Have you ever read the book Ish? Well, Impressionism is just that – ish! Diving into Impressionistic art is a ton of fun, even for the non-artsy type like me. And it’s wonderful to explore art in a way that helps even the perfectionists let go a little bit. (Perfectionists? In our home? Believe it or […]
Gainsborough Art Project: Portraits on Landscape
Of all the art we have ever done in our home, this project surprised me the most. To be honest, a sense of dread settled upon my heart as I wrestled with the idea of something so complicated, especially with two of our children who aim for each art project to be a masterpiece. How […]
Linnaeus Art Project: Botanical Illustrations
So… it’s December and we’re studying flowers. Not real ones, though. There just aren’t a whole lot of real flowers blooming in middle Tennessee right now. I had all these ideas – a poinsettia, a pine cone (but we don’t have any pines growing close to us), or even a cedar (which is not nearly […]
Rembrandt Art Project: Facial Expressions
Life etches itself onto our faces as we grow older, showing our violence, excesses, or kindnesses. -Rembrandt Last week our family dove into sketching facial expressions with a simplified art study/project in the style of Rembrandt. If you fear art study – or if you don’t have special art supplies on hand – this is a fantastically […]
Favorite Christmas Picture Books and Read Alouds
Are you looking for picture books and read-alouds to share with your children this Christmas season? The following books are a collection of our personal family favorites, including Christmas legends and folktales, beloved Christmas carols, art & history connections, and stories that focus on love, joy, and generosity while also celebrating the Greatest Gift ever […]
Memory Work Review Game Extravaganza
We’re heading into our final week of first semester, which means… it’s time for our mid-year review game party! Although last year I posted photos of our homeschool group’s Review Game Extravanganza on the Half-a-Hundred Acre Wood Facebook page, I didn’t get around to writing about it. Now that I’m searching for bits and pieces […]
In Flanders Fields: WWI Poetry Copywork & Coloring
Written by a Canadian medical officer during the First World War, “In Flanders Fields” remains one of the most popular poems ever written. When John McCrae served as an army doctor in Flanders (an area crossing the border of Belgium and France along the North Sea), he witnessed and attended to the horrific injuries suffered by the […]
A Christ-Centered Focus {Scripture Memorization}
With all the distractions that fall upon us in the coming weeks, it’s easy to miss out on the most important part of this season – that the Word became flesh. The Son of God left His glory on high to live in this broken world all because of love. How can I so easily forget to stop […]
Our First Week {and Three Tips for a Simple Start}
Week Number One. I think it’s the most intimidating week of the year for me. At least at the beginning of the year it is (but when February rolls along, I’ll probably say that every week). Nevertheless, always at the close of our first week, there exists this sense of accomplishment, regardless of what actually happened during the week. So, even […]