For the last two months I’ve been focusing on back to homeschool posts here at Singing A New Song. Producing homeschool related posts is one of my passions, and this homeschool post production spree has brought with it all kinds of unexpected things, including stretching and sharpening me in good ways and introducing me to some new discoveries. I thought it would be fun to finish out this spree with some of those discoveries as well as our family’s favorite fun and helpful educational materials.
Please note that this post will contain affiliate links, and although I get a small commission from them (which helps keep this blog running) that it doesn’t cost you anything extra to purchase through them. Please also note that when you follow my Amazon links it will take you to the products through your own Amazon account.
Before I go on with this post I should specify that I’m not finished sharing homeschool related posts-I’ll still be writing them! I think I must have 20 simmering right now! But I do intend to cut back on them and begin writing posts for my other categories again. I’m especially excited to start sharing some recipes and lifestyle posts again!
My goal at this time is to produce one or two homeschool or education related post a month.
Our Favorite Fun And Helpful Educational Materials
Today I am so excited to share some of our family favorite fun and helpful educational materials and resources! So here we go……………
Watercolor Backgrounds
These are new, and they are my own creation! These are a set of 5 beautiful watercolor backgrounds released this last September.
We have using them as schedule (or rhythm) backgrounds but you could use them for anything!
The backgrounds are blank, but if you want the templates (which could also work for homeschool daily rhythms) you can download them for free HERE.
School Subject Cards
This is another creation by me that I added to my Etsy shop. One of our children was having trouble with the daily schedule so I simply wrote his school subjects on these beautiful cards that I created. They are called School Subject Cards. Wow, they make things easier for him!
So we live in a smallish town, the population is just under 5,000. This is why I was so surprised to find the most special little toy store that is owned by a retired homeschooling mom of 7 and who has fully loaded the store with educational materials.
Last week I took my kids there to get some fun and helpful educational materials for our homeschool. It is always a little stressful taking the kids in there because there are 6 kids and every time we go in there they want everything they see! I can’t blame them because I do too. It’s probably our favorite store!
Here are the goodies we found there last week-I found them on Amazon and included links so you can get them too if you want.
Melissa & Doug Stamping Kit
Okay, I’ve wanted this for a few months and so I finally snagged it! My youngest daughter started preschool recently so I wanted this to help her master upper and lower case letters as well as numbers. I didn’t notice until after I got it that it also has punctuation marks and math symbols. Both she and our 1st grader love it!
Robert Frost Poetry For Kids
I’ve been having trouble finding books about seasons and season changes at the library, so I was delighted to find this! The artwork in it is so beautiful.
I love supporting local businesses, but I will tell you that I bought this for around $14.00 at the toy store but then found it on Amazon for under $6.00! I included the link below.
Melissa and Doug Writing Mats
Okay, I have writing mats-but these are different! Regular writing mats require dry erase markers. You do not use a dry erase marker with these, you can use pencils on them and simply wash them clean!!!!
Perks are less mess, saving money (dry erase markers get expensive-especially when you consider kids can’t seem to remember to put the lids back on and they dry out all the time). We discovered that they work with washable colored pencils very well. There are special crayons you can get to write on these with by Melissa and Doug as well.
These are so well thought out!
I like how on the math facts one there is a side with answers for practice but the back has the problems without answers for testing.
In my post How To Homeschool With A Baby I gave lots of ideas on how I keep little ones entertained while I teach the older kids.
I am always looking for new and fresh ideas though, and I have been wanting to update some of our supplies for the baby and pre-schooler. So when I went into the toy store I asked the owner her suggestions for toys to keep young children busy and out of trouble while I’m teaching the younger.
Having homeschooled 7 children herself she smiled and set me up right away.
Water Wow Coloring Pads
The first thing she showed me are Water Wow Coloring Pads by Melissa and Doug. These are the best toddler coloring books ever! There is no ink, only water. You fill this brush pen thing with water and they paint the water on the pages, then color magically appears on the page!
I love that there is no mess!!!!
Squigz
The other suggestion she had are the most odd little toys, but the younger kids love them! The description says for six months plus-however I personally would put the single suction one up and would not let the baby play with it just in case. They are not supposed to present a choking hazard, but the single one would scare me (my kids have big mouths, lol). They are supposed to help with teething though. We have the double and triple suction cup ones and the one year old loves them! It might even be a good idea to put some in the fridge and pull them out for teethers.
Cavallini Posters
One of my personal favorite educational products are Cavallini Posters. I limit myself to one a month! I love switching them out in our homeschool space.
I get ours locally, but you can get them through Amazon.
With the longer northern winters I’ve been researching more ways to hygge up so to speak, and I think the posters will be nice to add a splash of color and cheer to the walls through the winter!
One of the very fun developments over the last month is my second Instagram account dedicated to homeschooling! If you are a homeschooling mom and not utilizing Instagram for encouragement and inspiration you are missing out! There are so many amazing homeschool accounts on Instagram, so be sure to hop over to my account and check out some of the mom’s I’m following there! I’m hoping to feature a homeschool account a week, so if you follow me there I’ll plug you in with some amazing inspo!!
Here are some of my favorites to get you started!
Unrelenting Grace
Heather is a pastors wife and homeschool mom to 5. Here account is total eye candy and so inspiring because she’s so REAL!
The Hidden Way
Another beautiful and encouraging account I love is by Emily. She is a homeschooling mom and a public school teachers wife. Her feed is stunning with rich content. It always gets me in the homeschool mood!
What are some of your favorite education resources for your kids? Please share them in the comments below!
Be sure to check out my other homeschool related posts while you are here if you have time!
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Those math worksheets induced so much anxiety when I was kid, but they helped me think fast when it came to basic math
We homeschool and I haven’t done any poetry with my son. Thank you for showing this. Now I will try it.
These are great Educational resource ideas for homeschool! I often wonder if I am cut out to be a homeschool mama teacher. We were strongly considering it for this year but it didn’t work out for us. However, now that my toddler will be a little bigger in a year or two I’ll definitely be considering it. Great ideas to keep the babies busy too!
It is great to have tools like these at home to work with. I love your ideas!
These are some cool materials right here. I just love how amazingly fun education can be.
Yes, it can be so much fun for sure!
This reminds me so much of this store near us called the Chalkboard. It makes me want to do educational projects with my kids non-stop.
Melissa and Doug and Water Wow are our favorite around here. I love that Melissa and Doug make non toxic, educational toys and the no mess of Water Wow is definitely a winner in my book.
I love the non toxic feature as well!
Love this list! We have a lot of the Melissa and Doug products which you can never go wrong with. The writing mats have lasted us for at least three years and have come in handy. My boys sometimes even use them as placemats and practice their facts as they eat.
That is a good idea to use them for placemats too!
That stamping set is really cute! I like the writing mats as well. This is a great post, thanks for putting this together.
You are welcome, Luna!
Squigz were one of my boys’ favorite educational toys, as well as Zoobs. SO much fun creating!
I’ll have to look into Zoobs!
Love all the watercolor details! So pretty
Thank you, Amanda!
There are so many great items here! I’m thinking of homeschooling my 3 year old and have been doing some research. It’s helpful to know there are so many great resources.
So many neat options! I love how colorful and creative these all are – definitely makes learning fun and engaging!
Melissa & Doug have some fun and education toys that can be found in my youngest son’s bedroom. I definitely recommend them to all parents.
What a wonderful way to bring together beauty and functionality. The posters are so beautiful and my children love them. The mats are genius! Thank you for sharing your finds!
You are welcome, Erica! Thank you for the feedback!!
I am loving all of these options for fun and helpful educational materials!! Those Melissa and Doug writing mats are perfect, need to get some for my kiddos!
Kileen
cute & little
Such a great selection of educational items
Thank you, Paula!
I was obsessed with stamps as a kid. Love the stamping kit. The writing mats are super cute too! I’ll have to remember this when my son gets older.
We loved Melissa & Doug when the boys were younger. I didn’t even know they had a stamping kit. How awesome is that!
Melissa and Doug has so many great high-quality educational toys. I also love those Cavallini posters!
What great resources to share! Love this for inspiration for things to work on with my kids
Thank you, Raina!
Loving all the products! I need to look into getting those Melissa and Doug math mats! Oh, and your watercolor downloads are absolutely beautiful!
Thank you, The Sprouting Minds!
Love these resources for home schooling! I’m always motivated by good materials.
I loved using wooden letter and number blocks when I was a classroom teacher!
I’m completely fascinated by homeschool. I don’t think I have the patience for it, but I do see the positives in it and have known a number of adults that are thriving today, because their parents chose to homeschool them.
I love the posters! I happen to be looking for vintage botanical posters for my home. Will check out your links.
Thank you, Jolene!
These are great ideas! I love the Cavallini Posters too.
Such a great post! There are so many awesome items on here!
Thank you, Hannah!