Oh my goodness, it has been a winter… and a bit of a spring.
I’m not going to lie- I had some major homeschool burnout this year.
And for once it wasn’t about the books, or the kids’ motivation, or the weather. Instead, it was the result of outside events, namely family drama and puppy woes.
I might talk about it at some point, either on the blog or on the podcast. Or, I might not. I’m still in processing mode.
BUT…
The sun came out this week and we went swimming and everyone is feeling better, self-included.
Over the past few months, I have been reflecting on everything that has happened and I have been re-reading some of my favorite titles from Maya Angelou.
Among my favorite Maya Angelou quotes are the ones in which she speaks of rainbows. For those unfamiliar, the idea is that whenever we have a crummy life situation, or a “cloud”, we must look for the rainbows.
I have found this to be so true in life. Whenever something awful happens, there are these amazing things that happen, too. Quite likely we notice these things because we are looking for something positive, but the positive is always there.
It’s just learning how to notice and be thankful for the many positives all the time.
And when those around you are struggling, it is important to be the rainbow for them.
I first read Maya Angelou decades ago and I have returned to her work time and time again. Rainbows have held special meaning for me for years.
When I became a mom, I wanted to share Maya’s rainbows with my children and so I have rainbow makers in all of our main living spaces.
It might sound crazy, but this I know for sure: When those rainbows start dancing across our kitchen, we all smile.
And we have had many a “big, juicy conversations” about what it means to see a rainbow in a cloud or to be the rainbow for another person.
(Thank you, Maya!)
Sometimes our children make the rainbows for us, just when we need it most.
As I mentioned, we had a very soggy spring filled with sleet and gray clouds and rainy, raw weather. This plus all the aforementioned “clouds” made for low motivation and spirits.
One day, completely without any guidance from me, my children started to make rainbows on our playroom floor using our Spielgaben set.
That made me smile, you guys. They created rainbows in my clouds and I loved every second of it.
Sprinkle in a few books and some art and guess what you have? A super-simple, super-fun rainbow study.
How to Make A Super-Simple, Super-Fun Rainbow Study
*Disclosure: We received a Spielgaben set at no cost in exchange for a review. We are honored to work with Spielgaben. This post is part of a monthly series featuring how we use Spielgaben in our homeschool. All thoughts and opinions are my own. You can read my review of Spielgaben here.
A super-simple rainbow study
Aren’t these rainbows gorgeous? Each one is unique!
I left these rainbows on our playroom floor for the entire rainy week as a reminder of my kids’ creativity, Maya’s words, and of the beauty found in mess, if you are only willing to look.
I love to follow my children’s leads and create what I call lazy unit studies. These lazy unit studies take very little effort on my part and are perfect for homeschool slumps. All you need is a little creativity and a trip to the library!
When my children started creating these amazing rainbows, I knew I could create a lazy unit study about rainbows with a quick trip to the library and some online art!
Before I get to the rest of the study… You might be wondering about the benefits of Spielgaben
There are countless benefits to using these high-quality, open-ended materials:
- Children learn through play. It is often said that play is the science of childhood and Spielgaben offers a wealth of play opportunities.
- Open-ended, loose-part resources allow for creativity and imagination. The sky is the limit!
- Children will learn math and science concepts through exploration of solids of various shapes and sizes. Kids will be able to sort, compare, order, and pattern a variety of objects.
- Spielgaben provides countless opportunities to problem solve. This allows children to grow in confidence and to build those important logic and reasoning skills.
- Children develop language skills when they immerse themselves in play. They learn to express themselves and problem-solve.
- This set is designed to complement your child’s developmental level. The more you play with this set, the more you realize its limitless possibilities. This is a resource that will grow with your family.
If you have had your eyes on Spielgaben, be sure to keep reading. There is a special offer for My Little Poppies readers at the end of this article!
Add more joy to your day…
Fun rainbow-themed books for children
Now, on to the books! A few of these are nonfiction, but mostly they are just colorful, fun books for kids. Here are a few of our family’s favorite rainbow-related reads:
Love rainbows? Check out these smile-makers!
Yes, I told you I am a bit obsessed with rainbows. I have a sun catcher or rainbow maker in all of our main living spaces and they bring us joy!
Bring the colors of the rainbow to life with online art!
Today, I am sharing two of our family’s favorite online art resources. If you’ve followed our site for any length of time, you’ve heard me gush about both of these resources before… and with good reason!
1. Masterpiece Society Studio
I’m not at all surprised, but my kiddos are *loving* this membership site.
My oldest was sick as a dog on Valentine’s Day. Everyone was grouchy (self-included) and feeling a little crummy that our day didn’t go as planned.
Thankfully, we had access to amazing art lessons and they saved the day.
2. The You Are An Artist Clubhouse Annual Membership
We *love* Nana and her Chalk Pastel tutorials. Now, Nana has created an entire clubhouse for artists!
The Clubhouse annual membership includes:
- Instant access to oodles of video art tutorials
- A new art course added monthly
- A new art lesson each week
- … and Chalk Pastels at the Movies
You can read more or sign-up here.
A special Spielgaben offer for My Little Poppies readers…
Learn more about Spielgaben
You are invited to read other Spielgaben posts in this series:
- Using Spielgaben in Your Homeschool
- Create Your Own Fidget Factory Using Spielgaben
- Super-Simple Hands-On Flag Study
- Hands-On Animal Study with Spielgaben
- Study the Four Seasons with Books, Play, and Spielgaben
- A Simple World Monuments Study with Books, Games, and Spielgaben!
- Challenge Kids to Get Creative with Awesome Homemade Games
- Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Play and an Incredible Book
- How to Make Read Alouds Memorable with Amazing Hands-On Play
You can follow Spielgaben on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.
Do you love children’s books?
Be sure to follow My Little Poppies because we share snapshots of our homeschool day… and heaps of fantastic books!
You are also invited to join the {Virtual} Family Book Club at My Little Poppies, a private Facebook Group for parents who love to read fantastic books to their children… and chat about them!
Now, it’s your turn. Tell me: Do you love rainbows, too? Share here!
Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley
Cait co-hosts The Homeschool Sisters Podcast and is co-founder of Raising Poppies, a community for parents of gifted and twice-exceptional children. Cait is also founder of the Family Book Club at My Little Poppies, a fantastic community of book-loving parents and the Gameschool Community at My Little Poppies, a vibrant community of gameschoolers.
Cait is a contributing writer for Simple Homeschool and GeekMom. Her work has also appeared on The Huffington Post, The Mighty, and Scary Mommy. You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram
and G+.
Latest posts by Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley (see all)
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