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Participating in holiday preparations can be a naturally learning experience in a multitude of ways. Sure, you can include academics, but you also have a wonderful opportunity to teach to the heart.
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Take a bit of time to consider how you might involve your children in the preparations. Some ideas:
-Give them a budget and have them plan a dinner.
-Provide them with various store flyers and have them determine where to shop to create the most low-cost Thanksgiving meal.
-Do some research on what the Pilgrim REALLY ate and choose a dish to add to your feast this year.
-If you're traveling, spend some time with a map. Have your kids plan out the route, estimate how many miles you'll travel, what the gas expense will be, etc. Compare your estimates with actual amounts.
-Do some research on volunteer opportunities and community needs for the holidays. Spend some time discussing your findings. Are these needs present only during the holidays? Is there a way your family would like to be involved?
-Practice math by doubling or tripling recipes to feed your crowd.
The ideas are practically limitless. With a bit of thought you should easily be able to get some help with holiday preparations and teach your children something at the same time!
Dena Wood is co-owner of Trigger Memory Systems, producer of Times Tales and the Clean N' Flip and other non-traditional educational products. She also does freelance writing and manages the Schoolhouse Store for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. She resides in eastern Washington state and homeschools the three youngest of her five children. You can contact her at triggermemory@charter.net. | 
