education – Page 6 – Luv Saving Money

Stop Summer Brain Drain With These Educational Deals

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The school year is winding down. My kids have just a little over a month to go before they’re off for the summer. The summer is a time for playing outside, swimming, sleeping in, all the things kids can’t do during school. But I worry about “brain drain” the term used for loss of knowledge or skills that kids might now use as often during summer breaks.

Educents has some deals on FUN and EDUCATIONAL products to keep kids learning over the summer.

I’m ordering the Budgeting 101: Teaching Kids to Manage a Budget for my two older boys. It’s geared for 6th grade level up to high school. A skill they may not learn in school but we know is so important. It’s only $4 so you can stay within your own budget!

I think this is $4 well spent. With this age group maybe starting their first job or getting ready to head off to college this would be a great start to learning how to manage money.

Edible Chemistry Kit. Not only are they learning but they’re having fun doing it and even tasting their science. This kit includes 16 edible experiments. This kit would be fun for all ages and perfects for those rainy thunderstorm days. At only $18 that works out to just a little over $1 per experiment!

Ladybug Land with Live Larvae. Raise your own ladybugs from larvae. This kit comes with everything you need. Learn about the life cycle of a lady bug. Learn about the benefits of lady bugs and have a release day over the summer if you like.

How about letting them learn to build their own video game. I can see myself now, “Nope no more video games. Time for you to go learn to make your own video games” My kids would think I’m either joking or finally lost my mind. But for $20 this set will let you do just that.

One of my favorite deals that Educents offers is the Magic School Bus 1 yr science club subscriptions. Educents has it 50% off and the kids will get a new kit every month for an entire year! Lots of rainy day or “I’m bored” fixes!

If none of these are your cup of tea, Educents has tons of educational kits, books, activities, and toys.

Don’t let your child get behind this summer. Tutoring can also be the edge kids need to catch up or stay ahead of the curve. You can find tutoring options for in-person and even online. Check tuition rates for your area.

10 Lessons Learned From Best Friends

I never really had a best friend. But don’t feel bad for me, it’s not something I ever really needed. I have friends, a few I call good friends and that’s all I need. Growing up my friends helped me learn that different families have different ways of doing things and that’s ok. I learned that my one friend is a lot tougher than me. She used to let her mom pull her teeth out as soon as they started wiggling just a little bit. That always freaked me out but she never even flinched when she did it. I learned that even though our lives go in different directions and we can’t communicate as much as we used to it doesn’t change the fact that we’re friends.

Best Friends are some of our greatest teachers. To honor National Best Friends Day, here are a few activities to foster those precious memories and important lessons.

B is of course for Bestie

Some of my greatest memories with my best friends happen to be simple things. Creating in the kitchen is a great opportunity to share family traditions, learn together, and make tasty memories.

Here is a simple, fun, colorful dessert from Turnip The Oven that little ones will enjoy. Stuff Nutella in raspberries, and garnish with rainbow sprinkles. So easy and just a few won’t break banks or bellies!

Great for: all friends

E is for Empathy

Siblings relationships can be some of the most challenging and rewarding – and they are truly lifelong! This New York Times bestselling set follows 6th grade Girl Scout Raina and her little sister Amara as they experience overcoming injury and differences as they welcome a new brother to their world. Growing up isn’t always easy, and nor is friendship and sibling-hood. I like that these stories show real-life challenges and the benefits of sisterhood.

Great for: Ages 3-7, especially sisters!

Price: $15.00 (down from $21.98) and includes Smiles & Sisters

S is for Sharing

It’s also for Super Cool! Magformers are colorful, unique magnetic shapes that come together like friends to create something great. The Forest Friends set has the pieces and idea book to make animals like a frog, squirrel, bunny and more. I like this one because it features animals that we’ll see camping this summer, but there are robot, light shows and other sets to share amongst friends.

Great for: Ages 6-12

Price: from $33, and up to 44% off

T is for Thoughtfulness

Photography is one of those contemplative activities that can be solo, but I love the idea of two or three best friends using this lesson plan to create an album or scrapbook together! I still have the albums I made with friends as a young one and cherish them to this day. This is a tradition I want to share with my kids and their friends, and when you can use your phone for pictures and download the lessons, it’s an easy activity to start!

Great for: Ages 8-13, your budding creatives

Price: 84% off at $24.95 (down from $119)

F is of course for Fun!

Getting outdoors with groups of friends and running around is some of the best food for the soul. I love these fun (even silly!) activities that center around cooperation. The paper Friendship Chain is also really sweet indoor activity for younger children. This round up of 12 activities by The Inspired Treehouse is full of great ideas.

Great for: Ages 3 and up!

R is for Respect

Respect is so often spurred by a deeper understanding of the person, place, or thing. I love the whole wall sticker selection at Educents, but the Habitat edition teaches kids about our natural world, and the bear is adorable. Since they’re reusable and washable, this is a set that can travel with pals and be shared between houses. Great fun for between camping trips!

Great for: Ages 7-12

Price: $34.99 (down from $39.99)

E is for Encouraging

Some of the liveliest discussions between little ones surround the characters of their literary worlds! the Chronicles of Narnia, Dr. Seuss, Harry Potter – you name it! Book club is also one of my favorite things to do with my best friends now. This colorful, printable reading log from Balancing Home is a great tool for encouragement of lifelong learning and discussions between best friends of all ages. What’s on everyone’s summer reading list? Add the books and start encouraging each other to succeed with regular checkins. (Maybe with those raspberry treats from the letter B!).

Great for: All readers (and those being read to)

I is for Inspiring

There is a reason Arts & Science go together – each inspires the other. Young Scientists Club put together an art and science fusion package to inspire creativity with 6 different activity kits. The topics range from bubbles to crystals to rainbows. It takes all kinds to make our world great – I like the idea that friends with different strengths can lean on each other, and friends with similar strengths can learn and be inspired together.

Great for: Ages 6 and up

Price: $69.99 (down from $199.94)

N is for Nurturing

Gardening is such a wonderful activity, and kids nurturing a garden together can be extremely rewarding, not to mention fun! Since June is also National Fruits and Vegetables Month, I like this kit as a kick-off to a vegetable garden. It comes with 18 biodegradable pots, green bean, tomato, and sweet pepper seeds. Lots of experiments (and healthy snacks!) to have, and plenty of plants to nurture together.

Great for: Ages 5 and up

Price: $29.99

D is for Dependable

Some of our longest standing and most dependable pals are our furry friends! The I Love You Through and Through Board Book and Teddy Bear illustrate the different emotions a little one can feel and demonstrate unconditional love. This is always important to know but especially for that babies and toddler stage.

The Teddy Bear comes in small-hands-friendly sizes, paving the way for a dependable unconditional friendship.

Good for: 8-36 months

Price: $11 (down from $14.99)

I’ll leave you with a quote about friendship from one of my favorite children’s books:

“You have been my friend,” replied Charlotte. “That in itself is a tremendous thing.”

—E.B. White Charlotte’s Web

This post does contain affiliate links, regardless I only post legitimate offers from trusted sites.

Volcano Experiments for Kids

Our elementary school does a science fair every year. The kids do all sorts of experiments. There is always the occasional volcano experiment. Why? One reason might be because it’s fun for kids to do and interactive.

science for kids

Volcano Facts for Kids

Before you jump into the volcano science experiment, share these interesting facts about volcanos with your little learners:

There are about 1,900 active volcanoes on the earth. This means they have erupted recently or they might erupt. Some volcanoes are extinct. Over 80 volcanoes have been found in the ocean.
Most volcanoes happen on fault lines, or cracks in the Earth’s surface.
Most of the earth’s volcanoes are in the Pacific Ocean, in an area called the Ring of Fire.
The word “volcano” comes from Vulcan, the Roman god of fire.
Lava from volcanoes can reach temperatures of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
Volcanoes spew out ash and toxic gases, as well as lava and lava boulders.

Cool Volcano — Infographic from Visually

Volcano Science Experiment for Kids

Check out how these kids use household chemicals to recreate a volcanic eruption!

Using the Volcano Kit from the video, little scientists are asked to mix chemicals to make the volcano erupt! This will be an experiment that Young Scientists will want to repeat again and again!

Want to get a discount on science experiments for kids? Save 50% on the Magic School Bus Science Kits on Educents!

Magic School Bus Science Kits

Get an exciting new Magic School Bus Science Kit delivered to your doorstep every month for a YEAR! These science experiments for kids include hands-on experiments with magnets, water, bacteria, fungus, lights, rainbows, and more!

Educents has the award-winning Science Kit subscription for 50% off (Get free shipping within the U.S. and international shipping available too)!

This post does contain affiliate links. Regardless I only post legitimate offers from trusted sites.

Favorite Homeschool Resources Picked By Homeschoolers

Homeschooling can be both rewarding and challenging. Educents has some great resources to help. Even if you aren’t a homeschooler these ideas are perfect to help reinforce teaching from the schools.

No matter what may be on your lesson plan for 2016, consider the resources below. Members within the Educents community put a list together of their favorite homeschool resources. If you’d like to learn more about the resource, just click the link! If you want to get more involved in the Educents community to learn more about homeschooling and the curriculum offered on Educents, join the Educents Facebook group!

Emily of Smith Squad recommends the Life of Fred books.

“As a child, I always hated math, even though I was good at it because it was soon boring. When I heard about Fred, I knew he had to be a part of our homeschool. My kids absolutely LOVE when it’s math time, and they are learning a ton about how to apply math to every day practical situations.”

Lisa Marie of The Canadian Homeschooler uses the Writecraft and Mathcraft Units.

“The writing portion of this resource was the first time EVER that my oldest son ever willing wrote anything! He was excited to write instead of hating it.”

Allison of Just Add Coffee loves the Magic School Bus Science Experiments.

“I absolutely love Magic School bus and all it has to offer. Each month you get a different science kit to take a Magic School Bus adventure. If you search really hard, online you can even find curriculum to go with each science kit and the episode from the television series.”

Lisa of Chickens and Bunnies Homeschool loves the Life of Fred Elementary Books.

“My favorite resource at Educents at the moment is Life of Fred. There are so many to choose from I picked the Elementary Series. My kids love these books; we have them up to high school now. My most recent order was Life of Fred Chemistry. My kids will do these without arguing and love Fred and Kingie!”

Celena of The Traveling Sisterhood recommends the Times Tales Multiplication videos.

“I love Times Tales because it’s made this year’s math lessons so much easier! My kiddos quickly mastered their multiplication tables in one sitting with the movie. It’s been such a blessing–instead of drills everyday, we can take more time to learn the actual concepts behind the facts!”

Kelly of Raising Samuels loves the Magic School Bus Science Club.

“The Magic School Bus Science Club is something your child gets in the mail each month, for a year! It includes numerous experiments per month, along with most of the materials required. (except household items such as scissors and tape). It is an incredible hands-on learning experience that helps children love science and have fun! My sons who are 4 and 6 absolutely love it!”

Amy of Busy Boys Brigade recommends the Life of Fred Beginning Readers.

“Life of Fred Early Readers series has been a game changer in our homeschool! Both my 6 & 4-year-old boys beg me to do their reading lessons now that we have added Life of Fred. I have noticed an increase in their fluency and comprehension.”

Jenn of Chaotic Bliss Homeschooling also loves Times Tales.

“All three of my girls, ages 8 down to 4 loved watching this DVD and learning the stories. In 1 hour, both of my older girls had memorized their upper times tables! And the real kicker is I was only trying to teach one!”

Amy of Teaching in Blue Jeans uses Learn to Mod Minecraft with her son.

“Learn to Mod Minecraft is an amazing program that teaches my son, a Minecraft lover, important computer programming skills through a game he loves to play. The lessons are easy to use, fun and engaging. I love that he is a learning a skill that I am not able to teach him.”

Tabitha of Life Learning Homeschool uses the King Tut Mini Unit.

“My son loves history (he gets it from me), and I love to throw in “extras” to feed the need for more than what our curriculum calls for. Mini-units are great for that, and this was one of our favorites because we both love Ancient Egypt!”

Amy from Not Your Average Homeschool Mom loves Minecraft Mod Design.

“I love that you can be totally creative, and these are all hands-on. Helps to build critical thinking skills too.”

Kayla of The Arrowood Zoo loves using Magformers for lessons at home.

“I love that you can be totally creative and these are all hands-on. Helps to build critical thinking skills too.”

Shelly of Free Homeschooling 101 recommends the Violin Starter Set.

“The violin starter set includes everything a budding violinist needs to begin their studies. The instrument is well made and economical. The lessons that are included are a huge money saver!”

Rebecca of Hip Homeschooling likes Magformers.

“We LOVE Magformers in our homeschool! They are a high-quality toy that provide hours of creative play. They are a great way to bring the fun back into your homeschool; your kids won’t even realize they are learning all about structures and geometric shapes and architecture (bonus!).”

Teri of Mommy Wife Life recommends the Spectacular Space Unit Study.

“A great resource for young astronomers is the Spectacular Space Unit Study. From writing, reading, math, and crafts, this complete unit, with its simple terms, will spark the interest of even your preschoolers!”

Jamie of Simple Homeschool loves Life of Fred too!

“I love the way the math is naturally integrated into Fred’s life, showing the importance of it in day-to-day life. The chapters are laugh-out-loud funny, and I often get asked to read “just one more.” I’ve never been a huge fan of math workbooks and worksheets, so the combination of math and story is a major win in my books!”

Gabriella, Homeschooling Consultant, recommends the Number Formation Poems.

“We have these cards laminated because we know they’ll be used for years to come. My son, who learns best through rhyme and tactile input, is learning to write digits using these easy-to-remember number formation poems! I have reduced the size of the cards, added a ring binder, and now have a portable number set. We also use the cards for matching games and learning about quantity. Such a great price for all of the value provided by this set.”

What homeschool resource did you use this year that you would recommend? Leave your recommendation in the comments!!