Why Dinosaurs are Essential to the Gospel

I love dinosaurs! My kids love dinosaurs! And I am so excited to share with you resources and teaching tips about these amazing creatures! But let me start in the beginning.

Literally.

"In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). Before we can teach our children about these fascinating beasts, we need to have a firm grasp on what we believe. So many Christians today have been deceived by the Evolutionary theories that are being taught as fact and they have forgotten the foundation of our faith... CREATION. Do you believe the Bible is the Word of God? Do you believe it is infallible and inerrant? If you can't trust the first few pages of our sacred Scriptures, can you really trust any of it? God has given us a complete guide to the questions of life. All we have to do is study it, understand it, and TRUST it. So for those of you that think Creation is just a nice story to teach the kids in Jr Church, think again! Creation is a vital part of the Gospel. If we don't believe the Creation account, how can we believe the crucifixion? The Words in Genesis about our Creator are just as true and holy as the Words in Matthew about our Savior. "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). So with that, let's take a quick refresher course on Creation:

Day 1- God said let there be light (This is not the sun; many scholars believe this refers to the light of His glory)
Day 2- God separated the waters from the heavens (basically he made the atmosphere and the sky)
Day 3- God separated the water and created land, then filled the land with plants and vegetation
Day 4- God created the sun, moon, stars, and space
Day 5- God created the winged things and sea creatures
Day 6- God created land animals and humans
Day 7- God rested

Ok so what does this all have to do with dinosaurs??

Well, among other falsities, Evolutionists teach us that dinosaurs lived millions and millions of years ago and that they never coexisted with humans. They teach us that dinos all evolved over millions of years from one "prehistoric" (FYI there's not such thing as prehistoric. You can't have pre-history!) dinosaur called the Plateosaurus that supposedly lived 230 million years ago. They theorize that from this one dinosaur, it evolved and changed over time and became the over 500 DIFFERENT species of dinosaurs we know of today. That this one dinosaur evolved itself into carnivores, omnivores, herbivores, grew to 100ft long and shrunk to 50cm tall and every size in between, became both male and female, had large brains and highly intelligent, as well as tiny brains and dumb as rocks, and the list goes on. It's really quite ridiculous if you really sit and think about it.

The point I'm trying to make is this: doesn't it make much more sense that DINOSAURS WERE CREATED? That a great and powerful God thoughtfully created each species of dinosaur, giving each species specific traits and characteristics to help that dinosaur survive. That He did EXACTLY WHAT HE SAID... He created the sea creatures and winged things (including dinosaurs that lived in the water like Plesiosaurus and Nothosaurus, and dinosaurs that flew like the Pteranodon and Quetzalcoatlus) on the 5th day and He created the land animals (including all dinosaurs that lived on land like Tyrannosaurus Rex and Stegosaurus) on the 6th day... the same day He created man and woman. Each species of dinosaur, from egg to death, shout to the Creator and give us amazing opportunity to teach our children about our Awesome God!

So now that we've covered the basics, let's talk about HOW to teach about dinosaurs to your kids. First off, we love movies. We watch a lot of movies. And let's be honest, it's difficult to find any good documentaries or movies about dinosaurs (that have good graphics) that teach a Creationists view of dinos. Disappointing. However, there are many secular documentaries that are very exciting and informative about the mechanics of a dinosaur that you can watch with your child and discuss the differences between what the Evolutionist said (ie. this dinosaur lived 65 million years ago) and what the Bible teaches. My husband and I are big proponents for using movies as a teaching method. Kids in our culture today see movies the way people in Jesus' day heard parables. They are a great resource and we shouldn't be afraid to use them. If there's something that is not biblically sound, discuss it! You'll be surprised how much more your child will understand with a visual representation like a movie. The kids and I recently started watching Clash of the Dinosaurs by Discovery Channel (you can find this series on Netflix as well). Wow, really cool graphics and explanations of how dinosaurs worked from the inside out. Even taking a look inside the reptiles' eggs and how a baby dinosaur would have developed. Of course, it is Evolution based so the scientists say a lot of things that are not true. But my children have been studying Creation for a long time and will even call out "that's not true!" when they hear something that isn't based on Scripture. We talk about everything and it's an excellent teaching tool. (NOTE: this video is PG because it does show dinosaurs laying eggs, and it does show some blood when dinosaurs fight.)

You can also check out The Bible Explains Dinosaurs by Ken Ham, a world-renowned Creation Scientist. Ken Ham "explains the real history of dinosaurs, which is found in the Bible, not in evolutionary Theories. In The Bible Explains Dinosaurs you'll find answers to questions like: When did dinosaurs first appear on Earth and why did they vanish? Are dinosaurs in the Bible? Did they live with man? What are the "dragons" mentioned in the Bible? Can we actually use dinosaurs to present the gospel? This DVD also features music by Buddy Davis. Approx. 50 minutes."

Another great resource is Dinosaurs and the Bible by Ken Hovind. This is part three of a seven part seminar series on Creation. In this seminar, Dr. Hovind "traces the Biblical and historical references to dinosaurs and interviews people who claim they have seen living dinosaurs. Approx. 145 minutes." I have personally seen all of this series and it has some excellent information about Creation science that will be very useful to your teachings over the years. Dr. Hovind's seminars are more advanced, may not be best for little ones with short attention spans. But definitely worth YOU watching to get a good foundation and also great for middle school and highschoolers.

More video resources:
Answers in Genesis
I Dig Dinosaurs 
Dinosaurs: Genesis & the Gospel(this one has some neat sing-a-longs and quizzes the kids really liked)


Here is a great FREE DINOSAUR LAPBOOK unit study with printables that we are going to start next week! There is 13 report forms for 13 different (popular) dinosaurs in which the kids study the dinosaurs' anatomy, dietary habits, and other interesting facts. There's also some great coloring pages, handwriting practice, graphing, and more. They've also included a list of books (some I've listed here) that can supplement your study.


Books:
The Answers for Kids
What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs (We have the children's version (here) which is still pretty wordy for kids that aren't reading chapters yet. If your kiddo is still pretty young, I recommend reading it ahead of time so you can give a basic explanation on each page instead of trying to make a squirmy preschooler sit for that long.)
Dinosaurs for Kids
The Great Dinosaur Mystery
25 Questions from Kids on Dinosaurs and the Flood of Noah
D is for Dinosaur: Noah's Ark and the Genesis Flood
The Great Dinosaur Mystery Solved Workbook & Study Guide


Neat Places to Visit on Field Trips:
(NOTE: Some of these places are secular and based on Evolutionary theory. Be sure to discuss the differences between Creation and Evolution as you go.)
Dinosaur World in Plant City, FL
The Shell Factory & Nature Park in N. Ft. Myers, FL
Dinosaur Adventure Land in Pensacola, FL
Creation Store in Pensacola, FL
MOSI in Tampa, FL
The Imaginarium in N. Ft. Myers, FL
Discovery Museum in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainsville, FL
South Florida Science Museum in West Palm Beach


Also, here are some fun Dinosaur Craft Ideas and Activities!! Don't forget you can find all kinds of fun ideas on Pinterest as well.

In the end, have fun with it. Dinosaurs are such an amazing study and they are fun for kids of all ages (even grown-ups!). My kids have a love for dinosaurs and God's wonderful creation! I hope yours do too :) If you have any dinosaur related studies or ideas, feel free to comment and let me know. I'd love to hear how you teach your kids about some of God's coolest creatures!

Bye for now,
Kristina

Egg-citing Activities for PK - 5th Grade

I am so egg-cited to share these quick, easy, and inexpensive activities with you using... you guessed it... plastic eggs! I saw an idea on Pinterest (thanks Pinterst!) and I just rolled with it :) And what a great time of year to try these ideas, as there is ample supply of plastic eggs in stores right now! Here is what we are using our plastic eggs for:

Letter Matching (Pk & K)

1) You will need 26 plastic eggs with the connector cut off each egg (so you can pull them apart and mix them up) and a gallon size Ziploc bag.
2) Using a permanent marker, write an uppercase letter on the top half of the egg and its corresponding lower case letter on the bottom half of the egg.
3) Disconnect the eggs and mix them up using a Ziploc bag (this will be your storage for the eggs as well).
4) Dump out the eggs and have your child match up the uppercase letters with their corresponding lowercase letters by putting the eggs back together.

Twist on Phonics (K & 1st)

Each egg should be able to
twist freely to each letter,
creating a new phonics word

1) You will need several plastic eggs with the connector cut off each egg (so you can twist them freely while still keeping the egg closed) and a gallon size Ziploc bag.
2) Using a permanent marker, write the ending phonic sound on the top half of the egg. For example, you could make an egg for each of the following sounds: an, at, it, ig, et, en, ox, op, ug, ut.
3) On the bottom half of the egg, write single letters or double letters to spell a word corresponding to your phonic sound. For example, for the "an" sound you could write letters m, p, f, and c. This would give you the words man, pan, fan, and can on this egg.
4) Give you child an egg and let him twist the egg to create new words and have fun while learning phonics. You can do this as a free activity using all the eggs, or you can use specific eggs during specific studies, ie. ig and it eggs on short i day.
5) This can also be a good review for 1st graders to just practice speed reading without having to sound out the letters.



Compound Word Mix-Up (2nd - 5th)

1) You will need several plastic eggs with the connector cut off each egg (so you can pull them apart and mix them up) and a gallon size Ziploc bag.
2) Using a permanent marker, write the first word of the compound word on the top half of the egg. Then write the second word of the compound word on the bottom half of the egg. For example, you might write "pea" on the top and "nut" on the bottom, creating the word "peanut" on the egg.
3) You can make as many or as little eggs as you'd like. The neat thing about this activity is kids are learning new compound words all the way through 12th grade so this is something you can do for several years. I put 2nd-5th grade because I assume older children may not find this as amusing as younger ones. (Note: I will be posting another blog all about compound words for 2nd grade which will include a large word list. Keep an eye out for it!)
4) Disconnect the eggs and mix them up using a Ziploc bag (this will be your storage for the eggs as well).
5) Dump out the eggs and have your child match up first word with its corresponding second word to create compound words and putting the eggs back together.

Other uses for plastic eggs (I am planning to do these but didn't get to it last night):

• Capitals Game (2nd): Top half of the egg has the state capital (Lincoln), bottom half has the state (Nebraska).
• Multiplication Mix-up (2nd-5th): Top half of the egg has the problem (3x5), bottom half of the egg has the solution (15).
• Addition/Subtraction Matching (K-2nd): Top half of the egg has the problem (10-8), bottom half of the egg has the solution (2).
• Twist on Blends (1st & 2nd): Bottom half of the egg has the blend (TH), top half of the egg has several endings (ink, at, is).
• Twist on Long Vowel Practice (1st & 2nd): Top half of the egg has a long vowel ending (ike), bottom half of the egg has several beginning letters (b, h, str, l).
• Twist on Rhyming (PK-1st): Top half of the egg has an ending sound (ook), bottom half of the egg has several beginning letters (b, l, h, sh).

And don't forget you can use any of these egg ideas to have egg hunts as an added bonus to your lessons!

There's just so many neat ways to use plastic eggs in your classroom and the great news is they are cheap!! I bought 100 eggs for about $5 at Wal-Mart. I'm planning to go back after Easter and stock up on some more (they do break easily but are also easy to replace)!

Have fun with it!
Bye for now,
Kristina 

Oi/Oy Fun!!

 

I've been working on the oi/oy dipthong with Savanna and it has been so much fun! She has enjoyed learning this new sound and there are so many fun activities to use when teaching oi/oy! I've put together a list of things we've done and I hope you find them useful :)

oi/oy Word Sheet

This oi/oy Word Sheet is a cute way to help your child make a list of oi/oy words. You can either write the words yourself or sit with her and help her think of words. I chose to have Savanna write the words herself (I helped her come up with them) so she could work on figuring out the spelling. We used this list plus a few other words not listed for all our oi/oy activities.

 

Notice that we also have a "oi/oy Words of the Day" board. I used a manila folder to make a small envelope for our bulletin board and have printed several sheets with an oi word and an oy word on each strip. Each day we change out the words of the day and we go over the spelling and the definition of each word.

 

oi/oy Worksheets & Printables

oy Word Search

oi Word Search

The oi/oy Book phonics booklet for your child to illustrate.

oi/oy BINGO (Note: I left this in Word form so you can change the words around and play again and again. Page 3 has the words to cut and call.)

 

Oinky & the Apples

Savanna LOVED this! I took a plain white gift bag and glued a large picture of "Oinky the Pig" on the front (after Savanna colored it). Then I cut a large hole through the bag where the mouth of the pig is. I had to make the whole a little larger than the mouth to ensure that the Apples would fit through. Then we wrote an oi/oy word on each apple and colored them. We used the words from our oi/oy word list. Next, I used a manila folder to cut out a basket shape. We drew criss-cross lines with brown marker to make it look like a basket and stapled the sides to make a "basket" (envelope) for our apples. Savanna loved feeding Oinky the Pig with our oi/oy word apples!! And we take them out occasionally and feed her again because she does get hungry :) 

We feed Oinky the Pig with
oi/oy word apples!



We keep our oi/oy word apples
in our basket!

 

Soil & Foil Art

We had a blast with these creative activities!! They're super easy too! For these activities you will need:

• An aluminum or metal pan
• A couple scoops of soil (I just used some dirt from the backyard!)
• A chopstick or small stick
• Butcher paper or plastic table cover
• A roll of tin foil

SOIL ART: Place your butcher paper or plastic table cover on the table to help control debris (or you can do this activity outside for less mess). Place your scoops of soil in your pan and place it in front of your child. You will need one pan per child. I used a pie tin and it was a little small but still worked. A larger casserole pan would be a little more useful. Give your child the chopstick or small stick and have her write oi/oy words in the soil. They love to play in the soil and it gives them a good practice of sounding out oi/oy words.

 

NOTE: I let my 3yr old do this activity as well and instead of writing words I had him draw letters, shapes, and numbers in his soil.

Savanna writing oi/oy words in soil!

"oil"

"Soil"

Samuel drawing letters and
shapes in soil!

Samuel really enjoyed the soil art!

"A"

FOIL ART: Tear out several pieces of foil of different sizes. Then roll the sheets and squeeze them to make the foil tight and flexible (sort of like a pipe cleaner). Use the pieces of foil to create sculptures! We used ours to make foil men. Savanna also made a saddle and a rein for her foil man to ride a dinosaur. Samuel made foil wings for one of his Spiderman toys. This was probably THE MOST FUN activity we've done in our oi/oy study! Have fun with it! Be sure to discuss the different definitions of foil with your child. (Warning- Be sure to tear the foil for your child. The foil box is sharp and can be dangerous to small children.)

Asteroid Model

I have not tried this YET but I am planning to do so. This looks like a fun activity to make a Model of an Asteroid that can help your child not only practice the oi sound but also learn about asteroids in general!! If you've done this activity, let me know how it went :)

 

 

Please comment and let me know if you've done other activities with teaching the oi/oy dipthong that I can use! I'd love to hear from you!

 

Bye for now,

Kristina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Cannot Come Down

Ok I know I'm really pushing it with writing a third time today! But I have a terrible toothache and I need a good distraction. Besides I've been debating on writing this particular blog for a few days so you'll just have to give me some grace :)

$16,231.

That was our adjusted gross income for 2012.

$16,231.

For our family of six.

Now, I'm not telling you this information because I want to brag about how great of a saver I am; because honestly, I'm not. I'm telling you this information because I want to encourage you that it really is possible to be a stay-at-home momma who homeschools on a budget and still has a fantastic time doing so! My kids don't know that we were well below the poverty line last year. They think we're the richest family in America. And that's because MONEY doesn't define our family. Money doesn't give our family value, God does. And GOD provides. With such little income in today's world, you can easily see that God certainly provided for us in abundance last year (and every year!).

I just want to encourage all you momma's out there who are thinking, "How can we do this? How can we survive?" All you momma's who feel condemned and guilt-ridden because you don't have a so-called "real job" and you don't bring in much, if any income. All you momma's out there who are feeling like maybe you made a mistake by choosing to stay home and homeschool. I want to encourage you and say that YOU ARE DOING A GOOD WORK. No amount of money, or name-brand clothes, or the coolest new toys, or iPods and tablets will ever have more value in the life of your child than the character you're cultivating, the love you're nurturing, the wisdom you're instilling, and the relationship you're building with your children. I repeat, YOU ARE DOING A GOOD WORK.

Sometimes I get discouraged when I see the numbers... $16,321... and I think, "I need to go get a job!!" I try to take the financial burden of our family and place it over my head.  I let it weigh me down. I let the enemy whisper lies about my inadequacy as a wife. I let my thoughts run wild over my failures as a mother. I question my ability to teach and whether I'm letting my kids' education go to waste. I get so anxious about proving that I'm doing something notable with them that I forget to be in the moment with them. Sometimes I get so discouraged that I just want to cry and give up. And then my husband reminds me of this little truth...I am doing a good work. He reminds me of Nehemiah. Remember him? He took on this monumental task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Yeah. Heavy stuff. This was no easy job. Not to mention, he had enemies that didn't want him to succeed. And there is a specific story in chapter 6 where Nehemiah is up on the wall, hammerin' away, and a group of his enemies try to get him to come down. Nehemiah responds like this in vs. 3, "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” Hmmm. I am doing a great work, I cannot come down. My husband often tells me that I am like Nehemiah. I am taking on this monumental task of educating our children. Yeah. Heavy stuff. It's no easy job. And the enemy does not want me to succeed. And sometimes when I'm teachin' away, the enemy tries to get me to come down from that homeschooling wall and tries to distract me from that good work; whether through our lack of finances, tension with my husband, children who won't stay focused or just-don't-get-it, unsupportive friends or family, or pure exhaustion. The enemy does not want me to succeed in this good work because he knows it will result in four brilliantly kind people who love the Lord and want to serve Him. 

So yeah, sometimes it feels impossible. I look at this thing called homeschooling and I see the walls of Jerusalem. How are we ever going to get this done!? And then I am reminded that through God ALL THINGS are possible. Jesus is the Sustainer and it is only by His grace that we make it from year to year. Financially, physically, spiritually, emotionally. It is only by His grace. Nehemiah finished the wall. In record breaking time I might add :) And through Christ, we can do this. So when you start to feel discouraged, remember that YOU ARE DOING A GOOD WORK.

Bye for Now,
Kristina

Peanut Butter Play Time

I know it's against the "rules" to blog twice in one day but I really wanted to share this...

On this rainy Valentine's Day we decided to make some peanut butter play dough. It turned out GREAT and the kids loved playing with (and eating) it! Even the babies were able to get it on the fun because it was totally OK for them to taste and play :)

To make PEANUT BUTTER Play dough:
Combine in a bowl 2 cups of powdered sugar, 1 cup of peanut butter, and 1/2 cup of honey. That's it! Mix it all together until you get a nice dough. If you have a standing mixer that would work best. We don't have one so we just mixed it as best as we could with spoons and then dumped it on the table and kneaded it like dough with our hands.

It smells great and is not sticky at all! It's a little greasy from the peanut butter so be sure to wear play clothes or a smock. The babies really liked it because they love putting stuff in their mouths and for once momma wasn't yelling, "What's in your mouth?" :)
(Of course I would limit how much they eat because it is a lot of sugar and could end up making their tummies ache.) Definitely try this, it's a great rainy day project!

Bye for now,
Kristina

PS. I'm going to attempt to save the rest in a zip lock bag but I'm not sure how it will hold. Hopefully we can reuse it in a couple days!

(There are some allergy concerns with this project. Obviously don't use this if your child has nut allergies. I'm not sure how the recipe would work with a soy-based peanut butter substitute but it couldn't hurt to try it! Also don't use this recipe with children less than 12months of age because there are Clostridium botulinum spores in honey that a baby's immature digestive system may not be able to fight off. It's best to wait until they're a year old before letting them try out the peanut butter play dough.)

Fun & Easy Tie-Dye Project

Oh Tie-Dye, how I've missed you! I remember wearing Tie-Dye shirts as a kid and I'm so excited they are coming back in style! This is such a fun activity but can be pricey too! My kids are having a big 4-in-1 birthday bash in a few weeks and they wanted to have matching Tie-Dye shirts. After seeing the prices at the local craft store for kits, I decided to do some experimenting at home and found a less expensive way to make Tie-Dye apparel.

 

Materials needed:

• Plain t-shirt (white shows up best but my oldest insisted on colored shirts)
• Permanent markers (we had Sharpies but off-brands will do)
• Rubber bands
• Febreze

Step 1: Choose a point on the shirt where you'd like your "burst" to start. Pinch the shirt in that spot, twist, and band with a rubber band.

 

Step 2: Continue twisting the shirt and placing the rubber bands about 1" apart until the entire shirt is banded.

Step 3: Color the space between the bands, alternating colors. Be sure to color all the creases. The darker and more complete you color each section, the better it turns out. The kids didn't color quite as dark as mine but they still turned out cute! This is where your kids can get as creative as they'd like. My son did a lot of black (he really likes black lately) and my daughter added polka dots and rainbow colors.

 

Step 4: Use the febreze to soak the shirt (while still banded). Once you've soaked it, use your fingers to rub in the colors and you'll see them start to smear just a little. Tip: For inexpensive Febreze, you can pour a cap full of fabric softener into a spray bottle, fill with water, and go. Smells great too!

 

Step 5: Toss the shirts into the dryer (make sure there are NO OTHER CLOTHES first). Once the shirts are completely dry, remove the bands to reveal your new Tie-Dye creation! 

 





 

We put their ages on the back for the party.
Savanna will be turning 6, Samuel 4, and
Gideon & Gracie 1 :)

 

Go Tie-Dye!

 

Bye for now,

Kristina

 

 

 

 

 

 



Au Naturel

"Au naturel" is a phrase most commonly used to refer to nudity; but by definition it also refers to anything that is in a natural style or condition. For example, when a Momma leaves the house without make-up, she is "au naturel"... her face is in a natural style or condition.

And sometimes I think it's good to learn "au naturel." No, I don't mean to teach in the buff. I mean sometimes it's good to get out of the house and learn about things in nature; in their natural condition! No worksheets or computers or books (that comes later). But rather discover God's beautiful creation and learn about amazing creatures that glorify Him just by their very existence! It doesn't have to be expensive either...

Over the weekend we took a family trip to a nearby Manatee Park ($5 per car for the entire day). I gave Savanna a very simple assignment: learn 3 facts about manatees. Very simple. Other than that, she was to enjoy spending time with family and friends as we watched the manatees in their natural condition, poking their noses in and out of the water for air. Watching as the mommy manatees swam so closely to their little ones; it was truly an incredible sight to see! Not only did we see a lot of manatees, but we also saw plenty of plant life, fish, butterflies, and more. The next day, we used the 3 facts Savanna learned about Manatees to make an "All About Manatees" lapbook.

If I've said it once, I'll say it a hundred times... NEVER UNDERESTIMATE LAPBOOKS! Lapbooks are so much fun and they're jam-packed with information! They're great for kids from preschool to high school and every grade in between. You can make them as simple or as in-depth as you'd like and they're relatively cost-efficient. They can be used for any subject AND even the least crafty kids can complete them! For the manatee lapbook, I had Savanna write a mini-report. We're working on reading and writing, so incorporating that into every lesson is important for us. Her report said, "Manatees are mammals. They have live babies that drink milk, they breathe air, and they have warm blood. Manatees need warm water above 68*. Boats are a danger to manatees." See, simple. We attached her report to the lapbook, along with her Manatee Park bingo card and a picture she drew of a manatee that said, "Manatees began the legend of mermaids." On the back of the lapbook we printed a picture of her standing near the manatee skeleton. It was easy-peasy, fun, and she learned so much!

There are so many great places to visit, just like Manatee Park, where you can take your children to learn "au naturel." Most State Parks only charge for parking, and you can bring a picnic lunch. You can even check out what's going on in your own backyard. You can make lapbooks, go on a Nature Scavenger Hunt, play Nature BINGO, and more! Whatever you do, get out and learn "au naturel!" What a great way to spend the school day!

Bye for now,
Kristina