Holidays

Summer Holiday School!

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / Leave a comment

For those of us who tend to follow a public school system-type schedule, school is nearly out for the summer! Let’s talk about Holiday School and how we might incorporate it into our summer months. These ideas below were originally put together for Christmas break, but can also be applied to Thanksgiving, Easter/Spring break, or summer vacation!

-Holiday School is a break from the “normal” rhythm of school to enjoy the summer break

-There’s no wrong way to do Holiday School- just take time to enjoy time w/ your family and enjoy this special season

-Time to enjoy cooking, baking, learning a new craft, learning to play or sing a hymn, play games and make puzzles, listen to music, create art, watch movies, etc

-Enjoy summer activity books like hidden pictures, vacation-theme word searches, crossword puzzles, and lots of coloring pages

-Try to learn a hymn in another language

-Lots of families read a book per day

-Some families keep the “core subjects” or do one main journal per day and lots of extra fun vacation activities

-Do summer themed copywork, recitation, and dictation

-Memorize a passage of a famous book

-Create a play

-Also a great time to relax and refresh after a busy year!

-All ages can enjoy Holiday School. Tap into what your kids are interested in and see where it leads

-Some families choose to do a special unit study

-Teens are often really tired by the end of the year and may need extra time to just REST

Below is a peek inside our Holiday-themed journals (if you’d like to do “Christmas in July”)! 😉 We have so many journals that could be adapted to a summer holiday:

Holiday School!

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / Leave a comment
Christmas with the Browns, 2018

Here are some lovely ideas from a chat we had on the topic of Holiday School last December:

-Holiday School is a break from the “normal” rhythm of school to enjoy the holiday season

-Can be all of December, Thanksgiving-the new year, a couple weeks before the holiday, or the 12 days of Christmas (Dec 25- Jan

6)

-There’s no wrong way to do Holiday School- just take time to enjoy time w/ your family and enjoy this special season

-Time to enjoy holiday-related activities like cooking, baking, making decorations and gifts (great handicraft time!), learning to play or sing a carol or hymn, make wrapping paper, help write and address the family cards, play games and make puzzles, listen to music, create art, watch holiday movies, etc

-Enjoy holiday activity books like hidden pictures, holiday-theme word searches, crossword puzzles, and lots of coloring pages

-Work on holiday-based words in whatever foreign language your kids are studying

-Try to learn a carol or hymn in another language

-Lots of families read a book per day

-Some families keep the “core subjects” or do one main journal per day and lots of extra fun holiday activities

-Do Holiday theme copywork, recitation, and dictation

– Learn about how places around the world celebrate

-Learn about other winter holidays besides what you practice

-Dive into some of the legends of the season

-Memorize a different version of the Christmas story in the Bible each year

-Memorize a passage of a famous book

-Create a holiday play

-Let your kids script a play of Christmas Carol, The Night Before Christmas, or the 12 Days of Christmas song

-Also a great time to relax and refresh after a busy year

-All ages can enjoy Holiday School. Tap into what your kids are interested in and see where it leads

-Some families choose to do a special unit study around the holidays too

-Teens are often really tired by the end of the year and may need extra time to just REST

Enjoy this little video of our family Christmas caroling in Italy, a decade ago! Merry Christmas!

The Faces–Not Just the Feast or Festivities

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / Leave a comment
Thanksgiving 2017

It’s so very easy to get wrapped up in all the shopping, menus, and special trappings of the holiday season. Let’s look for new, creative ways to make memories and love others this year.

The holidays can be hard for some, particularly those who have suffered a loss. If you have someone who needs to know that they are loved, get our Little Book of Letters from Your Friends for them and pass it around to all their friends and family.

If you have a friend who is moving, in the hospital, expecting a new baby, going through a trial, or suffering from loss – they need to know that they are loved and remembered. You and your mutual friends can fill this little book with letters, verses, poems, prayers and affirmations. How wonderful it would be to open up this little book while experiencing a lonely moment, in the waiting room or on a plane.

This book can also be used as a book of celebration and courage! If someone you love is celebrating an important event, like a graduation, or moving to a new place, this book can become a wonderful keepsake full of encouragement and celebration. If someone you love is having a birthday, fill this book with blessings for the new year!

What could be more special than a book of letters from the ones you love? Think about the people in your life who need to be remembered or celebrated. Light up their lives with a little book of letters. This book will become a priceless treasure.

Sometimes we need to give a gift that reminds our loved ones of how precious they are. In a digital world, sometimes we need to put our love on paper.

Pick up some colored pencils and gel pens to give along with this book. This book has some beautiful coloring pages that can bring peace and joy to your friend during quiet moments.

This is the perfect gift for anyone whose love language is “Words of Affirmation” or “Gifts”.