Monday, December 4, 2023

Christmas School 2023

One of my (many) favorite things about homeschool is the freedom it gives us in December. We basically take the whole month off from our regular studies and just enjoy Christmas activities together! Sometimes the activities are spiritual and sometimes secular. They can be super educational, purely fun, and somewhere in between!

I'm sure we'll get up to all kinds of fun this month but here's the start of our plans.


Art projects... We typically make at least one homemade ornament, decoration, or other craft each year. This year we're making a dollhouse miniature scene and then adding our own touches to decorate it for Christmas!

Bedtime History's Christmas podcasts... We love this show anyway but we're especially enjoying the Christmas episodes this December! 

Board games... Some are word games, some use counting or money, some require critical thinking, some teach facts, some show geography... And some are just fun 😉 a few favorites: Carcassone, Chess, Family Face-Off, Jumanji, Life, Monopoly, Outburst, Pay Day, Scattegories, Sorry, Ticket to Ride

Christmas cards and hand-written gifts (poems, stories, etc)

Christmas picture books 

Cooking and baking, particularly special holiday favorites 

Handwriting... This is not a requirement but some of my kids like to do a handwriting page during the read-aloud. 

Inquisikids Christmas podcasts... These Christmas Around the World podcast episodes are short, fun, and informative.

Journaling... We enjoy journaling about particularly fun moments. They think they're just doing some writing for school but soneday they'll be thrilled to have a beautiful collection of joyful memories from their childhood. 

Local activities and events 

Math lessons... once a week to make sure they keep the recent concepts fresh in their minds.

Movies and discussions... Some Christmas movies have more to offer than others. 

The Nutcracker- we're going to their first performance and they'll get to enjoy the dancing + live symphony music.

Read-aloud! This year's book is Winterfrost. They're enjoying listening while they color Jan Brett coloring sheets and the random Christmas coloring sheets we get at random places around town.

Saturday, November 25, 2023

Episode 66- The Christian Bookworm Podcast


You can listen through Amazon // Apple // Breaker // Google // Overcast // Pocket Casts // Radio Public // RSS // Spotify // Stitcher 

General show notes page

Previous Christmas episodes with my mom, Cindy: episode 6 // episode 28 // episode 51

Movie Mom saw (and liked but thinks may be scary for younger children): Journey to Bethlehem 

Dollhouse miniature scene kit we're going to make + decorate for Christmas 

This year's (secular) family read-aloud: Winterfrost by Michelle Houts 

The Nutcracker DVD we watch for out Nutcracker viewing party 

My and mom's Christmas buddy read this year: The Old Lace Shop from Once Upon a Dickens Christmas by Michelle Griep // We've also been enjoying Under the Texas Mistletoe 

Christmas books I hope to read this year: A Baxter Family Christmas // Amanda Dykes Christmas novelas, Bespoke and Tin Can Serenade // The Case for Christmas by Lee Strobel (God's Not Dead movies // The Case for Christ movie // The Case for Christ for Kids) // The Purpose Driven Christmas // The Angel Tree by Daphne Benedis-Grab (secular)

Recommendations I've actually read... 

Fiction: The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber // The Christmas Pony by Melody Carlson 

Nonfiction: Christmas Miracles by Karen Kingsbury // Charlie Brown's Christmas Miracle by Michael Keane // Charlie Brown Christmas movie 

Picture book: 17 Christmases by Dandi Daley Mackall

Want more? My and mom's birth stories (and others!) in Blessed by Birth // blog // YouTube // Pinterest // Twitter (X? Ugh!) // Goodreads