You can have a scavenger hunt with friends, or just
your family.
1.
Divide into teams or play as individuals, depending
on the number playing.
2.
Provide a list of items to find.
Items can be randomly chosen or based on a theme,
such as the following
printable lists suggest (cross off items you don't
want or add others):
Nature;
another
Nature;
Sounds
(tape record);
ABC
Items (good for younger children);
Graveyard
(information from tombstones);
Jigsaw
Puzzle (find pieces and put them together);
"
Find
Me" (also good for a field trip).
3.
Set a time limit.
The team that finds the most items by the end of the
time limit, or
that finds all of the items first, wins!
Suggested Rules
•
For safety, children should not leave your own
property unless with
an adult (e.g., at a park).
•
Don't follow the frequent scavenger-hunt practice of
taking or
borrowing items from others.
•
Don't pick vegetation
on public, or others', private property.
Variations
•
Include some chores in a family scavenger hunt.
•
Include items you have lost and need to find.
•
Instead of collecting items, photograph or draw
them.
____________________________________________
72. Help Your Children Start or Continue
Their Own Personal Devotions
Teach your children how to have their own daily
quiet time with God, following these principles.
•
Read God's Word
Choose a book of the Bible or a section such as the
four Gospels and
read some each day.
•
Meditate
Think about what you have read. Consider writing
notes in a journal. You might look for
attributes of God, instructions or good examples to
follow, sins to
avoid, etc.
•
Apply
Determine to do something about what you have
read, such as share the truth
with someone or change something
in your life.
•
Pray
Thank the Lord for what He has done for you; ask God for
forgiveness; ask Him for what you need and to show
you what He wants you to do.
Tips
•
Set aside a regular time each day (e.g., before
breakfast).
•
Choose a quiet location where you won't be
interrupted.
•
Keep your devotional materials
all together, easy to find.
•
Don't do your devotions in
bed.
Sharing with your children what you have learned in
your own personal devotions will encourage them as
well!
____________________________________________
73. Plan To Enter a Contest
Participating in a contest can benefit your children by
providing knowledge and skills, motivation
for study, character
training, confidence, practical life skills, and
rewards.
You can integrate contests into your curriculum by
looking ahead,
talking with your children about their interests,
and then learning
about and scheduling contests for next year.
See
Newsletter
#135 for ways to use national contests in your
studies and
a list (with links to official websites) of more
than 55 national
contests in all academic areas. Also see Jean Wells
Worship Guitar Class
song
writing contest.
____________________________________________
74. Take That Outing
It's time to ask your family, "Where haven't we gone
this summer that
we wanted to go?" Before long the weather and school
studies may make it less possible to go.
Exception: If the weather holds, there are places
that will be less
crowded to visit after conventional school
begins.
However, if you don't plan now and put it on your
calendar, you may wonder
this winter why you didn't get to the beach, park,
mountains, etc. this
summer!
Take your binoculars and
field
guides for bird, flower, and plant
identification, as well as
creation
science guides.
____________________________________________
75. Establish Family Nights
One of the best things you can do with your children
to promote
family unity is to have a "family night" each week.
This can create a family
tradition that will be remembered and
cherished for years to come.
Establish a time each week to enjoy one another's
company as a family.
It doesn't have to cost money or be very
educational, just relaxing and fun.
•
Choose activities such as walking or hiking, playing
board games, doing puzzles, arts and
crafts, or baking together, or simply reading aloud
together.
•
Set aside the same night each week and schedule
other activities
around it. Since most outside events are scheduled
on weekends, you
might
want to choose a week night for your family
night.
•
Use this time only for positive activities, not to
deal with problems.
•
Plan a special meal and/or dessert.
•
Consider letting each member of the family take
a turn selecting
a meal or activity.
Start by planning a family night next week if you
haven't already; your family will be glad you
did!
____________________________________________
76. Make Legal Arrangements To Homeschool
Avoid potential problems by making the following
arrangements.
•
Know your
state's
law.
•
Contact your
state
home-school organization to learn
how to comply with your state's law.
•
Consider Joining
Home
School Legal Defense Association.
____________________________________________
77. Determine Your School Year Schedule
Create a master calendar for the year that
shows schooling days, vacations, start dates of
major units, test dates, holidays, field trips, and
events.
Choose the traditional nine months with 5-day weeks
and three month summer break or set up your own
year-round schedule like one of the following
samples:
•
A four-day school week with three days off.
•
Three, four, or six weeks of school, then one week
off.
•
Eight or ten weeks of school, then two weeks
off.
Remember to take into account the number of school
days or hours,
if any, that you are required to document according
to your state law.
____________________________________________
78. Set up a Master Calendar
Keep a large calendar near the phone, set rules for
accepting invitations and scheduling appointments,
and mark the following:
•
Your home-school schedule (see above) including school
days, test days, vacations, library days, field
trips, and support group activities.
•
All of your family's appointments, church and social
activities, music lessons, etc.
•
Birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and special
days.
•
Weekly goals for a long-range project.
This practice will greatly help your family's
schedule to run smoothly!
____________________________________________
79. Create Daily and Weekly Schedules
Use your family's daily and weekly schedules to
incorporate your plans and goals. A time budget
assures that urgent demands don't steal time from
the important things you want and need to do.
•
Establish regular times for family meals, going to bed
and getting up, chores, quiet times, schoolwork,
play, family devotions, errands, church meetings,
and family
times.
•
Allow extra time to move from one activity to
another. This will allow you to take care of
personal needs, rest a bit, and have some leeway for
the unexpected.
•
Post a copy where all can see it.
____________________________________________
80. Plan Each Week in Advance
Make a practice of setting aside a regular time each
week to plan in advance for the next week.
•
Set your weekly and daily goals.
•
Do your lesson planning for schoolwork.
•
Make lists of phone calls to be made, errands to be run,
shopping to be done, details to be tended to.
•
Evaluate anything that is bothering you and think how
you can fix it.
•
Coordinate your week with your husband.
