Archives for December 2017

December 28, 2017 by: Lesli

An Easy Year of Deep Learning Through Building Blocks

Who doesn’t want easy learning opportunities for your children? I know I’m always looking for easy ways to incorporate science, social studies, art, and the other subjects that can easily be left behind when you’re trying to make sure all of your children are able to read well and can multiply! In our home, we’ve found that building blocks can open up the whole world for our children.

Learning with Building Blocks:

Building blocks are one of the absolute best resources for a homeschool family! They are versatile, can be stored in one bin, they can be used by both boys and girls, and they can become anything your child dreams up. Your child can use them to do everything from simply learning to add and subtract to creating their favorite scene in a story to test their comprehension of a text.

What is not to love about the amazing building block? Ok, ok. Yes, they are MISERABLE to step on, but I’ll take the occasional pain in the foot in exchange for all the benefits our family enjoys by incorporating building blocks into our learning. We’ve seen a child who couldn’t write a book report sit for hours recreating the world she had just read about, we’ve discussed multiplication using the dots on the tops of the building bricks, and we’ve watched our youngest discuss inertia(at 5!) as he’s raced his newly built cars down the hall. These things are simply amazing!

Building Block Challenge:

How do we keep our children building and experimenting? How do we make sure they don’t get bored and lose interest in this awesome toy? How do we open their eyes to the big, wide, and wonderful world we live in? Well, we challenge them. We give them the basic ideas and let them explore and investigate.

We have a list of challenges to give your child a year of exposure to everything from animal science to history, while keeping their attention and keeping them building. You’ll have kids investigating life on the trail, rocket science, and artists, all with very little work on your part!

How do you use this list?

It’s simple, work your way down the list, week by week…or randomly through the year. Choose a book or movie about the topic listed, and read or experience it with your child. After they’ve learned about the subject, set them free to play and build an idea or replica relating to the subject. The week you study bears, they can build anything from the bear’s diet to a bear’s heart. It’s up to them. Each time they build something related to the subject, they are likely going to have to investigate or revisit the subject to help them build their creation well, depending on their grade level.

Remember, the name of this game is flexibility for you and your kiddos. Don’t feel like this has to be started on January 1st, or like it has to be exactly one week per subject. If it’s something your child is really interested in, give them extra time to research and enjoy the subject. This challenge is created to build their knowledge base and to keep their minds actively building. If that takes longer than a year, that’s fine!

The point of this list is to give your child a subject to learn about and a way to apply their learning, without adding any extra frustrations to your agenda. When it comes to the building portion of the challenge, let it go and let them thrive! With this challenge list, you’ll never go a week without an amazing new creation from your little Brick Picasso!

Building Block Ideas:

Week 1: Submarines
Week 2: Dinosaurs
Week 3: The Solar System
Week 4: Hydroelectric Power
Week 5: A Winter Sport of the Child’s Choice

Week 6: Monuments
Week 7: Bears
Week 8: A Team Sport of the Child’s Choice
Week 9: House Building and Design
Week 10: Camping

Week 11: Butterflies
Week 12: Rockets and Space Launches
Week 13: Child’s Choice: The Pyramids, The Coliseum, or The Parthenon
Week 14: Lions and Tigers
Week 15: Hurricanes

Week 16: George Washington or Abraham Lincoln
Week 17: Solar Power
Week 18: Monet, Picasso, or Georges Seurat
Week 19: Ocean Liners and Cruise Ships
Week 20: A City of the Child’s Choice

Week 21: Gardening or Farming
Week 22: Photography
Week 23: Elephants
Week 24: Cave Explorations
Week 25: A Country of the Child’s Choice

Week 26: Technology: Cell Phones or Computers
Week 27: Scuba Diving
Week 28: Skyscraper Building and Design
Week 29: Hiking
Week 30: A Summer Sport of the Child’s Choice

Week 31: Whales
Week 32: Airplanes
Week 33: Rivers and Lakes
Week 34: Music or Sound Waves
Week 35: A Fiction Book of the Child’s Choice

Week 36: NASCAR or Indy Racing
Week 37: Stars and Constellations
Week 38: An American Artist
Week 39: Birds
Week 40: Volcanoes

Week 41: Domesticated Animal of the Child’s Choice
Week 42: Resorts or Travel Locations
Week 43: Bridges
Week 44: Sharks
Week 45: Child’s Choice: The Statue of Liberty, The Golden Gate Bridge, or The Jefferson Expansion Memorial(The Arch)

Week 46: A State of the Child’s Choice
Week 47: Recycling
Week 48: 18 Wheeler Trucks and Transportation of Goods
Week 49: Survival Skills or Emergency Preparedness
Week 50: A Holiday of the Child’s Choice

Week 51: A Non-Fiction Book of the Child’s Choice
Week 52: Mountain Ranges

Activities for Building Blocks:

What do they build when they’ve read their book or watched their movie? Is there a specific assignment? Nope! The assignment is up to you and how your family is working your way through the list.

Some suggestions for your children’s activity assignments –

Build a replica of a building studied
Build the animal’s diet
Build the childhood home of the person studied
Build an example of a vehicle studied
Build the playing field of a sport studied
Build the mountain range closest to your home

Build a cityscape for a travel location
Build a before and after scene for a natural disaster studied
Build a replica of an emergency kit
Build a replica of an original computer and one of a current computer
Build a replica of a dam or a water system

Build a cave system
Build a replica of an animal
Build the animal in its habitat
Build a body part of an animal
Build a replica of a famous painting or painter

The ideas for assignments can go on forever! Simply let them go and have fun with the challenge. Make this something fun for your family each week, and help everyone thrive through this building block challenge.

Free Building Block Challenge Printable:

Simply fill out the form below for your free copy of the Year of Building Challenge Checklist!

December 15, 2017 by: Lesli

13 Easy Photo Gifts for the Picture Loving Family

Are you shopping for the family or teen who lives life with one hand on the shutter button? Do they have thousands of photos on their social media accounts? Give them a photo gift that will encourage their love of perfect pixels, and help them share what they create!

This post is part of a sponsored campaign with MomSelect and HP. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Products shared on this post are recommended based on personal experience!

The Sprocket 2-in-1 Camera and Printer

Check out the Sprocket 2-in-1 instant camera and printer. This little gadget is the perfect gift for the shutterbug in your life! This compact little 2-in-1 camera works with your device to take, and instantly print, any memory you want to share! Not only does the 5 megapixel camera print instantly, it will also sync with your device and print any photo in a matter of seconds. The high quality 2″x3″ photos are perfect for cataloging memories of every kind, and are printed on sticky-backed paper!

The HP Sprocket 2-in-1 Photo Printer

The HP Sprocket 2-in-1 is a pocket-size printer and is about the size of a smartphone! This printer can go anywhere and willeasily fit into your recipient’s bag or backpack. The Sprocket 2-in-1 has easy Bluetooth connectivity, and allows everyone to connect wirelessly to print high-quality, instant photos! The built in 5 MP camera allows your recipient to capture and print photos in the moment. The Sprocket also works with the Sprocket App to allow fun and easy customization before printing!

Sprocket Accessories

What will your gift recipient need to make their Sprocket experience amazing? Grab these accessories and give the gift of lots of lasting memories!
Help their Sprocket experience last with the refill paper pack! You have two options for your refill pack giving. You can add the 50 Photo
or 20 Photo Pack to their initial gift. Even better? Give the Sprocket as a Christmas or birthday present, and then sign up for the “Subscribe and Save” service, and have a 20 Photo Pack delivered monthly for an entire year!

HP Sprocket Photo Paper, exclusively for HP Sprocket Portable Photo Printer, (2×3-inch), sticky-backed 50 sheets

HP Sprocket Photo Paper, exclusively for HP Sprocket Portable Photo Printer, (2×3-inch), sticky-backed 20 sheets

What is your photo gift recipient going to do with all of their wonderful photos? Give them an album built just for the size of their Sprocket photos! This little book holds 64 of their Sprocket pictures, and doubles as a standing frame!

Photo Album For HP Sprocket and Polaroid Zip Instant Printer, 64-Pocket Photo Album fit for Polaroid 2×3 inch Premium ZINK Photo Paper, Portable 3-inch Desk Calendar Picture Holder

Give them another way to display their photo creations with this LED string light photo display!

HP Sprocket LED String Light Photo Display with Clips (2HS29A)

How do you make sure they always have their cameras, devices, or Sprocket all charged up? This Jackery Slim is the perfect accessory to slide in a pocket or backpack, to make sure the photo fun doesn’t come to a screeching halt!

Jackery Pop Slim 5000mAh External Battery Pack Ultra-Slim lightweight Charger Portable Powerbank with Aluminum Shell For iPhone(e.g. iPhone 8/ 8 Plus/ X / 7/ 7 Plus / 6/6s), Samsung and Android Phones

Well, you’ve got the Sprocket, the backup power source, the photo paper pack, and the album. What else does your recipient need to finish their Sprocket experience? What about something to carry their fun little device in? This Sprocket case is perfect for carrying the Sprocket 2-in-1, the Jackery Slim, and backup photo paper all in one little case.

Canboc Shockproof Carrying Case Storage Travel Bag for HP Sprocket Portable Photo Printer / Polaroid ZIP Mobile Printer Protective Pouch Box,Rose Gold

Other Great Photo Gifts for Families

Does your recipient frequently use their smartphone for photos? Then this handy little gadget is the perfect photo gift for them! It’s a tripod that can be used anywhere, and comes with a Bluetooth shutter!

KobraTech Mini Cell Phone Tripod – TriFlex Mini – Flexible iPhone Tripod for Any Smartphone

Buying for a teen or someone who takes a lot of low light or selfie photos? This ring light adds soft light to any front camera photo. Bonus? It’s great to use when FaceTiming or Skyping on their device, too!

KobraTech Selfie Ring Light – LED Fill Light for Any Smartphone – MiLite – Includes Bluetooth Remote Shutter

If you’re looking for the ultimate family adventure photo accessory, you’ve found it! With a selfie stick and tripod in one, this little guy is the perfect gift for any family to make sure everyone is in the photo!

Yoozon Selfie Stick Bluetooth, Extendable Selfie Stick with Wireless Remote and Tripod Stand Selfie Stick for iPhone X /iPhone 8 /8 Plus/iPhone 7/iPhone 7 Plus/Galaxy Note 8/S8 /S8 Plus/Google More

It’s the deep secret fear of every single photographer on the planet, especially in our digital world. “What happens if something were to go wrong with my technology?” Give the gift of peace of mind to that special photographer in your life with an external hard drive to back up their photos.

WD 1TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive – USB 3.0 – WDBUZG0010BBK-WESN

Magazine and Book Photo Gifts

Give the photo gift that keeps giving all year! Give a subscription to Digital Photo magazine to help your photographer learn and improve their craft!

Digital Photo

For the budding photographer in your life, give the gift of knowledge. This book is a 20-unit course designed to take a newbie from a shutterbug to a photog know-it-all! As a homeschooling mom, this is the book that the Crazy Homeschool Life publisher uses to introduce her students to a life of photography!

Digital Photography Complete Course

For your photo gift recipient who wants to take their photo game up to the next level, you can’t beat Understanding Exposure! This book walks your shutterbug through the process of learning to see the light, find the light, and use the light to build beautiful compositions in their cameras!

Understanding Exposure, Fourth Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera

December 14, 2017 by: Lesli

5 Analog Ways to Help Your Child Grow in a Digital World

Our parents had it so easy when it was play time! All they had to do was send us outside and say, “Be back by dinner!” We would go outside, and we would play, and we would make ramps in the streets, and we would climb trees and generally we would come home okay! But our world has changed! We live in a different generation and our children are living in a different world than that one we grew up with. They’re surrounded on every side by technology and digital media and pressures that we never had to deal with.

Sure, there are many technological breakthroughs and digital advances that benefit our children and will be benefits for them in their lifetimes, but how do we find balance? How do we help our children grow up well-rounded with many opportunities and with the strong cognitive skills that you learn through play? We have five different ways to take your family back to the days of varied play and help your children grow and develop in balanced ways all through their lives.

Plan playtime into your day

In this fast-paced world we live in it’s very easy to get caught up in running to co-op and running to the music lesson and heading home and sitting down and getting school work done and so on and so forth! Sometimes, you’re going to have to plan a visit to the park or playtime in the yard into your schedule. It may even be that you need to put down, “Go outside and play for half an hour.” on your child’s agenda for the day! Playtime is essential to growth for a child. It’s their time to go out and make mistakes and practice what they’re learning as they grow. Planning that time into your day will help your child, and you, make sure that they are getting the time they need to get out and move, jump, run, and experiment.

Alternate the types of play available to your child

Research shows us that a child’s brain needs to be challenged and exercised in more than just one way. Sending a child out to play on a playset, and having them go down the slide 15 times in one afternoon, is not going to give them what they need, if that’s the only thing that they get to do to play. Likewise, sitting down and building with a set of blocks day in and day out isn’t going to challenge them. Children need a variety of play in their diet. Just like we’re encouraged to eat the colors of the rainbow and make sure our diets are varied, as children grow they need to be playing the rainbow. One day they need to be building, the next day they need to be pretending, and the following day they need to be running and jumping.

So, as a parent, our job is simple. We need to make sure that they have access to a variety of different play things. As we’re planning play into our day, we can plan a day at the park and then the next day we can plan to have Lego time. We can even alternate the toys that are available to our children. Put away two-thirds of their toys and only have one-third of them available. Two weeks later, switch them out and make sure that they have something interesting available to them most of the time.

Give your child options in their playtime

We’ve all had moments where the child has come into the room during their play time and they say the classic sentence, ” I’m bored!” What is a parent to do with that moment? Is it our job to stand up and give them something interesting, or is it our job just simply let them know what’s available in our home? The best option for us has been to simply give three options: “You may do this, you may do that, or you may do this thing.” When you give a child options, it gives them back some of the power in their lives. The child is able to say, “This is what I choose.” Then they are responsible for entertaining themselves.

Set play goals for the week for your child

We’ve talked about making sure play is something that is planned into your life, we’ve talked about alternating the types of play available to a child, and making sure that they have the option to choose what they would like to do. How do you make it all work to make playtime an important part of your family’s life? The best thing for a family is to simply set goals for playtime. Work with your child and let them help you come up with goals to meet. For example, if you know your family is struggling with making sure your children have enough play time outside, set a goal for the next week. You can even create something like the “fundraiser thermometer” and put it on your fridge so that they can see how much play they’re getting. Set your family goal for 3 hours outside over the next week and also set a reward your children are able to earn for meeting their goal. Over the next week, make sure they are responsible for filling out their chart and meeting their play goals.

Download your FREE Play Goals Tracker sheet with the form at the end of this post!

Set family ground rules for device time

And now for the elephant in the room! How do we as a generation of parents raised without devices begin to set levels of appropriate device use for our children? How do we live with our family rules, and how do we make sure we’re not just relying on that device for quiet time? Well, first of all, when a child is exposed to a variety of play times and given the play diet that is essential for their cognitive development, they are not going to live addicted to their device. They will be having their cognitive needs met in other ways, and while the device might be something they enjoy, it will not be something that dictates your life or theirs.

In our family, we have found that the best way to limit and create appropriate levels of use for our family’s devices has been to simply have some ground rules that are in effect all the time. In our home, our ground rules include having your school work finished, your chores finished, and a time of day that they are not allowed to use their device before. We came to the point of setting the ground rules after relocating and dealing with the device monster invading our home. Our children were not receiving the types of very play that they should have been because of the situation our family was in, and it took several months to get the problem under control. We’ve now found that having ground rules has erased much of the contention that we dealt with when devices were ruling our home. Our children are also happier and you can tell that they’re getting what they need to grow because they are more active and they’re playing in a different, healthy ways!

Want to learn more about the benefits of playtime and cognitive development for your children? Visit The Genius of Play at their website, Facebook, or Instagram pages!

A post shared by Genius of Play (@geniusofplay) on Dec 11, 2017 at 6:44pm PST

This post is a sponsored post by The Genius of Play.

December 8, 2017 by: Lesli

How to Plan a Unit Study in Less Than 10 Minutes

One of the easiest ways to add depth and richness to your homeschool learning experience is through unit studies. However, many times the idea of taking the time to plan a unit study can seem like a huge obstacle for many families.
Unit studies are a great way to add to your homeschool learning and fun. Use this guide to make it super easy to plan a unit study for your family to enjoy.
I have a very easy solution for you and your homeschool! Unit studies are fun, interesting, and you can’t let the planning stand in your way. I have several easy steps to help you plan a unit study in less than 10 minutes. Don’t forget to download your copy of The Relaxed Unit Study Planner to make planning a unit study even easier!

The first steps to take to plan a unit study – 3 Minutes

1. Decide how you will use unit studies in your school for this year. (**If this feels like too big of a step, skip this and concentrate on planning a single unit study before thinking through a full year of units.**)
* Will you do one unit study per week for history?
* Will you do a unit study per month related to ocean science?
* Are you creating a unit study before traveling?
Unit studies are a great way to add to your homeschool learning and fun. Use this guide to make it super easy to plan a unit study for your family to enjoy.
2. Decide on your subject.
* Are you using a spine? (A textbook or curriculum that you’re planning unit studies around)
* What purpose do you have in creating this study?
* Will you be learning about only one aspect of your subject? (For example, only learning about D-Day instead of World War 2 as a whole, or only learning about Octopi instead of all Cephalopods)
3. Decide on your goal with the study. If you’re going to plan a unit study, you have to know where you’re going!
* What do you want your student(s) to understand at the end of the study?
* What is the objective of your study?
4. Write a single sentence describing your purpose and goal with the unit study. This is your mission for planning and helps you keep everything on track.
* Example: Subject – George Washington, Goal – To understand the role George Washington played in the founding of the United States. Sentence: This unit study is being created to introduce my children to the history of George Washington and help them understand his role in the creation of the USA.
Unit studies are a great way to add to your homeschool learning and fun. Use this guide to make it super easy to plan a unit study for your family to enjoy.

The finishing steps to plan a unit study – 5 to 7 minutes

5. Search for books related to your goal. For the example above, I’d search, “George Washington kids books” and “Books about George Washington for kids.”
* Make a list of books to use for your unit study. You may not be able to find all of the books on your list, so include three to five books.
* If your topic involves people, search for biographies as well.
Unit studies are a great way to add to your homeschool learning and fun. Use this guide to make it super easy to plan a unit study for your family to enjoy.
6. Search for videos related to your goal. Don’t forget to check Amazon Prime, Netflix, YouTube, and iTunes.
7. Choose activities to extend your child’s learning and understanding of the subject. I recommend at least three related activities for each unit study.
8. Choose a way to evaluate your child’s understanding of the unit study. Evaluation can be done through a test, writing, or in many other ways. You can also choose an activity for the child to complete that also demonstrates their understanding of the subject.
Unit studies are a great way to add to your homeschool learning and fun. Use this guide to make it super easy to plan a unit study for your family to enjoy.
There you go! Your unit study is complete. Now, you can take the unit study you’ve designed and plug it in to whatever process you use to plan your school schedule. If you’d like ideas on making a unit study work for your family, check out this post on This Crazy Homeschool Life.

Grab your subscriber bonus, the printable Relaxed Unit Study Planner!

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Learn more about unit studies with TCHSL:

Everyone likes the idea of adding unit studies to their homeschool days, but how do you make them work for your lifestyle. We have 5 different ways to make homeschool unit studies work for your family.

5 Ways to Make Unit Studies Work for Your Family – Everyone likes the idea of adding unit studies to their homeschool days, but how do you make them work for your lifestyle. We have 5 different ways to make homeschool unit studies work for your family.

Unit studies are a great way to add interest and growth to your homeschool. Easily add enrichment and depth to your family's unit studies with this list of easy and fun unit study activities for your kids.

25+ Easy to Plan Unit Study Activities for Elementary Students – Unit studies are a great way to add interest and growth to your homeschool. Easily add enrichment and depth to your family’s unit studies with this list of easy and fun unit study activities for your kids.

December 3, 2017 by: Lesli

The Biblical History Center: Where the Bible Comes to Life

This post is a sponsored review of the Biblical History Center in LaGrange, GA.

Have you ever seen the commercial where the book opens and a little girl walks out from between the pages as the world comes to life around her? Well, I’ve always wanted to be that little girl!

I’ve been a bookworm from the time I was in third grade and fell in love with The Bobbsey Twins and their bike ride adventure. I’ve always wanted to step into the pages of a book and see the characters I was learning about, and walk through the buildings that I was imagining in my mind. It was never possible to imagine I’d have the chance to see the written word come to life…until now!

Preparing the table for our Shepherd’s Bread experience.

Recently, I had the chance to see the Bible come to life all around me! My family and I were invited to an incredible place down in south Georgia called the Biblical History Center. The Center was built by an archaeologist who wanted Americans to be able to go to the Holy Land, and experience the Holy Land….without actually having to fly to the Holy Land. His dream has been fulfilled, and now we have a hands-on Ancient Israelite experience available to anyone visiting the South.

Entering the Archaeological Replica Garden.

Things to see:

The Time Tunnel:

Before stepping through the front doors, you have a chance to walk through 2,000 years of religious history. The portico of the Biblical History Center is created as a walk through four different times and types of worship. You can see replicas of a Canaanite temple, an Israelite Shrine, a Jewish Synagogue, and a Byzantine church.

The Garden:

The Archaeological Replica Garden at the Biblical History Center is filled with replicas demonstrating life in Ancient Israelite times. From the authentic Bedouin Shepherd tent to the replica of the Tomb of Joseph to The City Gate and the Judgement Seat, everywhere you turn there is another example that takes you straight back to the scriptures and brings the page of your Bible to life. The Garden shows four different aspects of life in Bible times – the life of a shepherd, the life of a farmer, life in the village, and the Roman Theater. Other replicas include a threshing floor, a grape press, an olive press, an Israeli home, realistic crucifixion crosses, and a vineyard and watchtower.

The threshing floor in the Garden. The boards with imbedded rocks were used to separate the grain from the stalks.

The Biblical Life Artifacts Gallery:

We’ve all walked through a museum and seen stones placed on a shelf with a little tag that talks about the era and use, but have you seen the stones placed on a loom to make a goat hair tent? What’s going to make more sense to a child, seeing a piece of broken pottery on a shelf, or seeing the rebuilt jar on the shelf in an example of an Israelite home? The Biblical History Center has done a wonderful job weaving the story of real life into the objects they have on display.

Things to do:

The Center has three adventures to bring history to life for your students. Each Experience is a group activity, and should be planned in advance.

Shepherd’s Bread Making Experience:

Gather on the low stone wall of the threshing floor for a discussion and demonstration of how ancient farmers would use their basic tools to plant, harvest, and prepare their wheat and barley harvests. Next, gather in the Bedouin tent to stretch a ball of bread dough and throw it on the shepherd’s cooking pan. Then, gather back at the threshing floor to enjoy fresh, hot bread with fresh butter and honey. Yum!

Shepherd’s Bread cooking on the fire.

Biblical Meal Lunch:

Gather in one of two replica meal rooms to enjoy a four course meal of soup, salad, main dish, and dessert…all by lamplight, of course. You’ll be treated to 15 different foods similar to the diets of the Israelite people, and you’ll discover why Leonardo da Vinci’s classic painting had the Last Supper all wrong!

Hummus, flat bread, olives, salad, chicken, and more make for a tasty lunch!

Kid’s Archeological Dig Site:

What can be more hands on than going on an archeological dig and finding ancient treasures under the sands? At the Biblical History Center, present day research and ancient life come together to give kids an experience they won’t forget. The Center has four dig pits, three showing daily life, and one where the kiddos can have the excitement of finding their own dinosaur bones! These are not just any holes in the ground though, the sites have artifacts and structures to find, and when all the digging is finished, you get to learn all about what you’ve discovered. This lesson is definitely one that will not be forgotten!!

Trying her hand at the archeological dig.

Our Experience:

From the time I begin volunteering with children in my teens I understood very quickly that children learn best from hands-on, real life experiences, not just things that you read in a book or see in a picture. When it comes to teaching our faith to our children, all we have had is the Bible…..or so I thought until we visited the Biblical History Center. I saw the Bible come to life while we toured the garden and while we sat around the u-shaped table enjoying tasty chicken and hummus during our Biblical Meal.

The replica of an Israelite tomb.

It was not just an experience for myself, but for my children as well. We always read about the threshing floor or the oil press or the Tomb, but what does that really mean to a child? They know olive oil comes from the store in a bottle or a grave is where somebody is buried in the ground and has a headstone! It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense when you read the scripture to them. However, when you walk past the large stone and creep through the small doorway into an Israelite style tomb and see the (pretend!) bodies laid out, Jesus’ tomb becomes real for your students.

Inside the Israelite tomb.

Also, when you have the chance to sit in a real-life goat hair tent on a stool and learn about the culture in which 9 to 10-year-old girls weave their own tents, life in Bible times isn’t just something on a page. It becomes real. Those people we read about start to have skin and we can think about them as people that we would actually have been able to talk to or learn from.

A Bedouin tent built by authentic tent makers in Jordan.

All day long, everywhere we looked, there was something new to learn or understand about life for these people we’ve read about all our lives. We learned about olive oil pressing and pressing the grapes and we walked through the storehouse and discussed storing food inside the city walls and food preservation. We also got to walk around and see what their homes were like and even got to stand over the city gates to see what the guards would have seen!

A gate to an Ancient Israelite city. To the left of the gate you can see the judgement seat for the prophet under the canopy.

Now, when reading the book of Ruth and her visit to the threshing floor, we have a pretty good idea of what the setting of her story was like, or when we read about Abraham and Isaac we can see those Bedouin tents in our mind. When we read and discuss David and the sheep we can imagine him leaning back on a rock, waiting for his fire to build while making his bread dough. We can even smell the bread cooking as we talk about him looking over his sheep!

Can you smell the fire and feel the anticipation of fresh bread from the cooktop?

After spending a day in the Biblical History Center I know that my faith was strengthened because I understood the scriptures on not just a superficial level, but I got to see the Bible with skin on. I know that my children will understand the Bible better when we have our devotion times or when they do their Bible study because they are starting from the perspective of seeing the Bible in real life. Things that have taken me 30 years to grasp they already understand because they’ve seen what life looked like and how things worked. Seeing my children grow in this way makes every bit of driving and expense worth visiting the Biblical History Center, and I know we will be returning as they grow to help them understand more and more and strengthen their faith more and more as they grow in our home.

Was the cross of the crucifixion a nice, sanded wood plank, or was it a rough tree? Historical research says this was closer to what the cross looked like at the crucifixion.

Admission:

Basic Admission – $15 for adults, $12 for children ages 6-12, children 5 and under free
Biblical Meal – $35 for adults, $22 for children. Meal price includes a guided tour of the Archaeological Replicas as well as admission to the Biblical Life Artifacts Gallery. Please call ahead for reservations and to plan your meal. Minimum group number required.
Kid’s Archaeological Dig – $15 each for ages 4-12; $10 for adults and includes admission to the Biblical Life Artifacts Gallery and a tour of the Archaeological Replica Garden. Please call ahead to plan your dig. Minimum group number required.
Shepherd’s Bread Making – $15 per person – Includes admission to the Biblical Life Artifacts Gallery and a tour of the Archaeological Replica Garden. Please call ahead to plan your bread making experience. Minimum group number required.

Biblical History Center Contact Info:

Biblical History Center Website – http://biblicalhistorycenter.com/
Phone: 706-885-0363
Special Events Page – Click Here

Crazy Homeschool Life Adventure Tips:

Our Docent, Vern Jordin, was amazing. He has a passion for helping people understand the lives of the Ancient Israelites. He is also full of interesting facts that made our day incredibly interesting. If possible, book your tour with him!
If you are bringing small children to the Biblical Meal, you may want to pack wipes, a sippy cup, and a spoon. The meal is as authentic as possible and that means no silverware and only mugs for drinks.
If you’re doing the dig, be prepared to get sandy, especially if you’re driving a while after your adventure. Extra clothes on hand for the littles made a big difference for our drive back to the Atlanta area.
LaGrange, Georgia is only about an hour and a half southeast of the Atlanta area. It’s an easy drive and worth the side trip if you’re traveling anywhere in the Atlanta, North Florida, or I-75 area. If you’re looking for more educational adventures in the Atlanta area, visit this TCHSL post!

*This post is a sponsored review of the Biblical History Center. All thoughts and opinions contained within are my own. -Lesli Gibbs*