Tiny Planets

Okay explorers, are you ready to take an exciting voyage into space? Are you looking for a family friendly, award winning, educational, entertaining website for your 4-12 year old- that also happens to be free? Well, then Tiny Planets may be just the site you're looking for.

So, what is it? Tiny Planets is a website designed to teach and entertain children mainly in the subject of science. Our guides are Bing and Bong, two cuddly aliens who navigate our journey throughout space on a big comfy sofa. Along the way, they also educate us in caring for our planet, social responsibility, even math and literacy.

Let's get started, shall we? To begin with, you must set up your parent account. Then you'll get your children signed up into their own accounts. They are then assigned their own space themed cadet name, and password. Now you're ready to have some fun.

When you get to the main page, there are seven planets displayed, each one representing a different area to check out and play in.

Tiny Planets Home- This is the main page where you may choose what you want to try out.

Tiny Planet's TV- Click here and you can watch a video from the tiny planet's collection. My children enjoyed the little written story that precedes the videos, and summarizes the plot. It was good reading practice for them. By the way, the video series was co created by Sesame Street Workshop. Not that I'm a name dropper or anything...

My Tiny Planets- With your little space cadet, your child will choose from a variety of fun space themed activities, including, but not limited to, space missions with Bing and Bong, a variety of games, adopt a planet, fly their own spaceship, and more.

Tiny Planets Fun- Your child will visit this planet and try puzzles, coloring pages, and comics.

Tiny Planets Books- One of our family's favorite parts of this website! Choose from a selection of interactive books to listen to, or have your child practice reading- which is what we did with our kids. We especially love the characters called the flockers-very unique, but cute little creatures.

Tiny Planet's Learning-This planet contains a wonderful surprise-a cache of learning activities for you, the teacher. It is chock full of lesson plans, which cover a variety of themes, including self, nature, technology, light and sound, and more. Each lesson plan is geared towards the 3-5 yr.old, and has as story, discussion questions, science experiments, and a video. You'll also find printable sheets for math and letter practice. And it's free!

Tiny Planet's Labs- Care to play a game? Then click here and see what the creators are cooking up. They test out new ideas on this page. My oldest daughter and I loved the hide and seek game where we had to find the flockers with a telescope.

The really cool aspect of this site is its affordability. Even if you have no budget, everyone can afford free! So, if that's where you're at, enjoy all of this for zero dollars. If however, there's a little to spare, you can purchase "keys" through your parent account, which you may then distribute to your little cadets for further fun. This would include enhancing your games, the ability to really deck out your planet with cool buildings and more. You might also want to purchase additional books and tv episodes.

Overall, we really had fun with Tiny Planet's. The space characters are fun, and we especially loved the interactive books and games. I do feel that I must say however, that at first, the site was a little tricky to work with. I had to be right there with my 6 year old because some of the games were slow in responding as far as clicking and dragging the mouse goes. Also, there was one game that would not allow us to get started at all. But, that may have been the fault of my computer, I'm still not positive what the cause was. More importantly, my girls were very pleased with it all, and it was geared towards them, so...thumbs up from our family.

**Note** In exchange for free access to Tiny Planet's, I agreed to provide my honest review.

Tiny Planet's

Ages: 4-12yrs. old

Contact: Contact@TinyPlanets.com

Price: Free for basic access to the website, "keys" available for additional purchase, optional- check website for exact pricing

Don't forget to head over to the TOS Crew page for other reviews and homeschool resources.

http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew

Apologia - Good Morning, God

I love bookstores. Whenever I have the rare opportunity to wile away the afternoon, I usually head to the nearest bookstore. Once I arrive, my first stop is the children's section. Oh, how I adore children's literature! All of it, from the very silly to the classics, all hold appeal for me.

As a homeschooling mom, I especially appreciate those books that include within them, or at least allow for, extra activities. Which brings me to a lovely book that I had the chance to read over the past few weeks, Good Morning God, by Davis Carmen.

Actually, I don't think that it's enough to say that we read through the book. Good Morning God is more than a story. Depending on the way that you choose to use it with your family, it could fill in as a week long bible curriculum, which is the route that we took.

Let me begin with a general overview of the story. Aimed at children ages 1 to 8 yrs. old, this story contains a lot of repetition within, which my daughters really liked, as they quickly caught on how each page would start out, and they would then join in with me. For example, the book goes through the days of the week, beginning with Sunday, and each day starts with " Today is... I wake up with lots of energy." Each day focuses on a different way that the child in the story learns how to worship God with his family, and then ends with "Good night , Sunday, good night God" - or whatever the day was.

One of the first aspects of this story that drew my girls in was the beautiful illustrations - so peaceful and lifelike. The illustrator - Alice Ratterree - created a nice contrast on each page by drawing one page in color, and the opposite page in black and white.

At the end of the book, there are bible passages and various activities and questions for each day. I found myself amazed at the doors these opened with my children. We had some very meaningful conversations about spiritual topics, and it was enlightening on my part, to say the least. I loved hearing their heart's thoughts about God and heaven. They really looked forward to each day's activities, and asked first thing each morning if we were reading "our book" that day.

We began first by reading the book in its entirety, and then each day, we would re-read that day's page, and complete the corresponding questions, scripture verses, etc.. To make it even more fun, , we decided to compile all of their work into a little keepsake book.

To sum up, this book is a very worthwhile addition to our library. Although geared for the kids, I was ministered to just as much as, if not more than they were through the scripture and questions. The illustrations are so pretty, we've looked through it quite a few times already, and I'm looking forward to delving into it again soon. Check it out!

**Note** I received a free copy of the book Good Morning, God by Davis Carmen, and in return, agreed to provide my honest review of it.

Good Morning, God

$14.00

Ages: 1-8 yrs.

Apologia Educational Ministries

1106 Meridian Plaza, Suite 220

Anderson, In 46016

Toll Free: 888-524-4724

Phone: 765-608-3280

email: mailbag@apologia.com

Web: www.apologia.com

Don't forget to check out TOS Crew homepage for more reviews and resources too!

http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew

Smart Kids Productions- My Animal Family- Nanuq

Who doesn't love a good documentary? A valuable addition to any homeschool, they are a good way to enliven your studies. I find them as interesting as my daughters do, and with a narrator that is typically of the British variety, the information seems all the more important ;) .

This past month, our family had the chance to read through the book My Animal Family - Nanuq, by Smart Kid Productions. Geared towards children aged 4 yrs.up to about 8yrs., it's a sweet story about a young polar bear and his family, a documentary with a fresh twist - told from the perspective of Nanuq himself.

The book breaks away from a traditional documentary style, and teaches us about the life and habits of a polar bear in story form. We read how Nanuq and his brother Suka learn from their mother how to sniff the air in search of seals, how to break open the ice to get a drink of water, and how to stay safe from the walruses, among other things.

With beautifully life like illustrations, the story draws you in, right up to the end where Nanuq rescues his mischieveous brother, and we see a subtle growth in the bears' maturity.

Our whole family enjoyed reading the story.Its format kept my daughters engaged for the duration. It would have been enough in itself, but, to our delight, the fun doesn't end with the last page of the book.

Enclosed with the book is a dvd, which includes the story, some fun polar bear facts, and a song. We enjoyed the wonderful footage of the animals, and as is probably true of most children, the story, voiced by a child, held the attention of my own. As a parent, I appreciated the fact that, unlike other documentaries, the directors were careful to leave out some of the more frightening aspects of wildlife, keeping it kid friendly.

No sooner was the program over than they wanted to watch it again.

That says it all right there.

I think that you'll find it to be a bargain, at $12.99, you're getting both the book and dvd, and really good ones at that. Be sure to visit their website, as they have other book/dvd packages featuring different animals.

**Note** I received a free copy of My Animal Family-Nanuq and the dvd. In return, I agreed to provide my honest review, with no additional compensation.

Smart Family Publications-My Animal Family-Nanuq

http://www.smartkidsbookstore.com/

Price: $12.99 per book/dvd combo

Ages: 4yrs.-8yrs.

**And, while you're at it, don't forget to check out The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Homeschool Crew's homepage. You can check out other great products and reviews there!

http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew

Orange Rolls and Gumdrops

If you're like most people, you probably associate holidays with some particular yummy dish. That is certainly the case with me, and each holiday features a different, but cherished family recipe.


For example, when I think of Thanksgiving, it's my mom's stuffing that comes to mind, the best in the world - as far as I'm concerned anyway. Christmas is all about mom's Christmas cookie platters, homemade fried chicken fingers and cheesecake. Since I was married over 15 years ago, it also became about my mother in law's peach kuchen and gumdrop cookies - Christmas legends on my husband's side of the family. Easter always features ham and my dad's German potato salad, mmm! I can taste it now. The days immediately following Easter also mean homemade split pea soup, featuring the ham bone from that wonderful meal. We celebrate independence day by hosting a big cookout for the family that includes everything from brats and burgers to ice cream and brownies.


Yeah, there are quite a few good cooks in my family. Now, I must tell you, that while I prepare a few dishes pretty well, I have many miles to go before I could ever hope to attain to the status that other family members have achieved. However, when it comes to the dessert side of the meal, I'm not half bad. In fact, there is one recipe in my personal library that has become a "must have" at Thanksgiving. Before I tell you about it, allow me to provide you with a little background.


My husband comes from a family of campers, and so for him, summer memories include swimming at the lake, fishing, and s'mores around the campfire. I am NOT a camper. I could go into more detail, but that would be way too lengthy - maybe that could be a topic for a different post sometime. Anyway, as a young bride, I decided to give it a go, and we purchased a pop up trailer. It was during those weekends of camping with my in law's that we were introduced to a lovely restaurant just beside the Rock river in northwestern Illinois. Now, the whole meal is always wonderful, but it's the very last part of the meal that makes you want to jump up and down clapping.


Orange rolls, fresh and warm from the oven. Orange rolls, dripping with thick, sweet icing. Rolls so yummy that you carried the one remaining treat home as if it were made of gold, that is, if you were lucky enough to have the privilege of claiming the last one. These were one of the few aspects of camping that I found enjoyable.


Well, one day I came across a recipe for... yes...orange rolls! They looked just as delightful, right down to the icing. I decided to try making them for Thanksgiving. I didn't mention that I was bringing them, just in case things didn't work out. Well... they were a huge hit! My mother in law even pronounced them BETTER than the ones at the restaurant. The ultimate compliment!


Well, I count it a privilege to have contributed to our family's holiday traditions. It is my hope that as my own children grow up, this will be one of the recipes that they will not only look forward to eating, but also one that will remind them of warmth and happy family gatherings. As we move into this years' holiday season, I pray that your own family celebrations will be just as sweet!





Orange Rolls
2 envelopes active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water mixed with a pinch of sugar
1 cup scalded milk, cooled slightly
2 large eggs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
salt
finely grated zest of 2 oranges
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour, a little more for dusting
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 tablespoons orange juice

In a medium bowl, sprinkle yeast over sugar water-let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add milk, eggs, granulated sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, half the zest, and shortening. Slowly add flour, mixing until shiny and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes. Coat bowl with cooking spray, place dough in bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Filling: In a small bowl, mix remaining zest, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, and butter. Set aside. On a well floured work surface, gently knead dough 3 to 4 times to release air pockets. Roll out dough to an 18 x 14 inch rectangle, dusting with flour as needed. Brush about 1/3 of the filling ove half of rectangle (9 x 14 inch ), fold other half over to enclose, bringing the 14 inch sides together. Brush entire top with another 1/3 of filling, and fold again to enclose, this time bringing the two 9 inch sides together. Let rest about 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough again, this time to a 16 x 10 inch rectangle. Brush half ( 8 x 10 inch ) with remaining filling, and fold other half over, bringing the two 10 inch sides together. Cut into 20 small squares ( about 2 inches ). Coat two 12-cup muffin tins with cooking spray. Place squares in tins, with exposed cut layers facing up. Let rise until almost doubled in size, 12 to 15 minutes.

Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, let rest in tins 1 minute. Transfer rolls to cooling rack.

Make a thick icing by whisking together orange juice and remaining 2 cups confectioners' sugar. Drizzle over cooled rolls.
Makes 20

KB Teachers

What is the biggest advantage of homeschooling? Well, you could ask one, ten, a dozen, hey, even a hundred homeschooling parents that question and get just as many answers. I would venture to say though, that one of the top answers would be the ability to tailor the teaching style to each students' learning style. So, what's your style? I think I tend to lean towards the traditional schooling methods, although I "borrow" from the other styles as necessary to meet the learning needs of my children. When I think about traditional schooling, I often think of worksheets, which brings me to the subject of my review here.

KB Teachers, or Knowledge Bears, is an award winning teacher website founded by Christophe T. Popper. For $29 per year, or $49 for two years, you gain access to the site's premium worksheets, printable pages, and workbooks, suitable for students K-12. Now, I will be the first to admit that I am a bit of a geek when it comes to teacher resources. There is nothing that gets me going more than browsing through the local teacher stores and various websites. Ahh, there's nothing quite like the smell of a freshly printed worksheet. Mmmm....well, anyway, when I began exploring KB Teachers, I was like a little kid on Christmas morning. There is a LOT of great stuff here!

I'll start with my favorite section - seasonal printables and worksheets. Even before I was a homeschooling mom, as a preschool teacher I loved the beginning of each month, and all of the fresh activities and special events to plan for. If you share my enthusiasm for those things too, you're going to love this page. November is well under way now, and KB has some adorable Thanksgiving printables. There are turkey, pilgrim, and native american posters, stickers, and mazes, that can be used for all kinds of crafts, games,and whatever else you might think of. I love the turkey posters for Thanksgiving, in fact, I've customized some of them for our Awana program. So cute and festive!

Their fall section also features an assortment of autumn -themed worksheets to supplement your studies, whether the subject is math (count the falling leaves in the picture) or handwriting (trace the letters and words). As an added bonus, you have the option of printing your pages in color, or leave them black and white, which allows you to also use them as coloring pages. My daughters really love these and joyfully proclaimed that this was "the best way to do school ever!" Math happens to be our most challenging subject at the moment, so the colorful pages and the seasonal characters available for this area keep the interest up for my girls. Also, KB allows you to change up the numbers simply by clicking the "generate new numbers" icon, so I can generate a new set of problems for them to work on without spending a lot of time and effort.

You'll also find that KB features monthly web quests for various days of the month. Learn about a few famous people born during the current month, or jazz up your day by researching peanut butter fudge day, or parfait day. It was fun to discover that I share a birthday with Charles Schulz, founder of the famous Peanuts comic strip.

If that were all this website offered, it would be impressive. But there is so, so much more! As I just mentioned, the worksheets are programmable, so you can customize each one for your specific needs. Whether you need alphabet pages for your kindergartner, or you're older child needs practice writing an outline, you'll find it all here, taking you through each step. You'll find it helpful that each subject is categorized by grade level, so you can quickly get where you need to go.

How do you teach math? Does your child learn better by counting images? Does she need practice with word problems? Are you teaching them about counting money? It's all here, no searching all over the place, no waiting for your downloads, everything is but a click away.

I should also mention that KB is always creating fresh worksheets for you, and, if initially you don't find what you're looking for, contact them and they will either find it, or create it for you! A teachers dream!

KB offers the same awesome features for other subjects as well.

The science section features virtually everything you might think of, whether you're studying astronomy, marine biology, or the weather. You could even call it your one stop shop, because KB has done most of the work for you. This would be so valuable to a busy household with a wide range of grade levels. I mean, there are complete lessons and workbooks here! Incredible!

You'll find more of the same in the social studies section - outlines, tests, essays, yeah, it's all there.

The last section featured on the Knowledge Bears website is kind of a miscellaneous group of activities. Here are coloring pages and workbooks of dinosaurs, the four seasons, and for the little ones, various basic skills pages.

As if that weren't enough, there is a nice little collection of art project ideas, suitable for every student K-12, as simple as an egg carton caterpillar or as complex as ancestral self-portraits. We had fun crafting a version of the soda pop penguins, modifying it a bit to suit our available materials. So cute.

Be sure to browse through the clip art available for your lessons, presentations, to jazz up your various projects and crafts, or add them to your blog.

I'm confident that you'll be as pleased to have access to this resource as I am. You are given the opportunity to look through their library before you join. When you do become a member, you have 30 days to change your mind and get a refund - although I doubt you'll want one.

The website is updated frequently, so there are always fresh ideas waiting for your use. Now, get yourself over there and try it out today!

* Note * - KB Teachers gave me a free one year premium subscription to their website, and in exchange, I agreed to try it out and provide my honest opinion of it, with no additional compensation.

KB Teachers

http://www.kbteachers.com/

Price: $29 one year subscription or $49 two year subscription

Ages: K-12

You can also check out the homepage for TOS Homeschool Crew. You'll find all kinds of reviews and great resources to look through and add to your homeschool. You'll be glad you did!

http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew

Hurry! Get Your Subscription Now! The Old Schoolhouse Magazine - 2 and 2 Promo

On Monday, November 15, the price for a one-year U.S. or Canadian print subscription to TOS Magazine is $10.

On Tuesday, November 16, the price goes to $12.

On Wednesday, November 17, the price is $14.

Each day we add $2 until Saturday and Sunday, when the price is $20. At midnight PST on Sunday, November 21, the price goes back to its regular level.

The earlier you shop in the week, the more you save.

Plus, every 12th customer to purchase a subscription gets a tote bag.

Every 14th customer to purchase a subscription gets a copy of the E-Book: The 2010-2011 Schoolhouse Planner.

Every 16th customer to purchase a subscription gets a $25 gift card to the Totally TOS category in the Schoolhouse Store.

This excludes Molly Green and Download N Go.

As an added bonus, the highest ticket of the day on Monday, November 15 through Wednesday November 17, will win a $200 gift card to the Schoolhouse Store.

This can be used for any company in the Store, except Download N Go.

So, put 2 and 2 together and shop early! The earlier you grab your one-year new or renewing subscription, the better the price you'll pay. Plus, you could receive one of the bonus gifts.

Or, you might be the highest ticket of the day!

If you are eligible for a bonus gift, you will receive an email from a member of the Schoolhouse Store team.

Click here for all of the details: http://bit.ly/cQwWOQ

Corps Of Rediscovery - Cornhusk dolls kit

The opportunity to try out and subsequently review this cornhusk doll kit was timely for me. I love, love, love the fall season, with the cooler temps, falling leaves, yummy smells, and all of the delicious comfort food. What does that have to do with cornhusk dolls? Well, autumn is also the time that we typically recount the history of the pilgrims journey to America, and their early days here. So, as we revisit those much simpler times, having this little craft kit was a great addition to the colonial theme in our studies.

Corps of Rediscovery is a family owned business, providing a variety of early american pioneer based crafts, projects, and other related items. They actually have had the privilege of homeschooling their children and enjoyed the opportunity of traveling America with the entire family, giving them the chance to explore the historic trails and local culture of our great country. When you visit their website, I have no doubt that you will enjoy reading a bit more of their journeys.

Our family had the chance to try out the cornhusk dolls, which immediately piqued the interest of my daughters. Those girlies love their dollies! I mentioned before that this project fit in very nicely with this month's curriculum, as we've been reading and studying about the pilgrims and early colonial times. Quick history tidbit - the cornhusk dolls were also called faceless dolls, and introduced to us by the Iriquois indians. Even way back then, with the little resources available, they found ways to entertain the children! I took that opportunity to discuss the topic of contentment, materialism, etc. with my own kids - couldn't pass that up!

Getting back to our subject at hand though, there are two kits available, one for a boy doll or one for a girl doll. This time around, we made the girl, which comes with a couple of small bundles of dry cornhusks, some fabric, and kitchen string. You will also need to have a needle, some thread, and actually, probably some extra kitchen string. I found the amount in the package a little bit short for my needs. Now, for those of you who, like me, find your heart palpitating at the thought of having to sew, well, anything, never fear! You only need to do a running stitch to finish up the apron for your doll, and if even that puts you off, you have the option of letting your cornhusk doll go "au natural" as they say.

First step, prep! You will take all of those lovely little cornhusks and soak them in a bowl of water for one hour. I recommend doing this before you gather the troops around, especially if they are as impatient to craft as my little ones can be.

Okay, the hour is up, so now select six of the best and brightest of your husks- these are going to make up your a-maizing dolls skirt- sorry, it was inevitable to be a little corn-y, oops, last one, I promise! Put those six beauties aside for later. Choose a few of the remaining husks and gather them together at one end. You will then take your kitchen string and tie the husks together about 3/4 of an inch from the end. Next comes my daughters favorite part, peeling the husks back and pulling them over the part that you just tied, and then tie it together again, to make the dolls head.

Next, you form the waist, again, by tying with string.

We are now ready for the arms, which come together nicely by rolling up a couple of husks and tucking them under the dolls neck.

Now, to cover up some of the string, we'll drape husks in a crisscross over the chest, and prepare the skirt.

This is where you'll use those six husks that you put aside. Once again, they are gathered at one end and then peeled back to form a nice full skirt.

To keep the husks in place until they dry, you'll tie string around the skirt, and around the arms. Trim the bottom of the skirt to make it even and so you doll will stand easily on its own.

Once the doll is dry, you have the option of leaving it as it is, which is nice, or by finishing the doll with the fabric included in the kit. I have never been an avid seamstress, but even I can handle a simple running stitch, and the apron adds a nice little splash of color.

So, there's your basic overview, now , a few of my thoughts...

I liked completing this project with my kids. It was a good supplement for our theme, and I enjoyed sharing not only the crafty side of it, but the history as well. I also appreciate the fact that we now have a pretty decoration to display in the house.

My own children are 5 and 6 years old, and while they were enthusiastic about the project, there was quite a bit that they were not able to do on their own. It wasn't really a problem per say, but it would have been nice for it to be completely their project. I think this craft is suited best for an older child, maybe starting at 7 years old.

The only other issue, if it could even be called that, would be related to the instructions. They were basically fine, we got the job done, however, I tend to be a visual learner, and some actual photos of the doll as it was being put together would have been even more helpful in the assembly.

My final words - I would and will recommend corps of rediscovery kits. I apologize if I sound cliche, but I found this to be fun and informative and a great addition to your homeschool, or just for fun. I also need to mention that the price was very reasonable. Right now on the website, these kits have been marked down from $5.99 to $4.50. It would make a good christmas present, or craft for your church group. At that price go order both of them. I think I'll go do that now!

*In return for a Corps of Re-Discovery cornhusk doll kit, I agreed to provide my honest review of the product, with no additional compensation.

Corps of Re-Discovery

Cornhusk doll kits-$5.99 per kit

Ages:7 years and up

5329 N Lakewood Drive

Springfield MO 65803

417.833.6905

http://www.corpsrediscovery.com/