Backyard Ancient Greek Olympics

In “Backyard Ancient Greek Olympics,” Episode, #193, Meredith Curtis invites you to have your own Ancient Greek Olympics in the backyard. Don’t worry! We’ll wear clothes and dedicate the games to Jesus instead of the idol/gods of Greece. We will of course update all the games to make them fun and easy for all athletic abilities. Are you ready for a fun way to explore Ancient Greek history? Let Meredith give you a blueprint to have your own Olympics and make memories at the same time.

Powerline Productions, Inc.

Bringing Homeschool Joy to Families Everywhere!

Show Notes

What is unique about the Ancient Greek city-states and their Olympic competition each year? Olympic Truce

Why these games will help build a love for history in your children and teens.

Ancient Olympic Games: Stade Foot Race, Diaulos Foot Race, Hippicus Foot Race, Chariot Race, Discus Throw, Jumping Event, Hoplite Races, Boxing, Wrestling, Javelin Throw, Pentathlon (Wrestling, Stade Foot Race, Long Jump, Javelin Throw, Discus Throw).

Itinerary:

• Day 1: Sacrificing to idol/god and idol/goddesses. Boys wrestling, boxing, running.
• Day 2: Procession of horses, riders, chariots into hippodrome. Running, wrestling, discus, javelin, long jump. First athlete to win 3 events crowned the winner.
• Day 3: Another procession ending at temple of Zeus to offer sacrifices. Long races, sprints.
• Day 4: Wrestling & Boxing ending day with Hoplite race.
• Day 5: Celebrate victors. Procession of coaches, athletes, and spectators to Temple of Zeus to offer more sacrifices. Young boy offers olive branch – afterward woven into wreaths. Evening feast.

Planning the Games

Venue: Backyard, field, or park

Just family or friends, too

Each city-state team wears a different color (Athens, Sparta, Rhodes, Marathon, Crete, Smyrna, etc.)

Gather supplies and prepare what will happen when and where.

Our Olympic Competitions

• Archery
• Relay Race
• “Luge”
• One-Stade Running Race
• Two-Stade Running Race
• Landscape Timber Balance Wrestling
• Pool Noodle Javelin Toss
• Frisbee Discus
• Long Jump

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Organize Your Homeschool

In “Organize Your Home School,” Episode, #192, Meredith Curtis tackles organization. Don’t panic! It is possible to organize the year ahead, schedule, and the stuff you use to teach with – books, papers, assignments. Meredith even walks through setting up the homeschool room for easy storage and clean up each day after school. And how do you eat an elephant-or get organized? One step at a time. So let’s do this!

Powerline Productions, Inc.

Bringing Homeschool Joy to Families Everywhere!

Show Notes

No one ever warned me that homeschooling creates piles of papers, stacks of books, and a myriad of simple choices – like how many pages to read this week or where should I store my stuff or “Mom, what should I do today?”

So, let’s tackle organization step by step.

Organize the Homeschool Room

Start first or if not enough time, work on slowly thru year and move on to lesson planning & scheduling.

Storage, book shelves, school year book shelf, place for children to store all their stuff together

Stuff Use most, easiest to access and put away

Places for piles- shelf, children’s tote

Lesson Planning

Subjects, classes, books, projects

Mapping the Year/ Leave Catch Up Weeks

Handy-Dandy Folder Method

Scheduling

Family Calendar, Mom Schedule, Kid’s Schedules

Flexible Block Scheduling

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Throw a Luau to Learn about Hawaii

In “Throw a Luau to Learn about Hawaii,” Episode, #191, Meredith Curtis inspires you to plan and host a Luau to learn all about Hawaii the fun way. shares the educational benefits of hosting a luau with all the how-tos. Learn about venue, food, costumes, decorations, music, and party fun.  She shares funny and poignant memories of past luaus and how it impacted learning about our 50^th state. Teach history and geography the fun way with a luau!

Powerline Productions, Inc.

Bringing Homeschool Joy to Families Everywhere!

Show Notes

Nothing is boring when you throw a party! How planning, hosting, and participating in history parties is educational as well as fun!

Benefits of a Luau

• Planning & hosting vs. Attending
• Research crops, food, clothing, history
• Learn about Hawaiian culture, food, history
• FUN!

Venue/Guests

Near Water (pool, ocean, lake) good!

Decorations make it! Tropical flowers, shells, fishnets, surfboards

Play Hawaiian/Beach music in the background

Greet guests with leis

Encourage everyone to dress Hawaiian

Set Up/Clean Up

• Swim area/extra towels
• Buffet Table/Drink Table
• Activity Area
• Greeter with leis near entrance

Food

• Roasted Pig or Pork
• Poke Bowls
• Tropical Fruit Salad
• Hawaiian Pizza
• Hawaiian Bread
• Chinese/Japanese Dishes
• Main Dishes with Pineapple/Coconut (Sweet & Sour Chicken)
• Coconut Cake
• Pineapple Desserts
• Alcohol-Free Pina Coladas
• Kona Coffee

Activities

• Limbo
• Swimming/Pool Volleyball
• Poi Eating Contest
• Hula Lessons
• Ukulele Playing

Costumes

Hawaiian Shirts, Mumus, Modest Bathing Suits with Grass Skirts

Leis, Flowered Wristlets & Anklets

Flowers in Hair

Resource

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Resources

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Host Your Own Medieval Banquet for Middle Ages History Fun!

In “Host Your Own Medieval Banquet for Middle Ages History Fun,” Episode, #190, Meredith Curtis inspires you to host a Medieval Banquet to culminate your Middle Ages History studies. She shares the educational benefits of hosting the feast, along with all the how-tos. Learn about venue, food, costumes, jousting with pool noodles, pageantry, and remembering the rank and file.  She shares funny and poignant memories of their Middle Ages Feast along with some of the bloopers like the roasted pig that looked like Alf. Teach history the fun way with a medieval banquet!

Powerline Productions, Inc.

Bringing Homeschool Joy to Families Everywhere!

Show Notes

Nothing is boring when you throw a party! How planning, hosting, and participating in history parties is educational as well as fun!

Benefits of a Medieval Banquet

• Planning & hosting vs. Attending
• Crops, food, manners, protocol
• Pageantry: family crest, flags
• Costumes: royalty, peasants, monks, priests, jester, hunchback, herald
• Crowns: king, queen, prince, princess, duke, duchess, lord, lady

Venue

Choose a venue.

Who Attends

• Everyone! Including dogs!
• Lord & Lady (costume)
• Bishop (costume)
• Nobility (costume)
• Herald, Squire, Page, Priests, Merchants (costume)
• Entertainers such as Jugglers, Musicians, Bards, Jester, Acrobats, Dancers, Magicians (costume)
• Monk or Abbot (costume)
• Peasants (costume)

Setting Up Tables

• Above the salt
• Royal table
• Descending Tables

Procession In

Herald announces. Priest in front. Process in by Rank.

Food

• Roasted Pig or Deer (Alf meatloaf)
• Wooden Bowls & Spoons but silver for royalty, knives, sometimes spoons, no forks, goblets or cups
• Broth, salad, cheese, soup, vegetable & meats, desert (fruit, cake, pudding), cheese
• Cider, grape juice
• Venison, pork, wild boar, beef tongue, chicken, swan, heron, peacock, pheasant, quail, partridges, crane, eel, fish, rabbit
• Peas, rice, broth, soups, dried fruits, eggs, white sauces, white puddings, tarts, jellies, fritters, pastries, and fruit dumplings, baskets of bread

Activities

• Jousting with pool noodles
• Melee (capture the flag)
• Archery
• Chess Tournament
• Ladies folk dancing
• Bard performs
• Mystery or miracle play

Costumes

Robin Hood, fairy tale prince & princesses, monks, peasants, executioner, hunchback

Resource

Let’s Have Our Own Medieval Banquet by Meredith Curtis & Laura Nolette

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Resources

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