For Ethan’s map unit we decided we would try out Geocaching as a family. I went to the Geocache website to see what “treasures” were hidden near our home, chose an “easy” hunt, bundled up, and headed out!

Geocaching is a GPS treasure hunt. You are given coordinates, and then use a GPS to find your way to the treasure. In this case, I picked a multi-point cache, so there would be more than one stop on our hunt, with clues and riddles along the way.

We plugged in our first coordinates, drove as close as we could get, and then set out walking.

Along the way, we explained to Bug how to use a compass, and had him direct us using the cardinal directions.

The first clue was (it’s a shaky translation, the original is in German, of course):

“At the start coordinates a large sign is on a gate. A is the number of the letter “N” on the sign. B is the number of symbols on the blue crest.”

We found the sign!

A is 2, and B is 3. We plugged these numbers into the next set of coordinates:

N 50° 05.BA9 E 8° 16.A[B-1][B-A]

And headed off on the hunt!

The second clue was:

“CDEF here is the four-digit number on a mast.”

We found that number too!

C is 0, D is 5, E is 1, F is 6.

We figured out the last set of coordinates:

N 50° 05.[B+C][D-B]D E 8° 16.C[(2*E)-A][F-D-E]

And headed off on a beautiful walk. The final clue was encrypted, in case you didn’t want the hunt spoiled. But I like extra clues. The final clue was “horizontal trunk”

Multiple German people stopped Dad to ask WHY he was wearing shorts. He used to live in Alaska, and apparently is immune to cold. Crazy Man.

And that’s when we saw THESE!

The kids and I were so excited! We searched all around them, but it was mushy and there where decomposing leaves, mud and (ewww) some sort of animal poo everywhere. If we had a GPS better suited for playing, we would have been able to figure out exactly where the treasure should be (at least closer than we were) and may have had an easier time finding it.

After looking for as long as the kids could handle, we decided we would have to come back and play again another day.

We were all disappointed we didn’t find it, but had a blast hunting!

Even Miss Em had fun!

Someone shared this with me today and it’s too good to not get its own post!

German, French and Spanish lessons

I watched the first German lesson today, and am so excited to work on this with the kids. I’ve been talking to a very nice German woman online and we are supposed to meet up on friday to head to the Christmas market with her and her daughter. I would really, really like to be able to speak to her without making a fool of myself, or making her speak english the entire time (although she is very good!). So far, I only know basic phrases, and I really doubt I’ll be able to even use those properly in conversation, but maybe if we watch these videos a couple of times, we’ll catch on faster.

Website includes videos, three levels of instruction with ten lessons, a teacher’s guide, and culture information. Check it out!

I’ve been working with the fantastic homeschoolers over at The Secular Homeschool Community, and with their help, have compiled a list of free curriculum and learning/homeschooling resources for you to check out here. There is everything from grammar workbooks, to full math programs, science projects, art, textbooks and phonics games. Check it out! If you know of something awesome that I am missing, send me a message. I’ll update the list as I find more to share!

Today we were at the library and Bug picked up this book:

All in Just One Cookie- Susan E. Goodman

 This book is AWESOME. Not so much as a sit down, snuggle on the couch kind of read aloud, but for a whole days worth of lessons! The gist of it is the grandkids are coming over, so grandma is going to make some cookies. While she is cooking, her home full of animals are explaining where the ingredients came from and how they are made.

IF we were in a home right now, we would be making some chocolate chip cookies (the recipe is right in the back of the book!). We would learn all about the ingredients, and look on the map to see where they were made. I can not wait to get in a home with an oven so we can spend a day doing this.

Check it out, I bet you’ll love it!

Today we took the kids to DC to see the museums and monuments. We started the day at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History to check out some animals and learn about habitats. I am planning on starting moving beyond the page with the kids as soon as we get settled into our new home, and I thought it would be the perfect introduction to the first unit, “Environment”.

The boys really enjoyed it, especially the great big dinosaurs, and the mammoth!

However, the biggest learning moment of the day had nothing to do with habitats.

Bug had an epiphany at the white house!

We were standing there talking about how the white house was where the president lived, and the conversation went just like this:

Bug: “Wait! You mean President Obama is REAL? That’s so COOL!”

Me  “Well, of course he is real, he’s the president.”

Bug: “I thought President Obama was imaginary. He’s on TV.”

Me: “They show him on TV because he is important. He’s real and he lives here”

Bug: *pause* “so, does Batman live here too?”

Me: *smacks forehead*

I hope he was just being goofy. But if not, I would call today a success. Knowing the president isn’t imaginary is probably an important lesson for a five-year old.