In these tough economic times, Kathy Ceceri’s Hands-On Learning Column is just one more jewel that can be found within Home Education Magazine. In each column, Kathy offers easy to find resources and combines them with projects that are sure to inspire many hours of hands-on learning. For example, in the January-February Issue of HEM, Kathy provides all the details and resources for making your own magnifying lens and optical exploration.

Below you will find a brief synopsis of Kathy’s past columns(click on the title for those included online) and some links to other resources Kathy has to offer online.

Hands-On Learning Columns by Kathy Ceceri

Magnifying Lenses (January-February/09)
Kathy explores magnifying lenses of all kinds explaining ways you can bend light for a clearer look at the smaller things in life.

Economics and Recycled Crafts (November-December 2008)
Kathy Ceceri shares ideas about how your kids can learn how to make good choices … AND how to get creative when money is tight.

Two-Jar Ant Farm (September-October 2008)
An ant farm is a great way to learn about the lives of insects and ants are real low maintenance pets!

Mancala Board Game (July-August 2008)
There are many ways to play a game of mancala. When you make your own playing board, it gets even more fun.

Geography and Arctic Life (May-June 2008)
There’s much to learn about and from one of the world’s coldest places.

Chemical Crystal Garden (March-April 2008)
Utilizing common household chemicals, you can experiment with and grow your own crystal gardens.

Coil Baskets (January-February 2008)
The humble basket is probably among the earliest human inventions. There are many ways to make a basket, but coiling is a method found around the world.

Archeology (November-December 2007)
Kathy Ceceri suggests how to introduce and involve your kids in the world of Archeology.

Inventions Old and New (September-October 2007)
Kathy tells us how we can get a taste of inventing by making a model of Morse’s telegraph.

The Sport Of Boomerang Throwing (July-August 2007)
Kathy Ceceri explains why boomerangs fly, shares a story about Aborigine tradition, tells the record for keeping a boomerang in the air before catching it, and shows how to help your kids create their own beautiful and far-flying boomerangs – which will really return

Medieval Beasts (May-June 2007)
Kathy’s Hands-On-Learning project looks at the fantastic beasts of the Middle Ages.

Build A Robot Hand (March-April 2007)
Instructions on how to build a simple cardboard robot hand that uses strings as tendons.

Foreign Language: Mexican Yarn Craft (January-February 2007)
Kathy shows how to combine the study of a foreign language with creation of a local handicraft; in this case, studying Spanish while crafting the lovely Ojo de Dios, or “Eye of God.

Jug Band Music and Invented Instruments (November-December 2006)
Hands-On Learning editor Kathy Ceceri explains how to make and play jug band instruments

Flipbooks (September-October 2006)
Kathy introduces her readers to flip books as a great way for beginning animators to create instant movies.
This article originally appeared in the issue of Home Education Magazine.

Solar S’mores and Other Sun-Powered Crafts
Kathy Ceceri describes how to make a solar cooker from simple materials and use it to create tasty S’mores.
This article originally appeared in the July-August 2006 issue of Home Education Magazine.

Early American Paper Quilling (May-June 2006)
Kathy Ceceri shows how quillwork can be used to make greeting cards, earrings, mobiles and holiday ornaments.

Ice Age Animal Cave Paintings (March-April 2006)
Kathy Ceceri describes the wonders of Ice Age Animal Cave Paintings, and shares ideas and tips for helping your homeschooled kids create their own “prehistoric” masterpieces using everyday resources found in the home.

Make a Wooden Abacus (January-February 2006)
Kathy Ceceri explains how to build your own abacus, and offers tips for using your new math tool.

World History Crafts (November-December 2005)
Kathy Ceceri explains the history and traditions of the unique Tibetan Sand Mandala – and provides instructions for helping your child create a beautiful replica of this ancient art form.

Other Resources from Kathy Ceceri

Kathy Ceceri’s Crafts for Learning

Around the World Crafts by Kathy Ceceri offers 30 plus projects that includes step-by-step photographs. In addition to the crafts, Ms. Ceceri includes resources and facts about the people who originally made the craft an how they would have used it. At the site you can read a sample chapter or peruse the Table of Contents. There are also things to make, things to read, and links to explore.

Home Chemistry
Making science fun for my homeschooled kids

Kathy does make science fun for her kids and more in this chemistry blog. You will find many interesting science resources within her posts along with some great resources as well.

Home Biology

Kathy’s blog tag reads: For Homeschoolers-And Anyone- Who wants to learn about life science without a lab.

Here are a few more excellent Kathy Ceceri resources on the World Wide Web:

• The one-stop world of Webcams
• 10 Cartoon Classics to Share with Your Kids
• What Makes Kids Love Math: Community and Playfulness
  

Also available online:
Around the World Crafts: Great Activities for Kids who Like History, Math, Art, Science and More! by “Hands-On Learning” columnist Kathy Ceceri

Hands On Learning

Games are one of our “universal languages,” bringing all ages together. In Time For Family Baseball, Earl Stevens wrote, “We get to know each other better and become closer when we play together. People tend to let go of their reserve.”

Games can bring back favorite family memories; in From Boring To Board Games Elise Griffith asked, “Do you remember Monopoly? I still enjoy acting as banker because it’s the only time I get to play with that amount of money!”

Carol Wanagel expanded on that concept in her wonderful Revelations of a Homeschooling Mom, explaining how her kids “developed astonishing mental skills, remembering the complex, three-dimensional mazes with endless hazards and rewards in hidden corners, planning many levels ahead, keeping a number of parallel factors in mind, calculating how much gold could be spent on potions and still leave enough for the magic sword three levels away.”

It has been argued that it’s almost impossible to play a game without learning something in the process, which truly makes all games educational games!

Homespun Games: Play by Your Own Rules, by Dianne Wilton – Bring out your favorite board game—Pictionary, Monopoly, Snakes and Ladders, Aggravation! You already have fun playing it. Now it can be the stimulus for an even greater learning experience. Imagine your whole family gathered together around the kitchen table, laughing and sharing as you redesign that game to make it truly yours. You will be creating your own version to reflect your interests and to include the skills that are important to you.

Time For Family Baseball, by Earl Stevens – Our modified game is a wonderful choice for community play because practically everyone is familiar with baseball, and it is physically accessible to all ages and abilities. You need only a bat, a ball, a batting tee for the young and inexperienced, some carpet remnant bases, and an open field.

An Interview Leila Giles and Celeste Land, by Mary Nix – I’ve always loved board games. At the time, my mom was writing an article for the VaHomeschoolers Newsletter on how kids can learn about government, and someone suggested that she include a game. One of the activities for Election Connection was a board game about becoming president, and that inspired me to create my own game.

From Boring To Board Games, by Elise Griffith – When I was a child, I never thought of Monopoly as “educational” … did you? It was simply great fun. Yet games can teach your children valuable skills; Monopoly lays the foundation for budgeting prowess when your children are snapping up properties, accumulating rent for hotels, or just passing “Go” and collecting $200.

Revelations of a Homeschooling Mom, by Carol Wanagel – Interactive games required even more: logic, reading, divergent thinking, accurate spelling, and an understanding of economics, geography, history, politics, sociology and psychology. All of the games inspired animated conversations and frequently were won with pooled information and cooperative efforts.

Do-It-Yourself Group Activities for Teenagers, by Cafi Cohen – We rotated meetings at members’ homes and – depending on the weather – the kids played either indoor games like Monopoly and Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit and Twister or outdoor games like flag football and volleyball. Games needed almost no supervision and very little planning or special equipment.

Resources: Educational Games

Family Pastimes Board games with a focus on cooperative learning.

Gamewright Award-winning games for all ages.

Ampersand Press Educational games focusing on nature and the environment.

Bits and Pieces Wooden puzzles, jigsaw puzzles for all ages, games packages

Oompa Toys: Games High-quality children’s educational games, wooden puzzles, European toys, etc.

Game.com Home of the popular Parker Brothers, Milton Bradley, and Hasbro games.

Wizards of the Coast Role-playing games, trading cards, miniatures sets, etc.

Back Issues Specials

Home Education Magazine’s special back issue packages now include new selections of issues focusing humor and games and puzzles!

Educational Games