Kids Faith Krate Review #kidsfaithkrate #disciplechildren #raisethemup #kidsbiblestudy #subscriptionbox

One of the Kids Faith Krate Boxes.

Disclaimer: I received complimentary product through FrontGate Media in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Days can be hectic. Busy schedules get in the way of spending quality time with the family. Kids Faith Krate can help you focus on what matters and grow your faith together in family discipleship.

Kids Faith Krate is a monthly Christian faith based subscription box for kids a. The hands-on crafts that come in the boxes change from month to month and are best suited for ages 4-10. They can fit craft supplies for up to 3 children in one box. The price goes up depending upon how many kids you would like to have craft supplies for. Boxes are delivered at the beginning of every month so that you will have all 4 weeks to do the material.

What’s Inside All Kids Faith Krate Boxes?

1. Four weekly Bible lessons to do with your child!
2. Four crafts to go along with each week's lessons.
3. A new stamp every month to add to your Stamp Collection for scripture memorization!

In each box is a booklet that guides the parents through the process of helping the child along. It also includes most the items you will need for the crafts and activities. In the guide booklet there is an overview for the parents and 4 complete lessons. Each week's lesson has a key to the krate (a main theme), read together (a scripture and discussion), create together (the craft instructions), talk together (questions to think about and discuss together), remember together (a memorization scripture), and handle with prayer (a prayer you can say together that goes along with a scripture). There is also a stamp in every box to collect every month to make the memorization of the scripture a little more special for the child.

Kids Faith Krate June Camp Compassion Box.

We received the Kids Faith Krate June box early. The theme of this box is Camp Compassion. It goes through 4 lessons, one for each week of the month of June: Compassion for the Hungry, Compassion for the Sick, Compassion for the Needy, and Compassion for the World. Each lesson has scriptures and crafts or activities that go along with the lesson.

I love that there is a guide to show the parents what to do and that it goes through step-by-step what you need to do with your child. My favorite activity in this box was a baking activity where you get to bake a loaf of bread with your child after they decorate a bread napkin themselves. I love that the bread napkin is made of reusable cloth that the loaf can be wrapped in and becomes unique once decorated by the child. After they make the loaf and napkin, they give the wrapped loaf away to someone that might need it. I love this lesson and humble act that teaches compassion and sacrifice.

Make sure you look over what is needed for each project before hand so you will not be missing an item when you go and do the project. Some things you will have to acquire or have on hand at home. The bread ingredients were not in the box, just the recipe. There is also a blanket activity which only includes 4 squares of fleece like material that the child ties together. It suggests that you could make it a larger blanket if you had more of the same kind of fabric to add to it to make more squares. When I opened the box up I noticed that the items were mostly loose in the box, but I inventoried and found that everything was there. I do appreciate that they are probably trying to limit plastic. They seem to have just enough of the material that they provided to create the crafts successfully with anything that you do need at home listed so that you will know what you will need if it is not provided in the box.

BUY IT

Purchase Kids Faith Krate starting at $28.99 a month up to $43.99 depending if you chose a 1 child plan or 3 additional children. These are shipped on the 28th of each month. Use the code “campinabox” and get $10 off your first box!

Harry Potter Crochet: 14 Magical Projects From The Wizarding World Kit Review

Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Thunder Bay Press publishes a wide range of titles and categories. They have fun, interactive activity titles and kits on subjects such as origami, cooking, crafts, games, and art to reference books suitable for gift-giving in categories like art, fitness, pets, travel, history, culture, sports, and nature. They have something for everyone.

Harry Potter Crochet by Lucy Collin is the first of many Harry Potter movie tie-in titles for Thunder Bay Press as part of a new partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products. This project kit comes with a 76-page instruction book to create 12 amigurumi dolls, including Harry, Hermione, Ron, Dobby, Hagrid, Dumbledore, Snape, Hedwig, Voldemort, McGonagall, Ginny, the Sorting Hat, Norbert the Dragon and other fun fan favorites. Included are everything to make Harry Potter and Dobby (with his sock!): 9 colors of yarn, stuffing, yarn needle, embroidery thread, plastic safety eye beads, and a special crochet hook shaped like Harry’s wand.

Harry Potter Crochet Kit inside.

What We Thought:

The Harry Potter Crochet: 14 Magical Projects From The Wizarding World Kit is a super fun kit that comes with all the yarn and supplies to make Harry Potter and Dobby with his sock. There is a full color instruction book that guides you to be able to make Harry, Hermione, Ron, Dobby with a Sock, Hagrid, Dumbledore, Snape, Hedwig, Voldemort, McGonagall, Ginny with a Broomstick, the Sorting Hat, Norbert the Dragon and student robes and scarves.

Harry Potter Crochet Kit contents.

The Harry Potter Crochet kit is a great start to make some cute amigurumi figures from Hogwarts.  When I opened the box I noticed the wand shaped crochet hook is made of flexible plastic and has some rough edges that might catch on the yarn when being used. It looked like something I probably wouldn't actually use because of this, but it is still a great addition to the kit because it looks neat. I think though it would be better if it were not made of plastic. I hope that the yarn and other materials that it came with will completely make the two projects it says it will. It does look like it might. The binding of the instruction book is stiff and I wish it would lay flat so that I could see the pages while I crochet. I do love that the pictures in the book are in full color and show me step-by-step what I need to do. In the front of the book there is an introduction, about this kit, abbreviation chart to help you know what those mean, some notes on tools and materials, crotchet stitches and techniques, embroidery stitches, and a word on wands. Each project in the book has a description of each character, materials list, the size of the project, and instructions with a few pictures.

Harry Potter Project Instructions.

Since I am a huge fan of Harry Potter I cannot wait to start crocheting with this kit! It looks wonderful. I will enjoy making these amigurumi dolls and their clothing. My favorite has to be Hedwig! The kit looks like it would be a great gift for someone that is a Harry Potter, Wizarding World fan.

BUY IT
You can purchase the Harry Potter Crochet: 14 Magical Projects From The Wizarding World Kit on Amazon.



DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this complimentary product to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Kidzaw.com Master Kitz The Starry Night Review

My family had the privilege of trying the Master Kitz The Starry Night from Kidzaw.com for this review to use in conjunction with our own art homeschool curriculum. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

Kidzaw.com is a children's art company that is devoted to education and inspiration of young artists. Their Master Kitz line exposes kids to the great painters of the past and their history by giving them tools to make a similar art piece and read about the artist. This hands-on experience is great for people ages 5+!

Master Kitz The Starry Night is a Master Kitz that teaches about Vincent van Gogh, his art piece The Starry Night, and other contributions. You or your child can create your own version of The Starry Night with the included contents and instructions in the kit. Then you can read about the famous painter in the learning materials that are provided. All the materials for two paintings are included. The box it comes in can also be used as a art storage box when the art pieces are completed and the left over supplies can be used for other art projects as well.

Top: Contents, Bottom: learning materials opened up to show instructions.

Included in the Master Kitz The Starry Night:

• Reusable Artist’s Tool Box
• Three Custom Paint Colors (acrylics, child friendly)
• Custom Van Gogh Paint Roller
• Five Artist Quality Oil Pastels (child friendly)
• Two Pieces Deluxe Art Paper – 16″ x 20″
• Reusable Composition Stencil (Starry Night Cyprus Stencil)
• Sponge Paint Roller
• Low Tack "Mesmerizing Stars" Mask Sticker Sheet
• Van Gogh Learning Materials
• Easy-to-follow Instructions

Zari getting Kidzaw.com Master Kitz The Starry Night for her birthday and her ready to do art!

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

We received a gift card to purchase Master Kitz The Starry Night ourselves from Amazon to facilitate this review.  It shipped out in a timely manner so that my youngest daughter, who is 8 now, could receive it in time for her birthday party on October 20th. She had ample amount of time to also do the project as well.

The box that the kit came in was very nice. It had a rope handle to carry it and flipped open when the tape on the sides was removed. It is sturdy with magnetic closures. When we opened the box we saw that the art paper and stencil were rolled up so they would fit better in the box. Everything was included to make two art pieces if we wanted to.

My youngest daughter Zari did the art project for this review. We were instructed to place something down to minimize the mess, but my kitchen table is old and has had many an art project grace its surface, so we opted not to. Zari needed assistance doing the Master Kitz The Starry Night because she has trouble reading, so I helped her by first reading the learning materials about van Gogh and then read the instructions, helping her step-by-step through them.

The Vincent Van Gogh Learning Materials that I read to her were short and to the point, but still very informative. We learned about Vincent van Gogh, his life, and his art. We also were given a sort of timeline about his art style and how it changed throughout his life. Inside this pamphlet, if you were to unfold it, were the step-by-step instructions in English in color for the project. A black and white copy of just the step-by-step instructions in other languages was also present (French, German, Italian, and Spanish). If I were doing this project in a different language I would also want not only the instructions, but the learning materials to be translated as well, but they were not.

Zari doing the steps to the Master Kitz The Starry Night art project.

The instructions were very straight forward and easy to follow. The first instruction tells us to tape down the art paper to the surface. Since it was rolled up we had to first "put the stencil in between the two sheets of paper and roll in the opposite direction a couple of times to straighten them" like it said to. This straightened it a little, but we needed to tape it down pretty well in order for it to not creep out of the tape and try to roll back up again. I liked that this art project uses different art tools and applications for doing the painting. Although this wasn't really how Vincent van Gogh himself did the swirling layered brush strokes for his own The Starry Night painting, it made the project more interesting. The star mask stickers once applied, were a bit difficult to pull off without destroying them, so I would suggest to Kidzaw.com to make a second set of these as well for the kits so the second painting can be made without fuss. Also, I suggest to the people who buy one of these kits to not wash the stencil or even wipe to clean because it falls apart, instead just reuse after the paint has dried onto it. Thankfully I was being lazy, so I didn't wash mine. My daughter liked the paint roller parts the best. I had to hold down the stencil in places so that when the paint was applied it didn't seep under where it shouldn't be. The paint dried quickly and she had fun with the oil pastels doing the finishing touches her own way.

Master Kitz The Starry Night finished art piece.

The Kidzaw.com Master Kitz The Starry Night is a wonderful art kit with lots of potential. If Kidzaw.com added another star sticker sheet and the learning materials in the other languages then it would be so much better and more inclusive. We loved learning more about Vincent van Gogh and my daughter had a lot of fun making the art. She definitely put her own flair into making her own version of The Starry Night. She even added some wind/clouds like the original has I can't wait to have my other daughter, who is 10, do one for herself to see how she will make hers different. These come out so good that I will be framing them for the girl's room. I recommend this to others that want to offer art instruction at home. These are great for gifts as well. I can't wait to try out their other Master Kitz.

Follow Them on Social Media:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kidzaw-160167827376266/ 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidzaw 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/kidzaw123
• Hashtags: #hsreviews #art #homeschoolart #masterkitz

BUY IT
You can purchase Kidzaw.com Master Kitz The Starry Night on Amazon or from Kidzaw.com here.



Read other homeschool curriculum reviews for Kidzaw.com...

How To Window Box: Small-Space Plants to Grow Indoors or Out Book Review

I received this book free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Chantal Aida Gordon & Ryan Benoit are authors of the popular garden blog, The Horticult. It chronicles their learning experience about gardening and design. I personally love their blog and want to incorporate more of a "plant-infused lifestyle" into my everyday existence.

You don't have to have a lot of space to garden and window boxes create the perfect space for plants both outside and inside your window sill. Chantal Aida Gordon & Ryan Benoit's new book, How To Window Box: Small-Space Plants to Grow Indoors or Out, is a nod towards traditional container gardening, but with some exuberant flair. The book takes window boxes and breaths new life into them.

Book Contents.

This small hardback book is just under 6 x 9 – and less than 180 pages, but has a tremendous amount of  information. There are 16 total designs that this tiny book features: from herbs to succulents to carnivorous plants, to jungle plants to woodland plants and other plants in between. This book has a window box for everyone. Projects range from super simple to challenging. This book shows how to: choose plants, know where to purchase them, arrange them, cultivate them, make window boxes for them, use lighting, know how much to water them, know where these plants will likely thrive, fertilize them, prune them, do other fun projects to maximize your space, etc. The photos are colorful and inviting and help give reference to the plants and completed window box projects.

Inside Sneak Peek.

I am loving this gardening book! I highly recommend it to others that: don't have a lot of space to garden, need more ideas for container gardening, want to bring more plants indoors, want to brighten your window spaces, or just love gardening. I can't wait to try out the projects in this book!

BE SOCIAL
Official Website: https://thehorticult.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHorticult/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/thehorticult @thehorticult
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/chantalgordon/the-horticult/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehorticult/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Thehorticult

BUY IT
You can purchase How To Window Box on Amazon for $10.52 (at time of post).



DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Blogging For Books for sending me this book for free to review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

ARTistic Pursuits Inc. K-3 Book One Review

My family had the privilege of trying the ARTistic Pursuits Inc. K-3 Book One for this review to use in conjunction with our own homeschool curriculum. This is a Schoolhouse Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

ARTistic Pursuits Inc. creates art curriculum for children. This full-color curriculum helps children to grow their skills of observation and critical thinking. It teaches all components of fine art, including creativity, art history, art appreciation, and art techniques. This unique homeschool art program permits the student to be expressive and make up their own decision about what and how they will draw, paint, or sculpt.

The Early Elementary K-3 Book One is one of the many art curriculum books you can purchase from ARTistic Pursuits Inc. This Introduction to the Visual Arts book is by Brenda Ellis. It has a comb-binding that allows the book to stay flat when open.

It is 95 pages long with 36 five to ten minute lessons. The lessons are accompanied by 185 illustrations and full-color works from master artists. They cover four different groups: drawing, painting (watercolor), paper art, and clay. Each group has a selection of things that are listed on a materials page that you will need in addition to the book for your student to do the projects. Each project is given a group number and list of items so that there are no surprises and you can be prepared before each lesson. Projects take thirty to sixty minutes, depending upon child's method and how much they can focus without getting distracted. Additional items are listed as well for each group that you should have at hand.

Art Supplies Needed to Buy For Use With This Book:

GROUP #1 DRAWING (lessons: 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 14, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, and 29)

• two ebony pencils
• vinyl eraser
• soft pastels (set of 12, not professional grade)
• oil pastels (Cray-Pas, Junior Artist, set of 25)
• sketch or drawing paper pad

GROUP #2 PAINTING (lessons: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 11, 12, 13, 18, 24, and 35)

• Caran d'ache Neocolor II Water-soluble Watercolor Crayons (set of 10)
• #8 round watercolor brush that comes to a point
• Canson XL watercolor paper pad (30 sheets)

GROUP #3 PAPER ART (lessons: 15, 16, 28, 32, 34, and 36)

• heavy-weight, fade-proof construction paper (assorted colors including black)
• tissue paper (assorted colors)
• scissors (Fiskars for children are recommended)

GROUP #4 CLAY (lessons: 23, 27, 28, 30, and 31)

• 5lbs. gray self-hardening clay (option to substitute red self-hardening clay for lesson 28 and white self-hardening clay or a flour dough recipe for lesson 23)

This book is parted out into three sections. These sections are: What Artists Do, What Artists See, and Where We Find Art. In the What Artists Do section are chapters 1-14 (fourteen lessons) in which the student explores activities artists do when making art. This section also teaches the student the proper way to use watercolor crayons, pastels, and pencil in drawing and painting landscapes, people, and still life. In the What Artists See section are chapters 15-21 (seven lessons) in which the student explores elements that artists use in two and three dimensional work such as shape, form, line, and color. This section teaches the child to handle scissors, glue, fold paper forms, draw materials, and use a brush while doing collage, paper works, drawing, and color mixing. In the Where We Find Art section are chapters 22-36 (fifteen lessons) in which the student explores places we find art, like: caves, pyramids, cathedrals, etc., covering ancient art of prehistoric times to book illumination of the Middle Ages. This section teaches the child to use chalk pastels, oil pastels, clay, and paper works while making murals, pottery, clay models, paper art, bookbinding, and mosaics.

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

Since Teela (my 8 year old daughter), Zari (my 5 year old daughter), and I only had six weeks before this review was due to explore the ARTistic Pursuits Inc. Early Elementary K-3 Book One, we only had time to do a part of the first section. I didn't have the money to get all the art supplies I needed all at once, so I bought the ones I was told I would need for the first set of lessons. This happened to be just three supplies: the Caran d'ache Neocolor II Water-soluble Watercolor Crayons (set of 10), a #8 round watercolor brush, and a Canson XL watercolor paper pad (30 sheets). I got them at a discount by clicking the Blick U button at the bottom of the art supply packs page on the ARTistic Pursuits Inc. website.

Some of the art Zari did with the watercolor crayons.

The lesson projects build on themselves and so we went in the order they were presented and did one lesson a week. We found though that by lesson 3 (and also for lesson 6) we needed supplies that we had not purchased ahead of time. So, instead of the ebony pencil, vinyl eraser, and sketch/drawing pad we were forced to use regular pencils, a pink rubber eraser, and copy paper. It was all I had at home at the time and we do not have an art supply store near us. These alternate supplies worked just fine, in my opinion. Each section does, however; stand on its own and can be done in any order. To get the most out of the material you should finish a whole section.

Some of the art Teela did with the watercolor crayons.

My girls loved the short lessons about What Artists Do and projects that followed. They loved using the watercolor crayons the most because it was a new experience for them and they love to paint. The layout was really easy to follow. First I would read them the lesson. Then I would read to them about a famous artist composition or other observations in the book while they looked at it and answered questions about it . Next I would read about the project they would be completing and show them the pictures of examples in the book and then they would do the project once I handed out the materials.

ARTistic Pursuits Inc. K-3 Book One is a wonderful introduction book for kindergartners through third graders to the visual arts. It is a thorough art curriculum for this age. I enjoyed teaching these lessons and my girls enjoyed learning and being artistic making different watercolor art and drawing. We are excited to do more and experience other mediums like clay and paper working.

BUY IT
The Early Elementary K-3 Book one is $47.95 and can be purchased through the ARTistic Pursuits Inc. website. ARTistic Pursuits Inc. has other art instruction books in Sculpture Techniques, Elementary Art, Middle School Art, and High School Art as well that you can purchase.

Art materials are required for the Early Elementary K-3 Book One. You can find most of these at your local craft store. There is also an Art Supply Pack for each book sold on the ARTistic Pursuits Inc. website. The price for the Art Supply Pack which includes all the art supplies you need for the K-3 Book One is $89 + $13.50 for priority flat rate (medium box) shipping & handling. The art supply pack includes all of the art supplies needed plus an I'm an artist! cotton tote bag to put it all into. You can also buy these art supplies individually when you need them at a discount by clicking the Blick U button at the bottom of the art supply packs page on the ARTistic Pursuits Inc. website.

Follow Them on Social Media:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ArtisticPursuitsInc
Suggested Hashtags: #hsreview #homeschoolart #artinstruction

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Funtastic Unit Studies Science Unit Studies For Homeschoolers and Teachers Review

Funtastic Unit Studies Science Unit Studies For Homeschoolers and Teachers.

My family had the privilege of trying the Funtastic Unit Studies Science Unit Studies For Homeschoolers and Teachers for this review to use in conjunction with our own homeschool curriculum. This is a Schoolhouse Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

If you have been following my blog for a while now you know that my family loves science and unit studies. We love learning about the world around us and think that hands-on projects and lessons are great for learning because we seem to learn a whole lot more by experimenting: asking lots of questions, researching, hypothesizing, testing, troubleshooting, and analyzing. Unit Studies help us focus on one particular theme/topic in our studies for our homeschool. These themes/topics are approached from several different angles. There is so much more visual, auditory, tactile kinesthetic, hands-on, and project oriented learning within Unit Studies and this is precisely why we love them so much!

Potato People for "Our Senses" unit study.

Science Unit Studies For Homeschoolers and Teachers by Funtastic Unit Studies is a wonderful full size softcover book that gives homeschooling parents and teachers the keys to a well rounded science curriculum. There are a total of 20 different science unit studies in this book. It is separated into two age groups. The first half is for ages 4-7 and the second and last half is for ages 8-13. The whole book is about 200 pages and has answers to tests and worksheets at the end so you can grade everything easier.

It is good to read each unit before you start so you can have everything ready. Some preparation and supply gathering will need to be done ahead of time for the activities. Each chapter starts off with a list of materials needed to do the unit. These materials are stuff that most people will have already around the house or that you can get fairly easily, inexpensively other places. Some units; however, require additional materials you might not have like specific media or a scientific instrument. There are also instructions in each unit with how to prepare all of the activities in each part with the listed materials.

Salt and Sugar difference activity for taste.

The units have roughly 4-8 parts. They start off with and an introduction to the unit. Each part usually has something to read to the student and activities to do.You can skip around with these lessons. These lessons don't have to be taught in any particular order, although it is probably better to do so. At the end of each unit for ages 8-13 also has a test for the student to see what they have learned. Each unit takes about two weeks or less to finish. They have simple diagrams to illustrate concepts that will be learned with the units.

What is Covered in the Table of Contents...

The unit studies for Ages 4-7:

• Chapter 1: Our Senses
• Chapter 2: The Human Body
• Chapter 3: Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life
• Chapter 4: Animals
• Chapter 5: Insects and Their Kin
• Chapter 6: Fun with Magnets
• Chapter 7: Stars and Planets
• Chapter 8: Health
• Chapter 9: Beginning Plants
• Chapter 10: Animal Ecology

The unit studies for Ages 8-13:

• Chapter 11: Insects
• Chapter 12: Microscopes and Invisible Creatures
• Chapter 13: Atoms and Molecules
• Chapter 14: Matter
• Chapter 15: Chemistry Fun
• Chapter 16: Weather
• Chapter 17: Force and Motion
• Chapter 18: Simple Machines
• Chapter 19: Light and Color
• Chapter 20: Plants II

Answers to Tests and Worksheets

Glass Bottle Water Orchestra

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

My girls are perfect age for the 4-7 units since they are 4 and 7. My boys are good ages for the 8-13 units since they are 13 and 14. I did the very first unit about senses with my girls for this review because my boys were off at camp and other activities with their friends for the summer. Jaedan who is my 13 year old did participate in the making of the potato people at the beginning of the unit.

The senses unit study is divided into seven parts. We worked on about 3 and a half parts per week in order of how they were arranged in the book.

We had some trouble finding some of the items because my home is just not as well stocked as I thought it was. For example I didn't have any baby food jars because I don't have any babies in the house any more. I used to keep them for craft projects, but when I moved I got rid of them. I have been purging a lot lately too and found that some of the items I got rid of might have actually been useful for some of the activities. Other items I was having a hard time finding in my home since the move (probably still in a box somewhere). Also, this book seems a bit dated because it asks for a "tape recorder"...I am not sure who has these any more. At any rate, my supply of things needed was lacking. I had to substitute some things with others we did have because of my budget. We ended up using brown bottles instead of clear for the glass soda bottles for making the water music. We tried to do the activities with what we had though and managed to pull it off reasonably well.

My kids enjoyed the activities and even though I felt a little disorganized because of my lack of supplies we had fun doing them together. While doing this unit my younger children learned a little more about their senses. Making the potato people was their favorite activity. These science unit studies for homeschool are well laid out in this book and we are excited to do more of them this upcoming school year. I recommend these great science ideas for teachers and homeschoolers because they are fun and educational. 

Freebies:

Here's a link to a page that has two free pdf units from the book:
http://funtasticunitstudies.com/science-unit-studies-book/

And here's a link that has some other, unrelated, freebies:
http://funtasticunitstudies.com/lessons-and-activities/

BUY IT
The new edition of the Funtastic Unit Studies Science Unit Studies For Homeschoolers and Teachers  sells for $16.95.

Read other reviews for Funtastic Unit Studies Science Unit Studies For Homeschoolers and Teachers...

DIY Upcycled Ideas for Washing Machine Parts

We've replaced our clothes washer about 4-5 times (I lost count) this past year because of different things failing on them. One didn't agitate anymore, one soaked our floor as it died, one had its spider joint crack, and the others had similar issues. They were "Craigslist Specials" because frankly we couldn't afford brand new ones. We couldn't believe that we were going through so many washing machines because the first one lasted about 6 years.

I always try to look at the bright side of things when things just don't seem like they are going right. I try to have a "When life hands you lemons, make lemon-aide" kind of attitude.  I wanted to turn a bad situation into something good. This is what I came up with...

Top loading washing machine with the stainless steel drum exposed.

My husband taking the washing machine apart.

The stainless steel drum of our old washing machine (to be used as a fire pit or planter).

Washing machine drum container gardening.

• Upcycle a drum of a washing machine and use as a fire pit/BBQ, drink cooler, planter, seat, footstool, small end/coffee table or lamp/light! If you have a washer with a stainless steel drum/tub it will last longer for these projects than the other metals and plastic ones shouldn't be used for the fire pit. The drum has natural air holes for the oxygen to circulate while the fire is going for a fire pit. You can also set it on an old over sized metal dish from a Satellite TV provider. The stainless, metal or plastic drums can also be used as the perfect planter...just set a flat rock or affix a metal plate over the large hole in the bottom. It even has natural draining holes so that the soil doesn't get too soaked when you water your plant(s). You can also attach it easily to a DIY stand. Here are some other neat ideas for a seat and lamp and too!

Front loading washer glass door window.

Front loading washer glass window upcycled for a fruit bowl.

• Upcycle the glass door window of a front loader to a stylish fruit or mixing bowl. Just take the glass bowl shaped window off the door, remove extra parts, clean it up, and voila...instant fruit bowl!

Front loading washer top upcycled to a magnetic board.

• Upcycle a side or top piece of the washing machine for a magnetic or dry erase white board. This is great for use in your office or homeschool! My kids love this and since ours was the top piece of a front loader it has brackets at the top that you can use to hang it easily on the wall!

Washing machine hose upcycled as a water bucket filler.

• Upcycle a washing machine hose to be used as a bucket filler for water. These hoses are shorter and easier to handle than a long gardening hose for this purpose...especially around the farm when buckets of water need filled daily. We also got some 2-way and 4-way faucet expanders/distributers/extenders at the hardware store to let us use the faucet water from the same spigot even while the washer is all hooked up and running.
• Upcycle a washing machine into a chicken coop! This clothes dryer was even made into a chicken coop. I am sure a front loading washer could probably be used the same way.

These are my ideas to get your creative juices flowing. You can get the plans for all of these projects by searching for them online. There are many different ways to make some of these. Choose the best suited for your own needs. You can also find tutorials on how to take your broken washing machine apart. Different makes and models come apart differently.

"Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out." - John Wooden

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: If you do any of these projects I am not liable for any injuries that happen. Make your best judgement and try not to get hurt.

Make A Plate Art Project Kit Savings Offer

US Family Guide provided me with this promotional offer information to share with my readers. This is a sponsored post.

I’ve just been given the opportunity to review the Make A Plate Art Project and I’m looking forward to sharing it with you. If you want to follow along, my readers save 30% on their Prepaid Art Plate Kit (that’s a savings of over $5!) - USE PROMO CODE: USFAMILY at http://www.makit.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductCode=K1100PP

Makit has been in business for over 40 years. Make A Plate kits allow children to let their creativity soar in crafting a lasting gift for Mom, Dad, Grandparent or teacher. All Make A Plates are nontoxic, BPA-Free, dishwasher safe and proudly made in the USA.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Because I am posting about the Make A Plate Art Project I am getting a FREE KIT with FREE PROCESSING for up to 3 plates. Thanks to USFamilyGuide.com for providing me this promotion information and free product. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this promo.