The holidays are fast approaching and with it comes excitement and anticipation.  No matter what faith or beliefs you hold close to your heart each of us have a few times a year where we are preparing for some type of holiday.

We celebrate Christmas, and I still get excited much like I did when I was a child.  Perhaps on some level even more.  As a Mom, there is something magical about handing down family traditions as well as creating our own.

Holidays and Homeschooling

Why Bother With Tradition?

Following tradition is nothing new.

We have been following tradition since the beginning of time; mankind and our beliefs are deeply rooted in tradition.  Stories handed down from one generation to the next, everything from our beliefs to family recipes. 

Having and following tradition speaks to our hearts, connects us to our rich history and builds up our relationship with one another.

There is nothing like sharing good food and great stories to bring a family closer.

Preparing for Holidays

I am a list maker!

Put a pencil in my hand, pass me a pad of paper and I can write “To Do Lists” like nobody’s business; everything from shopping to baking.

As handy as lists are, they will only be as good as the effort you put into them.  After I complete each list I make a note of my “most essentials” I require in order to pull off my bigger plans.

If I head out to do my grocery shopping without taking the time consult with my baking list, then chances are my trip to the grocery store will not be successful. I am bound to forget a crucial ingredient. (Yes, it is often the eggs, butter or milk.)

Prioritizing the essentials of our day and our holiday season is what helps me stay on track and not stress about little things like perfectly baked gingerbread cookies. 

We all have our favourite traditions, so taking the time to prepare and pinpoint your most treasured traditions will help you in the larger scheme of your holiday.

Homeschooling and Holidays

We are very lucky to enjoy the flexibility of homeschooling as we prepare for our family celebrations.

People will often ask me how many days  we take off and if we follow along with the schools in town?

My Answer is that we vary our off time from year to year.

Depending what method of homeschooling you follow, what your family traditions are, and the needs of your family will depend on how many days you take off.  Many homeschoolers I know take a year round approach to their studies which allow them to plan some more time off around special holidays.

Adjusting our Homeschool Schedule

December 1st is usually the start of us adjusting how we go about our homeschool studies.

We start changing up our routine and schedule to include extra crafts, more music, trips to donate items to the less fortunate, baking, reading Christmas themed stories and even Math by the fireplace.

Other things we take time to do include helping neighbours shovel snow, building snow forts and inviting other kids on the street to jump in to help out, as well as decorating our home.

The best part about all of this is we are teaching our kids things which cannot be found in textbooks.

We are carrying on and building upon our family traditions as well as celebrating our family, friends and neighbours – we are making connections!

These are skills and knowledge you cannot find in a curriculum, but will surely last them a lifetime!

Something For Everyone

This year I have also found three great studies to add to our adjusted homeschool routine for the holidays!

Seeing as we love music in this house, I was excited to see Mary, from Homegrown Learners, offer a Nutcracker themed Unit Study! 

Nutcracker Unit Study from SQUILT Music and Homegrown Learners

Click here to view more details for the Nutcracker Unit Study

I was also excited to see Tricia, from Southern Hodgepodge, now has ”A Simple Start in Christmas Chalk Pastels” available.  I share more information about these Chalk Pastel tutorials in “Think You Can’t Homeschool Art? Think Again!”.  Now we can continue on with learning more chalk pastel techniques while making some great Christmas art to hang! (Click on the book to see more details!)

 ”Truth in the Tinsel”.  (Link listed below) is an e-book is full of crafts to celebrate the Christmas season; we also cannot wait to get started with this book!  In fact, I have planned ahead and have already purchased all my necessary supplies, my kids are so excited knowing they get to do a craft Everyday leading up to Christmas! I wrote more about it here: “Truth in the Tinsel and Homeschooling”

TRUTH in the TINSEL

Click here to visit Truth in the Tinsel.

Need more ideas on how to Homeschool and prepare for the holidays?  I was a panelist on this iHomeschool Hangout, along with other homeschooling moms who shared some great holiday preparation tips!

This post contains affiliate links to a product I tried and have now incorporated into our Homeschooling schedule.

Homeschooling Art with Chalk Pastels

Ok, I’ll fess up here and say Art has never been my strong suit.

Sure, we do crafts from time to time, I get books from the library filled with famous artists’ paintings for us to look at, or use some “how to” books where I try my best to help my kids grasp the techniques laid out before them; often leaving us all a tad frustrated.

Feeling frustrated and discouraged can make it easier for us to push Art aside.

Until Now!

I took the plunge and tried “A Seasonal Start in Fall Chalk Pastels – Art for All Ages” from Tricia Hodges and Lucia Hames (Nana) at Southern Hodgepodge  (in exchange for my honest review).

What made me decide to jump in and try it?

This demo on YouTube where they use chalk pastels to draw an apple in 1 minute (or less)!

I realized one thing…

I Can Do This! 

I Can Teach My Kids Real Art Techniques!

After watching this demonstration I literally went out the very next day to purchase our own set of chalk pastels and paper!

Chalk Pastels

The first thing my kids wanted me to do (knowing how Art challenged I am) is to take the 1 minute apple challenge!

Guess what?

I did it, score 1 for Mom!

That was all they needed to dig into these tutorials and give it a shot!

Acorn

Creating Art with Chalk Pastels

“A Seasonal Start in Fall Chalk Pastels – Art for All Ages” is:

• Well laid out

• Includes tips to preserve your masterpiece

• Includes ideas for easy clean-up

• Glossary of terms

• Make sense

• Fun to do

Filling the Art Gap

After a week of not being completely prepared to start our Homeschool year, this has propelled us into our fall term with fresh enthusiasm! 

• My kids are excited to do Art again

• They have a new found confidence in their abilities

• They are going beyond the tutorials and creating on their own

• They are smiling as they work!

And Best of all I heard…

“Hey Mom! Look what I can do!”

Use chalk pastels to create real art. It is a forgiving medium which allows you to soften lines and experiment easily with blending colours.

No matter how old you are, whether you homeschool or not, these Chalk Pastel e-book tutorials are worth it!

Or Grab this bundle to save money!