The Land of Story-books

At evening when the lamp is lit,
Around the fire my parents sit;
They sit at home and talk and sing,
And do not play at anything.

Now, with my little gun, I crawl
All in the dark along the wall,
And follow round the forest track
Away behind the sofa back.

There, in the night, where none can spy,
All in my hunter's camp I lie,
And play at books that I have read
Till it is time to go to bed.

These are the hills, these are the woods,
These are my starry solitudes;
And there the river by whose brink
The roaring lions come to drink.

I see the others far away
As if in firelit camp they lay,
And I, like to an Indian scout,
Around their party prowled about.

So when my nurse comes in for me,
Home I return across the sea,
And go to bed with backward looks
At my dear land of Story-books.
--Robert Louis Stevenson

Geocaching

With warmer weather my family is beginning to think of more outdoor activities. One of our favorite extracurricular activities as a family is Geocaching. Have you heard of it?

Basically, it's a high-tech "treasure-hunting" game, using the internet and a GPS. The "treasure" (or cache) is usually some kind of well-labeled, weather-proof container hidden in an accessible area, often out in the wilderness. The cache always contains a logbook for finders to sign, and usually a collection of trade items for finders to swap with. The kids love the trading aspect and enjoy seeing what is in each cache we find.Sound fun? To get started, log on to Geocaching.com and put in your zip code. That will bring up all the caches in your area. They are rated as to difficulty. Then you can enter the coordinates into a hand-held GPS unit and off you go!

We like to choose caches that are off the beaten path, and our favorites have been those that include a short hike. We have been Geocachers since 2002 and aren't nearly as active as some, but we love to try to hit at least a few caches each summer.

Supplementing Sonlight Curriculum

When you order a Sonlight Core package, chances are you will get more materials than you can complete in a year. Most families don't try to "do it all"! However, if you're like me, occasionally you will read a book or hit upon a subject that your children are particularly interested in, and you want to learn more about it.

Several years ago, when my children were quite young, I began to compile a list of links that enhanced or supplemented the Sonlight Core materials we were using. I posted it on my website, and many Sonlighters have told me that they have found it to be very helpful. Each year I have added to that list.

Please let me know if you have corrections or suggestions for my list! Thanks so much!

Resurrection Cookies

How do you celebrate Holy Week and Easter in your homeschool? One year, when my children were younger we made "Resurrection Cookies" as a family the night before Easter. It was a meaningful devotional time and the confections were yummy! Here's the recipe we used:

Resurrection Cookies

• 1 cup whole pecans
  
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 3 egg whites
• pinch salt
• 1 cup sugar
• Plastic Ziploc Baggie
• Wooden spoon
• Rolling pin
• Tape
• Bible

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. (Do this before doing anything else.)

• Place nuts in baggie and beat them with a wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3
• Open the vinegar and let everyone smell it. Put 1 teaspoon into the mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, all He was given to drink was vinegar. Read John 19:28-30
• Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11
• Put a little salt into each person’s hand. Let them taste it, then brush the rest into the bowl. (If you have lots of kids, put a pinch of salt in yourself, and then let each child taste the salt…otherwise there will be too much salt in the recipe) Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’ followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27
• So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Sprinkle a little sugar into each person’s hand. Let them taste it, then brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16
• Beat with mixer on high speed for 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents our purity in God’s eyes because our sins are cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18
• Fold in nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60
• Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and TURN THE OVEN OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door shut. Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66
• Now go to bed. Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus’ followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22
• On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the third day, Jesus followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9

He is Risen!

Invitation Accepted

She stands by me,
this child of three,
Holding out
a picture book;
Her eyes in upward,
pleading look.

I think of pressing
tasks today,
Of waiting things
of near demand,
Yet swiftly reach
for her small hand,
And go with her
to Fairyland.

--Katherine Edelman

Free Bible Study Resources Online

• Calvary Chapel's Children's Ministry: This is a great resource if you need coloring sheets, printable puzzles, or worksheets for just about any story in the Bible.
• eBible Teacher Sunday School Sources: Provides Bible study lessons, review activities and games, songs, trading card files, and teaching tips for primary and junior level.
• The Word Puzzles. 20,000 Interactive Bible Puzzles, Word Searches and Games.
• Christian Answers Coloring Pages. Print pages or color online.
• Bible Gateway. Full text of dozens of Bible translations, fully searchable by word, phrase, or reference. I use this site all the time!
  

If you know of other great resources that aren't on my list, please leave a comment and I will update this post! Thanks so much!