Crazy Fun Back-to-School Celebrations

August 4, 2025 by Laura Leave a Comment

Crazy Fun Back-to-School Celebrations

In “Crazy Fun Back to School Celebrations,” Episode #237, Meredith Curtis encourages homeschool families and teens to plan something special for the first day of school. And it doesn’t have to be Mom who plans; teens have great ideas, too. This podcast gives a plethora of ideas from food and nature to silly projects and educational fun. This podcast will make you smile and probably give you some creative ideas of your own.

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Bringing Homeschool Joy to Families Everywhere!

Show Notes

Let me take you back in time to 1990. My first & only first-day-of-homeschool photo

Food & Nature

Special Breakfasts at Home

Make-Your-Own Breakfast Pizzas

Favorite Restaurant

Nature Fun – picnics, hikes, playgrounds, beach

Projects & Silliness

Creation to Jesus’ Return Timeline

Treasure Hunt to Find Schoolbooks

Plane Trip to Heathrow & Tel Aviv

To kick off our geography co-op, we set up our living room as an airport gate, the dining room as security, and the family room as an airport. We made passports and plane tickets, using them to travel to London and Tel Aviv. It was a blast! (you can read more in Travel God’s World Geography – a yearlong course.)

Travel God's World Geography by Meredith Curtis

HIS Story of the 20th Century by Meredith Curtis

Turn Christmas Carols into Homeschool Songs

Family Vaudeville Show

Learn more about the vaudeville show in HIS Story of the 20 Century.

School Color Photos

Theme Photos

Crazy Outfit Pictures

Tag me! 😊

Be sure to post them and tag me! 🌞

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Curriculum with Added Fun!

Thank You to our Network Sponsor – CTC Math!

Filed Under: Finish Well Tagged With: back to school, celebration, Christian, Christianity, family, Finish Well, fun, homeschool, homeschooling, Laura Nolette, Meredith Curtis, Parent, party, school, Silliness, Silly

How to Teach Patriotism & Politics

June 24, 2014 by Melanie Wilson Leave a Comment

Whether you think politics is a boring or intimidating topic to teach in your homeschool, you’ll want to hear my interview with Lynn Schott of Founders Academy. Her enthusiasm for the topic is infectious and the resources she provides for students of all ages (many of them free and very inexpensive) are amazing.

Listen in to learn:

How Lynn got involved in politics (it’s a neat story)
How she imparted patriotism and a willingness to participate in the political process to her children
The amazing project she has her government students do (that adults should do, too)
How your high school students can complete semester-long classes in just eight weeks this summer

You can find free online classes at Founders Academy and follow Lynn on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Google+.

Play Podcast

Filed Under: The Homeschool Sanity Show Tagged With: classes, curriculum, economics, government, high, homeschool, homeschool American history, online, school

College Admission and Scholarship Secrets for Homeschoolers with Lee Binz

March 25, 2014 by Melanie Wilson Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

This interview with Lee Binz, the Home Scholar, should really be titled The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling Your Way to College. Lee offers so much valuable information that you’ll want to pin or bookmark this show for later. Be sure to share it with friends! They’ll thank you. Learn:

What a college-prep curriculum looks like

Where you can find help creating a high school transcript

When you need to start the college selection process

Why Lee says her two sons received full tuition scholarships

Lee’s tip for increasing SAT/ACT scores, and much more!

If you are nervous about college prep education, you’ll love this show! If you know someone who isn’t sure they can homeschool high school, I hope you’ll share the show with them.

My favorite quote from the interview is:

Every child deserves a college-prep education.

Want to hear more from Lee? Attend one of her sessions at the St. Louis Homeschool EXPO 2014.

Here are the many invaluable resources mentioned in this podcast:

Scheduling: The Secret to Homeschool Sanity (available on Amazon)

The Home Scholar’s Guide to College Admission and Scholarships

Lee’s Freebies (a list of free resources on TheHomeScholar.com that includes the webinar that will help you create a transcript)

FREE Ebook! Finding a College You Love
By Lee Binz, The HomeScholar, www.TheHomeScholar.com

You have cared, nurtured, loved and protected your child for 18 years. Now comes the hard part! You need to somehow find a college that you love, and that will love your child. Colleges love homeschoolers for their academic preparation, socialization, and specialization. They love us and they want us at their school. Right now, colleges and universities around the country are salivating at the chance of getting their hands on your kids AND your money. Today’s wise parent MUST learn to discern high pressure sales tactics embedded in today’s “big business” universities, smooth-as-silk marketing claims that mix the truth with lies, and moral and ethical lingo which hides a “Christian-in-name-only” reality. One essential strategy for finding a college you love is to VISIT. Plan ahead, and arm yourself with knowledge! You only get one chance to do this right and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Learn to find a college you can love!
Download Finding a College You Love!

What’s the biggest concern you have with helping your homeschooled child get into college?

Filed Under: The Homeschool Sanity Show Tagged With: admission, Binz, college, high, Home, homeschoolers, homeschooling, how to create a homeschool transcript, Lee, Scholar, scholarships, school