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Looking for ideas to incorporate Farmer Boy into your homeshool? We grew up reading the Little House On The Prairie series of books, and Farmer Boy was always a favorite.  Check out this Farmer Boy Unit Study that is perfect for introducing this book to your children.

FARMER BOY UNIT STUDY

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I couldn’t wait until I had little girl and  was she big enough to read my favorite childhood  books with me- The Little House on the Prairie series. I had pinned all my hopes on sharing Laura, Mary, Ma, Pa, and baby Carries adventures with her, but she is only 3, and while I have read some of the chapters aloud we are not there yet. But then I realized- “Wait! I have a boy of 6 now, he is big enough, why am I saving it for a girl?” However my boy runs from anything with any girly theme whatsoever so it was a no go until I pulled out Farmer Boy and promised him it was full of boy adventures, even a fight, and well farming. ( I am telling ya’ll I barely snuck this gingham cover past him!) Once we made it through the first chapter he was hooked on learning about life on the farm and Almanzo a boy of not quite nine years old. It certainly made him appreciate his little chore list more!

First we read through the book over the course of a couple weeks ( we read two chapters a day on average) which led to many discussions about the differences in the way things were then as opposed to now.  We talked about how modern conveniences had changed the world so much- grocery stores meant that most people no longer HAVE to grow their own food.  Electricity and large appliances like freezers keep food preserved until you are ready too cook it.  Nowadays Families are often  busy watching TV, playing video games, and checking their Facebook status -no longer are our only amuse ments -sledding, sitting around a fire with our family enjoying popcorn and milk, making homemade candy, and the simpleness of county fairs. Sad right?

At the end of our reading we decided to spend a day living like Almanzo and his family.  Sometimes the best way to learn about a subject is to immerse yourself in it, and live it out!  We picked a day to commit to no technology such as tv, tablets, or cell phones ( we did use our electricity for cooking and lighting but you could grill and use flashlights and lanterns if you really want to get even more in character. Here are a few of the activities we included in our Farmer Boy mini unit study.

Write on “slates”– We used our  chalkboard slates to write new words we encountered during our reading as well as for writing out  simple math problems. Then I let the kids just free draw and write on their chalkboards for awhile, they became a favorite activity throughout the day since we had no T.V. We made our slates by taping off the edges of a Dollar Tree cookie sheet with painters tape and spraying on several coats of chalkboard paint-these will serve us throughout many studies!

Apple Cider and Popcorn Snack/Activity-Early in the book the family is enjoying popcorn , apples and apple cider around the  fire (sounds dreamy right?)  So for a snack we had the same- Apple Cider, apples, and salty, buttered popcorn. They were delicious but we also had to try Almanzo’s trick of putting a full cup of popcorn into a full cup of milk to see if it worked- It did! That was a fun experiment and also tasty!

Farm Life- We actually have chickens next door on my mother in laws property, this is a great simple taste of farm life for the kids. We gathered eggs and threw cracked corn to the chickens and talked about how this was a daily chore for the family along with milking cows, and feeding the rest of the livestock. Ask your child if they think they would enjoy that kind of life. Why or why not?  If you don’t have or don’t want to have any kind of farm animals consider a visit to a petting zoo or working farm for a field trip.

Here are some other activities that would be great to go along with Farmer Boy:

Make Butter- This is one of our favorite activities and we have done it several times for various studies, and it couldn’t be easier! Just place some heavy cream in a jar-a mason, or baby food jar work great. Add in a marble and a pinch of salt, then shake…for a long time.. Like 20 minutes , this is a  great activity to take turns with. Your butter is ready when it is pretty solid, and separated from the liquid- pour this liquid off ( this is buttermilk). Store in fridge to firm up and voila!

Plant Potatoes- Here is a  great tutorial on growing potatoes in a container to conserve space from simply frugal .  This will take awhile to see results

Plant a milk pumpkin- Try planting pumpkins and trying Almanzo’s prize winning trick of cutting a slit in the vine and placing a wick from the slit into a bowl of milk. This obviously is a much longer project again, but how rewarding at the end!

Make Ice Cream- How fun for the kids and how tasty to make homemade ice cream like the Wilder  children did when tending house.  Making it in a baggie is the simplest way and is really a ton of fun for the kids. If found a simple tutorial here at Tasty Kitchen.

Sledding- If you live somewhere with snow you can spend the day sledding and throwing snowballs like Almanzo enjoyed during the winter months.

Bake Potatoes- If you are going to cook outside on the grill or have a fire pit going, make potatoes like in the book. Wrap them in foil (not in the book but I just cant toss potatoes directly into the fire and eat them) and let them roast away for a while.   Try it directly from the fire plain and then fill them up with butter, sour cream and whatever toppings you and your child will enjoy. This makes a great lunch or dinner!

Whatever items you choose to do with your Farmer Boy Unit Study, you are sure to have fun reading these books with your kids again.  Sometimes it is great to simply step back in time and enjoy things like they were “back in the day”.

Looking for other great Homeschool studies and tips?  Check out some of our favorites below!

Using Legos In Your Homeschool

Using Television In Your Homeschool Curriculum

7 Tips For Cheap Homeschool Curriculum

Free Transportation Worksheets For Early Readers

Lesson plans aren’t just for school-aged kids. Believe it or not, if you go into a childcare center, every room down to the infant room will have some form of a lesson plan. Yes, you read that right. Which means, Lesson Plans for Toddlers are pretty easy to come by. The problem I find with just grabbing a lesson plan online is, they just don’t seem personal or, they don’t meet my child where they are. This is why I like to create my own toddler lesson plans.

How to Create Lesson Plans for Toddlers

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Lesson plans take on many different things for different ages, as well as different teachers.  Many homeschooling families use unit studies and lap books as part of their lesson plans.  Others will create a formal lesson plan with set things at different times each day.  Our preferred method is more of a Montessori lesson plan which incorporates concepts while teaching through daily life.

Why Create your Own Plans

Only you know your child. No one else can tell you what is best for your child to be learning at this exact moment. It is for that reason that I firmly believe that creating your own plans is the best thing you could do for your child.  I use a simple notebook or journal for lesson plans, but you may prefer a formal teacher lesson plan option to create your own. 

What are Toddler Lesson Plans?

Toddler lesson plans are just that: lesson plans geared towards toddlers. They are just a written out plan as to what you want your child to learn and the activities you plan to do to enhance those skills.

The lesson plans don’t need to be complicated. They can be something as simple as a couple words to trigger your memory for which activity you want to do.  

How Detailed do they Have to be?

The answer to this really depends on how you plan to use your lesson plans. If they are just for your child, you can easily get away with a couple words on a calendar to jog your memory. If they are meant for more of a preschool setting, you need a bit more detail.

At Home Lesson Plans

I find it easiest to concentrate on one skill. This means that all of your activities over the week such as art projects, coloring pages, stories, even meals, and stories have something to do with that week’s item you chose.  This can fit into the Unit Study concept easily.

Once your child is comfortable with that subject and can identify what you would like them to, you move on to the next. Some things only take a couple of days and others can take a few weeks. Keep your time frames flexible and you will be on your way.  

As a former Preschool teacher, I found that with letters and numbers, it is best to not go in numerical or alphabetical order. Kids are great at memorizing things. It is likely that your child has memorized part or all of their numbers or letters. They have memorized in what order the letters and numbers come but, the point of these plans is to have them recognize things. So, mixing up the typical order will help them recognize things a bit better.

Preschool Setting Lesson Plans

If you plan to make the learning more like a preschool type setting, more detailed lesson plans will help you stay organized. Instead of just concentrating on one thing though, you would concentrate on a few different things each day.

You would purposefully plan age-appropriate math activities, an art time, reading time, science time and recess. Those are the bare bones of a preschool curriculum. You can absolutely add more things in as you see fit but, the very basic of plans hold the above items.

Here are some items we like for more formal preschool lesson plan ideas: 

• Mead Success in Preschool Workbook
• Educational Insights: My First Microscope
• BIG Preschool Workbook
• Handwriting Practice Pad
• Educational Wall Posters for Preschool

Tips for Making the Most of Your Lesson Plans

Planning

Planning is so helpful when it comes to keeping ourselves organized. However, toddlers are way more spontaneous than us adults (and to be truly honest, don’t really care about our plans). So, your plans need to be flexible. I recommend planning one week at a time. By Thursday you should have a good idea as to whether your toddler is grasping the concepts or not. If not, then I would continue with new activities for the following week. If they have caught on, move on to the next thing the following week.

Balance

When it comes to planning your activities try to have a healthy balance of easy activities and activities that will challenge your toddler. That sounds simple enough, right? Not so fast. I can guarantee you at some point, you will be blown away by with how much your toddler is capable of. Some of the things that you think will challenge them, will be a breeze. Keep tabs on it and adjust your following lessons as needed.

Always Keep it Fun

Keep it fun. The best way toddlers learn is through play so anything they can actively do is the best way to keep them interested. Games, toys, puzzles, and even videos can all be great educational play.

Toddlers are by far my most favorite age to plan for. There are so many activity options and everything is an adventure for them. They are eager to learn new things and to be totally honest with you, it’s pretty amazing that they still think you are the smartest person ever.  Creating your own lesson plans are easier than you think.  

More Homeschool Tips:

• How to Create a Homeschool Planner
• Printable Kindergarten Homeschool Pages
• Must Have Learning Toys for Toddlers
• 8 Ways to Introduce Numbers to Your Toddlers
• 7 Sensory Activities Toddlers Love
• 7 Ways to Raise a Toddler Who Loves to Read
• 7 Ways to Introduce Your Toddler to the ABC’s
• Places to Find Secular Homeschool Curriculum
• Ultimate List of Free Homeschool Curriculum
• Easy Apple Slices Felt Craft for Kids
• LEGO Building Games for Homeschool Classrooms

If you are looking for some great Kindergarten Homeschool Pages to print out and use in your classroom, we have a simple and fun set to give you!  This set includes handwriting practice, counting, simple addition, matching, and learning about greater or less than.  All in simple printable pages your young child will love!

Printable Kindergarten Homeschool Pages

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If you are working with your Kindergartener on learning from home, you likely have spent a bit of money on worksheets, booklets, and curriculum.  A great way to save money while also giving them quality work to do is by printing your own homeschool pages. I created some simple worksheets that can easily be added to any daily lesson plan.

Homeschool Printable Worksheets are ideal for supplementing your existing curriculum.  Pages like the one shown below or in the image above can easily be added to any unit study.  A little addition with basic numbers is great for early learners.  Things like the matching pages are excellent for recognition and basic cognitive skills. 

Download this Kindergarten Workbook Here!

We like to mix workbooks like this in with other unit studies.  Below you’ll find some of my favorite Unit Study options that work well for all ages and are easy to adapt to your needs.

You may want to print out our free transportation spelling worksheets and our free fall themed spelling worksheets that are both also ideal for younger learners.  They make great additions to these printables to round out a day of school.

Homeschool Unit Study Ideas: 

Here is a good mix of our own unit study ideas as well as some of our favorite bloggers.  While most unit studies vary on age ranges, you can easily adapt the suggestions to meet the needs of your young scholar.

• Farmers Boy Unit Study
• United States Unit Study
• Boxcar Children Unit Study
• Fire Prevention Unit Study
• Little House on the Prarie Unit Study
• Apple Unit Study
• Zoo Unit Study

If you are looking for more worksheets or workbooks to use in your kindergarten homeschool classroom, check out our recommendations below!  These are some great tools that are inexpensive and work great for basic educational needs.

BIG Kindergarten Workbook for ages 5-6

Phonics for Kindergarten Workbook

Handwriting Printing Workbook for Grades K-2

Brain Quest Workbook for Kindergarten

Work with your kindergartener at home in your homeschool, or in addition to their regular classwork using these great printables.  Free and easy to use, means they are a great idea for those who are budget-minded!

More Homeschooling Tips: 

• How to Raise a Reader
• Ultimate List of Free Homeschool Curriculum
• 7 Tips for Cheap Homeschool Curriculum
• Using Television in Your Homeschool Curriculum