Turkey Contest 2018

Our Annual - Bentz Bunch Turkey Coloring Contest!

The competition is fierce!  We decide the winner by a Facebook vote.

  And the winner.... "FREDDIE TURKURY"

 Happy Thanksgiving - from our family, to yours!

Gratitude Pumpkins

My literature girls at Coop love a fun craft...

With our Thanksgiving break about to begin, I found these adorable "Gratitude Pumpkin" templates.  They are super simple to make, and I had everything I needed!  Paper and pipe cleaners...


Print the handy template, cut it out, and write the things you are thankful for on each strip.

Put the strips together by punching a hole in each side, and using a green pipe cleaner to secure them together.  Really, it's that simple!

They were super easy to make, and a great reminder of what we're thankful for!

A Prayer of Thanksgiving

by Robert Louis Stevenson

Lord behold our family here assembled.

We thank the for this place in which we dwell.

For the peace accorded us this day.

For the hope with which we expect tomorrow.

For the help, the work, the food.

And the bright skied that make our lives delightful.

For our friends in all parts of the earth and our friendly helpers.

Let peace abounding our small company.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Family Weekend 2018

The gang's back together!  Family weekend at UMHB!!

Luke was covered in siblings...

Mom... the selfie Queen!

Sam couldn't escape them either...

We celebrated Luke's birthday (partially).  I miss having them all together!  

Master Kitz The Starry Night from Kidzaw.com: A TOS Crew Review

Master Kitz The Starry Night from Kidzaw.com

We love learning about artists and creating.  The Master Kitz The Starry Night from Kidzaw.com contains everything you need to create your very own masterpiece!  We couldn't wait to get started...

Everything you need to create your very own "Starry Night" and learn about  Vincent Van Gogh comes included in the Master Kitz Starry Night :

• Reusable Artist’s Tool Box
• Three Custom Paint Colors
• Custom Van Gogh Paint Roller
• Five Artist Quality Oil Pastels
• Two Pieces Deluxe Art Paper – 16″ x 20″
• Composition Stencil
• Sponge Roller
• Star Mask Sticker Sheet
• Van Gogh Learning Materials
• Easy-to-follow Instructions

Best yet, there are enough supplies to create 2 masterpieces!  You can also check out demonstration videos, PDF instructions and many other great Kitz on their website: Kidzaw.com.  These would make excellent Christmas gifts.

My art loving daughters could barely wait to get started.  The instructions are printed on a nice poster, with information about Vincent Van Gogh included.  

The directions are very easy to follow, it's designed for ages 5 and up.  My testers are in 4th and 5th grade, so it was easy for them to work independently.

First, you use the star stickers on your 16 x 20 heavy paper, don't worry, you can peel them off to use again! After you have placed your stars, you use the fun textured paint roller to cover your paper with paint.  One of the things we liked best - the tools are so easy to use, and really give you a great look.

The next step involved laying down a reusable plastic stencil and using another roller to create the black image over the blue sky and stars.  This step was a bit tricky for my testers to do alone, and we found that taping the stencil down with painters tape helped us keep it in one place.  

After that, my testers moved to the oil pastels to create their "stars".  All along the way, we got the chance to discuss Vincent Van Gogh and his techniques, as well as, experiencing different art mediums like paint and oil pastels.  It truly is a great art lesson, all in one handy box!

My testers loved how their pictures were turning out!  

For the final step, they added details to their masterpieces with the oil pastels.  This is where each of them got to personalize their paintings.  They are so impressed!  The entire project took us a couple o hours, including paint drying time.  It was easy to complete, and didn't leave a big mess.  Along the way, we learned some new facts about Van Gogh.  Great project!

These kitz are very well done!  I think they would make a great gift - they have many different paintings and artists to choose from (and sculpting kitz too!) They would be excellent for coop class as well.

We can't wait to do more creating!

Find Kidzaw.com on Social Media: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kidzaw-160167827376266/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidzaw
Pinterest:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/kidzaw123?blend=1&ob=5


Hashtags:
#hsreviews #art #homeschoolart #masterkitz

See what other members of the Crew thought here

King Lear

The fun continues in Famous Figures of the Renaissance class at coop!

On to Shakespeare and King Lear...


After making our theater masks, everyone got into the spirit and became the famous play...King Lear.

Our class!

Because it's Shakespeare... we had a lot of dying!