Audio, Autumn, Just for Fun

Favorite Kiddy Songs for Fall (and Punky Pumpkin too!)

Well, today we’re off for a return visit to the countryside where a delightful stack of fun, classic children’s records from yesteryear awaits us.

First up, join in on a jolly version of the classic children’s song, “Oats, Peas, Beans” by Roger White, as we quickly follow Mr. Farmer through his very busy day.

Next, we stop by the house of “The Little Crooked Man” (of the Mother Goose rhyme) with his crooked cat and crooked mouse, and then visit “The Old Woman Who Lived In a Shoe” in a fine record by Roy Hallee.

Next, we travel with Uncle Don Down On The Farm where we meet all the animals in a fun musical adventure from long ago Sonora Records.

And last but not least, we join Uncle Lumpy as he tells about one of our favorite characters, Little Orley in a couple of fun musical adventures… as he is first unexpectedly serenaded by a little mouse and his friends in the Barnyard… and then puts on his own great barnyard concert you’ve just got to hear to believe.

All of the above = loads of fun for kids of all ages. Enjoy your visit down on the farm!

Here are your download links. You can click these to stream online, or RIGHT CLICK these and “save” to your computer:

Oats Peas Beans & Barley
(.6 megs, 3 minutes)

There Was a Crooked Man /There Was An Old Woman
(1.3 megs, 6 minutes)

Uncle Don Down on the Farm
(2.3 megs, 12 minutes)

The Barn Dance
(3 megs, 3 minutes)

Orley’s Big Concert
(7.4 megs, 8 minutes)

And finally…

THE PUNKY PUMPKIN SONG! (MP3 audio)

Here’s one more little treat from us to you… one of our favorite fall songs… and certainly the catchiest song about a pumpkin ever! This song does mention Halloween in passing, so if that bothers you, don’t download it. But if you just want a fun, old fashioned pumpkin song, check it out and your kids will soon be singing along!

To download this MP3 song, RIGHT CLICK HERE and “save” to your computer. To just play it online, click the link.

Let us know if you enjoy your musical visit to the countryside!

Just for Fun

Build an Endless Cube with Legos®

If you have a stash of LEGOs in your home, here’s a terrific little project that kids of all ages will be absolutely fascinated by, courtesy of Frugal Fun for Boys & Girls:

Grab the LEGO® bucket, because this is such a fun building project! Make an endless cube, also called an infinity cube, out of LEGO® bricks. This cube transforms shape over and over without an end. It’s such a neat toy to build, and it’s fun to play with!

CLICK HERE to go to the instructions, parts list and video!

Arts & Crafts, Just for Fun, Nature Studies, Physics, Science

Projects, Experiments & Hands-On Fun

TheHappyHousewife.com has a great collection of almost 100 hands-on projects, crafts and experiments especially for homeschoolers, on all sorts of interesting topics, including:

Turkey Feather Science
Testing for Starch
Milk Fireworks
The Physics of the Trapeze
Fun Ways to Improve Writing Skills
Buoyancy Experiments
…and dozens more.

CLICK HERE Take a look and browse through the collection yourself!

Audio, Just for Fun

Classic Audio Stories for the whole Family

CLASSIC AUDIO STORIES!

Want some relaxing, imagination stirring listening for your kids on these lazy late summer afternoons? Here are three of our favorite old time radio stories that your family will love!

To play any of these streaming over the internet, just click the link below. If you’d like to download the mp3 audio file, RIGHT CLICK the link and “save link” to your computer. (Mac users, press the “control” key then click the link and save to your mac.)

Family Science Fiction: A PAIL OF AIR

Family Adventure: ROBIN HOOD AND THE BLACK KNIGHT

Family Western: THE SIX SHOOTER

Let us know if you want to hear more!

Games, Just for Fun, Living Books

Choose Your Own Adventure… in Narnia!

Wow! Want to go on your own adventure in Narnia? Check this out.

This is just totally cool if your kids enjoy “choose your own adventure” stories. This is a series of four interactive, choose-your-own-adventure-style “game books” based on C. S. Lewis’ Narnia series, originally published by the Episcopal Radio-TV Foundation. All four volumes of the “Narnia Solo Game Series” are meant to be read & played by one reader, and are available in PDF, kindle, and other ebook formats.

Parental Note: These interactive stories include Narnia-style magic and fantasy characters, so if that is not your cup of tea, just don’t get these. But if your kids like Narnia, and enjoy games, they will love these very unique books and will have hours of fun “exploring” the stories.

Click each link to go to that volume on archive.org:

#1) RETURN TO DEATHWATER

#2) THE SORCERESS AND THE BOOK OF SPELLS

#3) LEAP OF THE LION

#4) THE LOST CROWNS OF CAIR PARAVEL

Just for Fun, Living Books, Math

The Arithmetic Fairy (Audio story)

 

The Arithmetic Fairy by E. Nesbit (MP3 audiobook reading)

Today we have a DELIGHTFUL Audiobook reading of this  fairy tale written by English writer E. Nesbit (author of “The Railway Children”, “Five Childen and It”), which comes from her 1901 book “Nine Unlikely Tales for Children”.

Young Edwin is an English schoolboy who deplores his daily mathematics class assignment.  He wishes he could easily solve the problems he faces each day… and quite to his surprise, finds his wish is answered by the “Arithmetic Fairy”.  However, as he soon finds out, these correct answers come at a very frustrating – and hilarious – price.

This delightful story will appeal to any student who has struggled with math… or loves a good “fairy tale”. A great audiobook reading by Cori Samuels! (23 minutes)

To download this mp3 audio story, RIGHT CLICK HERE and “save link” to your computer. Mac users, press the “control” key, then click the link and save to your mac.
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Audio, Holidays, Just for Fun

Christmas Every Day

Christmas Every Day by William Dean Howells (MP3 audio)

This is definitely one of the funniest, laugh out loud, classic short stories you’ll ever hear. We guarantee the kids will love it. While this story, which originally appeared in St. Nicholas Magazine in the 1890s, is about Christmas, it is not exactly a Christmas story… it is more about unintended consequences and what might happen if wishes really did come true, and how some things – like Christmas – can be a bit overdone (you think?). A sheer delight for the whole family – HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Length: 14 minutes, MP3 Audio

To download this MP3 audio, RIGHT CLICK HERE and “save” to your computer!

Homeschool Helps, Just for Fun

Wonderopolis

Wonderopolis continues to offers a series of delightful and intriguing  “Wonder of the Day” questions every day. They are great for homeschoolers. Each day, a new question is posed, then answered in a mini-lesson (often with a video, activity or experiment). They are great curiosity generators. Recent questions posed include “Are french fries really French?”, “Why are trampolines bouncy?” “Why do my feet stink?” and “Can an apple a day keep the doctor away?”

You can see the current “wonder”, then scroll back through past questions as well as subscribe to the site for daily updates. This is fascinating stuff, sure to spark the interest of young students.

Click here to go to the site!