To celebrate all of our hard work during the school year, we had an open house with our homeschool group. The kids all brought examples of their work and put them on display for family and friends to see. (Just like open house at public school!)
Elise had been studying U.S. history this year, so her end of the year project was about Abraham Lincoln. She wrote a paper about his both his public and private life, completed a lapbook about him, and made this diorama of the cabin where he was born. It all turned out great! 
Isaac was interested in the King Cobra, so we learned as much about this snake as we could! He also completed a lapbook about King Cobras and made a diorama. He did not like to paper mache the snake; he doesn't like to get sticky and dirty. He did like to spray paint the snake, add salt dough to and paint the box. The plants he chose from our yard and we hot glued them in place (I tried to let him do this but he burned himself; I guess a little help is OK!) The project turned out fantastic!!
This year, first grade, Isaac will learn how to knit. We are starting with finger knitting. He is excited to learn because Elise and I knit.
This was his first attempt!
I just learned a simpler finger knitting technique that will be a better starting point! I am excited to teach him!
Here is Elise knitting a backpack for a stuffed animal! She is a natural when it comes to anything creative!
We got out watercolor paints and sea salt.
Isaac was interested in the King Cobra, so we learned as much about this snake as we could! He also completed a lapbook about King Cobras and made a diorama. He did not like to paper mache the snake; he doesn't like to get sticky and dirty. He did like to spray paint the snake, add salt dough to and paint the box. The plants he chose from our yard and we hot glued them in place (I tried to let him do this but he burned himself; I guess a little help is OK!) The project turned out fantastic!!
This year, first grade, Isaac will learn how to knit. We are starting with finger knitting. He is excited to learn because Elise and I knit.This was his first attempt!
I just learned a simpler finger knitting technique that will be a better starting point! I am excited to teach him!(The smile below looks a little fake to me,
I think he was a little frustrated with the knitting!)
Here is Elise knitting a backpack for a stuffed animal! She is a natural when it comes to anything creative!
We got out watercolor paints and sea salt. I showed the kids how the salt affects the color of the paint as it dries. The pictures turned out fabulous, so I cut them into letters and we used them to write "ART" above our art gallery!
This was Joe's first time watercolor painting. 
Camille always enjoys painting!
Isaac had a hard time believing that it was OK for his paper to be so wet (important for the salt technique)! Once he got past the wetness factor he did some beautiful work. It is nice to see him developing his creativity into deliberate work, rather that just throwing paint down on the paper!
This was Joe's first time watercolor painting. I think he had as much on himself as he did on the paper.
He had a blast!
Camille always enjoys painting!
Isaac had a hard time believing that it was OK for his paper to be so wet (important for the salt technique)! Once he got past the wetness factor he did some beautiful work. It is nice to see him developing his creativity into deliberate work, rather that just throwing paint down on the paper!
