Little House Learning Co. — winter

The concept of nature study can be intimidating, especially if you live in a snowy climate. When it is freezing outside, this can be the farthest thing from your mind. But, it doesn't have to be complicated or boring. There are lots of ways to engage in meaningful nature study in winter time.  The Basics of Nature Study Get Outside and Go Together: When we get outside together we can explore lots of new places, I can model the basics of nature study and we can make memories together.   Observe and Identify: When we're outside, we try to notice all...

So much of the wonder of childhood is wrapped in celebration and surprise. One of my favorite days of celebration and surprise for our kids is a snow day! I still have a deeply romanticized and nostalgic place in my heart for snow days from growing up going to public school. But, even though my children stay home, snow days are still full of magic. Some families choose to celebrate the first snow, others might choose to wait for a big snow or blizzard to celebrate, and if you're in a warm climate you might choose to celebrate an alternative version of...

It’s the holiday season (echo: “The holiday season!”) around here and like it or not, toys are on the brain. Every year I feel like I’m scrambling a little bit, and asking myself what gifts we should get our kids this year and how can we make gift receiving meaningful. Christmas is such a special holiday to celebrate and magnify the most wonderful gift of Jesus Christ, our savior and while we highlight this throughout the advent season, Christmas morning is also a unique time to remember why we’re giving to one another. There are many ideas out there, but...

If you’re like me, the time between Christmas and Easter is like one giant roadblock. The holidays are over, deep winter has set in, and the end of the school year looks miles and miles away. But I consider it an opportunity to cozy down and press into the comforts of home! What is hygge? Hygge (pronounced hoo-gah or hue-gah) is a Danish term that encapsulates the feelings of comfort, home, coziness, contentment and well-being. This time of year, I feel the internal pull to these ideals more than ever. Here are the ways we bring that cozy, comforting feeling...

Time outside in nature is one of the pillars of most philosophies of home education. Charlotte Mason recommended children spend 4-6 hours outside DAILY! While she lived in a very temperate climate, there are many countries with extreme variance in weather where children and adults spend very large amounts of their life outside! Recently, I read the book “There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather: A Scandinavian Mom’s Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient, and Confident Kids” by Linda Åkeson McGurk and was incredibly inspired. In her book, Linda beautifully lays out all the myriad of benefits to spending time outdoors, and de-stigmatizes being...