I love unit studies! So, signing up for this review from Funtastic Unit Studies was an easy choice on my part. Life has been hectic around here. We've been bouncing from event to event ever since the beginning of June, and we're still going strong. My fantasy of a calm and relaxing summer is yet to be realized after 18 solid years of homeschooling. I'm not so sure of those pictures we always see of people lounging poolside or ankles crossed in the sand. You know the routine; a big summer hat, sunglasses, and a tall glass of fresh lemonade. Um...yeah...not the case around here!
Believe it or not, we pulled off our unit study during fair week. Anyone that's ever lived and breathed 4-H fair week knows exactly what kind of feat it is to do much more than keep you kids clean and fed during fair week, but school? Funtastic Unit Studies for Homeschoolers and Teachers is awesome like that! Everything is laid out for you from beginning to end. You know ahead of time what you need and what to expect. I planned ahead, and it was awesome.
During the previous school year we studied all about human biology. Of course, part of that study included nutrition. That's why I was excited to do the unit on health as a follow-up. I really love the way the table of contents are set up. This unit study book is geared for ages 4-13, and my crew falls right in that age group. It can be challenging having kids with such a gap. Five years can be tough to cross sometimes, and this helps us bridge the gap perfectly. Each unit is labeled for either ages 4-7 or 8-13. The unit on health is geared for the 4-7 age group, but my 10 year old enjoyed it just as much as the 4 and 5 year old.
Of course, hands on activities, especially those that involve cooking, are super appealing to my brood. This particular unit went well with our current activities as well. There is always some sort of information about germs and health available at the fair. The kids get their eyes checked every year for free, too. With the concern about the avian flu there was more literature available than normal from the local extension office.
We learned about how germs spread, the different types of food pyramids (there are MANY now), healthy eating, and exercise. We made the recipes together and had a wonderful, healthy lunch all at their hands as the kids did most all of the work. It was exciting for them to use the hand mixer. Everyone had to take a turn!
While we ate our yummy lunch we had the opportunity to discuss what we had learned and how it applied to life. I am so glad we had this experience when we did. Part of me thought I was crazy for planning a unit study smack in the middle of fair week, but I'm glad I took the chance. What better time to learn about health? What I thought was a touch of insanity on my part turned into perfect timing thanks to the ease of using Funtastic Unit Studies. It was exciting to have seen the cows at the fair, "milked" the model cow, and made cheese at home. I never knew it was so easy, and neither did the kids! Avery enjoyed stirring the milk until it came to a boil, adding the lemon juice, and watching the curds separate from the whey.
Harmony was our master carrot shredder for makig our Healthy Carrot Spread. Bella has to get her hands in wherever she can manage, and she's proven herself to have quite the arm. She stirred up our dip all by herself. We were a little short on cream cheese so we combined some sour cream with the cream cheese, added shredded carrot and shredded cheese, and some salt and herbs. If you know me at all, you know I cannot follow a recipe to save my life. So, I just had to add a little zing to the spread. I'm sure you understand.
When it was all said and done, we had a wonderful week learning about all things health. The kids take washing their hands just a little more seriously now, and we created some great memories. Then, we shared a wonderful lunch with our Navy son who's home on leave. The kids were super proud to serve him food they'd actually made all by themselves. We served up the Carrot Spread on local Rye Bread, the curds (which I seasoned with a little salt and dill) on crackers, and added some yummy red grapes. It was a perfect lunch!
