New Mexico is a land of plateaus and mesas, of vibrant colors and gorgeous landscapes, of delicious food and amazing national parks. It was also the destination of our spring trip in 2023. We left San Diego, CA and drove straight east across Arizona and into New Mexico.

Our two main hubs for this trip were Los Cruces and Albuquerque. These put us decent driving distance from the main places we wanted to see on our trip. Santa Fe could have easily substituted for Albuquerque. They are only about an hour apart so either city works as a hub for the more northern sites.

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White Sands National Park

White Sands National Park was my personal favorite park on this trip. I loved the soft, brilliant dunes that stretched as far as the eye can see. We did the Backcountry Trail and went sledding on the dunes – both I would absolutely recommend.

The backcountry trail is a loop over the dunes that is about 2 miles. The only downside is that the “trail” given the nature of the dunes can only be marked with posts. I’m sure the rangers do their very best to keep it marked, but again given the nature of sand, many of the posts had fallen down so I’m not sure how closely we actually followed the intended path. Nevertheless, we walked from orange post that we could see to orange post and I love every minute.

Sledding was probably the highlight for my kids. We brought sleds from home but you can also purchase sleds in the gift shop. It looked like you could return them when you are done for a partial refund and it’s also possible to purchase used sleds. We did buy the wax and applied that to our sleds, kind of like you do for surfing. All four of us had a blast sledding down the dunes. We sledded on the dunes near the parking lot of the trail head for the Backcountry Trail but there are lots of spots around the park where people were sledding.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Carlsbad Caverns National Park was my kids’ favorite park on the trip. It is definitely one of the most unique National Parks we have visited.

From the visitor center you can either take an elevator into the caverns or hike down a “natural path” which is what we chose. In the visitor center they warn you that it is “strenuous” but I wouldn’t say it’s super difficult. It is almost entirely gently downhill and a couple of miles long. You do have to be careful because portions are slippery and it is lit, but still quite dark. With younger kids I would probably recommend the elevator down but elementary schoolers and up would likely be fine walking down the path.

Once you’re at the bottom, you hike a loop around the “big room” which is massive. This part probably took us about an hour. There are tons of fascinating geological formations. For kids to get the most out of it, I recommend the Junior Ranger Packet which you can pick up in the lobby of the ranger station before you head down and/or learning about caves and cave formations before you visit.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Guadalupe Mountains is in Texas, not New Mexico, but as I learned on this trip – to go from CA or Los Cruces, New Mexico to Carlsbad Caverns you actually leave New Mexico, drive through El Paso, Texas, past Guadalupe Mountains National Park and then back into New Mexico.

These are beautiful mountains that are kind of a surprise in the desert of western Texas. There are various difficulties and lengths of trails in the park. You can also camp here, which I would choose over camping at Carlsbad Caverns personally. In the Spring when we visited, the wild flowers are pretty. From pictures it also looks like Fall would be a gorgeous time to visit.

My kids love the ocean and were fascinated to learn about the early history of this area and how it used to be underwater. We had recently read One Million Oysters on Top of the Mountain which wasn’t specifically about this park or mountain range, but did teach my kids a lot about the science of how this is possible and also how geologists have uncovered this fact.

Chaco Culture National Heritage Park

Chaco Culture National Heritage Park is set into a canyon and preserves portions of an ancient pueblo site. These are fascinating to walk around and through. We’ve been learning about ancient history this year and had recently learned about the Maya civilization. It was fun to hear my kids compare and contrast the two as we explored. I love how this experience brought ancient cultures and civilizations more to life for them.

My one caution about this park is that you have to take dirt roads to get to the park. This is fine, but when it starts to rain these dirt roads because very hard to maneuver mud roads. If you’re able to pick a day where the skies are clear it would be a much more safe and pleasant experience.

Valley of the Dreams Hike

The Valley of the Dreams hike has similar caveats. This is a hike that my husband had been on with a friend on a previous trip. Getting there involves some off roading, some navigational faith, and maybe even some luck. That being said, it was pretty awesome. There is no official trail here. You “start at the abandoned car” (his exact words) and then head down into the valley and loop around. It is a incredible area that feels almost other worldly and very remote.

Albuquerque

Albuquerque was more of a hub for us. There are actually quite a few things to do in Albuquerque. Top on my list was the Nuclear Science Museum but for various reasons we had to shorten our trip and exploring this city more was one of the things we had to cut out. We stayed in the Uptown area near the mall though and found it incredibly convenient. There were lots of restaurants nearby along with a Trader Joe’s and a Target.

Santa Fe

Santa Fe has a distinct feel. Kind of western, kind of quirky. It is its own thing. We explored the main touristy area, popping in and out of shops. We all loved the Collected Works Bookshop and Coffeehouse.

Meow Wolf

Meow Wolf is really hard to explain. It is billed as an immersive art experience intended to inspire creativity. I would really recommend visiting their site to read more and watch their about video to get an idea of what it is. It was quirky and fun. My kids both really enjoyed it and as kids who love fantasy and creativity I would say they found it inspiring. There are four locations right now, but Santa Fe is the original home of Meow Wolf.

Georgia O’Keefe Museum

The Georgia O’Keefe Museum is tiny but completely dedicated to the artist and has a well rounded collection of her work along with a good background of her development as an artist. I prepped my kids beforehand by reading about Georgia O’Keefe, studying some of her art, and doing a little O’Keefe inspired art. You can find more information and reserve tickets (not required but recommended) on their website.

Petrified Forest National Park

The Petrified Forest National Park is in Arizona, not New Mexico but it was on our route home from Albuquerque to San Diego so it was impossible to resist stopping. This park was different than I expected but I absolutely loved the Blue Mesa Trail. It was my second favorite hike of the trip and absolutely worth the stop and added hours to our trip home in my opinion. It’s a loop down into a canyon with layered mesas all around you.

I recommend stopping at the northern Ranger Station to pick up Junior Ranger packets. The rangers there were also super helpful and eager to share tips on the park. Then drive south through the park stopping occasionally and at the bottom there is another Ranger Station where you can get your Junior Ranger badges and walk the Petrified Log loop out back.

Homeschooling on the Go Around New Mexico

For us, this was a learning experience. I would argue all travel is a learning experience. The parks, the geography, the museums – they all offer experiences that provide exposure, learning opportunities, etc. To deepen that learning both before the trip and during the trip, I would also recommend the following resources.

• Junior Ranger Packets at National Parks. These are often so well done and offer a range of history, geography, science and more for kids. You don’t necessarily have to do the whole book or go back to get sworn in for a badge if your kids aren’t interested, but I would suggest you at least pick one up. I always learn something from going through these packets with my kids. I think they do a good job of deepening your understand and often appreciation of the park.

• Geology plays a huge role in what is so cool about New Mexico. I felt like I saw layers in mountain and rock so much more clearly here than other places and we saw a huge variety of different rock as we explored. Learning about the underwater, coral reef history of Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains also makes much more sense in the context of some understanding of geology. If your kids are interested either before or after the trip, here are some things we’ve done and used to study geology in the past.
• Read about Georgia O’Keefe. There are a lot of children’s books about Georgia O’Keefe. This one is a good general overview for younger kids. The Who Was series also has a good early chapter book about Georgia O’Keefe. My personal favorite is Georgia in Hawaii which is about when she was commissioned by the Dole Plantation to paint a pineapple in Hawaii. Some of the resulting paintings were at the Georgia O’Keefe Museum in Santa Fe which was kind of fun.

• Great American Artists for Kids activity book. For each artist there is a brief bio and then a hands on art activity for kids to do. We used this book when we studied the 50 states, we’ve used it before going to see a specific exhibit at the museum or in this case a museum about a specific artist. Soon we will use it again when we do more United States history. I haven’t loved every single activity, but most of them have been fun to try and give the kids an idea about the artist and how they work. Find Online

Ireland is a gorgeous and fun country to visit. I’ve been lucky enough to visit twice and would love to go back with my kids. In the states, around St. Patrick’s Day, it is normal to see lots of green and pots of gold and shamrocks. It’s also a great time to dive into this fascinating island and it’s rich history and culture. Here is everything you need to do a unit on Ireland with upper elementary schoolers.

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Visit Ireland

So, obviously going to Ireland is the best way to really experience Ireland. However, this isn’t possible in a lot of situations so here are some alternatives.

Attend an Irish Cultural Event

A lot of cities and towns have Irish Cultural Events around the time of St. Patrick’s Day. Parades, Festivals, etc. These will allow you to at least hear Irish music, maybe see some Irish dancing. You might even be able to try out or watch an Irish sport like curling.

Virtual Visit to Ireland

Another option is a virtual visit. My fourth graders loved this 17 minute YouTube visit to Ireland.
Ireland: Travel the World with Your Kids

Read about Ireland

Follow Me Around Ireland
by Wiley Blevins

I have been pleasantly surprised by this series several times. They serve as a good introduction or overview of a country, in this case Ireland. I love that they are from a child’s perspective so they include things like how kids play and what school looks like. FOLLOW ME AROUND IRELAND is a wonderful book for giving some context for all of the playful picture books on this list for St. Patrick’s Day.

Find Online

Celtic Tales: Fairy Tales and Stories of Enchantment from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany and Wales
illustrations by Kate Forrester

This is a beautiful book of fairy tales from Celtic heritages. Obviously they aren’t all from Ireland, but when we did our Fourth Grade Unit on Ireland, or when you’re getting ready for St. Patrick’s Day you could just read the tales from Ireland. They are brief, just a few pages, which works well for a daily read aloud or before bed.

Find Online

For More Book Recommendations, check out this booklist on My Storytime Corner

Explore Irish Music

• Irish Music lesson from Music in Our Homeschool
• St. Patty’s Music Theory from My Fun Piano Studio

Art Activities inspired by Ireland

• Make St. Brigid’s Crosses using pipe cleaners from Everything Irish by AnnMarie O’Grady
• Learn to draw a Pot Gold with Art Hub for Kids
• Draw Celtic Knots with Kitchen Table Classroom.

Science & Math Activities

• Pot of Gold Multiplication Game from Hanging with Mrs. Hulsey on Teachers Pay Teachers.
• St. Patrick’s Logic Puzzles freebie from Mrs. Thompsons Treasures
• Bake Irish Soda Bread. Everyone swears by their family recipe for this, but regardless of the recipe you choose – this bread is a staple.
• Play Rainbow Game from Waldock Way
• Make Rainbow Slime from Little Bins for Little Hands

Irish Reading & Writing Activities

• St Patrick’s Day Fact vs. Opinions
• Write Irish Limericks – this was a favorite with my kids.
• Ireland Cursive Pages
• Write Your Name the Celtic Way also from Everything Irish by AnnMarie O’Grady

Learn about Irish Dance

Irish Dance is a unique form of dancing that’s a traditional part of Irish culture still thriving today. If you can’t watch Irish dancers live, here are some YouTube videos of Irish dance:

• RiverDance – you might be able to find a full show at your library as well. This was a world famous touring group of Irish Dancers.
• Trinity Irish Dance Company – this group is currently touring and is a more modern take on Irish dance.
• Leahy Call To Dance – this is a family of musicians that play in a band together. They are not professional dancers, but they dance and I love this song. It’s great fun.
• Cairde – also more modern, but still traditional. This is a group in Ireland.

If you have more time, Netflix has an animated movie full of Irish dance, RIVERDANCE: THE ANIMATED ADVENTURE which is really cute.

End of Unit Irish Program

At the end of our unit, we had an Irish themed program for friends and family. We included:

• Irish Dance
• Irish Songs on Recorder and Piano
• Irish Limericks Read Aloud
• Art Show

More Ideas for Third, Fourth and Fifth Graders

Ancient Egypt was one of the first major civilizations. In our Middle School Ancient History learning we briefly talked about other early civilizations, like Mesopotamia and how they impacted history. After that, we moved on to mummies and pyramids and pharaohs.

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Our second big unit for Middle School World History is Early Civilizations. We learned about several other civilizations before Ancient Egypt, but this is one that really grabbed the attention of my kids and so we dove in deeper. We learned about the Stone Age and Neolithic Era first (CLICK HERE FOR THIS UNIT). Below are the resources we used and some unit ideas.

Ancient Egypt Unit

Base Text: Everything You Need to Ace WORLD HISTORY in one Big Fat Notebook. This is by no means an all inclusive, perfect “textbook” but it does give you a solid outline. Throughout our World History Unit we are using this as a spine to build off. We read the chapters and do the review questions together with some notebooking. Then we get into the other books related to the topic on our shelves, watch documentaries, do hands on activities, etc. Buy Here

Notebooking: we are using notebooking to keep track of what we’ve learned in World History. My kids are highly visual learners who also really enjoy art, so this is a great fit for us. We read the study guide above and read more in the resources below and then they take time to record what they find the most interesting and important. This is usually a combination of drawings and writing. By the end of the year they will have a record of early World History they can review and share as a work sample of all they have learned. Our notebooks are spiral bound, unlined journals, similar to these.

More Resources about Ancient Egypt

Many of the books listed below will be used throughout our Middle School World History course throughout the school year. They cover the range of early history. For this Ancient Egypt Unit we simply read and focused on those pages.

Tales of Ancient Worlds: Adventures in Archaeology by Stefan Milosavljevich and Sam Caldwell – short stories that walk you through discoveries and build a story around each one. It helps tie science to history and also personalizes history through stories. Find Online

A Child Through Time: The Book of Children’s History illustrated by Steve Noon – offers the story of a child for many of the main periods in history. It begins with Taya, an Ice Age Girl, and ends with Ruby Bridges during the Civil Rights movement. Find Online

How the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Were Built by Albatros – The pyramids of Giza are the first section in this nonfiction book. It shares a little background about Egypt and the pyramids. Then it goes into the extraordinary feat of science, manpower, and materials that went into the building of the pyramids. Find Online

Math & Ancient Egypt

For Math during our Early Civilizations Unit we focused on Geometry. We covered a lot of 3D shape concepts, but we started with Pyramids. We researched the size of the pyramids and then calculated the area and volume of each.

Reading, Writing & Ancient Egypt

Our big writing project during out Ancient Egypt unit was writing a mini-research paper on a pharaoh. Each kid chose one pharaoh from Ancient Egypt. They found books at the library, watched videos, and did more research online. We worked on note taking and resource page writing. They pulled it all together in a short paper to share about their chosen pharaoh.

We also learned all about hieroglyphs. This was easy to find information about in various books, but our favorite was the Fun with Hieroglyphs Kit. The kit has a fabulous book inside that goes in depth on all things to do with hieroglyphs along with some activities to do with the stamps. The hieroglyph stamps are fun. My kids wrote letters incorporating hieroglyphs to their homeschool pen pals. (Order Here)

Geography & Ancient Egypt

The Nile River was a vital part of Ancient Egypt thriving. We read GREAT RIVERS OF THE WORLD by Volker Mehnert and Martin Haake. There is a fold out spread on the Nile and how this geography impacted history.

Science & Ancient Egypt

Mummies were a huge interest going into our Egypt unit. My kids spent this unit watching National Geographic’s Lost Treasures of Egypt on Disney+. They were fascinated by not only the mystery, but also the way science is used to uncover lost history.

Tied to mummification, we also dove a little into some anatomy. We learned about basics using:

• Waldock Way’s Human Body Unit
• Videos on YouTube especially this one by Crash Course
• and this Mammal Organs dissection kit that we are working through with our weekly science co-op.
• Read Mummies Made in Egypt by Aliki. This isn’t new by any means but it’s still well done and easy to find in most libraries.

Ancient Science also has tons of history themed science activities that we’ve started working through. These are simple experiments that usually use materials we have on hand and the book ties them to history and explains the science behind them. Find Online

Timelines of Everything from Smithsonian – this is one of my favorite books on our shelves. It puts history and science and art into timelines. The timelines are different and creative and it is such a wonderful visual on so many topics. Find Online

Art & Early Civilizations

Vincent’s Starry Night and Other Stories: A Children’s History of Art by Michael Bird – is a gorgeous, thick book that tells stories of history through art. It walks through history chronologically, telling stories inspired by different iconic artworks of the period. Find Online

Art That Changed the World from DK Books – offers more details and facts about art through history. It is also laid out chronologically starting with Prehistoric Art. This book has a huge collection of artwork from each period, details about each, timelines and more. Find Online

Ancient Egypt & Games

We love games in our family so finding fun ones to play together that relate to whatever we are learning is a must! Here are some fabulous games to play during this unit.

• Imhotep: Builder of Egypt. This is a strategy game in which you’re trying to transport blocks to build pyramids. It’s steeped in the history about trade and travel on the Nile and building of the pyramids that we talked a lot of about during this unit.
• Mr. Noggins Ancient Civilizations trivia game. My kids love this series of games. They’re essentially flashcards but for some reason they are engaging and fun. We have a bunch of them, but this one relates specifically to Ancient History. This is a go-to carschooling activity for us. Find Online
• Seven Wonders Duel is another fun game that relates to Ancient History. It is a two person game, although some of the expansions allow more players to join. My kids like to play against me. Find Online

Tide pooling is one of our favorite winter adventures. Here in Southern California, December through early Spring is when we see the lowest low tides. These extra low tides are ideal for tide pooling. Creatures and their habitats are exposed during these low tide times that you wouldn’t ever even know existed the rest of the time. 

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Adventure to the Tide Pools

Tide pooling is a fun adventure for anyone, but being all about learning through experience and now a homeschooling mom, I like to tie our tide pooling adventures to curriculum and other learning to deepen our experience. 

That being said, if you have the opportunity to go tide pooling – GO! It’s super fun and often beautiful setting for an outdoor adventure. 

related curriculum or projects

• Ocean themes. My son is deep in a Marine Biology independent study. Tide pooling is perfect for extending this learning with hands on experience.
• Any animal unit. Although it doesn’t relate directly to giraffes or monkeys – tide pools are one example of an ecosystem, have various food webs contained in their pools, and can therefore be tied to other animal learning. 

Before You Go Tidepooling

Prep for your field trip by learning a little about tide pools. Books are a great place to start. THE TIDE POOL WAITS is one of my favorites.

Candace Fleming does a great job of describing tide pools with her beautiful words in this book. THE TIDE POOL WAITS is a delightful read aloud picture book about a tide pool. It is full of dynamic words, repetition, and fun creatures. The action packed, verb filled text and pleasant repeated phrases lend themselves well to reading aloud. The backmatter and careful inclusion of facts in the text offer plenty of information about tides and tide pools for young readers. A great nonfiction picture book that will get your adventurers excited about the tide pool.

Find Online

Beforehand it’s also helpful to explain expectations and gather supplies.

Tide pools are slippery, often large, often crowded, and of course near the ocean. Depending on the age of your child, you will want to think about how far you’re comfortable with them exploring away from you and communicate that with them beforehand. Other expectations like; no running, stay a certain distance from the water, and how to handle any creatures you might find with care could also be discussed. 

Things to Bring:

You don’t need much to explore a tide pool but a few things will make the experience more enjoyable. 

1. Waterproof shoes. Rocky, slippery surfaces aren’t ideal for bare feet or normal shoes. I recommend wearing shoes with some grip that will also keep your feet comfortable. My kids usually wear close toed sandals. These Merrells are our favorite tide pooling shoe. 
2. Clear buckets can be great for temporarily viewing tide pool animals. Everything must of course be handled with care and returned to their natural environment, but you can temporarily place octopus, starfish, sea slugs, etc in a clear bucket with water to get a better view. Anything plastic and clear works – we have something like this bucket. 
3. Warm layer depending on the weather. You’re right on the edge of the ocean so the weather is typically cooler and windier than wherever you are living or staying. Having layers to keep you warm enough to enjoy your adventure are important. 

When to go:

It is vital to check the tide chart for your area before you go. You can search “tide chart near me” to find your area’s high and low tides for the day. If you live in San Diego, this is where I usually check but it’s also in my weather app. You are looking for negative tides, preferably -1 or less. This is when the tide pools will be the most uncovered and you will have the most success seeing tide pool dwellers. In Southern California, these super negative tides during daylight hours happen the most in the winter months.

I recommend arriving about 30 minutes before the low tide point and planning to stay about an additional 30 minutes after the low tide point for about an hour total. 

Exploring Tide Pools

Tide pool explorations are open ended and unpredictable. You never know what you’re going to see and finding things often requires some patience.

Find slightly submerged pools and look closely in the crevices for any movement. 

Keep your eyes open. Watch your step. Pay attention to the changing tide and waves. 

Encourage your child to be very gentle with any touches. These are living creatures and we are invading their home. 

After Tidepooling

• Learn more about the creatures you found. Look them up in books, research more about them online. 
• Print pictures of what you saw for your child to draw or paint or study more closely. 
• Mark your calendar for the next low tide. 

Our Favorite San Diego Tide Pools

• Point Loma Tide Pools (located by Cabrillo National Monument)
• Tide Pools between False Point and Tourmaline Surf Park in Bird Rock. You can park in the lot at Tourmaline Surf Park and walk north on the beach.
• La Jolla Tide Pools in La Jolla

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Rocks are the things I find everywhere. My kids stash rocks in the pockets around their seats in the car. I find rocks in the pockets of all of my coats from my kids asking me to “please save this!” when they find a special one at the park. My kids love rocks. My daughter especially is constantly lugging around rocks or looking for the perfect smooth one or a round one.

When my twins were in fourth grade we took a deep dive into this rock obsession with a Geology Unit.

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Field Trips

For field trips, head to wherever rocks are plentiful near you! Beaches, rivers, hiking trails are some options. My kids seem to find rocks everywhere we go. Field Trips are an opportunity to see rocks, or geology in a natural environment. Observe the differences found in one area up close. Hike next to cliffs where you can see the layered rock.

Torrey Pines Beach
My daughter calls this rock beach because it’s one of the few near us that’s mostly rocks instead of sand. It was our first Geology field trip. We love Torrey Pines for a whole host of reasons, read more about this San Diego beach in this post.

Dave’s Rock Garden
We used THESE MARKERS to decorate rocks and then the following week we visited Dave’s Rock Garden in Encinitas. It’s a short walk from Moonlight Beach which also has tons of rocks all along the shore. We took pictures of different favorites, tried to identify the rocks we found from what we’ve learned in our labs and videos, and sketched a favorite in their nature journals.

Natural History Museum
Most cities have a natural history museum. Check if yours has an exhibit about geology. The San Diego Natural History Museum has a cool collection of gems. We took a field trip there to see some real life examples of the gems and minerals we have been learning about.

Annie’s Canyon and other San Diego Hikes
The ocean side cliffs along some of the beaches and hikes through canyons in San Diego offer a wonderful example of sedimentary rocks. We were able to see the layers of rock in the cliffs. It helped my kids visualize rock types on a larger scale. If you’re in San Diego, all of our favorite hikes are listed in this post.

Children’s Books to Read

Excellent books are always a part of our units. Here are some we especially loved during our Geology Unit.

Let’s Go Rock Collecting by Roma Gans
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A Rock is Lively by Dianna Hutts Aston
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I’m Trying to Love Rocks by Bethany Barton
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Magic School Bus Volcanoes and Earthquakes
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Rocks and Minerals by Dr. Sarah Stamps
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Geology Activities

Back at home we thoroughly explored our rock collection. We sorted, observed, identified and drew rocks. We also used a variety of activities, kits and books to help us learn more about geology.

General

• Outdoor School: Rock, Fossil and Shell Hunting guide was a huge resource for us. We went on rock hunts, learned about and identified the different types of gems and rocks, and more. We also read each chapter on the different kinds of rocks and then used their help to figure out which rocks we had in our collections. I wrote a whole post about this Outdoor School series – read here.
• Complete the Alchemy pages from our Harry Potter Curriculum from The Waldock Way
• Watched short videos on YouTube about the rock cycle, different kinds of rocks and weathering like this Crash Course video on Rocks.
• Crayon Rock Cycles (we followed the directions in this experiment on Little Bins for Little Hands) and documented the progress using the Alchemy Rock Cycle page from our Harry Potter Curriculum from Waldock Way

Minerals

Used National Geographic Mega Gemstone Dig Up kit. This was a HUGE hit with my kids. They patiently dug out each of the gems, exclaiming over each discovery and eagerly trying to identify it using our guide. We also used the National Geographic Kids Geode Kit which was also a ton of fun. Do both of these outside if you’re able to – they made a pretty big mess.

Learning about Volcanoes & Igneous Rocks

• Erupted a volcano using the National Geographic Volcano Kit.
• Baked Lava Cakes from GEOLOGY LAB
• Watched Volcano documentary videos on PBS

Learning about Sedimentary and Metamorphic Rocks

• We used our Rock Tumbler to clean and polish our rocks. Then we used our Rock books to identify the types of rocks we have in our collection.
• Got our hands a little messy with experiments about mud in our GEOLOGY LAB FOR KIDS book.
• Cooked layered sandwiches and conglomerates in the kitchen.
• Did a gravity art experiment where we filled a tray with paint and then dropped rocks to see what would make the biggest splatter. It was a ginormous mess but a ton of fun. Did bigger rocks splat more? Did it matter what angle we dropped them from? (see photo below)

Final Geology Celebration

We ended our Geology unit with a Rock Party with some homeschooling friends. During our party we:

• Played The Floor is Lava
• Cracked open more geodes. This was one of my kids’ favorite parts of the Geology Unit so we repeated the activity with our friends. These are the Geode Kits we used.
• Decorate smooth rocks with these markers.
• Made rock necklaces and bracelets with this kit.
• Ate rock candy.

CLICK HERE for More Upper Elementary School Unit

Middle School World History. Wow. That’s crazy to say. I never in a million years when I was getting my teaching license, when I was homeschooling preschool for my twins, when I sent them off to Kindergarten, never did I think I would be teaching middle school. And yet, here we are and crazy as it sounds I am excited.

Our first unit for Middle School World History is First Humans. This covered the Stone Age or the Paleolithic Era, Ice Age and the Neolithic Era. Below are the resources I used and some unit ideas.

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First Humans Unit

Base Text: Everything You Need to Ace WORLD HISTORY in one Big Fat Notebook. This is by no means an all inclusive, perfect “textbook” but it does give you a solid outline. Throughout our World History Unit we are using this as a spine to build off. We read the chapters and do the review questions together with some notebooking. Then we get into the other books related to the topic on our shelves, watch documentaries, do hands on activities, etc. Buy Here

Notebooking: we are using notebooking to keep track of what we’ve learned in World History. My kids are highly visual learners who also really enjoy art, so this is a great fit for us. We read the study guide above and read more in the resources below and then they take time to record what they find the most interesting and important. This is usually a combination of drawings and writing. By the end of the year they will have a record of early World History they can review and share as a work sample of all they have learned. Our notebooks are spiral bound, unlined journals, similar to these.

More Resources about First Humans

Many of the books listed below will be used throughout our Middle School World History course throughout the school year. They cover the range of early history. For this First Humans Unit we simply read and focused on the early humans pages.

Tales of Ancient Worlds: Adventures in Archaeology by Stefan Milosavljevich and Sam Caldwell – short stories that walk you through discoveries and build a story around each one. For example, one of the first stories is about Lucy. She was an Australopithecus discovered by archeologists and the book shares what has been known and hypothesized about her. It helps tie science to history and also personalizes history through stories. Find Online

A Child Through Time: The Book of Children’s History illustrated by Steve Noon – offers the story of a child for many of the main periods in history. It begins with Taya, an Ice Age Girl, and ends with Ruby Bridges during the Civil Rights movement. Find Online

A Street Through Time also illustrated by Steve Noon – this is my daughter’s favorite in the World History stack. It shows a 12,000 year journey along the same street. Obviously some creative license is taken here, but the concept is fun. The illustrations are detailed and it brings to life the different periods. We focused on the Stone Age and First Farmers pages for this unit. Find Online

History of the World in Comics by Jean-Baptiste de Panafieu – is just that, history told in comics. It starts at the very beginning of time and provides an overview of evolution and how our world has changed. We read this over the summer before starting our year and with this First Humans unit. After that it speeds up as it attempts to accurately depict how little humans have occupied the earth’s history. Find Online

Math & First Humans

For Math during our First Humans Unit we focused on timelines. This allowed us a starting place to work with positive and negative numbers. We also reviewed fractions by placing fractions on number lines as well.

History Year by Year from Smithsonian – is a fantastic resources that ties together timelines, photographs and artwork. Find Online

Timelines of Everything from Smithsonian – this is one of my favorite books on our shelves. It puts history and science and art into timelines. The timelines are different and creative and it is such a wonderful visual on so many topics. Find Online

All civilizations had to eat and therefore they had to cook. I love integrating cooking into our math, which we’ve done in various ways over the years. This year we are using this Ancient History Cookbook to do some thematic cooking together (which works on fractions and measurement) each unit.

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Science & First Humans

Glaciers were the most interesting topic to my kids when we started exploring the First Humans resources. We watched the Magic School Bus Rides Again episode about glaciers and watched this YouTube video on Glaciers.

Ancient Science also has tons of history themed science activities that we’ve started working through. These are simple experiments that usually use materials we have on hand and the book ties them to history and explains the science behind them. Find Online

Learn about Ice Age animals by doing a little guided research with this packet from Peanut Butter Fish Lessons.

Art & First Humans

Early Humans created cave paintings that have been discovered by archeologists all over the world. We read about them in the books below.

Vincent’s Starry Night and Other Stories: A Children’s History of Art by Michael Bird – is a gorgeous, thick book that tells stories of history through art. It walks through history chronologically, telling stories inspired by different iconic artworks of the period. Find Online

Art That Changed the World from DK Books – offers more details and facts about art through history. It is also laid out chronologically starting with Prehistoric Art. This book has a huge collection of artwork from each period, details about each, timelines and more. Find Online

Find More Curriculum Units Here

Butterflying isn’t the first thing that pops in my head when I think about Fall activities. To me, Fall has always been more about leaf peeping, pumpkin picking, and apple farms. That all changed last year when we read CITIZEN SCIENTISTS.

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This is a cool book that gets kids excited to participate with and explore nature. There is an adventure/focus for each season and the Fall one is all about butterflying. I highly recommend the whole book for inspiring adventures.

I also highly recommend the book WINGED WONDERS by Meeg Pincus. It’s a gorgeous, fascinating book about how the mystery of butterfly migration was solved.

Butterflying in San Diego

It turns out, in Southern California Butterflying is an ideal field trip to do in the late Summer, early Fall. If you live further north, then mark your calendar for earlier in the summer to see Butterflies at their peek.

WHERE TO GO

A Butterfly Garden is the ideal place to go Butterflying. We went to the Butterfly Garden in San Dieguito County Park. This is a fun park to explore with kids. There are trails, playgrounds and a pond. There is also a Butterfly Garden.

The Butterfly Garden is at the Northern end of the lower park. You can park nearby in a lot. We parked at the other end and hiked to the garden and back. The garden has an assortment of flowers and other plants that attract butterflies (along with hummingbirds and bees).

More Info about the Park & Garden: WEBSITE

WHAT TO BRING

• Sunscreen
• Water bottle
• Journals and Pencils (for kids who love to draw or create on adventures)
• Camera to practice taking photos (for kids who love a tool to use on adventures)
• Butterfly Guidebook (optional for kids who want to know more)

Butterflying Activity Ideas for Anywhere

Below are a variety of butterfly activity ideas for all ages to expand on your Butterflying adventure.

• Look for a Butterfly exhibit near you. Many zoos have seasonal butterfly exhibits. There are also places like the Butterfly Wonderland in Arizona (which my kids absolutely loved!) that are open year round.
• Butterfly Storytime for Preschoolers from My Storytime Corner – excellent Butterfly themed read alouds and more extension activities.
• Preschool Butterfly Unit from Bambini Travel – great ideas for a range of ages.
• In the Garden Unit from Bambini Travel – for kids who want to learn and explore more about flowers.
• Butterfly Art Prompt: put out photos from your trip or from a favorite butterfly book with simple drawing materials and invite your child to draw a butterfly.
• Plant your own butterfly garden. Have older children research what plants attract butterflies and plant some in your own garden.

Swimming back and forth in the tank in our schoolroom is Mr. Weasley. He’s a beta fish we recently adopted from some friends who are moving. He’s bright orange which is probably the most exciting thing about him, because honestly he spends most of his day hiding under the bridge in his tank. I’m not a fish person. I’m not really a pet person. None of that matters though, because my kids are animal obsessed and they are now fish obsessed.

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There have been hints at an interest in fish in the past.

There was the season where my son was in a “fishing club” at school that basically consisted a few friends who talked about fish and fished together when they could convince their moms and sisters that this was how we wanted to spend our afternoon. This past year he also earned a fishing merit badge at scouts which included learning about fishing in depth, going deep sea fishing, and learning to cook and clean fish.

Also Read: 10 Tips for Fishing with Kids

There was the snorkeling. Our first time was to see leopard sharks and the following summer we went to La Jolla Cove, a known local snorkeling spot, to see fish swimming in the reef. I’ll admit that it was pretty awesome seeing the bright pops of color under the water.

Also Read: Snorkeling in Oahu with Kids

Now there was Mr. Weasley.

Interests have a way of popping up like this in our lives. There are hints. Here and there an interest. And then they swoop in and pull all of a kid’s (or both’s) focus. They talk, read, watch, and learn obsessively about something. I have to admit it’s actually one of my favorite parts of parenting. The interests are rarely something I expect and they always pull us in interesting directions.

In this case, we swam towards fish and dove hard.

Ideas for Learning about Fish

Our interests have a general pattern to them. My kids (each different in their learning styles) like to explore interests in a few pretty predictable ways. After ten years, we’ve hit a groove (for the most part). I think we got here mostly by me accepting whatever random thing they were interested and then throwing any ideas I could find that felt meaningful around the house and seeing what sparked further exploration. Here are some ways we learned more about fish:

Caring for Our Actual, Live Fish

This was obviously where it started and caring for their little orange fish was a big part of this learning unit. They fed him, learned how to clean his tank, watched his movements obsessively.

Books about Fish

A Place for Fish
by Melissa Stewart
Find Online

How do Fish Breathe Underwater
also by Melissa Stewart
Find Online

Hello Fish: Visiting the Coral Reef
by Sylvia A. Earle
Find Online

Papa’s Mechanical Fish
by Candace Fleming
Find Online

Fishy Watercolors

I have pretty art enthusiastic kids and so art is often part of our learning. In this case, watercolors felt like an appropriate medium for representing fish. We did this a few times.

Materials:

• Mat for under paper or other table covering
• Paper towels
• Watercolors
• Watercolor Paper
• Paint Brushes
• Cups for Water
• Pencils or Black tipped pens
• Pictures of fish or close proximity to a tank of fish (optional)

Invitation:

When we do art it is rarely the “everyone come to the table so we can paint” variety. I like to set up an invitation – a spot for each kid to work and some sort of visual prompt – and let that spark their interest. If they’re interested, then it often stays out for a few days or is set out again multiple days (depending on our currently home size / table situation). In this case I set out our Outdoor School: Animal Watching book and some other fish book near the fish tank with the supplies listed above.

Nighttime Fish Habitat Check

We have been using the Outdoor School series to inspire some of our learning about outside, including animals. (You can read more about how we used Outdoor School books last year in Fourth Grade in this post).

When we started reading about fish in Outdoor School: Animal Watching my kids were super excited to do this Nighttime Fish Habitat Check.

Directions:

• Prep your flashlight in a bag, with rocks if needed.
• Plan where to go. We went to the bay because we snorkeled there recently and saw a couple fish and a stingray. We also found it helpful that where we could go on a bridge to get above the water a little, but we did see some fish wading into the water as well.
• Put on weather appropriate clothes and bring towels (these dock & bay quick dry towels are my favorites)
• Further directions for the habitat check are in the OUTDOOR SCHOOL guide, but it’s pretty straightforward.

More Fish Field Trips

Most of these field trips were repeated multiple times during our unit or period of learning about fish. Come back to the things they enjoy. Repeat things that are interesting. Talk about them and see what new questions they have and then head back.

• Snorkeling in the ocean
• Aquarium Field Trip
• Pet Store
• Coi Fish Pond at the Japanese Friendship Garden

You May Also Like: How to Use an Adventure Journal on Field Trips

More Unit Ideas for Upper Elementary School

Balboa Park sits in the heart of San Diego, just east of downtown. As accurately stated on their website, Balboa Park is “Where culture, science, and nature collide.” It is home to the world famous San Diego Zoo, but also numerous museums, gardens, and trails. It is a beautiful, historic and not to be missed, whether you all San Diego home or are visiting for the sunshine.

Balboa Park certainly markets itself well and I do not work for them in any capacity, so that isn’t the point of this post. This post is for families who want to make the most of the park. We absolutely love Balboa Park so I simply want to share what we’ve learned, enjoyed and how we’ve made the most of the park. Where are the best places to visit with kids? Which museums work and which can you skip? How do you get the best deals?

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3 Options for Visiting Balboa Park

1. Stick to Free Days

The first and obviously least expensive option is to stick to free days. If you are a San Diego resident, Balboa Park offers Resident Free Tuesdays to various museums in the park on a rotating schedule. You can check out the schedule on their website. Many of the museums and the zoo are also free to kids in the month of October – you can learn more about that here.

2. Individual Museum Fees & Packages

The second option is to simply visit a museum and pay the entrance fee. If you’re particularly a lover of art or have a kid who loves science, then going to just that museum or paying for a single membership to a museum is an option.

3. Explorer Pass

If you want to visit more than one museum then the Explorer Pass is 100% the way to go. You can get an annual, one day or multi-day Explorer Pass, so regardless of whether you are a resident or just visiting for a couple of days I would still recommend one of these variations. My main reason is this – while together, the area, the gardens, the playgrounds, the trails, and the many museums are extraordinary, I do not personally think that any of the individual museums is spectacular or particularly large. There are really good ones. Ones we’ve been to many times and I will get into some of that below, but really what is so great about Balboa Park is the diversity of experiences that you can pop into and out of.

We get the annual Explorer Pass. 365 Days. 16 Museums. 1 Pass. The only thing not included is the Zoo, which although adjacent to the park is a separate entity. I personally think this pass makes for a great holiday gift idea if you like gifting experiences.

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What to do in Balboa Park with Kids

So now that you are on board for a morning or day at Balboa Park, where do you go? I will admit to being completely overwhelmed by that question the first time I visited. A few tips first, before we start picking out museums:

• Parking, especially on the weekend, can be difficult. I usually try to arrive early (always my advice, especially if you’re already up with little ones or trying to fight your body over the time change). We usually park near the Air & Space Museum which is on the opposite side of the park from the zoo and is a large lot, so it seems to fill up a little more slowly.
• Another good parking option if you’re there early enough is behind the Fleet Science Museum which situates you close to some of the best museums and near the playground on that end of the park as well.

About Balboa Park

Balboa Park was set aside by the city in the 1800s and was beautified in the 1890s, largely in preparation for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition and largely by a woman named Kate Sessions. If you’re a book person, like I am, you might enjoy sharing this wonderful picture book about Kate Sessions. It is about how one woman who loved trees completely transformed San Diego from a desert into what it is today. It’s one of our favorites and really affected how we see the park and our city.

What to Do in the Park with Kids

Now the biggie. What do you actually do in the park with kids. Balboa Park’s website does have a list of kid friendly things to do in the park and it’s a good one, but if you’re trying to figure out priorities, here are some thoughts.

Japanese Friendship Garden

The Japanese Friendship Garden is one of our family’s favorite parts of Balboa Park. We have visited it more times than anywhere else in Balboa Park and it is beautiful any time of the year.

The Cherry Blossom Festival is their biggest event of the year. We went the first year we lived here and did enjoy it, but the garden is SO crowded during this time. Personally I think it is much more pleasant on a normal week day or even early on a normal weekend day.

Best for: All ages, Families who love gardens, nature.
Kid Tip: Don’t miss the two large coy ponds and the opportunities to walk over the stream on all of the bridges.

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

My kids love the Fleet Science Center. There are lots of hands on activities and they often have a fun visiting exhibit (that costs a little extra money). I wouldn’t say it is the best science center we have ever visited but it is a fun way to spend a few hours and one of my twins’ favorite parts of Balboa.

Best for: Toddlers and up. Great for families who love science.
Kid Tip: This one has a decent food area adjacent that has kid friendly options.

San Diego Air and Space Museum

Having been to both amazing space museums in Washington DC, I find it hard to be impressed by other Air and Space Museums. This one does have some interesting parts about Naval and Air Force history. The best part about this museum is probably the visiting exhibits – so pay attention to the calendar and try to get over there when something good is visiting.

Best for: there is a space for little kids, but I would say this is best for kids who are 5+

San Diego Art Institute

It isn’t huge, but I was impressed with this little Art Museum. It has good and diverse (albeit small) collection and is very family friendly.

Best for: ages 3+, families who love art. Highly, highly recommend bringing your kids something to do – their own drawing materials, a scavenger hunt, etc.
Kid Tip: make sure to check out their free family events. My kids always love these opportunities to create and it gets them more excited about the exhibits at the museum afterwards. These were temporarily suspended during Covid19.

San Diego Model Railroad Museum

If you know someone who loves trains, this is a not to be missed museum. Tucked into the lower level of the Casa de Balboa Building on the Prado in Balboa Park is the San Diego Model Railroad Museum. Don’t let the basement entrance fool you, at 27,000 sq. ft., it is the largest such indoor model train exhibit in North America, and one of the largest in the world. Read Full Post

Best for: all ages. This is a great one to visit with grandparents.
Kid tip: for the kid who loves trains, make sure to go ride the miniature train afterwards. Check the hours first to avoid disappointment!

San Diego Museum of Man

This is a fun museum full of interesting exhibits. We loved the ones about Monsters and Living with Animals. Note: Going up in the tower and the special exhibit are not included in the main cost.

Best for: kids 5 and older.

San Diego National History Museum

The Natural History Museum is a lot of fun for kids who like animals, dinosaurs, or science – my kids happen to like all three. There are lots of exhibits that engage kids. It isn’t a children’s museum in the sense that it’s super hands on, but there are still plenty of things to touch and manipulate and explore.

Best for: Kids who are 5+ and interested in one of the topics covered at the museum.

Mingei Museum

I explained this museum to my kids as an art museum full of art that people actually use. The museum website calls them “arts of daily life.” It is a small, but beautiful collection.

Best for: 5+ The museum is not interactive but the “every day” aspect – beads, quilts, etc. is appealing on a broader basis than other art museums might be.

All in all, we love Balboa Park. While there isn’t a single amazing museum, together if you have the explorer pass and view them as one big museum – together they are impressive. We love spending days in the park wandering in and out of different museums or popping in for an hour to our favorites.

Balboa Park itself is a beautiful place to walk around and there are always interesting things to see and people to watch.

Read More San Diego with Kids Tips HERE

In fourth grade every kid in the United States can get a FREE family pass to the National Park system. This seems to be a incredibly well kept secret. I am in no way affiliated with the National Park system, but I adore the incredible diversity and beauty of the parks. We often plan family vacations around parks we want to visit and the idea that you can do this for free for a whole year (or more if you have several children) feels like an incredible gift.

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Our Fourth Grade Park Adventures

Our twins were in Fourth Grade in 2020-2021 school year. This felt like a huge disappointment to me because all of my plans for big National Park road trip adventures were suddenly more complicated. Everything was more complicated in 2020.

I know a lot of people actually did more local travel and more road tripping to National Parks in 2020 because it was an outdoor, reasonably safe alternative to traveling abroad. In our case, my husband works on a US Navy base and was under orders to stay within 300 miles of the base unless he was deployed. Sure, we could have gone off just me and the kids on a longer road trip but I always hesitate to do that since we are already away from him a lot. However, we did have some National Park adventures in Fourth Grade. So, here are the Parks we explored.

Get your FREE Fourth Grade Pass Here

Joshua Tree

Located just a few hours from San Diego, Joshua Tree National Park is a great option for southern California families. If you’re okay with a long day, this can even be done as a day trip. We have day tripped, camped in the park, and stopped as part of longer road trips. We love this unique park.

More about Joshua Tree

Sequoia & Kings Canyon

During fourth grade we took a road trip up to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. We loved both parks. They are absolutely stunning. Kings Canyon was our favorite, so make sure you don’t skip it despite Sequoia being the more well known.

More about Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

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All About California Unit for Fourth Grade

Cabrillo National Monument

Cabrillo is located in San Diego and one we visited frequently in fourth grade. The lighthouse and display about Spanish explorers is fun to learn about, the park offers incredible views of San Diego and the ocean, and if you’re able to come when the tide is low, the tide pools are some of the best in this part of the country.

Learn More about Cabrillo

How to Make the Most of the National Park with Kids

The National Parks are great for all ages. There are things to marvel at and enjoy no matter what your interests or ages. For the purposes of this post I am going to focus on the things we did to make the most of the National Parks for our fourth graders (9-10 year olds).

Get your FREE Fourth Grade Pass Here

1. Dress for the weather – When you’re packing, make sure to pay attention to what the weather is like in the park. For example, where we stayed near Sequoia was always a good 10+ degrees warmer than up in the park where there was still snow on the ground in some parts in the Spring. The Redwoods National Park had rain off and on while we were there so raincoats were essential. Being warm, cool or dry enough while you’re exploring is essential to happiness.
2. Bring Adventure Supplies – exploring a National Park can feel like the ultimate adventure for kids. There are mountains to climb, streams to cross, great dunes of sand to slide down, unfathomable trees to view. I always bring some variation of these Adventure Supplies when we go on an adventure. Having at least one tool (binoculars, camera, journals) to deepen your explorations and being stocked and prepared for any needs helps to keep everyone happy and engaged.
3. Junior Ranger Program – my kids love the Junior Ranger program at the National Parks. Some parks have better guides for the kids than others, but all of them have taught us something about the wildlife or geography. Often they give us a great guide to what to do in the park, if not the park rangers are a great resource. Before you hit the trails, pick up a Junior Ranger packet for each kid. Some parks, like Joshua Tree, have these at the front gate when you drive in. Other times you have to stop at the Ranger Station.
4. National Parks Activity Books – we keep busy in the car with a variety of audiobooks, games and activity books. On our National Park road trips in fourth grade my kids loved reading this Lonely Planet guide about the different National Parks and doing the activities in this National Geographic Kids Junior Ranger activity book. Depending on the park you’re visiting, there are also some wonderful children’s books about the parks. For example, we read REDWOODS by Jason Chin before our trip to the Redwoods and he also wrote this award winning, absolutely stunning picture book about the GRAND CANYON.
5. Stamp Your National Park Passport – lastly, don’t forget to stamp your passport! My kids both have National Park Passports like these. You can buy them beforehand on Amazon or the Ranger Stations always have some in stock as well.

More National Park Guides

Although we didn’t explore as many parks during fourth grade as I’d hoped, we have visited a lot of national parks with our kids. Here are some more guides to our favorites:

Redwoods National Park (CA)

Death Valley National Park (CA)

Cabrillo National Monument (CA)

Carlsbad Caverns National Park (NM)

Chaco Culture Heritage Park (NM)

Golden Gate National Recreation Area (CA)

Guadalupe Mountains National Park (TX)

Fire Island and the Sunken Forest (NY)

Petrified Forest National Park (AZ)

Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes National Seashore (MI)

Washington DC Mall Monuments (DC)

White Sands National Park (NM)

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30+ Unforgettable Trips with Kids