By Holly Giles | Family , Florida , Great Outdoors , Nature Study
One morning this week I was exhausted from motherhood by 9 am. First, the boys had pushed my buttons and ignored their chores. Then, I began yelling too much and a myriad of other things that made me run out the back door looking for fresh air!!! I asked God, “Why does this happen? I wake up with […]
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By Holly Giles | Florida , Great Outdoors , Nature Study
Become a Backyard Naturalist A naturalist is someone who studies living things in their habitat. Naturalists observe the same thing over time to see how it changes. Backyard naturalists appreciate nature, the life, and behavior of plants, animals and other living things. You and your children can become naturalists by observing the changes in nature […]
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By Holly Giles | Great Outdoors , homeschooling
Childhood We recently attended a student day event at a beautiful state park. The day was supposed to be filled with demonstrations and hands-on activities for students to learn primitive tool making. A great event for childhood development. Grayson was most excited because this is one of his hobbies. Another family joined us for the […]
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By Holly Giles | Great Outdoors , handicrafts , homeschooling , Uncategorized
Pretending to be Robin Hood in the forest with a bow and quiver or Indians on the Plains, a bow and arrow can bring delight to every child. We have had our share of plastic suction cup arrows in our house and now the boys have real bows and backyard targets. Along the way, Grant […]
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By Holly Giles | Family , Florida , Florida Treasures , Great Outdoors
It was 4 a.m. when the dogs began barking from the kennel. They knew it was time to get up and head to Babcock Ranch for the youth quail hunt. It was not going to be an ordinary day. We wearily awoke to quite a chill in the air that made me want to stay snug […]
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By Holly Giles | Boy Crafting , Florida , Great Outdoors , homeschooling
Grant was nine when Bear Grylls became a person of interest. He was all about survival techniques and everyday carry packs. Grant enjoyed watching Bear Grylls shows and learning from his expertise.
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By Holly Giles | Field Trips , Great Outdoors
Did you know that many National Park Volunteers are serving our country by keeping parks and historical lands open to the public? Many of the beautiful places we visit would be closed if it were not for volunteers.
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By Holly Giles | Field Trips , Florida , Great Outdoors , homeschooling
Have you been to an aquarium lately? Grant, my 10-year-old and I took a mini vacation together to see Winter, the dolphin who lost her tail. My sister recently moved to Clearwater which gave us the perfect excuse to scoot down to see her and Winter, who we have wanted to visit for years. If you […]
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By Holly Giles | Family , Great Outdoors , handicrafts , homeschooling , Simple Living
Little House on the Prairie is just as much fun for boys as it is girls. When my sons decided on a prairie boy’s birthday party for their joint birthdays I knew I would be in heaven. Our homeschool year had been all about reading the Little House series.We enjoyed many activities and resources as […]
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By Holly Giles | Florida , Great Outdoors , homeschooling , Nature Study
Adding Wildflowers to your nature study is as easy as looking in your neighborhood. Yes, it can be easy! For some reason, studying wildflowers seems daunting. Where do you find them and how in the world do you figure out what they are? Start in your yard or your neighbors. Most of our area does not use herbicides on […]
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