World of Astronomy from Master Books: Review

Grace-Filled Writer

The newest book in the Exploring series from Master Books (a division of New Leaf Publishing) is available! This is my first chance to see a book from this series as a Moms of Master Books reviewer and it is excellent. It is geared towards older students than my girls who are elementary age, however I think it would be a perfect fit for upper elementary and middle school students.

The World of Astronomy is written in an easy to read style and I have enjoyed learning more about Astronomy from a biblical perspective. I’ve been slowly collecting materials and curriculum which will inform me as I have very, very curious little girls. I much prefer having an answer or at the very least knowing a reliable source of where to find the answers to their often deep questions. Just as with all other books published from Master Books I trust the content to be not only in line with Scripture, but also very scientific.

My favorite section was on the telescope. The chapter gave an excellent history of the first telescope and how it has changed over the years. It kept my attention and did not feel as if I were reading a dry text book that I remember from my days in grade-school. I’m not certain if that is somewhat due to maturity, but I do know I have enjoyed what I have read. My only disappointment was that the text only includes black and white pictures. This is not a major issue, but it wasn’t what I was expecting.

I am excited to explore more about astronomy with my girls this year. We purchased a telescope which we are still learning how to use. Now that the sun is going down sooner and the time-change is approaching we will have many more opportunities to learn about our universe and The Word of Astronomy will be a great asset on our journey!

Disclaimer: I received The World of Astronomy as part of the Moms of Master Books Team. I was not required to give a positive review. I was not compensated in any other way. 

George Washington: True Patriot from YWAM Publishing: Review

Grace-Filled Writer
YWAM Logo photo YWAMLogo_zpse2d5593a.jpg

I have known about Youth With A Mission since I was in college. I attended a Christian college with a strong missions department and many of those within the major had worked with YWAM prior to their admission. What I didn’t realize was their ministry reached beyond mission trips. I have sense thoroughly enjoyed browsing through their many books for children and adults on their website. 

GW Book photo YWAM-GWbook_zps5f5701ba.jpgGW Unit Study photo YWAM-GWUnitstudy_zps416f4e51.jpg
We got the chance to review George Washington: True Patriot ($8.99) and the accompanying Unit Study Curriculum Guide ($9.99) by Janet and Geoff Benge from YWAM Publishing. Rose very much enjoyed this study! She really likes history and she started the book before our trip to Williamsburg in September which was perfect timing. I love all the opportunities we have while homeschooling is wonderful. We really have time to explore what aspects of history interest my girls the most. This and the other biographies in the series are ideal for read-aloud material for elementary students and 
Many biographies for this age focus on the highlights or the things for which they are famous. I liked that this biography takes the reader back to the beginning, yet does not feel like heavy reading. Fact are given in an interesting way and kept Rose wanting to read more! 
The accompanying study guide gives chapter questions and opportunity for further investigation into the life of George Washington. I appreciated that the answers were included. Although I do read what my girls are reading I have three I’m keeping up with each day. It is nice to have some help along the way as we study together! 
I also liked the accompanying student pages which gave Rose something to complete as she read. I usually have my own page of information she completes for her literature studies, but it was refreshing to have one already made. These pdf files are easy to print or read off a digital device with a larger screen.

There are so many options for learning included in the study guide which will fit your learner no matter their ability level or learning style. The directions for the teacher are extremely clear and helpful. Many other unit studies I have looked at are geared towards the student, but can leave me as the teacher a little confused and lost. There is definitely not a problem with that here! Directions are concise and clear.

My favorite part of the guide was the student explorations. There are so many creative options here there will definitely be something to grab you child’s imagination. There are detailed descriptions of each. There were some I hadn’t ever thought about doing for a unit study like giving my daughter the chance to make a movie about George Washington’s Life. She is working on a cross-stitched picture which was another idea given since girls were expected to practice their sewing. I’m going to keep this list handy for future unit and literature studies. I’m sure I can adapt them to just about anything we do with how versatile they really are.

This high-quality series is one we will be coming back to for more biographical studies. I know I can count on them to be interesting, accurate, and I am provided with more options than I could imagine to engage my girls as they learn through the study guide.

You can read more reviews of this and the biography about Jim Elliot which my Crewmates reviewed below!
Photobucket
photo DisclaimerGraphic1_zpsf612f371.gif

Week in Review: September 20-October 4

Grace-Filled Writer

We had a good week! Everyone was more focused, especially Grace, which made learning so much easier for all of us. We started off the week with a field trip. It was actually a kids concert on Sunday evening before our week actually started, but I’m including it for this week. We had a great time with Mrs. Kate! Check out the post to see just how much fun!

Little Hands to Heaven: Unit 24

Like I said before Grace was much more cooperative this week when it came to lessons. She is very happy to do her work, especially her reading lessons. She has caught on much more quickly to reading than I expected. All my girls were reading at about a 1st grade level before they turned 5. Grace didn’t beg to read the way her sisters did because she was convinced she already knew! Now that we’re almost 20 lessons into Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons (I’ve used this for all of them) she has really caught on well. She can already sound out words without any trouble as long as they include letters she has learned.

I’ve really enjoyed using the ABC Bible Verse devotionals each week with her this year. This is one book I never had with the set and I purchased it used this summer. Grace really likes the little stories that go along with the verses. It uses KJV which we don’t usually use, but I’m not absolutely opposed to either. I love the flexibility of HOD and being able to use whatever version I prefer!

Grace finished up capital F in Fundanoodle. I really wish I’d found this handwriting curriculum for my other two. She loves getting to put the sticker at the bottom of each page. Her handwriting is really good for a just-turned-four-year-old! Although she isn’t consistent, about 1 in every 6 letters looks amazing well-written. She also is easy because she doesn’t get frustrated that it isn’t perfect yet.

She also enjoyed some fundamental Pre-K skill practice by playing matchy socks (her name for pairing sock I hide around the room), lacing, and cutting. These were great skills for her to work on while I worked with her sisters and she finally was willing to do them this week. Yay!
Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory: Unit 7
Beth read Buffalo Bill this week. Sometimes she read aloud to Grace who absolutely loved the story! Beth loves reading. I’m so blessed to have bookworms!  
One of my favorite aspects of the Heart of Dakota Curriculum is the early integration of poetry. The first two guides uses rhyme and poetry to teach, so by the time the third guide comes around they are very ready to listen to classic poems and think about what they mean. One of Beth’s favorite part of poetry is making motions that go along with words! She is just so sweet!
Beth’s handwriting has suddenly matured! I am not using the traditional copywork with her because we have a lot of handwriting each day through All About Spelling, her HOD spelling, and the journal activities we have recently begun. You can see at the top of this page where I showed her how to write a small r, but usually this is just a reminder because she likes to write them fancy. She’s also working on learning cursive so she sometimes likes to try to curly-cue her print letters.
Preparing Hearts for His Glory: Unit 4 (1st half)

Preparing has been such a fun guide and we’re only 4 units in! There is so much solid material here and we’re really enjoying it. We are unashamedly believers in a literal Genesis account of creation and I appreciate that Heart of Dakota falls in line with our beliefs. Rose loves the history and so do I! The last three guides have had a sweeping view of history from the explorers to early America. I have enjoyed starting at the beginning with Rose and seeing how Scripture is right in line with history. 
 Ahhh vocabulary…Rose really doesn’t like this part for some reason although this week has been easier than the others. I’m currently only having her do 3 of the 5 words, but I’m planning to have her up to all 5 by January. I’m also hoping we’ll be full-speed by January, but if we take this guide for 2 years I’m okay with that. Math and English will remain on course no matter what. 
We’re half-way through All About Spelling Level 3 and I’m seeing wonderful application beyond our lessons now. As I remind her to proof-read she will break down the words she has written into their individual phonemes and figure out on her own the correction. I’ve also caught her mumbling some of the All About Spelling rules under her breath. “This letter has to be doubled to protect the short vowel.” It is so wonderful to see a curriculum cross into life application! 
Poetry is one of my favorite parts of the unit! We’re studying poems all by Robert Louis Stevenson this year, one of my favorite poets and authors! I love that as we are studying the poems we also learn a little bit about the poet’s life. 
Oh my voracious reader! This picture was actually taken after our lessons for the day were over and I caught her reading her book for literature because she just had to read one more chapter! I struggle to get her to pace the books we read so I can discuss them with her, but I can’t really complain. I’d much rather see this than have rolling eyes when I mention literature!
We won’t have too many more days when the ice cream truck will come through the neighborhood. We usually do this once or twice in the summer, but this time the girls decided they wanted to use their money so Daddy took them down. This was a fun mid-week break in routine!
Grace turned 4 on Friday! She’s so very grown up. Her favorite gift was a digital camera. Her older sisters each got a camera at 4 and she’s been anxiously awaiting her turn. She already knew how to use it because Rose has been teaching her with her own camera. She took over 200 pictures on the first day! We enjoyed spending the day with my parents, especially since my mom shares a birthday with my littlest sweetheart! It is so special that they have this special bond. 
This week was good. A nice refreshing week after last week…and then as I was finishing up this post our upstairs toilet overflowed…So the end of our week didn’t feel quite as refreshing as the rest of it, but that’s life, right? 
Grace-Filled Writer


When my husband and I first started out in ministry it was to youth. He and I enjoyed the energy and excitement which is youth ministry. We firmly believed youth group should be fun, but the focus should always be Christ. If at any point anything we did stepped away from this focus, we needed to rethink what we were doing. One of the things we learned was teenagers are not usually encouraged to think for themselves. They have the ability, but the pressure to just go along with the crowd can deafen their ears and subsequently minds to stop thinking. 

Tommy Newberry’s book, Think 4:8: 40 Days to a Joy-Filled Life for Teens from Tyndale House Publishers is a special combination edition of two other books, The 4:8 Principle and 40 Days to a Joy-Filled Life especially focused on teenagers. This books seeks to take the practical ideas from the original book and apply it specifically to teenagers. I have not read the adult versions of the book yet, but I was intrigued as I read. I was impressed with how practical truth was presented in a very teen-friendly manner and that Newberry applied it to very real issues teens face. My girls are not yet teenagers, but I will be using this book as a devotional with my 12-14 year-old literature class for homeschoolers to start our day together.

Set up in the style of a devotional each chapter focuses on a different aspect regarding their mindset. The foundation of the book is Philippians 4:8 which is introduced on the first day. Each following day builds on the idea that we need to dwell on the good things and how to do this in a variety of areas including how teenagers regard their parents, how they view themselves, and how to treat others.

The format is consistent throughout the book and is easy to follow. A Scripture is introduced from one of a number of versions of Scripture. Then a short devotional is written to encourage the reader to think more deeply about the passage. Following this is a challenge portion for the reader to plan out how they will change their thoughts. Then they are challenged to put their thoughts into action and given a thought of the day to help them stay on track. Finally is a sample prayer to help the reader know how to pray about their challenge. I think this would be an especially good read for a teenager who is new in their faith and is facing the challenge of changing much of the way they are living their lives.

I reviewed the e-book, but I think this would be better in the physical format if you are considering this for a teen you know because each chapter has space and opportunity for them to respond to what they have read. I would have preferred if this book had been consistent with the version of Scripture used. Although I do not think there is only one correct translation, I prefer consistency in whatever translation is used.

Disclaimer: I received the Think 4:8: 40 Days to a Joy-Filled Life for Teens in exchange for an honest review as part of the Tyndale Blog Network.  I was not required to give a positive review. I was not compensated in any other way. 

Don’t Miss the Boat! from New Leaf Publishing: Review

Grace-Filled Writer

I’ve recently seen some interesting news about the finding of a wooden structure buried deep in the snow of Turkey which some think may be the remains of Noah’s Ark. While it is intriguing, the problem I find with situations like this is many place their hope in finding proof this is true. Our culture would prefer to trust fallible human experts rather than believe in and trust the account of Scripture because it would mean they have to say, “Yes, I believe in God.”

Don’t Miss the Boat: Facts to Keep Your Faith Afloat by Paul Taylor is an excellent read because it is unlike any other book concerning the flood I have read. Most books I have read about the flood cover one of three things:

1. This exposition of the scriptural account.
2. The history
3. The science

Paul Taylor’s book covers all of these areas and has a surprise at the end for fiction lovers! He has taken the facts added a dose of creative license and has come up with short stories written in the 1st person narrative from several different individuals involved in the biblical account. There really is something for everyone.

The already mentioned sections are neatly arranged in the table of contents. This is helpful for readers who are more interested in science and not as much in the history. Perhaps you are a fiction buff, you can skip right to those areas before reading anything else. Although I recommend reading the entire book, the reader can easily begin in any section and not feel lost.

The exposition of Scripture is the very first part of the book which is important to me. Paul Taylor doesn’t leave anyone guessing where he stands with regard to the truth of God’s Word. I like to know up front where an author stands. It doesn’t mean I’ll stop reading the book, but it gives me a perspective with which to read.

The best part about the book from my perspective is the chapter entitled The Gospel According to Noah. Taylor clearly lays out the parallels between Noah and the gospel. It is something I never really connected together before. There isn’t anything Taylor writes which cannot be found in Scripture, but his observations are a unique and fresh perspective.

For more about this book, take a look at the trailer below!
Also check out more reviews on the NLPG Blog below!
Disclaimer: I received Don’t Miss the Boat from New Leaf Publishing in exchange for an honest review.  I was not required to give a positive review. I was not compensated in any other way. 

Fundanoodle: Review

Grace-Filled Writer
photo fundanoodlelogo_zps4636896c.png
When beginning homeschooling for kindergarten one of the first things everyone looks for is a handwriting curriculum. There are so many to choose from! With so many choices it can be hard to know what is best. There are many, really good ones, but I’m really excited to share something brand new to me and what I think I’ll continue to use with Grace through Kindergarten. 
photo builduppercaseletters_zpsbf68708f.jpg
Fundanoodle is a really neat company I was not familiar with before this review. Their learning activities are very hands-on and all about experiencing while learning. When you have time, take a minute to read about their company and philosophy. You’ll see why I’m really behind this company. We reviewed the I Can Build Upper Case Letter! activity kit ($29.99) for ages 4-5 (Pre-K-Kindergarten). What a blessing it has been for Grace!
This is such an amazing value! The kit includes a magnetic dry-erase board, a set of magnetic curves and lines for buildling letters, a dry-erase marker, activity cards for gross motor skills, and a wooden dice. There are other handwriting systems which incorporate building the letters with a set of basic curves and lines, but not for this price with everything included. The magnets are very high quality and sturdy. Directions for building the letters are also included. 
Upon opening the box I hadn’t even taken everything out before Grace was trying it out! She knew it was for making letters and without any guidance she built D and was so very proud of herself. I know it wasn’t exactly how it was intended to be built, but she was discovering on her own and loving it. I knew she was hooked and this was going to be fun!
Although many schools are doing away with recess researchers agree physical activity throughout the day is vital to stimulating the brain and provide more focus. Fundanoodle provides a very easy way to incorporate gross motor skills with this program with the gross motor cards. These were soooo fun. I honestly didn’t know how they would go over. They seemed so simple, but this was one of her favorite things! She simply rolled the dice to choose which card we would do, flip it over, then follow the directions, which was always moving the same way as a specific animal. 
Don’t these shots just say it all? Grace loved roaring like  lion and hopping like a kangaroo. Just as expected, her focus and attention was increased when we got down to the core of the program. 
First Grace built the letter we were working on. I chose to have her do the same letter every day for a week because of her age. I’ll explain why below. I would hand her the pieces needed for the letter and let her do the best she could…which was pretty good as you can see! For some letters I had to help her align them a bit, but she got the idea from the start and this was something I really liked. Having her tangibly form letters with these basic shapes seemed to cement them in her mind. 
I really like that the straight-lined letters are taught first. Some handwriting programs teach the curved letters first. Some teach them in ABC order. Others teach consonants and then vowels. To me, this makes the most sense. 
You can see there are several rows for the students to practice on. Because of her age (not quite 4) I felt it would be best for Grace to work on one line each day. The first three rows are in boxes which really helped her form her letters better. Again, I’ve seen other curriculum use this method, but not with as much clarity as is used in this book. I also like that the last two lines are traditional practice paper for her to use. This was much harder for her, but she gave it her best and really did quite well. This is the first time she’s really used handwriting paper even though she’s been writing letters for a while. 
Another really fun aspect is each letter has its own special sticker for her to place on each page when she is done. She loved these I like the reward. It was something to work towards which was very simple. 
This program is good…so, so good. I hadn’t disliked any of the other handwriting curricula I’ve used with my girls, but I hadn’t yet found one I loved. Now I have! 
Read about this and the many other wonderful products from Fundanoodle from my Crewmates!
Photobucket

photo DisclaimerGraphic1_zpsf612f371.gif

Field Trip: Mrs. Kate Carpenter Concert!

Grace-Filled Writer
(All music title links will send you to hear the full song on Mrs. Kate’s website!)

A field trip on a Sunday? Not usually, but I just had to write about Mrs. Kate Carpenter’s concert we just came home from. She is a a very dear friend of ours and we were so excited when she called to say she was coming on tour our way all the way from Florida! We’ve been Mrs. Kate fans for a long time and Rose even named her first baby doll Baby Kate after her! 

Mrs. Kate is a pastor’s wife from Florida and sings inspiration and motivational songs for kids and adults. She is passionate about sharing Christ with the world and uses her music to inspire. She also frequently performs in schools for anti-bullying and anti-drug programs. Her lively folk tunes get everyone moving and her concerts are full of audience participation much to the joy of the children!
Beth got to be one of the first helpers and used her baton to march along with S-M-I-L-E. This is huge. I just can’t tell you how huge! Beth loves to sing and has a beautiful voice, but I have not been able to get her up in front of anyone for something like this, even when the kids sing! She has had once of the worst cases I’ve seen of stage fright, but this time she actually volunteered to participate and had a blast doing so. 
Rose helped out with Lord This is Your Day and Habit the Rabit Loves Manners. She wanted to do every song! She also used to have stage fright, but thankfully this has passed for the most part. She has grown up with Mrs. Kate and just loved the chance to see her in person. Mrs. Kate also spent some time in our home this afternoon. It was like hosting a celebrity. 
Little Grace didn’t want any part of being on stage…until the very end! She sang Down Under…sort of. You can see her there in the green pants. She seemed much more nervous than I expected, but she was excited to hang out on stage with Brooke, Mrs. Kate’s assistant. She loved her and enjoyed playing with her all afternoon. 
Mrs Kate is a celebrity in our house and the afternoon as been one filled with giggles and glee. Her assistant, Brooke, spent all afternoon playing with the girls and spending lots of time with them. Take some time to check out Mrs. Kate’s music and like her facebook page. She is a simply fabulous musician, but her character and passion for Jesus are greater still. I am privileged to call her my friend. If you ever have a chance to go see her in concert, don’t miss out! 

Week in Review: September 23-27

Grace-Filled Writer

Another week has come and gone. We read, we calculated, we learned. Maybe this should be our mantra!






Little Hands to Heaven: Sigh…

That’s all I’ve got: a sigh. Grace is almost four and she’s been testing me in a lot of areas. It isn’t that she doesn’t want to do school, there were just other things which needed attention this week! We didn’t really go through a terrible twos or threes. She of course tested us, but not to the extent her older sisters did at that age. This week there was a lot of time spent seeing if Mommy and Daddy really mean what they say.

She’s spent a long time at the kitchen table after refusing to eat the very thing she asked for breakfast just minutes before and time in her room for being sassy with her responses to me. She’s told me she’s mad at me for making her lay down for her nap and yelled at her sisters for not doing what she told them to do. It’s tough being almost-four! Although at the moment I think it is tougher being the mommy of this almost-four-year-old!

We did manage to get a few reading lessons in and she enjoyed some more time on the computer using Reading Kingdom and a handful of other learning games. I’m hoping this week will go better since Friday she seemed to be quite cooperative.

Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory: Unit 6

I think I am enjoying Beyond Little Hearts as much as Beth! This is my second time going through the guide, but the first time was with Rose during our first year of homeschooling. I had a hard time enjoying and appreciating it then because I felt such pressure. I’m really having fun with all the history readings and activities.

She did a “scrubbing day” just like the ladies in Holland did and she really enjoyed it. She scrubbed our stove completely and now it is shining!

The poem we studied was about the months of the year. She really enjoyed putting the poem in the correct order and showing off her knowledge of the months!

She is really enjoying her timeline now! At first she was so nervous about being able to do it correctly, but now she just goes right ahead. I usually write it out for her on another piece of paper so she can see just how to space it and to give her a sample of the picture.

For grammar this week we looked at question words. She was supposed to draw a question word from the pile and ask a question starting with the word about what I had hidden in a bag so she could figure it out. 
She picked “what”. 
Her question?
“What is in the bag?” 
Well played little girl. Well played.


Preparing Hearts for His Glory: Unit 3 (2nd half)
Rose finished up the second half of unit 3 in Preparing this week and begged me to start going full-speed because she just couldn’t handle not reading more for history! I explained part of the reason we were still going half-speed was because it was taking her so very long to do her work each day and honestly to even get started! We’re doing at least one more 1/2 speed unit and we’ll see how it goes.












Math is finally going really well. I found a wonderfully large pdf collection of math fact pages for her so she doesn’t have to copy the problems while she’s learning the facts. While addition facts seemed to take forever, this is going much better! I’m not sure the difference, but at the moment she is flying through her times tables! Click on the picture to the left to see the website. I happened to stumble upon it one day and I’m so very glad I did!

This is the newest book we’re reviewing for the TOS Review Crew. I seriously can’t tear her away from this! She loves this novel and has been taking it with her everywhere she goes. She very much takes after her mother and both of her grandmothers. I am just thrilled to watch her world open up as she continues to devour great literature!

Rose once detested spelling. She now loves it and actually asks to do spelling. We follow the HOD suggestion for dictation twice a week and do a unit from All About Spelling twice a week. I really believe both methods have improved her spelling and am grateful for the change in her attitude this year. She doesn’t always get everything right the first time, but she now has the skills to make corrections without me just having to tell her how it is spelled. She has also started proofreading her own writing better and checking herself for mistakes. Yay! 


We are studying a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson during each unit this year. She is supposed to share the poem in a special way so she rewrote Rain using the quill pen she got from Williamsburg. She’s getting pretty good at it although she does have to make lots of cross-throughs and corrections! 

I’m hosting another wonderful giveaway from Applewood Books through this coming Friday. Make sure you take a minute to enter by click on the link! The choice for the winner is going to be difficult. We loved all four books so much!

We had the chance to have two field trips in one at the end of this week! Take some time to read my review of the Children’s Museum of Alamance County…
…and the Art of Brick exhibit hosted by the Alamance County Arts Council. 


Art of Brick: Field Trip

Grace-Filled Writer

There’s just something about Legos…am I right? I haven’t met a kid who didn’t love them and my girls are no exception. They build according to the models and only rarely branched out to make their own creations…until today! We had the chance to visit the free exhibit The Art of Brick, hosted by the Alamance County Arts Council.

The Arts Council is housed in a house preserved for its history. It may not look like a museum from the outside, but once step into its doors and you are immediately surrounded by art. Volunteers greeted us and made sure we knew not to touch or even accidentally bump into the exhibits. Although they are glued together, they were not glued to their stands and even jumping could dislodge them. We made sure the girls understood this rule, especially since we had just been visiting a much more hands-on museum prior to this!

Some of the sculptures were housed at the Children’s Museum of Alamance County so we saw those first. The opened book with a castle and moat surrounding it was my favorite. A story-poem was written on the book and it was fun to share it with my girls. Grace said it looked like a pop-up book and I think she’s right!

The crayons were another fun sculpture for the girls!

The boy looking at his reflection entranced Beth and Rose.

Many of the sculptures were of people. The genius of this artwork goes beyond the ability to create sculptures out of Legos. The creativity and ideas behind the art seem endless.

This one looked like someone was squeezing the clouds to make it rain on the city!


“Mommy, look! His heart is floating!“

Grace’s face while she looks at this one is just fabulous! 
This is just so cool! Grace loved this one and spent a long time looking at it and talking with me about it. Grace is almost 4 and here she is discussing art with me. Wow!
Hopefully this won’t be the only time we see Mt. Rushmore, but even if it is, it’s a pretty cool way! 
Beth and Grace enjoyed talking about this one and why it was titled Lonely Yellow. We chatted about why only one brick was yellow, what it represented, and why only light would be on in the city. 
Here is a self-portrait of the artist made entirely of Legos. How cool would family pictures like this be?
After we toured the exhibit we watched a short video of the artist talking about how he started out and why he made these sculptures. The girls were very entertained by him and I really enjoyed hearing about his past. What struck me most about what he said was how much it meant to him that families came to his exhibits. He said families who typically wouldn’t go to an art exhibit would come to The Art of Brick. Boy was he right! The art museum really wasn’t on my radar for a field trip until the girls were much older. I’m now reconsidering it. Talking with the girls about the sculptures, what they represented, and just discussing them was so much fun!
The girls were also inspired to come home and create on their own. Rose, my by-the-book girl, didn’t once look at her instruction sheets for her Lego sets when she came home. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen her do that! The Art of Brick was a fabulous exhibit and a really fun way to introduce art to your kids if you haven’t yet! Check here to see if there is an exhibit near you!
Family Friendly: 10
Kids Engagement: 10
Likelihood to return: 10

Children’s Museum of Alamance County: Field Trip

Grace-Filled Writer

I’m always on the lookout for fun field trips for our girls. I found out recently there was a children’s museum we’ve never been to which is close enough for a day trip! The Children’s Museum of Alamance County generously hosted our family for the day and we had an absolutely splendid time! 

The children’s museum is laid out as in one long, open building. Following the model of many current children’s museums it is all about experiential learning. Multiple rooms flow from one room to another. The opportunities to explore are endless! I’m going to highlight as many as I can, but I’m sure there are some things we missed. 
The first area for exploration is filled with all things science. Microscopes, models, skeletons, books…so many things to touch and explore! My girls love science so they were very happy here for quite some time! 
The girls loved the dentist and doctor areas located in the science section. Beth especially loved playing nurse because she has decided this is what she wants to when she grows up. I can see her being a very good nurse as she is caring and gentle, but also has a mind for memorization!
The next area is for arts and crafts. My girls were in heaven! We didn’t get spend as much time here as they would have liked because a couple of large school groups were there and so it was a little crowded. They did get a chance to enjoy the giant clear-walled room for painting. After donning their smocks they eagerly painted all over the walls! When they get too much paint on them museum workers spray them down with an water hose installed in the ceiling and squeegee the walls. The water goes down a drain in the center of the room which in and of itself is fun to watch!
Right beside the painting room is a large climbing structure which goes from floor to ceiling. Rose loved this and made it all the way to the top. Grace and Beth were a bit more timid, but went partway up. We experienced a structure like this earlier this year at another children’s museum, but it was so large it intimidated my younger two to the point they didn’t want anything to do with it. This one wasn’t as frightening to them and even though they didn’t make it all the way to the top, they did make it farther than the last one. 

Next came the cafe. The girls took orders, cooked, worked the cash register, and made change with replicas of the real thing. Beth loves to play like this at home all the time, so to have a full-size version of a restaurant made her day!
The train room awaited the girls in the next section. What a room! While they have played with a train set like this before, never have they played in such a beautifully painted area! A wall mural of a days-of-old train filled the room. Like every other room, themed books were available for kids at all times. I love how literature is a part of every exhibit. My girls weren’t as drawn to this because we read together all the time, but I observed many children from the school groups enjoying the books with their adult chaperones and it made me happy to see this!
The last indoor section was a farm. This was my favorite part! Model raised beds lined with brown felt for dirt had holes in rows so kids could plant and harvest their produce. Also in this area was an adorable little farm house, which was filled with children almost the entire time we were there. Beth collected chicken eggs and Rose enjoyed driving the delivery truck. Grace planted veggies in the garden, but never got to harvest any because other kids kept coming up to do the job. She still had fun though. 
Just outside this building is a courtyard filled with fun! A flowing creek with a small waterfall was Rose and Grace’s favorite part outside. They floated boats and enjoyed the water. Beth loves to dig so she spent most of her time in the sand! There are also lots of outdoor toys for kids to play with, but our girls preferred these two areas.
I commented to my husband as we left that all of the things the girls experienced today are what we think of as typical childhood fun, yet most kids don’t get to experience them on a regular basis. Our girls already do many of these activities, just on a smaller scale. I wondered how many of the children visiting may have been experiencing this type of exploration for the first time  or the first time in a long time. I loved watching my girls play in the man-made creek as I recalled playing in creeks myself as a little girl. We don’t have one on our property, but they do love exploring the woods behind my parents house which has a small swampy area. 
The Children’s Museum of Alamance County was a joy to visit and the price is a bargain at only $5 per person! The girls could have stayed from open to close and I imagine they could visit repeatedly without ever getting board. If you are able to make it to Alamance County, North Carolina make sure you take time to visit this museum. Your kids will thank you!
Family Friendly: 10
Kids Engagement: 10 (geared towards elementary)
Likelihood to return: 10  
Disclaimer
We received admission for our family to the Children’s Museum of Alamance County in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. No other compensation was received.