I can show you how to take any space, apply my homeschool room ideas for small spaces, and create a homeschool room your kids will love!

Homeschooling in the Laundry Room

When we were designing our Big House in the Woods, I knew I wanted to include a homeschool room. In our previous house, I had homeschool posters hanging in the kitchen and it wasn’t pretty. Incredibly handy but not pretty.

I wanted our new homeschool room to be right off the kitchen since I cook three meals a day for this troop…from scratch. That means that I basically live in the kitchen. I wanted to be able to help them with their schoolwork while peeling potatoes, loading the dishwasher, or making my third pot of coffee for the day.

I also wanted the laundry room to be right off the kitchen because I kind of live in there too. So… I decided to combine the laundry room with our homeschool room.

My homeschool room is about 8ftx5ft with the remaining washer/dryer section totaling about 3ftx5ft. It’s small.

This meant that I was going to need a lot of homeschool room ideas for small spaces.

This is the kind of challenge I love.

I LOVE trying to think of efficient ways to maximize my spaces. Usually, I lay awake all night thinking it over until I figure it out.

Here are the best Homeschool Room Ideas for Small Spaces…ever!

Homeschool Room TOUR

Would you like to take a tour of our small homeschool room?

Come on!

Homeschool room organization ideas for small spaces

Use your ENTIRE wall height

Our ceilings are 9ft high, and when I first set up our homeschool room, I was only using about 6 feet of the wall height. It worked well for about a month, but as we continued to move into (and unpack in) our Big House in the Woods, I realized that I had collected WAY more homeschooling books and materials than I had realized.

Plus, I would eventually have three children who were homeschooling which means I would need more places to store the books they are working with, their current projects, and their personal homeschool things.

I quickly decided that the only way this homeschooling room was going to work in such a small space would be to have shelves (or cubbies) to the ceiling.

I pulled everything out of our homeschooling room, and started building efficient, sturdy, cubbies to the ceiling (while baby #3 was an infant).

I painted them white and added some crown molding at the top.

I COULD NOT be happier with the results!

Pro tip: The cubbie style is the best because there is only potential for one cubbie to get destroyed at a time. Whereas, an entire shelf of books can start leaning if you pull a few books off the end. Are you following me here?

Plus, I like to dedicate certain cubbies for specific things like puzzles, manipulatives, school books for my 8 year old, materials for my kindergartener, etc.

I use this cubbie shelf for all of my kids reading books and it works out perfect.

Homeschool Room Lighting Ideas for Small Spaces

Nothing says “small space” like a dark space. At first, our homeschool room just had one overhead light. Since our homeschool room has no windows, that also means that the overhead light was the ONLY light.

With the way our homeschool room is laid out, when my kids were sitting at their desk, the overhead light was behind them. This means that the books they were reading or the schoolwork they were working on was always in a shadow.

I added two lamps in different areas and a string of white Christmas lights that runs along the back of their desk. The Christmas lights give an extra special touch to the room and make the desk look very inviting!

I love this lamp because it’s also a pencil holder and book/ iPad holder.

Homeschool Room Desk Ideas for Small Spaces

Homeschool Desk Ideas: Choose a space efficient desk or build your own

For a while we had a 4ftx5ft table at one end of the room. It was a very sturdy table that fit well in the space. I found it on the side of the road and I loved that table!

However, my kids are small and couldn’t even reach across the table so the back half was pointless.

Also, because my homeschool room is a small space, the table had to be positioned in a way that only allowed them to sit on one of the 5ft sides. After two kids spread out schoolbooks, coloring books, crayons, pencils, and puzzles, they were crammed together in that 5ft space.

After I built the cubbies to the ceiling, I decided to build a completely new school table. Instead of using the short side of the room, I ran the table along the 8ft side of the room.

I used a 1×12 and a 1×6 to create my table. I used 2x2s to build custom brackets to attach it to the wall. Now, my kids can spread out and there is even room for Child #3 to work there when she becomes school-age!

If you don’t want to build a desk, there are amazing options for traditional school desks (which I love!) and space saving options that are great for any area of your home.

For example, check out this super cute school desk with drawers, organization, and an included chair!

Savvy Homeschool Room Ideas for Small Spaces

Minimalist homeschool room tip: Look for hidden potential instead of buying more stuff

After I removed the old table and built our custom homeschool table, I was able to get to the water heater closet again. (The old table was previously in front of it.)

Since our house is new and we have been doing some of the work ourselves, we had not put a door on the water heater closet yet. As I stood there and looked at this space, I suddenly realized there was some hidden potential in that closet!

The water heater sits toward the back of the closet so that left an empty space upfront.

I was already trying to decide what to do with my kids’ computer. I didn’t want to put it on their school table because it would take up too much space and I didn’t want them spilling paint on it when they do art projects.

I also didn’t want to buy another piece of furniture to serve as the computer table.

I decided the best thing to do would be to build a wooden cubbie that would be recessed into the water heater closet. It’s custom built to fit their computer and it’s out of the way.

When they have work to do on their computer, all they have to do is pull a chair over from their school table!

I also love this wall mount computer cubby because it saves so much space!

Homeschool Room Setup Ideas for Small Spaces

Tip: Use your wall space efficiently

Most likely, you won’t have shelves on every wall. So, on the blank walls, fill them with useful things for your children.

Our homeschool room walls are filled with things like a calendar, multiplication chart, birthday chart to help us keep up with family and friends, sight word chart, hundreds chart for math, “morning meeting” posters, and my custom built crayon organizer.

When we do our morning calendar time, everything is right there on the wall, so we don’t have to fumble around for anything.

If my kids need to reference their hundreds chart or their sight word chart, they know exactly where to look.

I literally used a level when I hung every poster and I planned out where I put everything. The walls of our homeschool room are full but there is a method to our madness.

I knew that without careful planning, the walls would look crowded and chaotic. It’s difficult to have blank spaces in a small homeschool room, so your walls need to be more organized than people who have a large homeschool space.

And, since you are limited on wall space, only display things that are incredibly useful to your child’s education. When they no longer need a certain poster or chart, change it out for something new that will help them with their schoolwork.

Homeschool Room Ideas for Small Spaces- Reading Area Ideas

Must-have for homeschool room: A small bookshelf with a little reading rug.

I believe that if my kids can’t reach their books then they won’t read them.

I think this is true for most kids. Out of sight, out of mind.

So, if your space allows, have a small bookshelf full of books your kids can enjoy on their own. Also, get a small rug so they will feel comfortable and compelled to get grab a book, have a seat, and flip through it.

Our rug is a hand-me-down that I don’t worry about my kids getting paint on. You don’t have to get a fancy rug. Keep in mind that this is a space for children and children have a tendency to be messy!

Homeschool Room Must Haves

We use this calendar everyday!

A comfy (and super cute) rug makes a great place for your kids to spread out and read a good book.

You will need a Calendar and Weather Pocket Chart and I love this one.

This hundreds chart comes in handy all the time. It hangs on the wall above our desk.

This wall-mount computer cubby is a great space saver.

An awesome school desk is definitely a must have!

Have any more homeschool room ideas for small spaces?

What have you done in your small space to make it efficient and fun? Do you have extra homeschool organization ideas for small spaces to add? Feel free to leave more ideas in the comments!

Happy creating!
-Lindsey

*This post contains affiliate links.

The post GENIUS Homeschool Room Ideas for Small Spaces appeared first on Big House in the Woods.

I step outside and BAM! The humidity kills my zeal.

It feels like I have wrapped myself in a hot, wet blanket and I’m ready to run back to the air conditioning.

However, I decide to persevere for two reasons:
#1 I don’t want to be that person who hangs out indoors all summer
and
#2 I have kids who want to run wild outside.

So, the only way to combat the heat and humidity is to get creative.

Here are Frugal Summer Hacks and DIYs You’ll Wish You Knew Sooner

Summer Hacks and DIYs add a little spice to life. So, let’s go!

Outdoor Summer Hacks and DIYs

Go to the beach in your own backyard

We LOVE the beach, but we just can’t be at the beach every day. So, we make our own.

We live in the woods and I’m almost certain that a pool would only attract snakes. Plus, I don’t feel like maintaining it with toxic chemicals (yes, I’m THAT person). However, I want my kids to enjoy splashing in a pool at home (because I’m also the person who doesn’t like public pools….GROSS). So, an easy compromise is a little kiddie pool that is easy to wash out and store.

A few years back, we bought a small kiddie pool from our local big box store. The kids get in their swim clothes, we fill the pool full of toys to play with (cups, dolls, giant Legos), we set out our lawn chairs, aim a big fan at ourselves, turn on the Caribbean music, and make non-alcoholic Pina Coladas.

Y’all. It’s SO much fun!

We call it Riviera Time.

Miniature Fire Pit for S’mores

In the Fall, we like to build a big fire in our fire pit and enjoy a long evening outside. We roast marshmallows and make delicious s’mores. However, in the summertime, you will not find me anywhere near a fire!

So, what should you do if you’re craving a tasty s’more in the summer? You make a miniature fire pit, of course!

All you need is a terra cotta pot that you have lined with foil. Fill it with charcoal and light it up! Now, you have a small tabletop fire pit so you can roast marshmallows, make delicious s’mores, and still not get too hot!

Homemade Fire Starter Log

Ok, some of you crazies are going to go camping and light up a fire. So, here’s a tip. You can make your own fire starter logs with things you already have at home!

If you use toilet paper (and let’s hope you do), save those empty cardboard rolls! Then, fill them with all that fluffy lent you collect from your dryer lent trap. Next step? Light it up!

Summer Hacks and DIYs in the Kitchen

Make your own sports drink

I’m not a fan of bottled sports drinks. Fake sugar, coloring, and just yuck. So, I make my own and it’s so much fun! My kids love to get in on it too! It’s easy! Find the recipe here.

Homemade Banana Swirl

My kids love ice cream! I mean, I love ice cream. But we don’t eat a lot of sugar around here so we find work-arounds. One of our favorite things to do is to make Homemade Banana Swirl. All you have to do is peel, chunk, and freeze bananas in a freezer safe container. Once frozen, toss them into your food processor with a splash of milk. Process until smooth and enjoy!

Save your powdered parmesan cheese lids!

Did you know that the lids from your container of powered parmesan cheese fit perfectly on a glass jar?! It’s my favorite way to serve smoothies. The straw fits down through one of the holes in the lid and I find comfort knowing my kids can’t easily spill their smoothies!

Homemade Popsicles

We LOVE making our own popsicles! Our favorites are chocolate! I just make chocolate milk, pour it into the molds, and let it freeze.

Check out these awesome molds!

Summer Hacks and DIYs for Kids

DIY Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts are so much fun! My kids love them! You don’t have to get detailed about them. You can make them up on the fly OR you can use mine!

Backyard Obstacle Course

This one hits the top of the chart for “Summer Hacks and DIYs” because you can use anything you have to create an obstacle course!

Grab anything you have around your house, like: hula hoops, jump ropes, sticks, water hoses, basketballs, etc.

The fastest kid to complete the obstacle course wins! Or, maybe the kid who completes the obstacle course while being the silliest wins.

Make your own rules to fit your kids!

Home Cooking Shows

When it’s sweltering outside and we’d rather stay in, I pull this activitiy out of my arsenal of “Summer Hacks and DIYs.”

My kids love it when I do “cooking shows.” They set up chairs in the kitchen so they can be my audience. I put on my favorite apron and do a “live cooking show” for them that Martha Stewart would be proud of.

It doesn’t matter what I cook because I have them laughing hysterically with my commentary.

They even get in on the fun and do their own cooking shows. When that happens, I pull out our favorite child-safe knives so they can do all the prep work on their own.

Homemade Vet Clinic for Stuffed Animals

When was the last time all of the stuffed animals at your house had a decent check up?

It had been a while at our house since our stuffed animals had a check up so yesterday I set up a homemade vet clinic!

The kids had so much fun with it! They were occupied for HOURS…which is sometimes nice.

Full details here.

Glow-in-the-Dark Bowling

All I can say is…Y’all. Why didn’t I think of this?

Learn all about it here.

Want more Summer Hacks and DIYs for Kids?

Read my Ultimate Guide to Summer with Kids right here! Check it out!

Happy Summer!
-Lindsey

The post Frugal Summer Hacks and DIYs You’ll Wish You Knew Sooner appeared first on Big House in the Woods.

Grab a cup of coffee and look around!

1. DIY Toy Car Road Table

I loved making this for my kids! It was the perfect use for our coffee table that previously just collected magazines. The best part is that I can lift it off and slide it under their bed if I want the coffee table to collect magazines again.

DIY Toy Car Road Table

2. Electronic Snap Circuits

If your kids don’t have electronic snap circuits, you’ll want to read this…

or go straight to Amazon.

Toys for Homeschoolers: Electronic Snap Circuits

3. Awesome Bible Resource for Kids: What’s in the Bible? DVDs

I can’t tell you enough how much we love this DVD set. It’s worth owning. We have learned so much from it and I don’t just mean the kids. Even adults can grow so much from these DVDs!

Phil Vischer did an AMAZING job. If you don’t know Phil, he’s the creator of Veggie Tales. I loved reading his book. I want you to know that these DVDs are MUCH more in-depth than Veggie Tales.

Click the image to read my full review or just go straight to Amazon.

Awesome Bible Resource for Kids: What’s in the Bible? DVDs

4. 20 Cheap and Easy Summer Activities for Kids

I searched the internet far and wide to find a list of cheap and easy summer activities for kids that I love. I even included activities that we do here at Big House in the Woods!

You will love this…

20 Cheap and Easy Summer Activities for Kids

5. The 10 Best Inexpensive Games for Family Game Night at Home

We play all sorts of games with our kids and, over the years, we have gathered a huge collection to choose from. Here are 10 of our favorites.

The 10 Best Inexpensive Games for Family Game Night at Home

6. DIY Play Kitchen

This is an awesome DIY for your kids! All you need is used cabinets and a few simple materials you can get from a re-store.

I’ll show you exactly how I made this awesome DIY Play Kitchen.

DIY Play Kitchen

7. 16 Best Gifts for Creative Artsy Kids

My kids are VERY artsy. They are always in our homeschool room creating something. This is a list of 16 gifts that any creative, artsy kid would LOVE.

Check it out!

16 Best Gifts for Creative Artsy Kids

8. DIY Crayon Organizer (with a video!)

Now, this is a fun DIY! With just a few simple materials (and a tree), I created something AMAZING that my kids love and it helps keep our homeschool room organized.

You will love this!

DIY Crayon Organizer (with a video!)

9. 10 Best Resources for Teaching the Bible to Kids

In addition to reading the Bible aloud to our kids, we do many different (and fun!) things to teach them and help them understand the Bible.

Here are 10 of our favorites.

10 Best Resources for Teaching the Bible to Kids

10. Cheap and Easy Fun for Kids: Homemade Vet Clinic

We had a blast with this. It was very simple to put together and my kids enjoyed it for HOURS that day.

They have even recreated this vet clinic on their own many times to give their stuffed animals check-ups.

You won’t want to miss this one.

Cheap and Easy Fun for Kids: Homemade Vet Clinic

All the best,
Lindsey

*This post contains affiliate links.

The post The Best of Big House Kids appeared first on Big House in the Woods.

Actually…

We like to let loose and have fun in every season but summertime is a special time where we can really get creative outside.

It’s also a very HOT time down here in the South so, when the heat index is 110 degrees (and counting), we move inside and keep the fun going.

Here are 20 cheap and easy summer activities for kids that will keep them entertained (and learning) all summer long inside and outside!

1. Build a Backyard Obstacle Course

This one hits the top of the chart for “cheap and easy summer activities for kids” because you can use anything you have to create an obstacle course!

Construct a backyard obstacle course with hula hoops, jump ropes, sticks, stones, hoses, and other materials from around the house. Your kids can take turns completing it—and the person with the fastest time wins a prize! 

www.parents.com

Learn more here.

2. Build a DIY Bird Feeder

This one is made out of Legos!

Here are 23 DIY Birdfeeders you will love.

3. Home Cooking Shows

My kids love it when I do “cooking shows.” They set up chairs in the kitchen so they can be my audience. I put on my favorite apron and do a “live cooking show” for them that Martha Stewart would be proud of.

It doesn’t matter what I cook because I have them laughing hysterically with my commentary.

They even get in on the fun and do their own cooking shows. When that happens, I pull out our favorite child-safe knives so they can do all the prep work on their own.

4. Watch Movies Outside

What is it about watching movies outside that is so much fun? Maybe it’s the evening summer air or the fireflys swirling around.

We don’t get complicated about this. We have a little portable DVD player that we set up on our screened porch for our movie nights.

You can use any device you have that’s portable.

You can also hang a white sheet outside and project the movie with a projector like this one.

5. S’mores in the Oven

I’ll be honest. Building a campfire in this Southern Summer heat just doesn’t sound like fun.

Call me a wimp if you want. I’ll take it.

So, when we want to have s’mores but Mama doesn’t want to sweat outside…I just make them in the oven!

It’s very simple. Food Network can explain it to you.

6. Evening Story Time Outside

This is straight forward. Grab some of your favorite children’s books and head outside. We like our screened porch for this activity but anywhere you can get outdoors will make it fun.

Need book suggestions?

We like:
The Great Big Treasury of Beatrix Potter
The Big Green Book of Beginner Books
The Complete Tales and Poems of Winnie-the-Pooh
The Jesus Storybook Bible

7. Lego Challenges

One day, my kids were bored. Usually, when this happens, I give them chores to do. (Boredom is not something you should announce in this house!) But, that day, they had already finished their chores. So, I gave them Lego challenges. (P.S. We don’t actually have “Legos.” We have those giant things.)

Want Lego Challenge inspiration? Click here.

8. Writing Prompts & Literary Meetings

This is so much fun!

I like to spark creativity and thought with my kids. My eight-year-old is a writer but one day she was stuck. She wanted to write but she couldn’t think of what to write about. So, I gave her an open-ended writing prompt and she got busy. It was the best thing to help her out of her writing slump.

Here are some ideas from Journal Buddies to get you started.

The best part is what happens after the writing is done. You can have a literary meeting (complete with snacks) and share your stories!

9. Make Sock Puppets

Got old socks? Of course you do!

Then make them into sock puppets! Our kids make up all sorts of plays with their sock puppets.

Idea from here.

10. Go on a Trip and Never Leave Home

We go on “geography trips.” My kids get all dressed up in “safari clothes” (complete with backpacks and water bottles). Then, we pick a state and “go there.” We line up the kitchen chairs like we’re in a bus and I sit in the front to drive.

I talk about the things we are passing by and the kids think it’s hilarious! One time, we were “driving” to Florida and we had to go through a swamp. An alligator tried to get in our bus so we had to stand up in our chairs.

Once we get to our destination, we talk about all the fun things in that state and we even “visit” a restaurant. At the “restaurant” I provide snacks that come from that state (Hershey kisses for Pennsylvania, Peaches for Georgia, etc.)

11. Homemade Vet Clinic for Stuffed Animals

This kept my kids occupied for hours! And, when it was over, all of their stuffed animals were healthy and cared for.

Read about it here:

12. Family Game Night

We play games together ALL OF THE TIME! Here are our favorites.

13. I’m Going on an RV Trip and I’m Packing…

We love this game! It’s a great memory game for the kids and adults! (Because, let’s face it, anyone who forgets their coffee in the microwave 5 times in a row needs to play a memory game too! Guilty!)

14. Write Letters to Family and Friends

My kids love to write letters and send drawings to family and friends. This is also a great lesson in proper letter structure!

Idea from here.

15. Build Your Own Water Sprinkler!

I love this idea! You can check it out here.

16. Make Sun Tea

I remember my grandparents making sun tea every summer. They would fill a large glass jar with water and tea bags then set it out by their pool.

Just the sight of it made me feel happy. Tea brewed in the warm summer sun is extra special.

Don’t know how to do it? Pioneer Woman has you covered!

17. Make Homemade Bouncy Balls

Who knew this could be done?!

18. Glow in the Dark Bowling

All I can say is…Y’all. Why didn’t I think of this?

Learn all about it here.

19. Build a DIY Fairy House

My kids go crazy for things like this! No, they don’t believe in fairies but making a special little habitat for anything brings out their creative side.

DIY Fairy House ideas here.

20. Play Bocce Ball

We love Bocce Ball! We have been playing this game since college and we introduced our kids to it last summer. We played boys against girls and the girls’ team won! We had a blast!

Get yours here.

Bonus!

Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts are so much fun! Here are 30 printable scavenger hunts to keep your kids having fun all year long.

Plus, here is mine!

Happy summer!
-Lindsey

The post 20 Cheap and Easy Summer Activities for Kids appeared first on Big House in the Woods.

She was referring to my article about “How to Become Debt-Free.” In that article, I explain how to create a budget and how our budget enabled us to pay off $45k in 13 months on our first and only mortgage.

When we created our budget, we classified all of our monthly expenses into three categories: necessary expenses, things to cut back on, and things to cut out.

Like many others, my reader’s kids have spent years playing sports. So, I understand that it would be no small thing to just quit.

When you are creating your budget so you can get out of debt, pay off your mortgage, or save money for the future, you have to make hard decisions. Choosing whether or not you should continue to allow your children to participate in expensive sports is one of those hard decisions.

Don’t let the high cost of youth sports bury your financial independence dreams.

Let’s break this down.

Kids’ Sports Can Cost Big Money

When I think of youth sports, I think about kids forming teams, parents socializing, and the smell of hotdogs from the concession stand.

However, though it can be that way sometimes, most often it also involves parents deciding how these sports are going to affect their budget.

In the United States, parents spend $671 on average per year to cover the costs of uniforms and the hefty fees charged for registration, lessons, and coaching, and at least 1 in 5 ends up spending over $1,000 per child, every year. The result, according to TurboTax’s most recent infographic, is that youth sports are no longer an excellent opportunity for social involvement determined by passion and skill, but by the family’s financial resources, sustaining a $5 billion-a-year industry.

www.huffpost.com

There are many costs to consider.

For example:
Practice Fees
Skill and Drill Training Fees
Tournament Fees
Extra expenses for specialty positions
Hotel expenses while traveling
Gas costs
Food costs while you’re on the road
Uniform and equipment costs

“I think what’s happened in the last 10 years is that everything’s become professionalized. In doing that, it’s raised the cost of participation.” -David Jervis, senior director of youth programs for the Red Bulls, a New Jersey-based professional soccer team – owned by the energy drink Red Bull – that operates youth and community programs and targets high potential talent.

www.foxnews.com

The High Cost of Youth Sports and Your Budget

When my reader asked me how I would classify kids’ sports if I were her, this is what I said, “That’s a difficult decision. Especially if your kids have already invested a couple of years in this. But, at my house, I would cut it. At least for a year so I could get my finances under control and pay off debt.”

It’s true. That’s what would happen at my house.  

Becoming debt-free is something that should be very important to all of us. Financial security is something we should work for every day in every financial decision we make.

Then I started asking her a few more questions and learned something very interesting.

Yes, she pays a lot for her kids to play on traveling teams, however, she and her husband also work hard to make sure that cost doesn’t affect their finances.

How?

Keep reading.

How to Offset the High Cost of Youth Sports

We already know that it’s not cheap for your kids to get involved playing sports, especially with traveling teams. Many parents are working toward financial goals (building their debt-free dream home, paying off their mortgage, saving for the future so they can live their dreams, retiring early, etc.) and they won’t let these high costs get in their way.

So, what do they do?

My reader told me that she and her husband work various concessions at the local concert arena. When the night is over, the parents who worked the concessions take home a cut of the profits.

They use these profits to pay for everything their kids need to play sports and they don’t have to dig into their own pockets.

This blew me away.

They see the value in their kids getting to participate in sports they love and they are willing to make it work without delaying their own financial goals.

These parents work many nights a month, selling concessions for various concerts, so their kids can keep playing.

This is highly commendable.

Other things to consider when saving on youth sports

Buy used equipment. 

For example, buy gently used cleats from a friend’s child who outgrew them. You never know who might have what you need and you can get it at a discount!

Sell your used equipment.

That’s right. Keep spreading the love right on down the line.

So, you had to buy a brand new helmet because you couldn’t find a good used one. What do you do when you realize that your child only used it for a year and now they need a different one? Sell it to another sports parent so you can get some of your money back.

Narrow your focus.

Does your child really want to play 4 different sports?

Do you want to pay for that many sports?

Do you want to spend that much of your family time sitting in gyms or sweating in the bleachers?

Is it a valuable and wise use of your time and money?

Better yet, is there a chance all of this time and money is going to mean that your child is going to play professional sports in the future or get a college scholarship?

Nearly eight million students currently participate in high school athletics in the United States.  More than 480,000 compete as NCAA athletes, and just a select few within each sport move on to compete at the professional or Olympic level.

NCAA

For example, according to NCAA research, only 2.2% of boys playing high school baseball will move on to NCAA Div I. Only 1.8% of girls who play softball in high school will move on to NCAA Div I.

Those are pretty low percentages.

You can check out the full chart here.

You have to determine your purpose.

Why are your kids playing sports?

If it’s just for the socialization aspect, is there a less expensive alternative? Often, you can find church leagues to be part of or local recreational leagues that don’t travel.

If your child is a dynamo who is sure to play professionally or get a full-ride scholarship to college, maybe spending your time in the bleachers is worth it to you.

Just don’t lose focus on your finances and the financial security of your family. Keep in mind that there are things you should be saving for along the way: retirement, paying off your mortgage, your child’s college tuition (if they choose to attend), etc.

Here’s the bottom line…

If you decide that your kids must participate in sports, find creative ways to offset the cost.

Don’t let the high cost of youth sports derail your financial independence goals.

Here are the examples we discussed in this article:

• Have fundraisers or work special events where you get a cut of the profit
• Buy lightly used equipment
• Sell your used equipment
• Narrow your focus: pick only the sport(s) that are most important

Always remember that being debt-free/mortgage-free, saving for the future, and retiring early is about swimming upstream. You have to live differently than those around you. You have to make better financial decisions than everyone else.

Having your child step away from that costly traveling team and spend time playing sports with a less expensive recreational team might be a choice you need to consider.

Comments on The High Cost of Youth Sports?

I would love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to leave me a comment with other ways you offset the cost of your kids’ sports.

Big House in the Woods is all about how we have been debt-free since we were 25. I’m here to help you on your journey as well, so you can live your dreams in your new debt-free lifestyle.

You can start here.

All the best,
Lindsey

The post The High Cost of Youth Sports appeared first on Big House in the Woods.

It’s a win-win for everyone. I only have to teach one child, she loves being his “teacher”, and he loves feeling like a big boy by doing what his older sister does.

Let’s get in to how this works…

“How” I Pay My Children

First, let’s start with the “how.” No, I don’t use real money. Why? Because I’m not a bank. And, technically, they should do their chores without getting paid. So, I use what we call “funny money.” It’s just fake money that I bought at the Dollar Tree. It comes in a package with all sorts of denominations and paper coins. All you have to do is tear them apart.

Why I Pay My Children to do Chores

I pay them to do chores for three reasons.

1. I want them to learn the value of money.

To be specific, I want them to learn that there are four 5’s in a 20. There are ten dimes in a dollar. Four quarters will also get you a dollar. My seven-year-old went from a little confused about money to completely understanding very quickly. And I have also been surprised at how much my four-year-old has learned. He definitely won’t need any “formal” instruction about money.  

I also want them to learn how to save their money. It didn’t take them long to learn that buying one day of no chores was more valuable than several cookies. Saving for that day of no chores was worth it.

2. I want them to learn that you have to work to get paid in real life.

In the real world, if you want paid then you have to work. I want them to learn that. No one is going to give you anything for free. You shouldn’t expect that. Also, you can feel great pride in yourself when you get paid for a job well done.

3. Money=Motivation

When I hand my kids their “payment” once they finish their chores, their eyes light up. They are so excited to get out their wallets so they can add up the total amount of money they have. Plus, they know that the more they have, the more they can buy from my “store.”

Here’s how it works daily

Each morning, I get the kids’ chore chart ready. I flip over the cards that have different tasks written on them that I need them to do that day. I have written about that in detail here:

Here’s the catch, to get paid, they must complete every task AND do it with a happy heart. We are a family. We live in this house together and we work in this house together. This house requires maintenance (laundry folded, bathrooms cleaned, dogs fed, etc.) and we all have to pitch in.

Once they have completed their chores for the day, they get paid $3. Yep, you’ve got it. They get $3 a day. Trust me, they can learn a lot with $3 a day.

Now it’s time for the fun part!

I have a time set aside each day when my “store” is open and they can spend their money. (My store isn’t open ALL day because I don’t have time for that!) Here’s the list of what they can purchase:

$1.00 cookie
$10.00 Day of no chores
$4.75 get 4 toys out of the “rotation” tub
$1.37 Mommy reads 4 books aloud
$5.22 tea party (with real tea)
$2.50 a cup of hot chocolate
$2.00 1 cartoon (of MY choice)
$2.00 40 minutes of playtime with the baby
$.25 2 chocolate chips
$1.25 get 1 toy out of rotation
$2.00 computer time (15 minutes)
$5.00 Mommy builds a blanket fort
$5.00 get one REAL dollar
$1.75 play bean bag toss
$1.32 draw on dry erase board
$1.50 cup of trail mix
$1.67 peanut butter and jelly in a bowl
$2.30 play a board game or a card game
$2.00 play upstairs
$1.00 play with mini pool table

As you can see, this list has a mixture of food treats, games, activities, and even a day of no chores. Notice how the “day of no chores” costs $10. It’s something special and they must save up for it. They can spend all their money buying chocolate chips here and there or they can resist the urge for instant gratification and save up for something more meaningful.

I was pleasantly surprised at how they picked up on that so fast. The first few days, my daughter was spending money like crazy. She was buying all the “cheap” things like chocolate chips, cookies, and trail mix. Then, she quickly learned that she had no money for what she really wanted…like to have me build her an awesome blanket fort or to have a day of no chores.

These days, spending $.25 on two chocolate chips is very rare. She quickly realized that it wasn’t worth it!

All of this could easily be adapted for older children as well. My kids are 7 years and under so they are motivated my blanket forts and such. You just have to think of what your kids are motivated by.

I would like to encourage you to keep the prices in your store proportional to their daily earning. Since my kids only earn $3 a day then I make it so there are things they can buy the same day and things they would have to save for several days to purchase.

What if they want to earn MORE money?

That can happen! I have a whole list of tasks they can do to earn extra money. Sometimes, they are just .50 cents or a dollar short of purchasing what they want. Instead of making them wait another day to earn their next $3, they can choose from my “Earn Extra Money” list and…well…earn extra money.

Here’s the list:

$2.00 unload dishwasher
$1.00 vacuum stairs
$1.00 dust
$.50 say “yes ma’am” and “yes sir” all day
$1.00 make living room tidy
$2.00 sweet front porch
$1.00 clean your room
$.50 clean the clubhouse

This method has worked for us for several years. I hope you find it helpful also!

All the best,
Lindsey

I’d love to chat! Leave me a comment!

The post How and Why I Pay My Children to do Chores appeared first on Big House in the Woods.

Fact: Before I became a homeschooling mama, I was a first grade teacher.

Through all of the school closings, social distancing, and Pandemic 20/20 episodes, I have realized that there are millions of little children who are missing the “normal” in their lives. I am worried that all of those sweet little babies are feeling anxious and overwhelmed. They typically go to school every morning and have their normal routine in their classroom with their teacher.

Now, it feels like society has been turned up on it’s head. There are many families homeschooling for the first time and it can be a hectic thing to do when you are thrown into it without warning.

After a sleepless night pondering ways I can help, I have decided to post “Morning Meeting” videos each morning. These videos are geared toward Pre-K (my kids start around 18 months) to 2nd grade. However, everyone can join in!

This is the way I always started the day with my public school first graders. This is also how my kids LOVE to start their school day. They even wear backpacks and make me “call roll” even though they are homeschooled.

In each video, we will have Calendar Time, practice counting and skip counting, review our alphabet chart, discuss time on our wooden clock, have story time, and many other fun things. I will add many new things as we go along.

I hope these videos can provide a bit of “normal” for many young children and I hope it’s a place where we can all meet each morning and start our days together.

Please feel free to share this with everyone who you think would like to join us! We would love to have public schoolers AND homeschoolers join in!

Here’s the link to my YouTube channel:

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCAKYGWWowRmY6GcTP6kU7pQ

Let’s learn together! I’ll see you each weekday morning!

The post My response to Covid-19: Homeschool Lessons and Read-Alouds appeared first on Big House in the Woods.

During the summer, we spend many evenings on the screened porch (away from the mosquitoes) playing games. It’s a very pleasant way to spend time together.

So, I thought all of you might be interested in a list of our favorites! These are unique ideas that you probably haven’t heard of.

1. UNO Dare
Mattel Games CDY11 UNO: Dare – Card Game
This game makes me laugh hysterically. I’m not even kidding.

2. Monopoly Deal
Monopoly Deal Games
This is the fast paced version of Monopoly…because who has time to play monopoly for hours?

3. Pass the Pigs Party Edition
Pass The Pigs (Party Edition) (Colors May Vary)
We all LOVE this game! It’s so funny to listen to the kids trying to get a “leaning jowler.”

4. Hot Potato
Ideal Hot Potato Electronic Musical Passing Kids Party Game
When you just want to play something quick and fast paced…this is it!

5. The Struggle for Catan Card Game
Struggle for Catan
Catan is one of our favorite games. HOWEVER, we don’t always have the patience to play the full game with kids running around. This card game is a nice alternative.

6. Farkle
Farkle Dice Cup
Fun and quick dice game

7. Suspend
Melissa & Doug Suspend Family Game
We love playing this game outside on the patio!

8. Sequence Dice
Sequence Dice
Even our 3-yeaer-old is good at this game!

9. Pirates of the Caribbean Battle Ship
Battleship Command Pirates of the Caribbean
This version of Battle Ship takes it up to the next level. It takes strategic planning and it’s so much fun!

10. Toss Up
Patch ProductsToss-Up Dice Game
This is fun to play and chat at the same time. We’ve even been known to play a few rounds while the kids are napping!

Now all you have to do is plan a family game night!

Have fun! -Lindsey

The post The 10 Best Inexpensive Games for Family Game Night at Home appeared first on Big House in the Woods.

With that being said, they can’t be in my kitchen all the time. Sometimes I need to cook fast. I don’t always have time to teach them something new. Sometimes, life happens. Right?

So, when they can’t be in my kitchen, they love to play with their little kitchen in their room.

Here’s a quick back story: When Miss G was three, she got a little play kitchen for Christmas. She absolutely loved it! She played with it a lot. Then, when Little Man got older, he played with her too.

Recently, I realized it was getting harder for them to play with the little kitchen because it was…well…little. Miss G was way too tall for it and there was no way the two of them could play side by side.

That’s when my wheels started turning. I decided to build them a bigger kitchen! I just love building projects…don’t you?!

Out in our ever-so-handy garage, I had old cabinets that my husband’s cousin gave us when we were building the garage. They were from an office building renovation and they are exceptionally sturdy. We hung some of them out in the garage for storage but we had a few left over.

For the “new” play kitchen, I decided to use one of the “uppers” for a base cabinet as well as a small cabinet to go over their stove and sink area.

I gathered an old sink faucet, a stainless steel bowl, and old CDs to use for stove burners.

**Doesn’t everyone’s garage have all this stuff in it?!

I painted the top of the base cabinet white then painted a square of charcoal to serve as the stove top. Then, I cut a hole in the top of the cabinet and dropped in the stainless steel bowl for a sink.

By the way… I installed the sink faucet so that the handles would actually turn!

On the charcoal colored “stove top”, I hot glued old CDs to serve as the burners.

The kids were SO excited about the kitchen I built for them! Little Man calls it their “New Kitchen.”

Later, I decided to add a single “upper” cabinet and cover the door in white contact paper to serve as the refrigerator. And I gave them my toaster oven which had recently decided it only wanted to bake at 500 degrees! (I cut the cord off the toaster oven first so they couldn’t plug it up.)

Now, they both can work in their new kitchen and they have plenty of room!

We also raided our recycling tub so we could add some groceries to their kitchen. ?

If you liked this post, you might also like my DIY Toy Car Road Table!

Happy Creating!
-Lindsey

The post DIY Play Kitchen appeared first on Big House in the Woods.

I hope they remember all the times I’ve kissed them and told them I love them…not the times I’ve lost my cool because I felt over-worked, over-tired, and overwhelmed. Most of all, I hope they remember how much The Man and I love our Lord and Savior.

Christmas is my favorite holiday because we love to celebrate the birth of Jesus. For us, the Christmas season is a time for old traditions and making up new ones. It’s a time for spending time together and drinking hot chocolate. It’s also a time to focus on the Reason for the Season.

Recently, I read online where someone said, “When your kids grow up, they won’t remember what you got them for Christmas when they were 8 but they will remember the smell of cinnamon rolls baking on Christmas morning and how you made them feel!’”

I can agree with that.

I still remember my mom making sausage biscuits on Christmas morning (and our dachshund drinking my mom’s coffee one Christmas because mom left her cup sitting beside her on the floor). I don’t have a dachshund to drink my coffee but I do make sausage biscuits on Christmas morning for my kids because I can’t get that wonderful smell out of my head. (Add a little mustard to those babies and it’s perfection!)

Today, I want to share several of our Christmas traditions with you. You won’t find any mention of Santa Claus who visits our house or elves on our shelves. But we have a lot of fun, we spend a lot of time together, and we make memories.

Maybe you’re looking for some new traditions or maybe you just want to add to the traditions you already have OR maybe you’re just nosey. No matter which is true, this post is for you!

We have worked very hard over the years to preserve the richness of Christmas for our children and not ruin it with an overload of plastic gifts they will never remember. All of our traditions stem from an overflow of love for God and each other.

So, let’s go…

1. We read through the book of Luke together

It is my personal belief that if I am not reading scripture to my children during the Christmas season (or any season for that matter) then I’m depriving them of what Christmas truly is. Without it, Christmas is empty and meaningless.

Luke has 24 chapters. It begins with the birth of Jesus and ends with His death and resurrection. We read a chapter together each night. If we miss a night, then we catch up when we can.

Also, one of our favorite things to do is to listen to the scripture on cds! Here’s a link to our favorite:

Word of Promise Scripted New Testament-NKJV

I just love this audio version! It’s fully dramatized with sound effects and different actors for each role. It is simply beautiful and theater quality!

2. Stockings

Now, this isn’t what you’re thinking. We don’t do “normal” stockings. The kids actually hang up a sock that gets filled with goodies. They can hang up any sock they want (one of Daddy’s is best since they’re the biggest ?) and we fill it with unique food items that our kids love. We don’t include toys because we feel that it just ruins the fun of the stockings for them.

3. We put up multiple Christmas trees throughout the house

We like to spread Christmas cheer….everywhere. This year, we have a total of 8 Christmas trees! Our kids love having the whole inside of the house lit up with twinkling lights. We even wrap the stair rails with garland and lights. The whole inside of the house glows and feels warm.

*Side note: We get all of our trees, lights, and garland after Christmas while they are on sale and we save them for the next year.

4. Cookie decorating contest

Each year, we bake sugar cookies together and have a decorating contest! We use our Christmas cookie cutters to cut out various shapes in the dough then after they are baked and cooled we decorate them with homemade butter cream icing. Last year, we sent a picture to the grandparents so they could vote! It’s tons of fun being in the kitchen together. Eating all the cookies afterward is pretty fun too.

P.S. We color our icing with fruit juice. However, there are good natural food coloring options out there. Since we all know that traditional food coloring is very bad for you! Here’s a good option:

McCormick Nature’s Inspiration Food Colors, 0.51 oz

5. Christmas music

We usually start playing Christmas music around November 1st and we don’t stop until the end of February January. It becomes the soundtrack to our lives during this time!

Classic Christmas Songs And Carols [3 CD]

6. Visit a Christmas Tree Farm for a real tree

This is a new tradition for us but we had so much fun doing it that it’s a tradition we are going to keep!

7. Homemade Egg Nog

I have always loved egg nog. I remember my mom buying some for us each year. I can’t remember if my siblings liked it or not but it was always a special thing to me.

Since then, I have learned to make it myself. It’s quite easy and EXTREMELY tasty!

8. Sing Christmas Hymns together

Each of us have our own hymnal. They were a gift from my mom back on 2016. The Man and I each had a hymnal when we got married but they were different from each other. So, anytime we wanted to sing something together, we had to find a song that was in both of our hymnals. Now, we all have matching ones and it is so much fun to sing together! I love how it’s so important to my 3-year-old to have his hymnal open and on the correct page when we sing even though he can’t read yet.

Here are the hymnals we have: Baptist Hymnal

9. Countdown to Christmas calendar

We have a Christmas countdown calendar that we use to count the days. The kids enjoy moving the little snowflake each evening. We found a cute, vintage-looking one at a thrift store a couple years ago.

10. Make traditional family Christmas foods

The Man and I each have our own memories of Christmas foods in our families. He remembers his mom, grandmother, and aunt making Peanut Butter Bon Bons and Pecan Pie. I remember my MiMi having wax paper spread over her entire kitchen table and filling it with Divinity and Rosemary candies. I also remember my mom’s Pecan Delight Pie and the smell of her Dressing cooking.

We carry those food traditions on with our kids. In fact, I just taught my 7-year-old how to make Peanut Butter Bon Bons this week!

11. Sausage Biscuits on Christmas Morning

This is a tradition in my family. I can remember the smell and taste of sausage biscuits on Christmas morning when I was younger. I didn’t make these for several years after we were married then, one Christmas I just felt like something was missing. Something just didn’t feel right. The Man was talking with me and trying to help me figure it out. I shared with him about how we always had sausage biscuits on Christmas morning so he encouraged me to make them (he’s not one to turn down good food). So, I did. Homemade biscuits with homemade sausage patties inside. All of the sudden, Christmas felt right again.

12. Hay rides with Christmas Music

This is a new Fall/Winter tradition since we built the Big House in the Woods. I don’t know which one one of us thought this up but one day we realized we had a UTV and a small trailer. So, we put two and two together and the Big House in the Woods Hay Ride tradition was born! (You could also do this with a riding lawn mower and a trailer if you have the room). During the Christmas season, The Man plays Christmas music in his UTV loud enough for the kids to hear in the trailer (and the neighbors too, I’m sure).

13. Daddy’s Baking Show

“Daddy’s Baking Show” is the one time of year you will find The Man in the kitchen. He gets to choose the recipe and bake something yummy while the kids and I sit in chairs in the kitchen to watch the “show.” He explains everything he’s doing while talking like Julia Child. It’s a lot of fun and we all laugh a ton. When it’s over…we eat!

14. Presents

Just like #2 (stockings), we don’t do presents “normally” either. We buy 3 presents for each child. This is symbolic of the 3 gifts the wise men brought to Jesus. We make these gifts meaningful to them. Each of our children like different things and we buy them things that they will specifically find special. This year, one gift our 7-year-old is getting is a small cast iron skillet. She is learning to cook and mentioned the other day about how she would like a skillet like mine. The skillet I’m giving her is actually a skillet my grandmother gave me years ago. It’s been packed away for years because of moving and building the Big House in the Woods. My daughter has never seen it before so she knows nothing about it. She will be thrilled!

Giving 3 gifts each to our children is another way we preserve the richness of Christmas for them. If we showered them with piles of gifts, I feel that they would lose sight of the true Reason for the Season. They would begin to forget why we celebrate Christmas and they would instead begin to only focus on the gifts they hoped to receive.

15. Open one present on Christmas Eve

Each Christmas Eve, our children get to open one of their gifts. This is a fun and exciting time just before bed!

16. Dessert before bed on Christmas Eve

Yep. We do this. Before bed on Christmas Eve we have a little celebration that usually consists of Pumpkin Pie, Milk, Hot Tea, and a lot of giggling and good conversation around the table. We like to break the rules on Christmas Eve (and the night before Thanksgiving). ? C’est la vie!

17. Read “The 12 Ways of Christmas”

The first Christmas after The Man and I were married, my in-laws gave us “The 12 Ways of Christmas” by David Jeremiah. This is a wonderful, short book (only 127) that goes through the “12 ways” of Christmas such as: wonder, sacrifice, humility, charity, creativity, simplicity, affections, reflection, giving, children, music, and tradition. This is a wonderful little book to read aloud as a family. Along with reading the book of Luke in the Bible, it helps us keep our focus on what’s important.

The 12 Ways of Christmas

And last but not least…

18. A treat for our dogs ?

Even our dogs get to celebrate for Christmas! Each Christmas Day, I make warm gravy to put on top of their food. It’s an extra special treat that they look forward to. (Ok, actually I don’t know if they look forward to it or not. I don’t know that either of them know to read a calendar so I’m this is just pure speculation.) ?

I hope you enjoyed this list and maybe some new traditions will be born at your house!

Remember to follow us on Facebook so you can keep up with everything at the Big House in the Woods all year long!

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