Things we use a lot at home
* For written narrations, we love and use these first two items:
1 - Japanese (Tsubame) sewn-bound notebooks, which come in different sizes. I get the B5 size which is about 10x7 inches, 8mm paper thickness and various number of sheets - 30, 60, 80, and 100. Unfortunately the prices have gone up with the pandemic because they have to be shipped from Japan. But I can't find anything like them here in the USA. I love the thickness of the paper, the size of the notebook, and the fact that they lay flat because the signatures are sewn together.
2 - Erasable pens (Pilot Frixion, black). They are refillable which is nice.
These two special tools are kind of a rite of passage in our home education for students who have neat penmanship / copywork and start written narrations.
3 - One of my favorite resources for birding are these bird song books. All the boys have learned songs of our local birds because of these books, including my 4 year old. No internet or smart phones needed.
4 - For a fun addition to our week, the boys draw and water color "artist cards" (Strathmore). They choose something they've read that week to "narrate" by drawing. They are the size of baseball cards and therefore we keep them in sleeves like this. This idea is not my own, but I found it on Celeste's blog, which is full of incredible ideas.
5 - Lastly, when I brainstorm what our next handicraft will be, I always search out Waldorf ideas. They are always beautiful and often use a lot of natural resources like beeswax, wood, etc. Bella Luna Toys is a great place to gather materials and inspiration.
6 - Book of Centuries - I bought our Book of Centuries from Riverbend Press and I am pleased with the quality of all their products. These are large cloth hardcover books with heavy paper pages that lay fairly flat. Our boys are 11 and 9 years old. I would say 9 years old is a great age to start a BOC. We will use these books until they are filled--which will be until graduation or we'll have to replace them once. I can't tell. Either way, they are worth the investment.
7 - Truth Goodness and Beauty - These books are a newer item from Riverbend Press and I am eager to begin using them this year. They are also hardcover and beautifully constructed with 3 ribbon bookmarks. You can read more details on the website. My only complaint, and it's a small matter, is that they aren't exactly the same size as the BOC. I like uniformity. We will use them like commonplace books to write in quotes, scripture, poetry, musical lyrics, and even some narrations of history, artists, composers, etc. I have one too.
8 - Mother's Diary - This is not pictured, but I do have one of these as well. I write in it 3-4 times per year. I write in prayer requests and notes about each child's growth. I enjoy "keeping" and have always written in a journal, so this is not burdensome to me.
9 - Bullet Journal - Leuchtturm1917 Medium A5 dotted hardcover - I started using one in 2019 and I've had the same one for 2 years, so I'm not using it exactly as prescribed here, but very similarly. I was keeping yellow sticky notes everywhere and it drove me crazy, but I like tangible written notes (as opposed to virtual typed ones). So when my friend and fellow home educator showed me her bullet journal, I made the switch. I write in my to-do list for the day/week/year. This is also where I make my meal plans and write in special "collections" like Advent Traditions or Books I've read in 2020 etc.
10 - Wooden Craft Board by Treasures From Jennifer - This maple wood board is not only beautiful, it has proved extremely useful in our home. The older boys use it to do their artist narration cards (see # 4) and the 4 year old uses it for play dough, modeling beeswax, and water color painting. Because our kitchen table has knots and grooves, having this smooth board to draw or paint on is helpful. Side note: Jennifer is a home educator too!
PS. Here is a great recipe for homemade play dough:
HOMEMADE PLAYDOUGH
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup salt
- 4 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 2 cups lukewarm water
- 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil (coconut oil works too)
- Wax paper
- Bag or glassware
- Cinnamon, essential oils, food coloring, optional
Stir together flour, salt and cream of tartar in a large pot. Next add the water and oil. If you’re only making one color, add in the the color now as well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the dough has thickened and begins to form into a ball. Remove from heat and then place onto wax paper. Allow to cool slightly and then knead until smooth. If you’re adding colors after, divide the dough into balls (for how many colors you want) and then add the dough into the quart sized bags. Start with about 5 drops of food coloring and add more to brighten it. Knead the dough, while inside the bag so it doesn’t stain your hands. Once it’s all mixed together you’re ready to play!
Store the play dough inside glassware in fridge once done. Keeps for up to 3 months.
11 - Laminated Book Marks - I bought this laminator 7 years ago and it's still go strong. We read a lot of books at once and I have found that homemade laminated book markers are my favorite. They are the right thickness (not too thick) and you can make them as long or as wide as you want. The boys have drawn their own pictures and we have also cut out illustrations from tattered thrifted used books to laminate.
12 - My boys affectionately call these boxes "pasta & beans". We have utilized this "toy" for 8 years, through 3 boys. I have replaced the sensory items (dried elbow pasta, dried garbanzo-or any kind of-beans, dried split peas, etc) twice in those eight years. Once when glass broke inside the box. Now we use only stainless steel or recycled yogurt cups. $10 worth of dried split peas and thrifted toys and scoops = hours of toddler/pre-school play!
13 - Every Moment Holy - prayers and liturgies for daily life. I have had Volume 1 for a handful of years and I remember reading my first prayer from it: about changing a dirty diaper and sin. That was the season I was elbow deep in. There are actually two prayers about changing dirty diapers! We use this book to pray before we begin things like lighting the wood stove and starting the school year. The author has free liturgies on the website to download, which I have printed and given to friends as well. The Rabbit Room has illustrated prints for sale. I highly recommend buying the tangible book(s); forget the app.
