kids

Book Club, Girls’ Edition: “Masterpiece” by Elise Broach

November 14, 2014 by Amy Leave a Comment

This month’s book is true genius.

We read Masterpiece by Elise Broach. It’s the story of Marvin, a stag beetle, who lives in an apartment with James’ family. James is not appreciated by most members of his family, and so he decides to draw a picture for James’ birthday. Following that they have lots of at and friendship related adventures together.

Masterpiece is a very quoteable book! There are deep thoughts all through the story, and the characters make tough decisions that are great conversation starters. The girls discussed these choices for a long time before heading into the kitchen….

Makin' Pinch-Me Cake — Makin’ Pinch-Me Cake

where they made a Pinch-Me Cake. I heard lots of giggling while they rolled the balls of dough in cinnamon and sugar.

Next the girls moved to the table, where they brainstormed the traits of a good friend. They decided that they each needed five ideas – and when they had those, then they wrote up their ideas as a friendship contract, which they all signed. I was quite impressed with their ideas.

Aren’t these great?

We decided that friendship t-shirts would be a fun thing to make. These girls are great – they get along super well and do all of my crazy projects peacefully, which is really saying something! They jumped on the t-shirt idea (because then they’re showing off their friendship and drawing, too, which totally fits the Masterpiece theme) and worked together to make one design. Then each girl drew the design on the shirt with chalk, and when they were ready, they used a Chlorox Bleach Pen on top. Since their shirts were a turquoise color, their lines turned white overnight, and they now have fancy club shirts.

After making their shirts, the girls gathered around the table for a snack of Pinch-Me Cake. They ate almost all of it, much to my husband’s dismay, and seemed to enjoy it.

Masterpiece is an excellent choice for a middle-elementary through middle school reader. With strong themes of friendship and art, your activity choices are endless – and you’ll love the story, too.

What are your kids reading this month?

Midweek Missions: Blessing Bags for the Homeless

November 12, 2014 by Amy 1 Comment

We’ve all seen them. People on street corners and busy intersections, holding up signs asking for food or work – or maybe both. People who look a little bit lost and confused.

People who need some help.

Our kids first noticed them several years ago. They wanted to help, but we weren’t sure how to do that – and then we stumbled across this idea (I’d share where it came from, but I have no idea anymore – it was a long time ago!)

Now we make blessing bags several times each year to keep in our car. We hand them out whenever we see someone who might need some help, and they’ve always been well received.

This time we made them at church and invited people at large to come and help. We turned on some music and had a missions party!

We collected donations of small toiletry items, like soaps, shampoos, deodorants, toothpaste, dental floss, chapstick, etc, as well as socks, washcloths, and non-perishable snacks, like granola bars, snack crackers, etc. Then we organized each item in piles on a long row of tables.

We put zip-top bags at the head of the table, and each one of us grabbed a bag and then walked – or danced – the length of the table, putting one item from each pile in the bag.

We took our bag over to the next table, where we laid out small sheets of colorful paper and markers. We drew pictures and wrote encouraging notes and tucked one into each bag. The bags moved on to a third table, while we went back to the beginning and started all over.

When we had used all of the supplies and filled as many bags as we could, we stopped for a cupcake break. What’s a party without cupcakes?

All told, the kids made about 55 bags in under an hour. They’re now residing in our vehicles, ready to find homes with people who need them.

What’s one thing you can do to help someone in need this winter?

Coming this Advent Season: Melk, the Christmas Monkey

November 11, 2014 by Amy Leave a Comment

This post contains affiliate links. Clicking on them supports our homeschooling efforts. We appreciate you using them!

Every year I look for an Advent plan for my kids that will keep the ‘Christ’ in CHRISTmas. Something that will be fun and meaningful for them without stressing me out. Somehow the ‘no stress’ part never really plays out.

But Melk, the Christmas Monkey, looks perfect.

Melk is a Christmas monkey -or sheep, or cow, or whatever you’d like, really – who writes kids letters overnight (because monkeys are nocturnal, of course). He points to projects and activities that are fun, but each letter has a devotional aspect. There’s a point to each activity, and Melk is careful to keep the spotlight on the true Reason for the Season amidst all the holiday cheer.

There are a few things that make Melk different from the other Advent programs I’ve seen. One is simply that you don’t need to do each activity. There are a total of 30 projects in this ebook, so you have more than enough to do one each day before Christmas – but they don’t build upon each other as with some programs, and so you can pick and choose the ones that best suit your family. You could do some one year, some the next, or go for broke and enjoy them all. The planning is done for you so you can enjoy the fun part.

Within those 30 project plans, there’s even more flexibility. Melk might ask you to make something, but there are multiple sets of directions listed, so you can choose the involvement level you like. You could even have older children do more complicated projects than your littles!

About those projects? Many of them are based on popular Christmas activities. Some might be things you’d try to do anyway – but Melk will add meaning to it. Some are spin-offs of these common activities, but all point to Jesus.

The proceeds from Melk help spread the gospel to kids in Mexico. Melk’s creator is a missionary currently living in Mexico, and she’s sharing some of the profits. Not only do you get a great program, but you get to help other kids at the same time.

You can see a sample from Melk, the Christmas Monkey, here. There are also coloring sheets available if you’d like more Melk fun.

I can’t wait for Melk to start sending my kids their Advent letters. Want visits from Melk, too? Click here to get your own copy of this fantastic new ebook.

Do you celebrate Advent in your home? How do you prepare for the birth of Jesus?

Nature Photography Contest Winners!

November 10, 2014 by Amy Leave a Comment

Congratulations to some really talented young photographers! The Nature Photography Contest for Kids has ended, and the following photos received the top votes:

Congratulations, girls, and please email amybradsher@gmail.com for information about receiving your prizes!

Vote NOW for Favorite Kids’ Photo!

November 3, 2014 by Amy Leave a Comment

The entries are all in for the Nature Photography Contest for kids, and it’s time to vote! Click here to see the amazing photos entered by our young photographers all over the world – and then click on the ‘vote’ symbol below your favorites! You get ten votes … ready, set, GO!

Photography Tips for Kids: The Rule of Thirds

October 31, 2014 by Amy Leave a Comment

Don’t forget – the Nature Photography Contest for Kids is now live! Today is the last day to enter your pictures!

We’ve talked about finding good lighting and an interesting perspective for your photographs, but there’s another important thing to consider: The Rule of Thirds.

This might sound complicated, but it really isn’t.

Imagine that your photograph is divided into three pieces, going side to side, and then you divided it again going up and down. You’d get something that looks roughly like this:

If this is your picture area, most of us plan to put the most important part of the picture in the middle – in the yellow box. We arrange our shot so that the thing we want people to look at is centered – but you know what? Our eyes naturally look off-center.

That means that we will automatically look at whatever is left of, right of, above or below the very middle.

So instead of planning to put that beautiful flower right in the middle of your picture, consider putting it where one of the white stars or yellow lines are. Those are places where our eyes go first naturally.

What does this mean, really?

Put the subject of your picture beside the middle.

I played around with some leaves. Does the Rule of Thirds and a change in perspective make these any more interesting?

Which ones do you like?

110+ Things to Study in Nature

October 29, 2014 by Amy Leave a Comment

The Nature Photography Contest is still in full swing, and as I was thinking about what might be available to you in nature – wherever you are – I realized that in October, I tend to think of the same few things – but those things might not be available to you. Brainstorming gave me some interesting ideas for things to take pictures of or just to study in general, so here are some (whacky?) ideas for your child to use. We’d love to see your pictures of these submitted into the contest, but these would also be great ideas to use in a scavenger hunt or to draw in your nature journals.

Acorns
Hazelnuts
Walnuts
Pecans
Squirrels
Chipmunks
Rabbits
Chickens
Birds
Deer
Bear
Elk
Moose
Dogs
Cats
Fish
Lizards
Sheep
Cows
Horses
Snakes
Trees
Leaves
Seeds
Seedlings
Roots
Pigs
Prairie Dogs
Water
Beaches
Sand
Rocks
Mesas
Mountains
Prairies
Sunsets
Sunrises
Clouds
Seashells
Grass
Clay
Hay
Straw
Silage
Streams
Rivers
Springs
Lakes
Ponds
Crickets
Grasshoppers
Mosquitos
Flies
Bees
Butterflies
Moths
Ants
Spiders
Spiderwebs
Anthills
Flowers
Waterfalls
Worms
Caterpillars
Ladybugs
Treebark
Bird nests
Eggs
Weeds
Pinecones
Pine needles
Corn shocks
The Ocean
Rats
Puddles
Animal Tracks
Hickory Nuts
Fire
Soil
Rain
Storms
Rainbows
Moon
Stars
Eclipses
Rays of sunlight
Mud
Fields
Turtles
Frogs
Lilypads
Snowflakes
Snowdrifts
Icicles
Beavers
Beaver Dams
Beaver Slides
Pumpkins
Squash
Apples
Corn fields
Dried Corn
Corn cobs
Pears
Berries
Frost
Raccoons
Fog
Mist
Oranges
Mangoes

What makes you think ‘nature?’

Don’t forget – the Nature Photography Contest for Kids is now live! You have until Friday to enter your photos here.

Photography Tips for Kids: Lighting

October 28, 2014 by Amy Leave a Comment

Lighting. I think that figuring out lighting angles for photography is hard, but there are a few rules of thumb to work with. Maybe these can make your next photos stand out.

Early morning and early evening are great times for taking pictures. Things won’t seem as vibrant outside, but that bright sunlight can make your subject impossibly bright – or strangely dark. The blue sky and trees were beautiful to me, but the scene didn’t translate to a photograph well.

Taking a photo into the sun, even if your subject is in the shade, can make it seem very dark. Make sure that your camera, your subject, and the background are all evenly lit.

Close-up pictures of individual subjects, like foods, shoes, etc., may be best taken outside. It’s difficult to get good lighting inside, and your camera’s flash might not be enough. If you can go outside for your close-up shot, remember to look for similar lighting, like on a porch or in the shade. If you have to stay inside, try taking your picture near a window, where more natural lighting might be available.

Don’t forget – the Nature Photography Contest for Kids is now live! You have until Friday to enter your photos here.

Book Club, Girls’ Edition: “Callie’s Contest of Courage”

October 24, 2014 by Amy 1 Comment

This month the girls read a really wonderful book: Callie’s Contest of Courage by Jan May. I appreciate this book for many reasons, not the least of these is the way that it encourages girls to be strong and faithful.

But it does something else, too: it provides many ways for kids to be like Callie in real life, and we had fun trying them out at our October Book Club party.

First, a photographer friend came over, and she shared some simple tips and tricks to taking great photographs. The girls asked good questions, and afterwards we headed out in search of interesting subjects.

These magnolia seeds fascinated several of the girls.

They got really into their photography and tried out lots of different perspectives for each shot.

After that we went inside to talk about editing photographs. I’m no expert, but I’ve played around with PicMonkey a bit, and so each girl chose one photo to edit with that program. This one was a magnolia seed pod …

while these were the seeds that they were studying so intently.

Another girl was fascinated with the American flag that we found up the street. Personally, I enjoyed seeing how creative they could be – both with their initial photographs and with their editing!

We decided, though, that no book club about Callie would be complete without a pie eating contest – and the girls really got into that! We made basic plastic bibs to keep the pie off their clothes, and I asked the girls to come with their hair pulled back. Then, after making simple banana cream pies, they stuck their faces in and got to town! Giggling was rampant during this part of book club, and they grinned from ear to ear – with whipped cream decorating everything in between – while they licked their pie tins clean.

We all loved Callie – even My Little Man, who’s determined that his book club needs to read Callie, too. With such a strong and interesting character and lots of adventures, Callie’s Contest of Courage is a great choice for your next book club.

The girls were so fascinated with photography that we’ve kicked off our Nature Photography Contest for Kids – which is now live! Click here to learn more and enter your child’s photos. You could even win your own copy of Callie!

For some information about how to take good photographs, read Photography Tips for Kids: Perspective here.

What makes you pull out your camera?

Photography Tips for Kids: Perspective

October 21, 2014 by Amy Leave a Comment

* The Nature Photography Contest for Kids is now open and ready to accept entries! Find out more here.

This post is the first in a series designed to help budding photographers take better pictures. I am personally not a trained nor experienced photographer but have received several tips from those who are – and so I’m passing them along.

Last week at church we saw this amazing sight:

The sun was setting over our newly paved parking lot, which was covered in a veritable sea of corns. My Big Helper was excited about the shadows created by the sun – but how to photograph them?

Perspective is your point of view. It’s the way that you see things. Using a camera to take a picture of something allows you to show people your perspective – to show them how you see it. Standing in the parking lot, at my full-but-short height, this is how I saw the whole scene.

It’s a pretty scene, but it doesn’t really focus on any one part of it. If you wanted to focus in on the sheer number of acorns, then …

you might move down lower. Cut out some of the background, like the houses and the sunset, and focus on the acorns. This might be more from the perspective of a cat. It’s about that height and lets you see more about the number of the acorns in the lot.

What if I moved my camera even lower? What if I moved it almost directly above an acorn? This might be from the point of view, or perspective, of a butterfly. Butterflies might see the acorns looking like this.

But what if I wanted to show more than one acorn? What if I wanted to include the sunset but didn’t want to make it the focus?

This time I moved my camera so that it was nearly sitting on the pavement. I was sitting on the pavement, moving my camera around, trying to get a good angle. This would be more from the perspective of a really tall ant. You can see the acorns, lots and lots of acorns, and you get a bit of the sunset in one corner. I think that this is the most interesting picture.

When you go out to take pictures, think about perspective. Do you want to show the top of whatever you’re photographing? Is it more important to shoot from a tall angle or a shorter angle? How can you move your body to improve the angle – sitting down, laying down, standing on a chair (with permission)?

How can you use perspective to improve your photography?