. Very highly recommended.

19.  abc PocketPhonics Lite (free) - Another lite version.  This is a neat concept but my kids haven't wanted to play it yet.  You can choose upper or lower case, print or cursive and a few different handwriting styles.  Similar to iWrite, you trace the letters with you finger.  This is different because it makes the phonetic sound, not just the name.  You can decide if you want gentle guidance or pretty strict "stay on the line" reminders.  It also has you spell words - first it says the sound and gives you some choices.  I may encourage further use of this before I pass final judgment because I think it could be a great tool.  For now I highly recommend at least trying the free version.  But DO make sure you customize it for the kid who's using it or they'll be very frustrated. They use iWrite more than this. It just hasn't caught on yet.

20.  Baby Piano Lite (free) - All the kids love messing with this, but only for a few minutes at a time.  You can choose animal sounds (not very realistic) or piano sounds.  The prompts to buy the full version are annoying though.  Cute and fun.  Recommended. He plays with this once in a while, but now much now.

21.  Counting Ants Lite (free) - This is the Ants Go Marching song and you see 1 ant with "one ant" written while they sing.  You can move through the various numbers.  We haven't seen much use on this.  Cute concept but doesn't really hold their attention.  It might be good for the younger toddler set; I think mine are a bit old at 3 1/2 for this.  Not recommended. Took it off.

22.  Diet WordPop! (free) - Okay, I'm the one that has played this the most.  My 9-yr-olds just aren't used to looking at words this way.  You start with a board of random letters and you have to try to make words with them.  You can go up, down, sideways, etc all within the same word.  Once you've spelled a word those letters "pop" and all the letters shift down.  You can hit a button which turns the board a rotation making new combinations possible.  I enjoy it and want to teach the older boys.  If they take to it I'll upgrade to the regular version, but for now the Lite meets our needs.  Highly recommended for older kids.

Updated - I found my 9-yr-old playing this today.  He figured out how to play on his own and was having a lot of fun.  When I showed him how he could pick connected letters all over, not just in a straight line his eyes lit up and he cleared the board!

Update 2 - The developer contacted me after my initial review and gave me the full version to try. I'm still having a ton of fun with it. One of my 9-yr-olds plays all the time too. He loves that his score goes to the 'global list' and he can see where he is in the standings. He plays a lot more because of this. Still highly recommended.

23.  A Dinosaur Kids Math Free Lite (free) - How's that for an awkward name?  For this game you do simple math like 4 + 3 and it shows you 4 dinosaurs plus 3 dinosaurs and gives you 3 choices at the bottom.  This isn't as easy for younger kids to play because you can't 'count' by tapping on each dino (as in it doesn't say the number out loud for you like some of the other apps).  If you get it wrong it just floats the correct number to the top, but you often miss it because it's transitioning to the next card.  This has limited use and isn't as polished as some of the others.  For this reason I'm not upgrading.  Not recommended. Took it off.

24.  Feed Me! (free) - I think this is funny.  It asks various questions and gives you 3 choices.  Take the one you think is right and "feed" the monster.  If it's right he chews it up and makes a silly sound or licks his lips.  If you feed him the wrong answer he makes a sick face or sticks out his tongue.  Thus far we've seen simple fractions (like half and fourths), sequencing, shapes, counting, number recognition and a few others.  I like the wide range of  questions.  My kids laugh hysterically as they feed him and actually try to get things wrong sometimes because it's so funny to see him get sick.  Highly recommended. They still play this one a lot. They just laugh their heads off, and I hope learn.

25.  Finger Physics Free (free) - This is the lite version so it doesn't have as many puzzles as the full.  I've really enjoyed this although the kids haven't played yet.  I know my older boys will love the challenges and I think it has excellent teaching possibilities.  If they like it I have no problems upgrading to the full.  Highly recommended. They've almost figured out all the puzzles. We'll see if they want more.

26.  Geared - Free (free) - This is a fun game where you try to place the gears in the correct place to get the machine working.  Lots of fun for me and the kids.  The 3-yr-old doesn't really get it, but the rest of the boys can figure it out.  I can't get past Level 9 though.  ARGH!!!  This is another game that if they really get into it I would probably buy the full version.  Highly recommended. The 3-yr-old is playing it now! All the boys like it, but they don't play it all the time. Just here and there, which is fine with me.

27.  Kids Numbers Game (free) - This one confused me at first because it had text up at the top like "choose the number six" and gave you 4 choices.  How the heck are my little guys supposed to read that?  Well, you can go into settings and turn the sound on and off.  Now they read it out loud for the younger kids.  Basically you just identify numbers.  Basic and a little on the boring side, but more interesting that plain flash cards.  You can set it for easy, medium and hard and add additional players with individualized settings.  Recommended. They don't play this one unless I ask them to. It's free though so I don't mind keeping it around for math practice now and then.

28.  Pentaminals (free) - If you like tangrams you'll love this game.  You build a shape using various other shapes (that look like animals).  I haven't showed this to my kids yet because I'm having a hard time figuring it out!  Great for logical thinking and spatial reasoning.  May be too hard for younger kids though.  Highly recommended for the appropriate age group. They really struggle to solve these.

29.  preschoolTAP - Animals Time (free) - My 3 and 5-yr-old like this one quite a bit.  Each page shows you 4 different animals.  You tap the "note" button in the middle and it asks a question about size, habitat, name or sound.  I'm sure there are others because I'm always hearing questions I haven't heard before.  If you get it wrong the note turns into a red frowny face and let's you try again.  If you get it right it turns into a green happy face and you move onto the next card.  Not highly educational but there is some learning going on and it keeps their attention.  Highly recommended. Not getting much play these days, but I'm keeping it around because they do enjoy it when they remember it's there.

30.  Runway Free (and yes, it's free) - I love this game.  You have several airports to choose from and you have to make sure that your planes land to refuel and load and unload passengers.  You have to coordinate open runways and how to use the resources you have and there is often more demand than supply.  You have to plan and think ahead.  The one thing that really bothers me though are the ads in the corner.  While none have been inappropriate the kids could very easily hit one and connect where I don't want them to go.  Recommended with reservations because of the ads. I'm the only one who ever really played this. They don't have much interest in it.

31.  Tap Tune Free (free) - I thought this would be a hit, but it's not.  There are various toddler or holiday songs and you tap the screen to speed it up or slow it down.  You can also shake the iPod.  3-yr-old said he hates it and won't touch it.  Not recommended. Took it off.

32.  Monster ABC (free) - The 3-yr-old was scared of it.  It was also fairly boring.  You chose a letter, the monster says it then you tap on a picture and some kid says the word.  Nobody really wanted to play it so I deleted it.  Not recommended. Took it off.

33. Learn Sight Words (free) - Just flash cards but very boring ones.  One time through and I realized the kids would never, ever want to do these.  Not recommended. Gone.

34.  Dino Word Panic (free) - Like Hangman only if you get the letter wrong the dinosaur gets closer to the guy.  There are ads across the top and it wasn't all that exciting.  It was neat that you could choose a category for words like Common English, Sports or Family, among others.  I decided to find another Hangman type since I didn't like the ads.  Not recommended. Removed it.

35.  Pickids Shapes (free) - No, no, no.  They show a word at the bottom like "quadrilateral" and then 4 shapes and you're supposed to choose the right one.  If they had audio this might work, but they didn't.  Explain to me how my preschooler is supposed to read quadrilateral or cylinder.  He was very frustrated with always choosing the wrong shape and there was really no learning going on.  Not recommended. Deleted it.

36.  123 Animals Counting Lite (free) - This asks "How many animals do you see?" then flashes some animals on the screen.  You can tap each one and it will count it for you and leave a number on the animal (so if there are 4 animals you'll see 1, 2 3 and 4 on the screen after you tap them).  Then you choose one of three numbers at the bottom.  Good for younger kids.  I don't think we'll upgrade to the full version.  The Lite has some use, but we'll see in the long run if it gets played with regularly.  Recommended. They don't play this at all. Getting ready to remove it.

37.  ABC Super Match FREE (free) - This is a matching game with letters but they mispronounced a lot of them.  I can see it being very damaging to a child learning the alphabet.  Not recommended. Gone.

Golly, I have looked at a lot of apps!  I think they're great and definitely have a place.  I have to be careful though to control the amount of time my little ones spend on it.  Right now we use it for when I really need him to sit quietly.  We alternate it with workboxes and preschool type activities.  I let the older boys use it "for fun" if they get their work done early or if they are having to wait on me while I finish something.

I might try some audio books next!  I'm just that crazy.

Still holding hands

One of the things I love about homeschooling is getting to be with my kids all day long. Ironically, it's also one of the things that is hardest about homeschooling. I have two 9-year-old sons. And they still hold my hand. When we go for a walk around the neighborhood they'll put their hand in mine and chatter along about their day, their thoughts and the things they want to create. When we're shopping in a store they slip their hand in mine and show me the things that interest them and make observations about the people around them. They hold my hand without prompting or embarrassment.

I love the fact that they don't know that moms are weird or embarrassing. No little friends on the playground have told them that I'm not cool. No one has said that only babies hold their mom's hand. I love that they are uniquely themselves and do what they want without measuring it against someone's artificial standard of cool.

I love the relationship we have. We can talk about anything, and do. We can laugh and learn together. I know everything that went on in their day and they know about mine. They confide in me, they listen to me, they want to be near me and cuddle with me on the couch.

Some day those boys won't want to hold my hand, but for now I cherish every minute of it. Some days those hands are covered in dirt and sweat and sticky food or things I don't even want to think about. But they put their hands in mine and I love it.

I must confess that I'm glad I have younger sons, because I'm assured years of hand-holding. I just wish I had a hand for each of them.

Vegetarian Korma

Everyone really enjoys this and I love that the kids are eating a ton of vegetables.  It's got a long list of ingredients, but it comes together quickly.

1 1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 onion, diced

1 tsp. minced fresh ginger root

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 potatoes, cubed (you can substitute cauliflower for some or all of the potatoes)

a few handfuls of baby carrots, sliced

1 (4 ounce) can tomato sauce

2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tbsp. curry powder (you can use garam masala or a mixture of the two)

1 c. frozen green peas

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped - I don't use peppers at my house so I consider this optional

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped - I don't use peppers at my house so I consider this optional

1 c. coconut milk 

1 bunch fresh cilantro for garnish

hot cooked rice

naan if you're feeling adventurous

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until tender. Mix in ginger and garlic, and continue cooking 1 minute. Add the potatoes, carrots, tomato sauce, salt and curry powder. Cook and stir 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender (I add in a bit of water now and then if it's looking too dry or sticking to my pan). Add the remaining ingredients (but not the rice and naan!).  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro to serve.   

Serve with rice and naan.  You could add spinach, broccoli or garbanzo beans or pretty much whatever you want.

Black Beans and Quinoa

We've recently discovered quinoa and love it.  This is a fast, delicious dish.  My kids love that they're eating "an ancient grain." Quinoa is sometimes hard to find but most big grocery stores have it.  Otherwise, check your local health food store.

1 tsp. vegetable oil or butter
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 c. uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 c. vegetable broth
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (I don't add this; I sprinkle it on the adult's servings)
salt and pepper to taste
1 c. corn kernels, frozen or canned
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and saute until lightly browned; add the garlic the last minute or two.  Throw the quinoa into the saucepan with the onions and add the vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper (or hold till later), salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.  Stir the corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans.  Sprinkle cilantro on each plate - my kids won't eat cilantro (I don't know what's wrong with them).  The grown-ups at my house like to sprinkle ours with cayenne.