February Holidays and Homeschool Ideas

 Looking for ways to add some fun to your homeschool?  Here are just a few of the holidays and fun days you can celebrate this month:

2. Groundhog Day

*Take a family survey: Will Phil see his shadow?  Graph the results.
*Make these cute cupcakes for snack.
*Watch the news to see if Phil see's his shadow.
*Read a groundhog book and make a stick puppet.

4. National Thank a Mail Carrier Day

*Make homemade cards for your mail carrier.

*Set out a Treat and Drink stand for mail carriers in your neighborhood.

5. Nutella Day
*"Bake" our favorite: nutella cheesecake.

6. Doodle Day
*Show competency with a drawing.
*Create some fingerprint art with doodles.

6-22. Winter Olympics

*Do a 15-Min Olympics Music lesson.

*Make Olympics paper dolls.

*Graph the medal count.

8. Boy Scout Day
*Take a nature walk and identify native plants.
*Plan a community service project.
*Start a camping pinterest board.

12. Abraham Lincoln's Birthday
*Make an Abraham Lincoln mask.
*Create a log cabin snack.

14. Valentine's Day
*Make a special breakfast.
*Sew felt cookies.
*Invite friends to decorate Valentines.

16. Almond Day
*Make Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Almond Clusters.
*Learn about sprouting nuts and seeds.

17. Random Acts of Kindness Day
*Take the 26 Intentional Acts of Kindness Challenge.

*Pick a Random Act of Kindness from this list.

17. Lunar New Year

*Sweep the house to clear out bad luck.

*Make paper lanterns and dragon puppets.

*Make dumplings.

20. Love your Pet Day
*Research a new family pet.
*Shop for a new treat on a budget.
*Write a paragraph about an interesting fact about your pet.
*Read to your pet.

22. George Washington's Birthday
*Complete a George Washington crossword puzzle.
*Read a Who Was George Washington? book.

26. Tell a Fairytale Day
*Make over a fairy tale with an alternative ending.
*Compare/contrast two versions of a favorite fairy tale.
*Write a letter to your favorite fairy tale character.

27. Strawberry Day
*Freeze some healthy Strawberry Frozen Yogurt.

27. National Polar Bear Day

*Learn to draw a polar bear.

*Research polar bears with this lapbook.

What would you add to the list?

Weekend Links ll January 23, 2026

 

Life Cycles of a Penguin Printables

Polar Animals Lapbook

Free Printable Grammar Bingo

Winter Observations Printable

Groundhog Day STEAM Challenges

Teaching the Winter Olympics in Your Homeschool

Wow!  Do we love the Olympics or what?  Years of grueling training, superhuman sacrifice, long hours and hot tears... culminating into one perfect moment.  Iron will again iron will .... doesn't get more exciting than that! 

If your family is anything like mine, you're probably counting down the days to the 2026 Winter Olympics which are coming so fast.  It's the perfect storm... doldrums of winter homeschooling colliding with the excitement of the Olympics.... who could possibly concentrate on Algebra?

These days, high school transcripts require us to maintain a certain rhythm.  But when the kids were little, we would theme all our lessons around the Olympics.  Sure we squeezed in a math worksheet or two, but really we just celebrated the countries for the world for two weeks.  It was incredible!

So I'm rounding up some of our favorite resources that we've used over the years.  A few of these will probably make it into our morning time with my older kids as well.  That's my favorite place to include those ideas that are life giving, but don't necessarily check a box. 

Great Read Alouds:

*What are the Winter Olympics

*Who was Shaun White

*G is for Gold Medal

*Tacky and the Winter Games

*Snowman Paul at the Winter Olympics

Geography:

*Learn about the host country.

*Or any country of interest. Fill in a facts sheet.

*Research the geography of your favorite country.

*Try a new recipe from the host country.

Science:

*Study the science and engineering of the Winter Olympics.

*Explore the science of Olympic medals.

*Or learn more about their design.

*Learn about the science behind making Olympic snow and ice.

*Or why curling ice is different from regular ice.

*Research the science behind your favorite event.

Math Ideas:

*Graph the medal count.

*Calculate how far your favorite athlete traveled to the Winter Olympics.

Writing:

*Write using one of these 15 Writing Prompts.

*Or use one of these prompts.

*Try your hand at persuasive writing.

*Complete an Olympics Activity Book.

*Or an Olympics Word Search.

*Expand your vocabulary with these Olympic words.

*Laugh along with some Winter Games Mad Libs.

Music Resources:

*Do a 15 min Olympic music lesson.

*Learn What is a Fanfare.

*Find out Who Really Composed the Olympic Theme.

Crafts:

*Make Olympic paper dolls.

*Craft flags from another country.

*Paint one of these Winter Games Art pieces.

*Or make Origami Olympic Rings.

Tasty Treats:

*Make Olympic ring waffles.

*Decorate Olympic M&M cookies.

Movies to Watch:

*Cold War & Hockey-- Miracle on Ice

*Miracle (2004)

*Cool Runnings (1993)

25 Things Every Person Should Do For Themselves At Least Once A Year

 *This post was originally published on 1/23/17.  Enjoy!

1. Count Your Blessings--Taking time to count your blessings will remind you of all you have to be thankful for.  A bright outlook to start the day is priceless

2. Reflect on Your Friendships--Reflect on what you've want the most out of your friendships.  Then devise a plan to give that very thing in your friendships in the new year.

3. Purge--Purge your home.  Get rid of anything that you haven't used in a year.  The classic excuse is that you don't want to have to re-purchase something you purged.  But in truth, your already paying to store those items you aren't using.

4. Prioritize--Know your priorities.  List all the commitments in your life, prioritize and let go of the things that just don't line up with your vision.

5. Visit a new city-- Seeing new places and visiting new cities gives you a better sense of the world as a whole.  Whether a few hours away or a plane ride around the world, discover new places, people, and new adventures.

6. Learn to cook something new-- New year, new foods.  Learn to cook that favorite dish you always go out for, discover a new favorite dessert, or makeover your menu with a healthy twist.

7. Do something adventurous-- What speaks adventure to your soul?  Skydiving?  Road trip?  The Great Outdoors?  Seek out some adventure in your day to day life.

8.  Visit your hometown--Return to your roots.  Wander the streets you knew as a child and rediscover old treasures.  Remember the good times and gratefully return to the wonderful town you currently live in.

9. Do something extravagantly kind for someone else-- A friend, a neighbor, a co-worker, ... we all crave a little kindness in our lives.  But take this one beyond the random act of kindness, make a sacrifice, and give extravagantly for someone else.

10. Get in touch with an old friend-- Old friends are gold, as the saying goes.  They know us inside and out, and love us just the same.  Take the time to invest in those old friendships and remember what made you friends in the first place.

11. Go on a spending fast-- Challenge yourself to not spend unnecessarily for a month.  Pay your bills, of course, but put a freeze on all non-essentials.  This will give you space to consider your purchases and where you're spending your money.

12. Go to a live performance-- Whether a concert, play, or school production, experience culture beyond a screen.  Get caught up in the music and atmosphere that only a live production can provide.

13. Clean your closet-- Get rid of anything you haven't worn in a year. If you haven't worn it in the past year, you're simply storing it.  Is there anything worn, ripped or simply not your style?  Get rid of that as well.

14. Memorize some new Scripture-- Challenge yourself to a piece of Scripture each month.  Memorize the books of the Bible for easy reference.  Commit to key passages that represent the gospel.  Or find larger chunks of scripture that challenge your brain.

15. Forgive yourself for something you've been holding on to-- We all hold on to past mistakes.  Some of us hold on to them too long.  And the longer we hold on, the harder it is to let go.  But it's time to let go.  And if you can't, find someone to help you put it in perspective.

16. Adopt a new healthy habit-- January is traditionally the time to start eating healthier.  But any time of year is a great time to develop a healthy habit.  Start working out, eating healthier, doing yoga, cutting down on sugar... each small healthy step leads to a healthier lifestyle.

17. Find a place to serve in the church-- We all have gifts to share with others.  Find a place to use those gifts, whether it's serving meals, teaching kids, or playing on the worship team.  Don't attend church?  There are many organizations in the community what for you to share your gift.

18. Re-read a book that encouraged you in the past-- It's no secret that we love to read in this family and there's so many good books out there.  Sometimes we find a book that absolutely changes the way we view life.  Why not pick up that book again and see if there's more growth there for you?

19. Make a new friend-- Life is not meant to be lived alone.  Make a new friend in your current season of life.  Maybe another parent in Little League or another young married couple from church. 

20. Read the biography of an early church leader-- Speaking of encouragement, reading about early leaders can challenge and deepen the way we look at ministry and relationships, encouraging us in how the Lord is moving today.

21. Do something that scares you-- Are you afraid of heights?  Friendships?  Cooking?  Find one thing that scares you and overcome it.  Nothing will make you feel more empowered or confident.  And it will deepen the way you look at life and others.

22. Buy a new pair of shoes-- I'm not talking about the fancy boots (although if you have the money, certainly treat yourself).  Rather purchase a new pair of tennis shoes for workouts, walking or vacations.  A new pair of tennis shoes will provide better support for your knees and back in the coming year.

23. Go to one really nice dinner-- That restaurant you've always wanted to try?  Now's the time.  Dress up, go hungry, invite some friends, and for one night, savor dinner.  Slow down and talk.  And by all means, order dessert.

24. Buy flowers-- Nothing dresses up a room like fresh flowers.  Bring the outdoors in with a vibrant bouquet of fresh flowers, any time of year.

25. Unplug for a day (at least)-- No iPad, no laptop, no phone... can you do it?  Unplug from your online "friendships" and plug into your real life.  What do you notice?  Who will you talk to?  How will you listen?

What would you add to this list?

What will you do for yourself in the next year?

Weekend Links ll January 16, 20026

 

Teaching MLK to Young Learners

Printables for Sticking to Your New Year's Resolutions

Weather Observation Pack

Homemade Rock Candy

Winter Picture Writing Prompts Printable