Homeschool Support Groups and Families:

Honor Christopher Columbus!

The following fun homeschool ideas are simple but meaningful. They require a minimum of preparation, but help the children to learn more about and appreciate our American "discoverer."

*Begin with the basics.

--Put October 12, 1492, on the timeline.
--Find Spain, Portugal, the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean and San Salvador (Holy Savior) on the map or globe.

*Copy party checklist.

*Do a Craft.

"A Basic Sailor's Hat"

You only need newspaper and clear tape.

Follow these steps:

--Fold 1 newspaper sheet in half so that it measures about 23" length x 16" width. (It's how we normally see the paper. )

--Fold that in half. (Just follow the crease.) Now the paper is 11 1/2" x 16".

--Place the paper on a flat surface with the crease at the top.

--Bring the top left and the top right corners to meet at the center.

--Tape the edges.

--Fold the bottom front edge up and tape.

--Turn the hat over and fold the bottom back edge up and tape.

--You can tuck the bottom outer edge in and tape of leave them out.

--Continue to tape edges until the hat is secure and sturdy.

*Play Games.

"Pin the Ship on San Salvador" (aka Pin the Tail on the Donkey)

--Unless you are artistic or have lots of time, make little ships the easy way. 1) cut small rectangles from brown construction paper, 2) cut small white triangles, 3) with a green marker, draw a cross on each, 4) glue 1 triangle horizontally to 1 rectangle. (If there are any questions, like, "What is this?" I always reply that it is a good exercise for the imagination.)

--If you don't already have a world map on the wall, hang one. Put a big X on San Salvador. If you feel creative, label the Atlantic Ocean the "Sea of Darkness" and tape pictures of dragons and water jets over it.

--As the game begins, ask each child to put his initials on his boat. Then attach a piece of double sided tape to each. Be sure each knows where San Salvador is.

--Continue as "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" would.

(Homeschool Support Groups: Find more activities for all ages.)

*Enjoy Refreshments.

Caribbean Punch--12 servings

• 1 can (12 oz.) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

• 1 can (12 oz.) Frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

• 1 (2 liters) bottle lemon-lime soda

• lemons, lime and orange for desired garnish

--Mix juices.

--At the last minute, pour in the soda.

Share these homeschool ideas with your homeschool support groups. Enjoy your homeschool holiday as a family or with a co-op. Columbus Day is a great day to celebrate American history.

More suggestions for families and homeschool support groups:

Columbus Scavenger Hunt

October History Word Jumble and Nature Projects

Fall Activities

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