Turkey Hunt Part 2

So, you've read about our Tom Turkey Hunt. Total blast! Since my kiddos are older, I hid the turkeys in somewhat difficult locations.  I figured it would be fun to see what an eagle eye my readers have. Can you find the turkeys in the pictures below?

Thanksgiving Fun: Tom Turkey Hunt

Everyone loves Easter Egg Hunts, right? Well, this should be right up your alley then! Why should Easter get to have all the fun? Try this Tom Turkey hunt with your kiddos (or grown-ups too)- fun guaranteed!

This is an easy activity that requires little materials and preparation. Perfect for camping!
You really need to hold your Tom Turkey hunt outside, where Tom can blend in with all the leaves and fall foliage. Plus, anything done outside is just funner! Am I right??

You will need turkey cutouts to hide. I used 35 for two older kids. You may use more or less depending on your ages and numbers.  You can print my template b/w and use it as a pattern to trace around on brown construction  paper, or you can print it in color.

You could also color in a turkey printable like these, or use some cutouts from the dollar store, Michael's, etc. Whatever floats your boat!

I printed mine in two colors of brown paper to make it a challenge. If you want to make it easier, make your turkeys red, yellow, or orange.

No turkeys? No problem! Paint some paper plates, or use feathers, or buttons, or coloring book pages, or make some out of Play-doh! (I have all these things in my camper. Do you, or am I just a weirdo?)

Basically, this is like an Easter Egg Hunt- with Turkeys.  Hide your turkeys wherever you desire. You can be as easy or as difficult as you want, based on the ages of your players.

My kiddos had a blast with this! It was so much fun, we plan on taking our Turkeys to Thanksgiving dinner to hide with the adults.

This would be the perfect post- dinner "work off all that food" activity!
I'd love to know if you try this with your fam, and what they think of it!

Thanksgiving Craft: Faux Stained Glass Turkey Art

We have had the most fun today! Watching Christmas movies and making a Thanksgiving craft... the recipe for a great day, in my opinion!

This craft was super easy, super cheap, super cute, and super fun! With my older kiddos, it has to have at least a little bit of "cool" factor to have their buy-in. This craft fit the bill!

You will need: permanent markers, tinfoil, cardboard or cardstock, and some laminating film for a copier or printer. You can buy this at Walmart or office supply stores, or on Amazon. If you don't have this or want to buy it. just get a cheap report cover with the clear plastic front. Oh, and an image you'd like to color. You can download the one we used here.

Print your turkey onto the laminating film, or run it through the copier on the bypass setting. Please be sure you have the transparency film meant for your printer or copier. I believe there's a difference in inkjet/ laserjet/etc. You could also draw an image with black Sharpie onto the cheap transparency film, if you have those laying around. Or, if you are artsy enough (or can trace), find an image you like, stick the report cover on top, and trace it with a black permanent marker.

Color your turkey using permanent markers. We put a sheet of white paper on the clipboard behind our turkeys so we could see the colors better.

Cut a piece of tinfoil about 12 x 14 inches or so. Precise size doesn't matter, as long as it's a few inches bigger than your paper. Crumple the tinfoil, then uncrumple it. Cover your cardboard or cardstock with the tinfoil, kinda like you are wrapping a present. Tape the tinfoil down, shiny side out.
See the difference in the photo below? Same turkey, but the tinfoil is not crumpled. You must crumple the tinfoil to get the stained glass look.

Place your colored picture on the front of your cardstock and tape down the edges. Hang it somewhere where the light will catch it. Voila! Faux stained glass!

I am thinking these would also be gorgeous for Christmas as well.

Disclaimer: My kiddos are old enough to handle Sharpies with a minimum of mess. Your mileage may vary if you have toddlers or pre-K-ers! I am not responsible for Sharpie masterpieces on clothes, body parts, campers, or the walls! (Although Magic erasers and writing over it with a dry erase marker seem to do the trick for me.)

What do YOU think? Got ideas to modify this craft? Did you try it with the report covers? How did it go?
What's your favorite holiday craft?

Thanksgiving Camping Craft- Thankful Tree

November is a great time to work on practicing thankfulness with our children. It's something that we often forget to practice. But, no more! Take that, ungratefulness! We have found several ways to keep our happy little camper-hold focused on what blessings we have been given.

The Thankful Tree is probably my favorite. It involves nature, so I automatically love it! Plus, it's free, family -oriented, and fun! What more could you ask for in a craft?

You will need a fairly large tree branch- mine is probably 2-3 feet high and about 18 inches wide. There's a family activity in itself... Go on a walk in the woods and find the perfect branch.

You'll also need a vase, construction paper, and some beads or decorative stones to put in the vase.
Cut out some leaf shapes in fall colors. You can find templates here, here, or here.  Or you can just cut them out by hand.
Place your branch into your vase. Fill the vase up with beads or stones to hold it in place. I just used a bag of  random mixed beads in all different shapes, sizes, and colors. I think it turned out really pretty.

Distribute leaves to everyone in your family and have them write or draw things they are thankful for. I cut out about 20 leaves per person. We did 4-5 the first night, then I left the leaves in a bowl for anyone to grab whenever they feel the urge to be thankful. They've added on quite a few leaves every day. Some of the things they are thankful for have really surprised me!

Along with our thankful tree, we have a charming Thanksgiving Countdown printable from Tip Junkie and The Letter 4. I think it was intended for use a few years ago, when Thanksgiving was on the 24th (there are 24 circles to cross off), but I just whited out the 23rd and 24th circles. Stick it in a cheap dollar store frame, and Presto! Thanksgiving countdown. We use a dry erase marker to cross off every day, and we take turns writing what we are thankful for each day. Well, really, it's more of a race to be the first one to get to write on it each day! But we are sharing our gratitude, and that's A-OK with me!

I love both of these options because they're easy, frugal, and don't take up a lot of space. Oh, and they help us intentionally place our thoughts on what we DO have, rather than what we don't have.
What does your family do to maintain the spirit of Thanksgiving? We'd love for you to share!

Top ten reasons why fall camping is unbe-leave-able:

There’s something wonderful about camping in the fall. It’s like a picnic for your senses! 

Top ten fifteen reasons why fall camping is unbe-leave-able:

1. The leaves are beautiful to look at. Gotta love fall foliage!
2. You hear them crunching underfoot as you walk.
3. You smell the campfire... mmmh!
4. It’s actually cool enough to enjoy said campfire.
5. Can't you just feel the cool, crisp air? You feel more alive as soon as you step out the door!
6. You taste all the yummy fall dishes, like chili, crockpot meals, or soup.
7. You actually want to be outside. It's not hot enough to melt crayons.
8. Two words: Leaf Piles
9. You can camp at different campgrounds/ campsites in the fall. You pick a campground not for its proximity to water, but for its view or its leaves. 
10. Campgrounds are generally less crowded. We <3 meeting new people when we camp, but it's nice to know the campgrounds probably won't fill up before we can get there. And, sometimes, you get lower rates for the off-season!
11. The days are still relatively warm. You'll probably have a lucky day here and there where you can still wear shorts and flip flops. Aaah, flip flops....
12. You get to pull out those sweaters, fleece pullovers, and hoodies.
13. Snuggling. 'Nuff said. Zip those sleeping bags together and stay warm!
14. What better time to drink hot cocoa than on a fall camping trip? Or spiced apple cider? Yummm!
15. There's nothing to do! No, that's not a complaint. There's no swimming, hustle & bustle, or busy-ness. Fall is a time to slow down and relax....

So, what are you waiting for? Go camping!

What is roadschooling?

What is roadschooling?

Roadschooling is homeschooling, on the road. It means taking where you are, at any moment in time, and turning that into a learning experience. Roadschooling means recognizing that life is all about learning. It’s taking the tiny, teachable moments, and turning them into life lessons.

Find a cool piece of fungus? Research it! Pick it. Experiment with it!

A fan breaks? Fix it. 

Studying weather, rocks, erosion, weathering, life cycles, etc.? Go outside and look for examples!

Find hawk/owl pellets containing a skeleton? Put it back together and figure out what it is.

Are you traveling in an area affected by a drought? Discuss what a drought is and what signs you see of the drought. How does it affect the lives of those in the area? Repeat with tornado, flood, hurricane, etc.  

Need to go shopping? Teach your kids the life skill of reading labels and comparing prices. 

Traveling to one of America’s great wonders, like the Grand Canyon? How was it formed? Can you see the layers of sedimentary rock? 

Need to get gas? How many miles per gallon does your vehicle get? How many more does it get when you’re not towing your camper behind? 

Cooking dinner? Teach the kiddos to help. Incorporate fractions, measurement, and heat sources. 

Traveling through Gettysburg? Learn about the Civil War.

Roadschooling is meeting your children’s instructional needs in the way that’s best for them. It can be as structured or as unstructured as you want it to be. It can follow a traditional homeschool day, with set subjects at specific times. It can be more like unschooling, where children follow their own interests and learn in a more unstructured manner. Repeat this with me: there’s no right or wrong!