Welcome to Enlightium Academy’s blog series, Healthy Meal Plans for Homeschoolers! It’s important for families to be healthy at home and in their communities. Food and nutrition are important components of lifelong health. My goal in this series is to share the tools you need to plan and provide healthy meals for your homeschoolers.

What is the best diet? People understand that there is a connection between what you eat and your health. Parents especially are eager to provide the best they can for their growing children. Whatever your family eats should meet your family’s health and nutrition needs, respect your resources (e.g. time, money, energy, and skills), and, of course, taste good! 

Meal planning is a popular method families use to make sure what they eat is appropriate for their lifestyle. Ideally, meal planning also makes mealtimes less stressful so you can enjoy spending more family time together. In the next sections, we will discuss the basics of meal plans, how you can stick to a meal plan, and what to do when you are tired of eating the same foods over and over. Finally, I will share a simple meal plan to help you get started.

Trying to stay physically active while being homeschooled can be difficult. When attending a brick-and-mortar school, you have breaks between classes so you can get to your next class. It also never fails to be on the opposite side of campus or up an insane flight of stairs. When you’re at home, you can be comfy in your pjs all day, sitting comfortably at your desk, couch, or out in the sunshine. So how do you stay physically active at home?

What can get your kids practicing math, learning about chemical reactions, and following directions? How about working on a team, solving problems, and being creative? I humbly submit that planning and preparing food for the family is a great way for kids to practice all these skills and more. And while, yes, I am biased, I do believe that in a digital age, there is a lot of value in the hands-on, all-senses-engaged practice of cooking. There are many evenings when I get home from work after hours and hours of staring at a screen, and really start to reconnect with myself and my family over chopping vegetables, stirring soups, and sharing conversation. I think kids can have a role in planning meals and nourishing families, regardless of their age or abilities.

Welcome back to the next installment of Enlightium Academy’s Healthy Meals for Homeschoolers series. I am excited to share with you some of my ideas about family budget meals. As a recent college graduate (now repaying loans), I am familiar with the ‘B’ word - budget. When you think of family budget meals, what do you think of? Money? Spreadsheets? Penny-pinching?

What are some of your goals for the year 2016? Working out more? Eating better? These are excellent goals, but what about your spiritual diet? A survey from the American Bible Society showed that 60% of Americans want to read the Bible more. Just among teens, 62% say that they want to spend more time reading the Bible.

Where is a good place to start? I suggest making a plan to read the Bible in a year; this may sound daunting at first, but if you are able to set aside time each day, it is not difficult. Below, I will give overviews of five different plans to read the Bible in a year.

As an avid reader and lover of books I can testify to the fact that there are many benefits to reading. Not only does reading expand the brain’s capacity to think creatively and use language, but it also opens up a world of adventures and imagination.

After I finish a good book, I invariably want to discuss it, and when I find someone who also loved it, I discover new details about the book through our conversation. I have spent so much time discussing books with my friends that we might as well start a formal book club. For this reason I have put a lot of thought into book clubs and choosing book club themes.

Summer is a great time to take advantage of fun, outdoor science activities! Whether you enjoy hiking with your child or cooking in the kitchen, there are many ways to engage your child in fun summer science projects.

A fun aspect about summer is being able to conduct scientific experiments outdoors in God’s creation. Some of these experiments are a little messy, but they clean up readily on a surface that can be hosed off.

Check out these 5 fun summer science projects for kids that is sure to keep them learning this summer!

Bringing the family together for a fun movie night can be just what they need after a full day in the sun. However, before you start getting out the popcorn maker, you need to decide on a good movie for your family. We’re here to help. 

With the summer months upon us we have entered the “summer slide” where students began to forget what they’ve worked so hard to learn the past nine months. That old saying “use it or lose it” can be really true. Those times tables are not like riding a bike; if you don’t keep up with them, you will forget. However, continuing to learn over the summer doesn’t have to be a drag!

Check out these 7 fun ways to keep learning during the summer:

School has ended, and summer has arrived! During this time, there is no better way to stay academically “in shape” than by reading books. Children can continue their academic practice, and families can spend quality time with each other by making their very own summer reading list.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started: