Home educators are entitled to free entry to all CADW properties in Wales, I discovered today (hope I'm not the last to know!)  There is a pass available in the form of a letter, valid for 12 months, which you just show to the custodian on arrival, that is if you don't have to ring beforehand to request an individual permit for a visit.

All you need to do is email your name and address, the name of any othe adult residing at the same address who also home educates, and the number of children to  david.jones5@wales.gsi.gov.uk  and they will send you an annual pass and lots of interesting guides to historic buildings.  

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Sarah

I have always loved libraries.  Once I had learned to read I always wanted a book in my hand.

I know that some have started to avoid libraries because there are many inappropriate books, dvds etc. in them.  Many published books, seemingly especially for teens, promote dubious morals and illegal activities.  I know I don't want my children reading that stuff!

However, I have found my local library to be wonderful especially since I started home educating and with around 3500 libraries in the UK there is sure to be one enar you.

Using the library online search engine I have looked for many books.  I've been able to order books from all over the county and when books have not been sourced locally, they've found me things from all over the country.  I've found homeschooling books, including several Christian titles I didn't expect to find here in the UK.  I've found copies of books recommended by Ambleside online (the Charlotte Mason site) too.

I've also ordered new books.  I've ordered some 'classics' - good, wholesome reading.  Then there's been Christian books and homeschooling titles that I've requested.  Occasionally I've been told that it's not possible to get a certain book, but usually they have been more than happy to help me.  They are glad to have diversity in their book stock.  It is one of the requirements for libraries to serve the community and the homeschooling community can make a difference to what is available for everyone to read.

According to Junior Magazine over 10 million new titles are added to library stocks each year.  I don't see why we shouldn't be influencing which titles are added.

If you have younger children Booktrust runs the Book Crawl for children up to age 4.  They can collect stickers and certificates from the library.  To find out more about Bookstart schemes in your area visit this website. 

Don't forget you can also access CDs, DVDs and online ebooks at libraries too.

Another perk at my local library is a 'stall' that sells a wide variety of educational posters and sticker books all for £1 each.  Considerably cheaper than most places!

Recently I have also asked the staff to print out a list of all the books my eldest son has borrowed in the last year.  I produced this as 'evidence' when we had our visit from the LA official.  She was really pleased with it as it 'proved' that we'd been using the library and accessing a variety of books and topics.

I encourage you to make use of your library.

Sarah

Here is a great link to a company called Shakespeare 4 kidz. 

They say that they are 'bringing the world of Shakespeare to the young people of the world.' 

They tour all over the country with plays and offer workshops too.  They are currently touring with 'The Tempest' and 'Romeo and Juliet'. 

Sarah

National Tree Week is coming up soon.  It is the start of the winter tree planting season and the Tree Council has organised events such as tree planting, education workshops and even a chance to climb some trees.

See this website for more information.

Sarah

Are you looking for somewhere different to visit with your family?  Recently I discovered that there is a national standard for parks and green spaces and those that match up are awarded a green flag.

You can type in your post code here and find the nearest parks and green spaces to you that have been given this award.

Some friends are making a point of visiting as many as possible that have the award and have thoroughly enjoyed every park so far!

Sarah

This is a very interesting website.  Here you can find out details of any local organic farms which are open for visits.  You can also access online farm trails: 17 organic farm trails which available to 'walk' online, accompanied by facts, photos and national curriculum links.

   I've been contacted by the founders of a new Christian Home education group that is covering Devon and Cornwall. If any of you live in that area, you may be interested in the details of the group. I'll post the write up that was passed on to me with all the relevant details. Hope it is a help to some of you!

The Lighthouse

Welcome to an exciting new HE group exclusively for Christians who home educate in Devon and Cornwall, England.

This yahoo group is kept private for Lighthouse members only.

Jesus said;
John 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness

We should encourage eachother to sanctify (put on) the ways of God throughout our lives.

We hope to encourage you in your relationship with Jesus and in your homeschooling journey too.

Our Fellowship Opportunities;
Weekly - Family Creation Club (prayer and bible study)
Monthly - (1 or 2 of the following activities) potluck/picnic, trade store, field trip, meet'n'greet, make'n'take.
Annually - science fayre, seasonal parties, spelling bee, geography fayre, and talent show concert.

All members are encouraged to actively participate as a family. Children must attend with at least one 'member' parent. Members are required to biblically; mind their own children, dress modestly, and keep chaste conversation always.

Fees for handicraft materials and fieldtrips apply.

Free Membership.

To join, please send an email to: lighthousehe@yahoo.com

   So, I'm going to class this information under homeschool field trips! LOL!

   Till the 23rd of April you can get a *FREE* three month Family Railcard! Just go to this link at the Daily Mail website and register.

   If you dont' have a railcard, I'll just say that they allow for VERY discounted train travel when you travel with at least one of your children (and when exactly does a home educator get to travel WITHOUT children???)

  At the end of the three month trial you will be given the option to get a year's travel card at half the usual price too! So hope you can use this one. We usually find that we save the cost of the annual rail card with our first outing, so well worth it and we dont' travel by trains an awefull lot. Just some outings where it is quicker and easier by train, and trips to London, etc.

   Hope you find it usefull and get to book some great outings this spring because of it!

   I found a cheap deal with a code on a Family Railcard! It is half price till the 31st of October, that's £10 for a year instead of £20!!! Here is the information about it, and hurry it ends in a couple of days.

Using a freely available code it’s possible to buy the Family Railcard for £10, half the normal price of £20 (this is currently a trial offer as National Rail Enquiries tests whether it’ll work). Simply go to the Family Railcard website, complete the application form and in the promotional code box enter either of these two codes:
FRACXG10 or FREXPN10. Offer ends 31 October. http://www.family-railcard.co.uk/

   This is a great way to get out and about on homeschool outing cheaply and it makes the journey there part of the outing instead of something to be endured on the way. Hope someone finds this useful!

   OK. So I know that our family has had some fantastic 'Field Trips' in the past few years as we have traveled with Daddy and on holiday, but sometimes it can be hard to read about other people's fantastic trips when you can't go yourself.

   Whether you lack transport, finance, time or simply the ideas to sort out field trips, these are a list of field trips that anyone with a computer can take! (And I think that I can assume if you are reading this you have a working computer )

   These are called Virtual Field Trips! They are online tours of different factories, world famous sites, and the process of making loads of things! This is a great add on to any curriculum. Espcially for all those endless questions of 'How do they make........?'

   These field trips are also fantastic for our (many) rainy days here in the UK. There is no getting rained out or having to get like a drowned rat to go on the field trip! Have fun on your virtual travels!

   Yes! You did read that right! How would you like to take the kids to the cinema for free? Nothing to buy. A choice of films. No catch. Really!

   It is called 'National Schools Film Week' and it is happening across England (Wales and N.Ireland too) and Scotland in October. Just go to the website here and choose the film you want to see, the cinema where you want to see it and fill in the form online. It is that simple!

   I have already booked our support group to go and see the film 'Heidi' based on the classic book and booked my family to go and see an animal documentary too! I heard about this last year, but it was too late to get any tickets as they were all booked out! So hurry and book your seats while there are still seats available as they do 'sell out' fast!

   Some of the films are silly ones but some are really great ones to add to your school curriculum. Some of the films have a link as well to a set of teacher's notes and activities to do based on that film!

   Oh and don't worry if your kids are in secondary. You don't miss out. There is a seperate list of Secondary age films to choose from too! So there is truly something for everyone! Don't miss out!!

   Have you ever visited a working windmill? This is a great idea for a homeschool fieldtrip! Our support group went this week to a working windmill near us for an outing and it was FAB!!! The miller worked with the kids, answering questions and explaining things. They learned about how the wind makes the mill work, about the way gears fit together, about wind direction, about history and how this windmill was once powered by a steam engine and how that worked, and about the process of how gain becomes flour which in turn becomes very yummy gingerbread men that the miller's lovely wife made for us all!!!

   I bet you didn't know they could learn so much from a windmill? Seriously, find out if there is a working one near you and whether they do school trips and tours. It is well worth a visit!

   OK everyone! Here's a challenge for you! Now that the school holidays are almost over, I was thinking that everyone could share on here their favorite outing this summer. What is the best, cheapest, most fun, most educational, or just simply your favorite place you visited this summer? Just a few guidelines:

-It has to be in England (so we all stand a chance of getting there)

-You have to have done it in the past three months ish (so it won't be something that closed down 3 years ago)

-It has to be somewhere open to the public so everyone else can go check it out (so Aunt Peggy's back garden BBQ doesn't count!)

-It has to be family friendly (not the just for couples resort you went to to escape the kids for a weekend!)

   Just leave a comment here to tell us all about it! Even if it is something really local to you, it may be something really special to those of us in another area of the country! It would be great to know about some of the fantastic places to visit around this great nation (after all it's not called 'GREAT BRITIAN' for nothing!

   We went to London this week and had a great time! Just wanted to share a tip I learned while planning this trip. When I went onto various websites for the places we wanted to visit I found that many of them had a section on the website for education. When I clicked on that I found lots of great resources that added to our visits! Some had teachers guide notes to help you explain the exibits as you go around, some had some GREAT teacher's worksheet packs. You could download and print these off and then the kids were able to fill them in as we went around just like they would on a school trip!

   These teacher's packs were a great addition to our trip and made some of the places really come alive!! Also it helped the children to not get bored walking around museums because they were looking for specific things to answer questions on the sheets, it became a bit of a treasure hunt for answers. They also have things broken down into different Key Stages so you can get age appropriate worksheets.

   We also found that other places had activity sheets that you could pick up at the desk and hand back at the end for a free toys or eraser. It is always worth asking especially during the school holidays!

   Some of the ones we printed packs for in London were :The London Canal Museum, The Imperial War Museum, and the Docklands Museum. Both Hamley's and the Maritime Museum have activity sheets on a treasure hunt theme at the moment. Hope this helps you plan some of your days out!

This is a really cool site! It includes a virtual tour of the Wright Brothers Museum, so you can take the full tour without leaving the house (handy with the lousey weather we have this week!). You can see all of the planes and gliders that they built and there is even free plans for building your won 'flying machine' (OK so it's a kite - it is still fun!)!!!

   Here is a GREAT museum to visit if you are near enough to Sheffield or close by on Holiday. It is the Fire ana Police Museum. It has tree floors of displays and can easily fill a morning or an afternoon. Not exactly high tec but very well presented, and they have extensive collections of equipment and the highest drop pole in the country (not that you can try it - but you can pay a donation to see one of the staff do it!) There is a car park right across the street so easy parking. It is staffed by retired fire and policemen and volenteers so it is only open on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays (we have one coming up at the end of the month!) from 11am to 5 pm. Definatly worth checking out!

   Just to let anyone who is close enough to drive to Nottinghamshire know that the Annual Robin Hood Festival is on this week. It is free to get in though car park is £3 (and there is NOWHERE  else to park so don't bother trying!). There is Tons of stuff going on all week!

   They also have a tail you can follow! Just go to the information center and buy a booklet for 70p (and it comes with a FREE pencil!) and follow the trail answering the questions about the forest and about Robin. The boys did it yesterday and it was great fun!

   If you go to Sherwood any other time (which is still a GREAT day out) there is a nature trail that you can do for 50p. We are planning to go back later this year and do that one too!

   The Festival ends on Saturday so, if you can make it come on up! It is WELL worth the trip!

Did you know that English Heritage offer free educational visits? I phoned this morning and they extend this to Home Educators as long as you can produce proof of Home Education (membership cards to EO, HEAS, or LEA reports). You can go as a family or as a support group to any of the over 400 properties they have across the country (great for things to do on holiday too!) Also, unlike National Trust, they allow educational visits all year round and not just in the 'school year'. I phoned this AM and they are sending out a book of all the properties. They also offer a magazine called 'Heritage Learning' which is available to teacher and home educators, you can sign up for it on their website. Take a look!