Finding Louisiana Home School Style : 09/05/19

Are you planning a family vacation to Universal Studios in Orlando this summer? There are lots of opportunities around the park to sneak in some homeschooling with all the fun you’ll be having!! Take a look at these fun ways to homeschool while you’re there!

#1 – Harry Potter

This is the most obvious, and if you’re Harry Potter fans it’s a great real life experience of what you’ve read in the books! Throughout the Harry Potter world there are shops from the books, items that are mentioned throughout the series, and even characters! If you’re looking to get your kids reading before your vacation a visit to Harry Potter world is a great way to do it! While you’re there you could make a scavenger hunt for places or things, try and remember what book things are from, and compare the movies, books and real life experience!

#2 – Dinosaurs and Fossils

If you’ve got a budding paleontologist in your house you’ll want to check out the Jurassic Park section of Universal! This is a great place to see replicas of your favorite dinos, and visit the Jurassic Park visitors center. With fossils, dinosaur eggs, and baby velociraptors it’s a great place to talk about dinosaurs, explore and learn more about them!

#3 – Map Skills

It may a little frightening to hand over you navigation to one of your kids but finding your way around Universal is a great way to practice map skills! Have them look for landmarks to get you from one attraction to the next. Find road names within the park, and locate things like bathrooms, and restaurants! The park is huge so there is a lot to see and find your way around it’s a great time to learn how!

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#4 – Train Stations and Travel

One of the coolest things about riding the Hogwart’s Express is visiting King’s Cross Station. You feel like you’re actually in London! If your kids are learning about travel this is a great opportunity to check out a train station! Complete with travel posters, a snack stand, and platform numbers, it’s a wonderful way to learn more about traveling by train!

#5 – Ancient Greece

If you’ve studied ancient history in your homeschool you don’t want to miss the Poseidon’s Fury show! This fun show takes you through an ancient temple and far beneath the ocean. Of course it is a dramatic production full of special effects but it’s a great way to bring your Ancient Greece studies to life! It also opens up a great conversation about Greek gods and may spark some interest in studying more!

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#6 – Roller Coaster Physics

Want to see potential and kinetic energy in action? Take a look at a roller coaster! If you’ve got kids in high school who are studying physics, or have an interest in engineering then a close up look at roller coasters is a great way to bring that to life. For younger kids they are a great lesson in energy, speed, and gravity!

You can prepare ahead of time by reading, teaching, and exploring all of these areas. When you’re at the park your kids can see their lessons in action! You can also create lessons for after your visit! If you’ve ridden The Hulk roller coaster why not figure out the physics behind it? Maybe you want to separate the Jurassic Park fact from fiction?

You can use the time before, during and after your trip to Universal Studios as an awesome educational experience that is super fun!!

Blessing Bags

I'm wanting to host a blessing Party in October of this year 2019! See below for more details!

WHAT ARE BLESSING BAGS?

If you are unfamiliar with the concept of a blessing bag, this is just a simple way to be a blessing to those you come across who might be in need (we mostly give them out to the homeless standing on the side of the road with signs). A blessing bag is a small assortment of basic toiletries and snacks in a ziplock bag. Orr directly to homeless shelters.

Have you ever driven past a person in need and wondered what you could do to help? Keep one or two of these blessing bags in your car to have on hand!

The best part is, your children can be involved in creating the blessing bags and will most likely be present when handing them out as well. And it’s a great way to utilize coupons and freebies!

Gallon Size Ziploc Bag – This is key for several reasons:

Helps to keep everything together & in one place so they can easily access the supplies in their bags/backpacks
Keeps the items from spilling/leaking onto their personal items in their bags
The bags can later be used for other storage options within their bags – storing toiletries, snacks, etc

Hand-Warmers – we put a couple packs in, especially during the winter, but even for those chilly evenings in the spring/summer/fall these would be very welcome.

Bag of Quarters – These are nice to include for washing clothes at the laundromat

Bottle of Water – Mini water bottles work great so they don’t take up too much space or if you can fit a regular size water bottle

Band-Aids – these are something that may often be needed but may not be something they would be able to spend money on or think about having.

Baby Wipes – a small pack of baby wipes would be a great one to include to help with feeling clean & fresh

Hand Sanitizer – another great option to help them feel cleaner

Wash Cloth – buy an inexpensive washcloth to include

Toiletries:

*If you have a lot of items to include in your bags, travel-size toiletries work great

Toothbrush
Toothpaste (travel size if you have a lot of items to put into your bag)
Floss
Soap (we bring home soaps from hotels if we don’t end up using all of them)
Deodorant
Shampoo/conditioner (these are also great products to save from hotels if you don’t use them as they’re the perfect size for these bags)
Comb
Personal hygiene items if you’re making a kit for a woman (tampons, pantiliners, pads, etc)
Sunscreen (depending on time of year)
Chapstick

Personal Items:

New Socks
New Underwear
Inexpensive gloves

Non-Perishable Foods:

Granola Bars
Energy Bars
Tuna/cracker packs
Trail mix
Raisins
Peanuts
Fruit cup/ applesauce cup (& include a spoon)
Gum/hard candy
Hot Cocoa/Spiced Cider Mixes or on-the-go coffee mixes

GIVING GIFT CARDS TO THE HOMELESS

One way we have tried to responsibly give is by giving gift cards for food rather than cash. I used to include a $5 bill in our blessing bags with the intention that the person could buy themselves something to eat. Because the majority of people that we meet on the road asking for help are in a high-traffic shopping center and within walking distance, I normally give a $5 gift card to McDonald’s now. Walmart is right on the corner as well, so that would be another good option.

MONTHLY MINI BLESSING BAGS

We decided to make mini blessing bags to keep in our car and hand out as we saw someone in need. Anytime we see someone holding a sign, we roll down our window and hand out a bag. My kids love being part of such a simple way to show compassion.

Blessing Bag checklist via another blog

Click here for pinterest blessing-bags ideas

Blessing Bag Stuffing Parties:

A fun idea is to have a bag stuffing activity at a party or group meeting if you’re looking for a community outreach project. Gather a group together & create a list of items needed for people to purchase ahead of time. Then everyone picks one or a few items to bring – buying in bulk just one or two items, they can save more money than buying all the individual items. Set out a few tables & create an assembly line to assemble the bags quickly. These are a great way to add a service/community aspect to a get-together, especially around the holidays or if you’re looking for a project for a group or meeting as they’re very easy to organize & quick to put together. Participants can then either take a few bags to keep on hand in their vehicles or donate them all to a homeless shelter or organization.