Based on the comments I’ve read in international papers, the attitude about THREE mass attacks on children in a month could be described as “gee… how sad.” Are you kidding me?!?
In recent weeks, China has receiving renewed international criticism about their “one child” policies and renewed attempts to sterilize families so that they will be forced to submit to the “no more children” rule. They’ve even said that they would “back off” the policy.
But then, suddenly, you have three different people who just decide to go insane around the same time and attack CHILDREN??? Doesn’t anyone else think this is a little bit STRANGE?!? They aren’t setting off bombs at a café or stabbing people at random in a shopping center. They are going to primary schools and attacking CHILDREN.
- Today in Eastern China, a knife-wielding man entered a Chinese kindergarten and wounded 28 children and three adults. Most of the children were four-years-old and several of them are in critical condition.
- On Wednesday, a man broke into a primary school in southern China and wounded 15 students and a teacher.
- On March 23, a doctor killed eight children at an elementary school in the Jiangsu province. He admitted to the killings and was actually executed earlier this week – on Wednesday, the day the 15 students and teacher were wounded. (On a side note, I do appreciate China’s system of swift justice. He murdered eight children and admitted to it. In the United States, he would have been given food, shelter, and job training for the next 30 years and then let out on parole…)
What’s really sad is that many Americans look at China with disdain. People think they hate children and therefore these acts are simply another effect of a society that kills their unborn, leaves newborn girls to die, and allows children to be adopted by other countries because they don’t want more children themselves. In fact, the Chinese adore their children. The one-child policy enforced in many provinces make the Chinese child a precious gift and the parents’ only hope for the future. Most assuredly, these children who were killed were dearly loved and most probably their parents’ one and only offspring.
So what is causing this spree of child attacks? I don’t know. But we can speculate.
Perhaps the attackers want to cause the most damage to their society by taking away one of their most precious commodities – their children. Perhaps there is more going on here than we can understand and since the government has backed off on the sterilization of parents, they have found another way to incite attacks against children. After all, even though individual parents deeply love their children, the Chinese government looks at the bigger picture, such as population growth, overuse of resources, etc. Maybe they’ve found a way to take care of the population problem without sterilization… just kill some of the children who are already here.
Ultimately, I don’t know if these three cases are related or not, but you have to admit that it seems more than a coincidence that three unrelated men in three different areas of China would go into the same place (a primary school setting) and do the same thing (attack children with a KNIFE).
The whole situation is incredibly sad. We should pray not only for the physical healing of those children who are still in critical condition, but also the emotional healing for all the children who attend these schools and also for the families who have lost their precious children.
Sonya Haskins, author of Homeschooling for the Rest of Us
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Discussing the Development of Surnames with Your Child
Have you ever thought of where your name comes from? I’m not talking about your first name, the one your parents chose for you when you were a baby. There are hundreds of books on the market that explain what your first name “means.” Some names are symbolic of flowers or trees, a certain personality trait, a physical trait, a blessing, a saying, etc. Most people are aware that their first name has a “meaning” and often, they know the meaning. I’m wondering if you’ve thought about where your last name comes from.
When humans first began walking on this earth, they typically had one name, such as “Adam” and “Eve.” With so few people in various communities, it was easy to recognize everyone by one name. Even if someone in another community had the same name, this wasn’t an issue since there was not constant contact. After all, it might take days to reach another community and there was no communication through telephones or e-mail. Even the earliest peoples had names and our earliest recorded writings indicate that throughout history, we gradually developed the use of a second name as our communities grew, the population expanded, and contact between communities became easier and more developed (with the development of roads, the invention of paper, etc.)
Here are some ideas to discuss with your children in regards to the development of last names.
Patronymic Names
Patronymic names are names that come from your father or “pater.” MOST names were created this way. Take the name David Johnson. A few hundred years ago, this person would have been called “David, son of John.” It was shortened to “David, John’s son.” Then it was shortened to “David Johnson.” What about “David Johns”? This is simply a more shortened version of the same name.
If you see a name with “son” at the end of it, the name originated from the idea of “the son of…”. Usually, if you have a name with an “s” at the end, it has the same origin. Someone along the way has shortened the “son” to simply “s.” For example, “Williamson” has been changed to “Williams” in many cases. It still has the same origin – “son of William.”
Take Haskins, for example. I knew that Chris’ family was of Norwegian origin. I only recently discovered that the name Haskins actually originated from the first name “Ásketil.” This was a first name that was converted to “Haskin” in English. So where did the “s” come from? Again, take Chris Haskins. This would have originally been, “Chris, son of Ásketil,” which was converted to “Chris, Ásketil’s son” and then eventually converted to English “Chris, Haskin’s son” and then it changed to “Chris Haskins” over time as the “on” was dropped from “son.”
Since patronymic names are common in every culture, we have borrowed many of these from other cultures. I have given one example above from our own family. Think of these names: “Petersen,” (Peter’s son in German), Williamson (William’s son in German), Rodriguez (son of Rodrigo in Spanish), O’Conner (son of Conner in Scottish or Irish), etc. Each language has its own way of expressing patronymic names, but they all have a way. It’s very fascinating!
Descriptive Last Names
There are also large numbers of last names that developed as a result of description. Descriptive last names would include names that describe an occupation (Baker), where the person lives (Hill), characteristics (Short) or even a personality trait (Doolittle).
Occupation
Smith is one of the most common names for a reason. When people began to assign surnames as populations grew, around the 15th century, almost every community – whether large or small – had a blacksmith, often known as the “smith,” “smithy,” “smither,” etc. All these names originated from the same occupation of blacksmith. As communities grew and became more complex, the names Baker, Carpenter, Miller, Cook and Taylor began to appear.
Sometimes we see names that like “Brewer” and we know this originated from the town brewer. When we see a name such as “Brauer,” however, many people might not realize that this is the SAME name, simply in a different language. Most cultures have last names that equate to the most common English names because those were the occupations and even the descriptions that were the most popular.
What about if there was more than one blacksmith in a town? That’s where we developed such names as “Goodsmith” (the blacksmith who is a good man).
Location
Names that developed as a result of where people live are easy to figure out. If your name is “Field,” “Feld,” or “Fieldman,” this originated from someone who lived near a pasture or open country. If your last name is Lake, you can use the same reasoning.
It was very common in Europe to name families after the family where the fathers were from. Thus, you have names such as “Berlin" or "Moscow."
Characteristic
What about names such as “Black,” “Longfellow,” or “Lytle.” These people would be (in order) dark-skinned, tall, and short. Names such as this are based on obvious physical characteristics. Some are a little more difficult. Take the name “Redd.” This would have referred to an ancestor with red hair. If this was a unique trait to the community, it would have been an easy way to identify someone.
There are other characteristic names based more on personality. The name “Fox,” for example, would have been assigned to someone who was “sly as a fox.” Others might have been given names that mean “handsome,” “strong,” or “brave” in their language, which have come down to English with foreign names.
Additional Thoughts
Some religious names are taken from our ancestors’ occupations or their heritage. Take Levi, Bishop, Priest, or Abbot as examples.
Some names are more difficult to figure out simply because we don’t know the meaning of the words any more. Cooper, for example, is a common English surname, but many people today do not realize that the word “cooper” means “one who makes barrels.” In medieval society, this was an important occupation.
While many freemen began to take surnames around the 15th or 16th century and those have been passed down through the generations, some cultures didn’t begin to take surnames until later. Africans who were brought to the states and Europe as slaves, for example, lived in a culture where they still used first names or the patronymic names such as “Kamili, son of Ebo” (of course it wouldn’t be said that way in the African language, but this is for your understanding. The two names I’ve given are real, however. “Kamili” means “perfection” and “Ebo” means “born on Tuesday.”) As slaves began to integrate into American society, they began to take on surnames that were usually affiliated with their owners. A slave that belonged to “Davis” took the last name “Davis.” Some slaves or former slaves took on descriptive names such as “Black” or “Brown,” based on their color. Other slaves choose their own name, such as “Booker T. Washington,” who named himself after our nation’s first president. For many descendants of slaves, it is difficult to trace their roots due to the lack of surnames. Some descendants, however, have wonderful oral histories that have given them clues to their background.
Exceptions
There are exceptions to the above “rules.” In our culture in particular, you have many names that developed from other languages so the name might have one of several meanings. Take the name “Bell,” for example. This last name could mean “the one who rings the bell in the tower,” “the one who lives beside the bell tower,” “one who makes bells,” or it could even originate from the French, “belle,” which means beautiful.
Another example is the last name “Moreland.” In our language, we might assume that “Moreland” means a person who had more land than other people in the community. The word “more” in English developed from the Anglo-Saxon word “moor,” which was an open, frequently grassy, sometimes wet area of soil that is usually uncultivated. The surname “Moreland” literally means “dweller by the moor-land.”
Discussion Questions
Here are some things to review with your students.
1. If last names were largely created based on occupations, why do we not see last names like “Electrician,” “Podiatrist,” or “Cashier”? These occupations didn’t exist during the centuries when we were developing last names.
2. Why do you think “Smith,” “Farmer,” and “Carter” are common names? (“Carter” means “one who drives “carts.”) These names are all related to work that would have been necessary in every community.
3. Look up the definition of “patronymic.” This is a terrific vocabulary word! Make sure students can spell it, say it, and know what it means.
4. Research the origin of your own surname and discuss this with your family.
5. If you didn’t already have a surname, what would be some names others might assign to your family?
For example, in my family, my son Micah, might be known as:
Micah, son of Chris… Micah, Chris’s son… Micah Chrisson
Micah, son of writer…. Micah, son of author….. Micah, author’s son…. Micah, Authorson
Christopher has the same name as Chris so it would be odd to call him “Chris, Chris’ son.”
He might be known as:
Christopher, the tall one… Christopher Tallone… Christopher Tall
Christopher, the tall fellow… Christopher TallFellow
Christopher, the darker skinned child… Christopher the darker… Christopher Dark
Here are some more ideas:
Daniel, from the homeschool family in Gray … Daniel in Gray… Daniel Gray
Hannah, the youngest child… Hannah, the youngest… Hannah Young
The point here is to see the development of the names. Help your children think of names that would work for your family based on these same ideas.
When humans first began walking on this earth, they typically had one name, such as “Adam” and “Eve.” With so few people in various communities, it was easy to recognize everyone by one name. Even if someone in another community had the same name, this wasn’t an issue since there was not constant contact. After all, it might take days to reach another community and there was no communication through telephones or e-mail. Even the earliest peoples had names and our earliest recorded writings indicate that throughout history, we gradually developed the use of a second name as our communities grew, the population expanded, and contact between communities became easier and more developed (with the development of roads, the invention of paper, etc.)
Here are some ideas to discuss with your children in regards to the development of last names.
Patronymic Names
Patronymic names are names that come from your father or “pater.” MOST names were created this way. Take the name David Johnson. A few hundred years ago, this person would have been called “David, son of John.” It was shortened to “David, John’s son.” Then it was shortened to “David Johnson.” What about “David Johns”? This is simply a more shortened version of the same name.
If you see a name with “son” at the end of it, the name originated from the idea of “the son of…”. Usually, if you have a name with an “s” at the end, it has the same origin. Someone along the way has shortened the “son” to simply “s.” For example, “Williamson” has been changed to “Williams” in many cases. It still has the same origin – “son of William.”
Take Haskins, for example. I knew that Chris’ family was of Norwegian origin. I only recently discovered that the name Haskins actually originated from the first name “Ásketil.” This was a first name that was converted to “Haskin” in English. So where did the “s” come from? Again, take Chris Haskins. This would have originally been, “Chris, son of Ásketil,” which was converted to “Chris, Ásketil’s son” and then eventually converted to English “Chris, Haskin’s son” and then it changed to “Chris Haskins” over time as the “on” was dropped from “son.”
Since patronymic names are common in every culture, we have borrowed many of these from other cultures. I have given one example above from our own family. Think of these names: “Petersen,” (Peter’s son in German), Williamson (William’s son in German), Rodriguez (son of Rodrigo in Spanish), O’Conner (son of Conner in Scottish or Irish), etc. Each language has its own way of expressing patronymic names, but they all have a way. It’s very fascinating!
Descriptive Last Names
There are also large numbers of last names that developed as a result of description. Descriptive last names would include names that describe an occupation (Baker), where the person lives (Hill), characteristics (Short) or even a personality trait (Doolittle).
Occupation
Smith is one of the most common names for a reason. When people began to assign surnames as populations grew, around the 15th century, almost every community – whether large or small – had a blacksmith, often known as the “smith,” “smithy,” “smither,” etc. All these names originated from the same occupation of blacksmith. As communities grew and became more complex, the names Baker, Carpenter, Miller, Cook and Taylor began to appear.
Sometimes we see names that like “Brewer” and we know this originated from the town brewer. When we see a name such as “Brauer,” however, many people might not realize that this is the SAME name, simply in a different language. Most cultures have last names that equate to the most common English names because those were the occupations and even the descriptions that were the most popular.
What about if there was more than one blacksmith in a town? That’s where we developed such names as “Goodsmith” (the blacksmith who is a good man).
Location
Names that developed as a result of where people live are easy to figure out. If your name is “Field,” “Feld,” or “Fieldman,” this originated from someone who lived near a pasture or open country. If your last name is Lake, you can use the same reasoning.
It was very common in Europe to name families after the family where the fathers were from. Thus, you have names such as “Berlin" or "Moscow."
Characteristic
What about names such as “Black,” “Longfellow,” or “Lytle.” These people would be (in order) dark-skinned, tall, and short. Names such as this are based on obvious physical characteristics. Some are a little more difficult. Take the name “Redd.” This would have referred to an ancestor with red hair. If this was a unique trait to the community, it would have been an easy way to identify someone.
There are other characteristic names based more on personality. The name “Fox,” for example, would have been assigned to someone who was “sly as a fox.” Others might have been given names that mean “handsome,” “strong,” or “brave” in their language, which have come down to English with foreign names.
Additional Thoughts
Some religious names are taken from our ancestors’ occupations or their heritage. Take Levi, Bishop, Priest, or Abbot as examples.
Some names are more difficult to figure out simply because we don’t know the meaning of the words any more. Cooper, for example, is a common English surname, but many people today do not realize that the word “cooper” means “one who makes barrels.” In medieval society, this was an important occupation.
While many freemen began to take surnames around the 15th or 16th century and those have been passed down through the generations, some cultures didn’t begin to take surnames until later. Africans who were brought to the states and Europe as slaves, for example, lived in a culture where they still used first names or the patronymic names such as “Kamili, son of Ebo” (of course it wouldn’t be said that way in the African language, but this is for your understanding. The two names I’ve given are real, however. “Kamili” means “perfection” and “Ebo” means “born on Tuesday.”) As slaves began to integrate into American society, they began to take on surnames that were usually affiliated with their owners. A slave that belonged to “Davis” took the last name “Davis.” Some slaves or former slaves took on descriptive names such as “Black” or “Brown,” based on their color. Other slaves choose their own name, such as “Booker T. Washington,” who named himself after our nation’s first president. For many descendants of slaves, it is difficult to trace their roots due to the lack of surnames. Some descendants, however, have wonderful oral histories that have given them clues to their background.
Exceptions
There are exceptions to the above “rules.” In our culture in particular, you have many names that developed from other languages so the name might have one of several meanings. Take the name “Bell,” for example. This last name could mean “the one who rings the bell in the tower,” “the one who lives beside the bell tower,” “one who makes bells,” or it could even originate from the French, “belle,” which means beautiful.
Another example is the last name “Moreland.” In our language, we might assume that “Moreland” means a person who had more land than other people in the community. The word “more” in English developed from the Anglo-Saxon word “moor,” which was an open, frequently grassy, sometimes wet area of soil that is usually uncultivated. The surname “Moreland” literally means “dweller by the moor-land.”
Discussion Questions
Here are some things to review with your students.
1. If last names were largely created based on occupations, why do we not see last names like “Electrician,” “Podiatrist,” or “Cashier”? These occupations didn’t exist during the centuries when we were developing last names.
2. Why do you think “Smith,” “Farmer,” and “Carter” are common names? (“Carter” means “one who drives “carts.”) These names are all related to work that would have been necessary in every community.
3. Look up the definition of “patronymic.” This is a terrific vocabulary word! Make sure students can spell it, say it, and know what it means.
4. Research the origin of your own surname and discuss this with your family.
5. If you didn’t already have a surname, what would be some names others might assign to your family?
For example, in my family, my son Micah, might be known as:
Micah, son of Chris… Micah, Chris’s son… Micah Chrisson
Micah, son of writer…. Micah, son of author….. Micah, author’s son…. Micah, Authorson
Christopher has the same name as Chris so it would be odd to call him “Chris, Chris’ son.”
He might be known as:
Christopher, the tall one… Christopher Tallone… Christopher Tall
Christopher, the tall fellow… Christopher TallFellow
Christopher, the darker skinned child… Christopher the darker… Christopher Dark
Here are some more ideas:
Daniel, from the homeschool family in Gray … Daniel in Gray… Daniel Gray
Hannah, the youngest child… Hannah, the youngest… Hannah Young
The point here is to see the development of the names. Help your children think of names that would work for your family based on these same ideas.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Arizona Immigration Reform
Photos of Arizona immigration reform protesters show many carrying posters stating "SIN FRONTERAS!!" Do you know what this means??? It means "NO BORDERS!!"
These protesters do not want immigration REFORM or legal immigration. They want to TAKE OVER OUR COUNTRY.
Legal immigration is OUR right - the right of United States CITIZENS - just as it is the right of every other country on earth to protect their borders!
What is the big deal with this and why are so many liberals in our country dead set on DESTROYING our country, eliminating boarders, ignoring the laws of our land, etc.?!? If they want to live with a different government, then go to a different country. For me, I would prefer to stay here and respect our Constitution and boot out those who are trying to dismantle it.
We need to take back our country and enforce the Constitution our forefathers died to protect!
Sonya Haskins, author of Homeschooling for the Rest of Us
These protesters do not want immigration REFORM or legal immigration. They want to TAKE OVER OUR COUNTRY.
Legal immigration is OUR right - the right of United States CITIZENS - just as it is the right of every other country on earth to protect their borders!
What is the big deal with this and why are so many liberals in our country dead set on DESTROYING our country, eliminating boarders, ignoring the laws of our land, etc.?!? If they want to live with a different government, then go to a different country. For me, I would prefer to stay here and respect our Constitution and boot out those who are trying to dismantle it.
We need to take back our country and enforce the Constitution our forefathers died to protect!
Sonya Haskins, author of Homeschooling for the Rest of Us
Friday, April 23, 2010
AMG's Dan Penwell passes away after battle with cancer
I was so saddened to learn of the death of Dan Penwell earlier this week. I met Mr. Penwell several years ago - when I was first searching for publishers. He was so incredibly nice and encouraging. While AMG did not end up publishing my book, he did encourage me to continue sending them material and he was personally encouraging about my work. Even though we know our friends in Christ are going to be with the Lord, it's so sad for those of us left here to know that a Christian soldier is gone. I knew him only very casually, but was VERY impressed with his integrity the few times we met.
Sonya
Here is an announcement from the AMG website:
Beloved Servant to Christian Publishing, Dan Penwell, Goes to Be with the Lord.
Monday, April 19, 2010
AMG Publishers|
Chattanooga, TN
The Christian publishing community has lost a dear servant this past weekend. Dan Penwell passed away at his home Sunday morning at the age of 68, after a long, courageous battle with cancer and other illnesses.
In an illustrious career spanning four decades, Dan served the Christian publishing industry in sales, marketing, acquisitions, and editorial production. Most recently he served as Director of New Products and Acquisitions at AMG Publishers in Chattanooga, Tennessee. During the eight years Dan was editorial director at AMG, the company saw it’s annual production increase to over thirty new titles.
After graduating from Great Lakes Christian College in 1964, Dan married his college sweetheart, Gloria, and went on to get his seminary degree at Lincoln Christian Seminary. His Christian retail career took off while working for Family Christian Stores, where he managed a Family bookstore from 1972–1978. He continued to work for Family as Director of Marketing and Purchasing from 1978–1989.
Dan’s career took a different turn when he accepted the position of Manager of Product Development/Acquisitions for World Bible Publishers (1989–1996). His stint with World led him to a similar position with Hendrickson Publishers (CBD), where he served from 1996–2001.
While at Hendrickson and later at AMG Publishers, Dan became a popular Christian writers conference teacher and mentor. More than half of the people he signed to author agreements during this time came as a result of contacts made at these conferences. Dan never seemed to grow weary of one-on-one appointments with prospective authors and had a remarkable reputation for providing encouragement and help for literally thousands of writers he met all across America—even writers he ultimately turned down. It has been said countless times that no one ever wrote a friendlier and more encouraging rejection letter than Dan Penwell.
While finishing his final year at Hendrickson, Dan was diagnosed with prostate cancer. For nearly a decade, he pressed on in spite of his health struggles. In 2001, Dan joined the team at AMG Publishers at the request of long-time friend and industry colleague, Dale Anderson, AMG’s executive publisher. His veteran leadership provided a welcome an immediate impact upon AMG, as he managed the production of thirty to forty titles a year and traveled to numerous conferences and trade shows. In July 2005, Dan was honored with the Advance Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA) Golden Scroll Award as the Editor of the Year. As 2008 came to a close, Dan announced he was entering semi-retirement. Throughout 2009, in spite of numerous hospitalizations, Dan continued to assist AMG with editorial production while working from home. Also in 2009, CLASSeminars honored Dan for the many years he invested in the lives of aspiring authors by announcing that a full tuition scholarship fund would be established in his name. The Dan Penwell Scholarship is awarded annually to three worthy recipients and pays all or part of their fees to attend the CLASS Christian Writers Conference in New Mexico.
Dan has authored a number of books, including: 101 Things to Do in the Year 2000 (Honor Books), Bible Brain Quest (Workman Publishing), and he co-compiled the massive AMG’s Handi-Reference World Religions encyclopedia.
Dan leaves behind a dear wife of forty-six years, Gloria, and a loving family. He also leaves behind a legacy that will live on in the countless number of lives he touched throughout his storied career in Christian publishing. Dan had a heart for furthering God’s kingdom, and his impact on others will be felt for generations to come.
Sonya
Here is an announcement from the AMG website:
Beloved Servant to Christian Publishing, Dan Penwell, Goes to Be with the Lord.
Monday, April 19, 2010
AMG Publishers|
Chattanooga, TN
The Christian publishing community has lost a dear servant this past weekend. Dan Penwell passed away at his home Sunday morning at the age of 68, after a long, courageous battle with cancer and other illnesses.
In an illustrious career spanning four decades, Dan served the Christian publishing industry in sales, marketing, acquisitions, and editorial production. Most recently he served as Director of New Products and Acquisitions at AMG Publishers in Chattanooga, Tennessee. During the eight years Dan was editorial director at AMG, the company saw it’s annual production increase to over thirty new titles.
After graduating from Great Lakes Christian College in 1964, Dan married his college sweetheart, Gloria, and went on to get his seminary degree at Lincoln Christian Seminary. His Christian retail career took off while working for Family Christian Stores, where he managed a Family bookstore from 1972–1978. He continued to work for Family as Director of Marketing and Purchasing from 1978–1989.
Dan’s career took a different turn when he accepted the position of Manager of Product Development/Acquisitions for World Bible Publishers (1989–1996). His stint with World led him to a similar position with Hendrickson Publishers (CBD), where he served from 1996–2001.
While at Hendrickson and later at AMG Publishers, Dan became a popular Christian writers conference teacher and mentor. More than half of the people he signed to author agreements during this time came as a result of contacts made at these conferences. Dan never seemed to grow weary of one-on-one appointments with prospective authors and had a remarkable reputation for providing encouragement and help for literally thousands of writers he met all across America—even writers he ultimately turned down. It has been said countless times that no one ever wrote a friendlier and more encouraging rejection letter than Dan Penwell.
While finishing his final year at Hendrickson, Dan was diagnosed with prostate cancer. For nearly a decade, he pressed on in spite of his health struggles. In 2001, Dan joined the team at AMG Publishers at the request of long-time friend and industry colleague, Dale Anderson, AMG’s executive publisher. His veteran leadership provided a welcome an immediate impact upon AMG, as he managed the production of thirty to forty titles a year and traveled to numerous conferences and trade shows. In July 2005, Dan was honored with the Advance Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA) Golden Scroll Award as the Editor of the Year. As 2008 came to a close, Dan announced he was entering semi-retirement. Throughout 2009, in spite of numerous hospitalizations, Dan continued to assist AMG with editorial production while working from home. Also in 2009, CLASSeminars honored Dan for the many years he invested in the lives of aspiring authors by announcing that a full tuition scholarship fund would be established in his name. The Dan Penwell Scholarship is awarded annually to three worthy recipients and pays all or part of their fees to attend the CLASS Christian Writers Conference in New Mexico.
Dan has authored a number of books, including: 101 Things to Do in the Year 2000 (Honor Books), Bible Brain Quest (Workman Publishing), and he co-compiled the massive AMG’s Handi-Reference World Religions encyclopedia.
Dan leaves behind a dear wife of forty-six years, Gloria, and a loving family. He also leaves behind a legacy that will live on in the countless number of lives he touched throughout his storied career in Christian publishing. Dan had a heart for furthering God’s kingdom, and his impact on others will be felt for generations to come.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
It's not about SALT. It's about FREEDOM!!
Another side effect of GOVERNMENT health care... If they are "GIVING" you something (such as health care), they ARE going to regulate it. Nothing comes w/out a price. Government regulators will now tell you when and how you can get treated for various ailments, who deserves treatment, and just today, an announcement ...that they will be regulating the amount of salt that goes into food. While I agree that we eat too much salt, it's a FREE country. Freedom means the ability to CHOOSE a healthy lifestyle or NOT choose one. But when someone is GIVING you health care, they WILL expect to be able to tell you how to live, how to eat, how much to exercise, when you can go to the doctor, etc. This is another fine example of big brother at his BIGGEST.
Do I encourage healthy eating?? Of course. But I also exercised regularly until I developed the clotting problem. I don't drink alcohol, take illegal drugs or SMOKE, which is a big one. The single BIGGEST thing the government could do to help people's health in the United States would be to completely ban smoking. While I can see this might be a good idea, again, people should be wise enough to make this decision (or not eat too much salt) without a government regulator at their door!! But you know why they don't do this single biggest thing and just ban smoking to help w/ health care issues??? Because then they would have riots across the whole country, government offices would be destroyed, politicians attacked, etc.
I come from a small country town in Tennessee and even many of my Christian friends there are addicted to cigarettes. Not only does just about everyone there smoke, but kids start smoking in elementary school. No, I'm not kidding!! Many parents even let the kids smoke! If the government were to ban smoking, I think even my mom - in her frail health - would be among those pushing down the doors to the political offices - DEMANDING their cigarettes back.
This is what we need to do. We need to start demanding that the politicians leave us alone and give us back our country. After all, it's not about SALT. It's about FREEDOM.
These politicians are smart. They know where to push and where to back off... at least until later.
But trust me, it WILL come later. This is only the beginning of our loss of freedoms in the area of health care. They WILL regulate how you exercise. Perhaps you'll have to turn in how much you've exercised each week in order to receive medical care... They WILL regulate the food we're allowed to have. They WILL tell you when you can go to the doctor and where. That is socialized medicine. Even if it's not exactly like that in other countries. America is different. Our politicians want to set an example for everyone else and, unfortunately, tends to go overboard. Big Brother WILL get to decide what you will have access to!
Sonya
P.S. If you'd like to read the "salt" article from Reuters, here's the link: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63J0JN20100420
Do I encourage healthy eating?? Of course. But I also exercised regularly until I developed the clotting problem. I don't drink alcohol, take illegal drugs or SMOKE, which is a big one. The single BIGGEST thing the government could do to help people's health in the United States would be to completely ban smoking. While I can see this might be a good idea, again, people should be wise enough to make this decision (or not eat too much salt) without a government regulator at their door!! But you know why they don't do this single biggest thing and just ban smoking to help w/ health care issues??? Because then they would have riots across the whole country, government offices would be destroyed, politicians attacked, etc.
I come from a small country town in Tennessee and even many of my Christian friends there are addicted to cigarettes. Not only does just about everyone there smoke, but kids start smoking in elementary school. No, I'm not kidding!! Many parents even let the kids smoke! If the government were to ban smoking, I think even my mom - in her frail health - would be among those pushing down the doors to the political offices - DEMANDING their cigarettes back.
This is what we need to do. We need to start demanding that the politicians leave us alone and give us back our country. After all, it's not about SALT. It's about FREEDOM.
These politicians are smart. They know where to push and where to back off... at least until later.
But trust me, it WILL come later. This is only the beginning of our loss of freedoms in the area of health care. They WILL regulate how you exercise. Perhaps you'll have to turn in how much you've exercised each week in order to receive medical care... They WILL regulate the food we're allowed to have. They WILL tell you when you can go to the doctor and where. That is socialized medicine. Even if it's not exactly like that in other countries. America is different. Our politicians want to set an example for everyone else and, unfortunately, tends to go overboard. Big Brother WILL get to decide what you will have access to!
Sonya
P.S. If you'd like to read the "salt" article from Reuters, here's the link: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63J0JN20100420
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Great Games for Family Fun
Since most families are struggling financially these days, many are seeking alternative forms of entertainment that won’t cost a fortune. Additionally, it seems that a lot of people are re-evaluating their priorities and realizing that they would like more family time. While there are lots of great activities for family time – going on hikes, riding bikes, passing ball, etc. – one of the best ways to have great family entertainment, save money, and spend time together is to play games. Some people do Family Game Night.
We play games several times per week and on the weekends, we typically spend several hours playing games. ANY family can and should have terrific fun playing games, but as homeschoolers, we count most of our game time toward mandatory school hours. Many of these games are quite educational.
I’ve divided the games into categories for board games, dice games, card games and action games. I’ve also added the games from my previous “game list” so that you’ll have them all in one place. There are also notes about the difficulty of the games, recommended ages, recommended number of players, which skills are necessary to play the games (reading, counting, etc.), etc.
I hope you’ll find the following list useful as you decide which games to play with your family. There are definitely some great suggestions!
Have fun!
Sonya
Dice Games
Yatzhee
Ages 8 and up
For one or more players
Time: time increases depending on how many players. It takes about 10 minutes for one player and add an additional 5 minutes for each player.
Yes, this is the classic we played as kids! It’s still a great game. Younger children can learn to play, but they will need help filling in their score pad. I prefer to wait until the child is a “reader” before letting them play Yatzhee. We do, however, let younger children participate by pairing up with an older player and being the “dice roller.”
Backgammon
Any age, but it’s a complex game – recommended for 8 and up
2 players
This is a strategy game that many people play before transitioning to chess. Daniel (8) says it involves “strategy and luck.” It encourages thinking skills. It’s actually on a “board,” but it’s more of a dice game.
Farkle
Just about any age if player can roll dice and make decisions based on their roll.
Players – two or more (We’ve played with almost a dozen people at a time. You can go up as high as you want.)
Time: depends on the number of players you have.
This is a true dice game. You get scores based on the combination of dice you roll. The tricky part of the game is that you have to make choices (gamble) about whether to KEEP your score or continue rolling and risk losing ALL your points for that round (that’s called a Farkle). This is a very fun game! We especially enjoy it since even the oldest of us enjoy it and even the youngest are able to play it. As a matter of fact, she usually gambles less and ends up beating us!
Card Games
Set
Basically any age could play if they’re able to match cards.
Various numbers of players, most fun with two to three players
This is almost like the old “matching games” for little kids, but it’s a more adult version. The matches are VERY difficult to make. Also, the cards are face UP where you can see them, but you have to match three colors with different shapes, all the same shape and color or all different colors… There are several combinations you can make, but I never play this game well. Our kids almost always find the sets before Chris and I can find them. Christopher (10) says this game is “the funnest game on earth.”
Zigity
Ages 7 and up (need to be able to read)
Best with three to four players
a Cranium game
This is somewhat like Uno, but you have various “activities” to do while you play: Creative Cat, Star Performer, Data Head, and Word Worm. You have to match items on the cards and try to make sets to get rid of all your cards first.
Uno
Ages 7 to adult
2 to 10 players
Time: 15 minutes
I think most everyone has heard of or played Uno at some point in time. This is a classic card game. Younger players can practice identifying numbers and trying to use beginning strategy skills to get rid of all your cards first.
In a Pickle
Ages 10 and up
2 to 6 players
Time: 20 to 30 minutes
Gamewright
Maya Madness
Ages 10 and up
2 to 4 players
Time: about 20 minutes
Gamewright
This is a card game that encourages math skills. My two youngest boys especially enjoy it. Players have to add and subtract the right combination of cards to claim the secret number token. If you’re not careful, you’ll end up in the world of “negative numbers.” You collect tokens to win. (My only caution about this game is that the game is based around “the ancient world of Maya numerology.” This isn’t
Mille Borne
Ages 6 and up (Players need to be able to read.)
2 to 5 players
Time: approx. 15 to 20 minutes
This is a very fun game that involves a lot of luck, but also strategy. Basically, the premise of the game is that you’re “traveling” and the cards tell you what to do. For example, if you have a flat tire or other thing that would stop you, you have to wait for a gasoline card, a “go” card, and a mileage card. The objective of the game is to get to “mille borne” – a “thousand miles.” For families interested in bringing in an educational component, many of the cards use French words and the very basis of the game is centered around stone mile markers used every thousand miles on French roads. Chris and I have had this game since before we had children. We enjoyed playing it alone and then taught the children to play as soon as they could read. It’s a great game.
Ruckus
Ages 7 to adult
2 to 4 players
Time: “less than 4 minutes per hand”
This is a game that involves taking other players’ cards and trying to take matches, but then other players can take those cards back if they have another card to play on the set. It’s a fast paced game that involves luck and paying attention. There are also beginning strategy skills and patience since you have to learn to wait before you take cards.
Rook
Ages 8 and up
2 to 6 players
Time: 15 minutes
This is a great game to practice “strategy” skills. You have to be careful not to bid to high or too low so you have to pay attention to the cards and learn to play it safe.
Dutch Blitz
Ages 8 and up
Two to four players
Time: approx. 5 to 10 minutes per round, but you’ll play several rounds to a pre-set winning point based on how many points each player receives.
Some friends of ours introduced us to this card game a few years ago. It’s a terrific game, although I’ve come away from many games with scrapes and scratches across my hands. It’s a difficult game to describe in writing, but basically your goal is to get as many cards as possible before everyone else gets them. The game is multi-tasking to the extreme and teens/preteens seem to particularly enjoy it.
Hoopla
Adults and teens
Two or more players (more fun with more players than two)
Time: 20 minutes
Board Games
Sorry
Ages 6 to adult
2 to 4 players
Time: 30 minutes
Hasbro
This is another classic from when we were young. This is another game that younger children can play as long as they have a little help reading the cards (which aren’t very difficult). This is a great game to reinforce counting skills in younger children.
Go to the Head of the Class
Ages 7 to adult
2 to 5 players
Time: approx. 45 minutes
Hasbro
This is an older classic and you’d probably have to find it at yard sales or on e-bay. My children love to play this game. This is the kind of thing we would do in lieu of schoolwork. The premise of the game is that you start at “kindergarten” and work your way through each grade level to the head of the class. There are three different levels of
Cadoo
Ages 7 and up
2 or more players
Cranium Game
Blockus
Ages 5 and up
2 to 4 players
Time: 15 minutes
Mattel
I love this game! It’s a strategy game where you try to put down pieces in such an arrangement to block your opponents, but allow yourself an “escape route” so that you can go to other areas of the board. It’s a lot of fun and requires you to think. I enjoy brain games best.
Mancala
Ages 6 and up (Younger could play if they could count well enough.)
Two players
Time: 25 minutes
This is an old game that Chris and I started playing when we were dating. It’s an African stone counting game and it will really test your math skills. Even though it’s a very simple game, it requires strategy and counting.
Apples to Apples, Jr.
Ages 9 and up
Four to ten people
Time: less than 30 minutes
Mattel Games
You play cards with vocabulary words or “concepts” on them and then each player tries to play other cards that are similar to the other card. For example, if one person plays “cloud,” another player might play “storm” or “puddle” for a comparison card. It helps kids learn vocabulary and have fun at the same time.
Apples to Apples
Ages 12 and up
Four to ten players
Time: less than 30 minutes
Mattel Games
This is an “adult” version of the kids Apples to Apples game. I do like the premise of this game – have fun with vocabulary words, but I prefer the younger kids’ version. This edition, even though it’s supposed to be for ages 12 and up, has material that we would consider inappropriate for a 12-yr-old. For example, some vocabulary cards have “sexy,” “sultry,” “AIDS,” etc. That’s just not something we want exposure to when we’re playing a GAME. Even my oldest children prefer the Junior version.
Othello
Ages 8 and up
Two players
Time: 10 or 15 minutes
Chris plays Othello with our children all the time and they love it. I do know it is a strategy game and also encourages math skills. It reminds me of a precursor to chess or something like that, but my children just love it.
Monopoly
Ages 8 to adult
2 to 8 players
Time: 2 days (according to my son! LOL)
Parker Brothers
I’m sure everyone has heard of this family favorite. Monopoly is a terrific game for teaching math skills, taking turns, dealing with stocks and money, buying and selling, and money-related terminology such as stocks, bonds, bank, bankrupt, and mortgage. We love to play Monopoly when time isn’t a factor and we can just sit around for hours and have fun.
Stay Alive
Ages 8 to adult
2 to 4 players
Time: 10 to 15 minutes
I used to play this game when I was a child. It’s a great game. You have to put marbles on a game board that has holes under it. As you pull the sticks on the game board back and forth, marbles MIGHT stay on the board or they might fall through the holes, depending on the placement of your marbles. It is a relatively quick game, but requires a lot of strategy. It’s great fun!
Life
Recommended for ages 8 and up (We play with children as young as five and just read for them.)
2 to 6 players (more fun with more players)
Time: 60 minutes
I remember playing Life when I was a young girl. I LOVED getting as many children as I could. I would fill up my car and then if anyone else didn’t want their children, I would pile their kids in my car as well. The cars seat 6 people - 2 adults and 4 children. I would always put the mom in the driver seat, dad in the passenger seat, then I’d end up with about 8 children in the back. They don’t have seatbelts for Life so inevitably my little plastic children would fall across the board each time I moved my vehicle.
Anyway, this is another great game to practice using math skills. You also have the opportunity to bring up discussions about goals, family, occupations, and how choices affect your real life. Like many of these great board games, let even your youngest family members roll their own dice or (in the case of Life), spin the spinner themselves, count their spaces, etc.
Cranium for Kids
Ages 4 and up
2 to 4 players
Time: 20 minutes
Cranium Games
This is a cooperative game (meaning everyone is playing against the game to open the “treasure chest”). Children pull cards, which then allow them to open doors and you might or might not get a ball behind the doors. Once all six balls are found, you win the game.
Clue
Ages 8 and up
3 to 6 players
Time: 45 minutes
Parker Brothers
Children learn to use skills of discernment while trying to figure out who murdered whom with what weapon. Reading and writing skills are also used in Clue. This was another one of my favorite games when I was a child and my own children enjoy it now. For some reason, this hasn’t received good online ratings in recent years. I wonder if people just don’t have the patience any more to play a game that requires much more mental skill and less physical activity (other than drawing cards and rolling dice). Anyway, we really enjoy it!
Risk
Ages 10 and up
2 to 6 players
Time: 2 hours
This is a very complex game. It’s a war game that involves cards, dice and placing your pieces on the board strategically. Our boys sometimes just play with the board (that’s like a huge map) and the pieces (little soldiers) and make up their own game.
Whoonu
Ages 8 to adult
3 to 6 players
Time: 30 minutes – more if you have a lot of people
The point of this game is to try to guess things about the other people playing the game and win little token chips. You’ll be surprised what you find out about those you think you know best, thus the name “Whoono.” You use cards to identify what you think the other person (who is “it” for that round) likes. For example, when I play, someone might give me a card for books and reading, but someone might also give me a card for “shopping.” That person wouldn’t get any tokens, though, because I would put “shopping” at the BOTTOM of my list! This is a wonderful ice breaker game or a good game to play with people when you just need to renew relationships and learn how to have fun together again.
Scrabble
Ages 10 and up
2 to 4 players
Time: 90 minutes
Even my youngest children enjoy playing Scrabble! Everyone knows you can learn vocabulary by playing this game, but did you know that you can also change the rules and allow dictionary use to encourage spelling skills, vocabulary skills, and reference skills? We also allow foreign words when we play so that also reinforces any foreign language vocabulary that your child may be learning.
Upwards
Ages 6 and up (Players need to know how to read and have the ability to spell.)
2 to 4 players
Time: approx. 30 minutes
This is a very fun spin-off of Scrabble. You put words on the board, just like you do in Scrabble, but then the fun starts. You can CHANGE the words that are already on the board by building UP. For example, if the word “box” is on the board and you have the letters f, e, s, t, q, b, you could change the “b” to an “f” and end up with “fox,” then add the “e” and “s” and end up with “foxes.” Then you could play your “b” in the next round and you’d have “boxes.” It’s a lot of fun. We always keep a dictionary handy so that we can verify spellings. When we play as a family, we also allow foreign words.
Scattegories
Two to four players
Ages 8 and up
Time: 45 minutes
I just love this game. You are given a category (let’s say “kitchen gadgets”) and a letter (S for this example). Then you have to list words in that category, preferably with the given letter (you get points for words that start with other letters, but not as many points. Also, you don’t get ANY points if someone else guesses the same word as you. So I would guess spatula for this example and if no one else got that, then I’d get points.
Cranium
Ages 13 and up (Our younger children play this with no problem. Public votes give recommendations of ages 10 and up.)
4 to 16 players (You can play on teams.)
Time: 60 minutes
This is a hands-on, fun-filled, intellectually stimulating game for older children and adults. It’s meant for ages 12 and up, but we’ve played it with our middle children as well. It’s loads of fun and requires you to use many different skills to create clay sculptures, decide whether a statement is true or false, answer a trivia question, act out a clue, sketch a clue, imitate a famous person, etc.
Cranium Family Fun
Ages 8 to adult
Recommended 4 players teams
Cranium game
This is much like the regular Cranium games, where families build, sketch, sculpt, guess, etc. to get the correct answers.
Trivial Pursuit
Ages 8 and up
Two to four players or teams
Can be very long games – from one to two hours
Hasbro
There are a whole bunch of varieties of this game – including versions for particular years, versions for younger children, games that cover particular topics (like music, art, specific television shows, etc.), and other specialized games. We play the general Trivial Pursuit game, which includes questions on various categories. Players can play individually or break into teams. You try to get all the little wedges for each category before the other players / teams. When you get all the wedges, you win. This is a great game to test facts and knowledge.
Settlers of Catan
Ages 10 and up
3 to 4 players
Time: 50-60 minutes
You collect resource cards and try to “settle” on the board with roads, buildings, settlements, etc. You earn victory points when you make settlements or do some other good thing. If you have larger armies or develop your area better, you get special cards and more points. When you have ten victory points, you win.
Pandemic
Two to four players (We play this as an entire family. You can play with individual players or you can even have some groups. One “team” can have one player while another team has two players. It really doesn’t matter since everyone is fighting against the board.)
Ages 10 plus
Time: 45 minutes
Z-Man Games
Everyone playing the game is trying to keep diseases from rampaging the earth. This is a VERY difficult game and if you don’t like to lose, you shouldn’t play it. Christopher (10) says it’s “the hardest game on earth.” We’ve played numerous times and we’ve only beat the game one time so far! And you can play repeatedly because you have different diseases attacking different areas at different times so it’s always a new challenge.
Ticket to Ride
Ages 8 and up
2 to 5 players
Time: 30 to 60 minutes
You are supposed to get points by building train routes. We haven’t been incredibly impressed with this game.
Checkers
2 players
Even young children can play
Chinese Checkers
This is a lot like regular checkers, except that you have a board with holes and you play with marbles.
Action Games
Hullabaloo
Ages 4 and up
2 to 6 players, but it can be played with ONLY ONE
Time: 10 minutes
This fun action game is meant for younger players. Our children have most enjoyed this game between ages four and ten, but older children enjoy playing sometimes, too. Players have to wiggle, dance, hop, step, etc. to a colored pad. Players can share pads and while they are learning to share, there is also an element of cooperative play. Colors, shapes, and names of animals, foods, and musical instruments are reinforced during this action-filled game. I like the fact that children can play this game with friends, siblings or even alone!
Twister
Ages 6 and up
2 to 4 players (more fun with three or four!)
Time: ten minutes
This is an easy game most of you are probably familiar with. There is a mat on the floor with various colored dots. You choose a person to be in charge of the spinner – who does not play the game – and they will tell you where to put your hands and feet. As you try to find a place to put your hands and feet, you become tangled with the other players. It’s a great game for families.
We play games several times per week and on the weekends, we typically spend several hours playing games. ANY family can and should have terrific fun playing games, but as homeschoolers, we count most of our game time toward mandatory school hours. Many of these games are quite educational.
I’ve divided the games into categories for board games, dice games, card games and action games. I’ve also added the games from my previous “game list” so that you’ll have them all in one place. There are also notes about the difficulty of the games, recommended ages, recommended number of players, which skills are necessary to play the games (reading, counting, etc.), etc.
I hope you’ll find the following list useful as you decide which games to play with your family. There are definitely some great suggestions!
Have fun!
Sonya
Dice Games
Yatzhee
Ages 8 and up
For one or more players
Time: time increases depending on how many players. It takes about 10 minutes for one player and add an additional 5 minutes for each player.
Yes, this is the classic we played as kids! It’s still a great game. Younger children can learn to play, but they will need help filling in their score pad. I prefer to wait until the child is a “reader” before letting them play Yatzhee. We do, however, let younger children participate by pairing up with an older player and being the “dice roller.”
Backgammon
Any age, but it’s a complex game – recommended for 8 and up
2 players
This is a strategy game that many people play before transitioning to chess. Daniel (8) says it involves “strategy and luck.” It encourages thinking skills. It’s actually on a “board,” but it’s more of a dice game.
Farkle
Just about any age if player can roll dice and make decisions based on their roll.
Players – two or more (We’ve played with almost a dozen people at a time. You can go up as high as you want.)
Time: depends on the number of players you have.
This is a true dice game. You get scores based on the combination of dice you roll. The tricky part of the game is that you have to make choices (gamble) about whether to KEEP your score or continue rolling and risk losing ALL your points for that round (that’s called a Farkle). This is a very fun game! We especially enjoy it since even the oldest of us enjoy it and even the youngest are able to play it. As a matter of fact, she usually gambles less and ends up beating us!
Card Games
Set
Basically any age could play if they’re able to match cards.
Various numbers of players, most fun with two to three players
This is almost like the old “matching games” for little kids, but it’s a more adult version. The matches are VERY difficult to make. Also, the cards are face UP where you can see them, but you have to match three colors with different shapes, all the same shape and color or all different colors… There are several combinations you can make, but I never play this game well. Our kids almost always find the sets before Chris and I can find them. Christopher (10) says this game is “the funnest game on earth.”
Zigity
Ages 7 and up (need to be able to read)
Best with three to four players
a Cranium game
This is somewhat like Uno, but you have various “activities” to do while you play: Creative Cat, Star Performer, Data Head, and Word Worm. You have to match items on the cards and try to make sets to get rid of all your cards first.
Uno
Ages 7 to adult
2 to 10 players
Time: 15 minutes
I think most everyone has heard of or played Uno at some point in time. This is a classic card game. Younger players can practice identifying numbers and trying to use beginning strategy skills to get rid of all your cards first.
In a Pickle
Ages 10 and up
2 to 6 players
Time: 20 to 30 minutes
Gamewright
Maya Madness
Ages 10 and up
2 to 4 players
Time: about 20 minutes
Gamewright
This is a card game that encourages math skills. My two youngest boys especially enjoy it. Players have to add and subtract the right combination of cards to claim the secret number token. If you’re not careful, you’ll end up in the world of “negative numbers.” You collect tokens to win. (My only caution about this game is that the game is based around “the ancient world of Maya numerology.” This isn’t
Mille Borne
Ages 6 and up (Players need to be able to read.)
2 to 5 players
Time: approx. 15 to 20 minutes
This is a very fun game that involves a lot of luck, but also strategy. Basically, the premise of the game is that you’re “traveling” and the cards tell you what to do. For example, if you have a flat tire or other thing that would stop you, you have to wait for a gasoline card, a “go” card, and a mileage card. The objective of the game is to get to “mille borne” – a “thousand miles.” For families interested in bringing in an educational component, many of the cards use French words and the very basis of the game is centered around stone mile markers used every thousand miles on French roads. Chris and I have had this game since before we had children. We enjoyed playing it alone and then taught the children to play as soon as they could read. It’s a great game.
Ruckus
Ages 7 to adult
2 to 4 players
Time: “less than 4 minutes per hand”
This is a game that involves taking other players’ cards and trying to take matches, but then other players can take those cards back if they have another card to play on the set. It’s a fast paced game that involves luck and paying attention. There are also beginning strategy skills and patience since you have to learn to wait before you take cards.
Rook
Ages 8 and up
2 to 6 players
Time: 15 minutes
This is a great game to practice “strategy” skills. You have to be careful not to bid to high or too low so you have to pay attention to the cards and learn to play it safe.
Dutch Blitz
Ages 8 and up
Two to four players
Time: approx. 5 to 10 minutes per round, but you’ll play several rounds to a pre-set winning point based on how many points each player receives.
Some friends of ours introduced us to this card game a few years ago. It’s a terrific game, although I’ve come away from many games with scrapes and scratches across my hands. It’s a difficult game to describe in writing, but basically your goal is to get as many cards as possible before everyone else gets them. The game is multi-tasking to the extreme and teens/preteens seem to particularly enjoy it.
Hoopla
Adults and teens
Two or more players (more fun with more players than two)
Time: 20 minutes
Board Games
Sorry
Ages 6 to adult
2 to 4 players
Time: 30 minutes
Hasbro
This is another classic from when we were young. This is another game that younger children can play as long as they have a little help reading the cards (which aren’t very difficult). This is a great game to reinforce counting skills in younger children.
Go to the Head of the Class
Ages 7 to adult
2 to 5 players
Time: approx. 45 minutes
Hasbro
This is an older classic and you’d probably have to find it at yard sales or on e-bay. My children love to play this game. This is the kind of thing we would do in lieu of schoolwork. The premise of the game is that you start at “kindergarten” and work your way through each grade level to the head of the class. There are three different levels of
Cadoo
Ages 7 and up
2 or more players
Cranium Game
Blockus
Ages 5 and up
2 to 4 players
Time: 15 minutes
Mattel
I love this game! It’s a strategy game where you try to put down pieces in such an arrangement to block your opponents, but allow yourself an “escape route” so that you can go to other areas of the board. It’s a lot of fun and requires you to think. I enjoy brain games best.
Mancala
Ages 6 and up (Younger could play if they could count well enough.)
Two players
Time: 25 minutes
This is an old game that Chris and I started playing when we were dating. It’s an African stone counting game and it will really test your math skills. Even though it’s a very simple game, it requires strategy and counting.
Apples to Apples, Jr.
Ages 9 and up
Four to ten people
Time: less than 30 minutes
Mattel Games
You play cards with vocabulary words or “concepts” on them and then each player tries to play other cards that are similar to the other card. For example, if one person plays “cloud,” another player might play “storm” or “puddle” for a comparison card. It helps kids learn vocabulary and have fun at the same time.
Apples to Apples
Ages 12 and up
Four to ten players
Time: less than 30 minutes
Mattel Games
This is an “adult” version of the kids Apples to Apples game. I do like the premise of this game – have fun with vocabulary words, but I prefer the younger kids’ version. This edition, even though it’s supposed to be for ages 12 and up, has material that we would consider inappropriate for a 12-yr-old. For example, some vocabulary cards have “sexy,” “sultry,” “AIDS,” etc. That’s just not something we want exposure to when we’re playing a GAME. Even my oldest children prefer the Junior version.
Othello
Ages 8 and up
Two players
Time: 10 or 15 minutes
Chris plays Othello with our children all the time and they love it. I do know it is a strategy game and also encourages math skills. It reminds me of a precursor to chess or something like that, but my children just love it.
Monopoly
Ages 8 to adult
2 to 8 players
Time: 2 days (according to my son! LOL)
Parker Brothers
I’m sure everyone has heard of this family favorite. Monopoly is a terrific game for teaching math skills, taking turns, dealing with stocks and money, buying and selling, and money-related terminology such as stocks, bonds, bank, bankrupt, and mortgage. We love to play Monopoly when time isn’t a factor and we can just sit around for hours and have fun.
Stay Alive
Ages 8 to adult
2 to 4 players
Time: 10 to 15 minutes
I used to play this game when I was a child. It’s a great game. You have to put marbles on a game board that has holes under it. As you pull the sticks on the game board back and forth, marbles MIGHT stay on the board or they might fall through the holes, depending on the placement of your marbles. It is a relatively quick game, but requires a lot of strategy. It’s great fun!
Life
Recommended for ages 8 and up (We play with children as young as five and just read for them.)
2 to 6 players (more fun with more players)
Time: 60 minutes
I remember playing Life when I was a young girl. I LOVED getting as many children as I could. I would fill up my car and then if anyone else didn’t want their children, I would pile their kids in my car as well. The cars seat 6 people - 2 adults and 4 children. I would always put the mom in the driver seat, dad in the passenger seat, then I’d end up with about 8 children in the back. They don’t have seatbelts for Life so inevitably my little plastic children would fall across the board each time I moved my vehicle.
Anyway, this is another great game to practice using math skills. You also have the opportunity to bring up discussions about goals, family, occupations, and how choices affect your real life. Like many of these great board games, let even your youngest family members roll their own dice or (in the case of Life), spin the spinner themselves, count their spaces, etc.
Cranium for Kids
Ages 4 and up
2 to 4 players
Time: 20 minutes
Cranium Games
This is a cooperative game (meaning everyone is playing against the game to open the “treasure chest”). Children pull cards, which then allow them to open doors and you might or might not get a ball behind the doors. Once all six balls are found, you win the game.
Clue
Ages 8 and up
3 to 6 players
Time: 45 minutes
Parker Brothers
Children learn to use skills of discernment while trying to figure out who murdered whom with what weapon. Reading and writing skills are also used in Clue. This was another one of my favorite games when I was a child and my own children enjoy it now. For some reason, this hasn’t received good online ratings in recent years. I wonder if people just don’t have the patience any more to play a game that requires much more mental skill and less physical activity (other than drawing cards and rolling dice). Anyway, we really enjoy it!
Risk
Ages 10 and up
2 to 6 players
Time: 2 hours
This is a very complex game. It’s a war game that involves cards, dice and placing your pieces on the board strategically. Our boys sometimes just play with the board (that’s like a huge map) and the pieces (little soldiers) and make up their own game.
Whoonu
Ages 8 to adult
3 to 6 players
Time: 30 minutes – more if you have a lot of people
The point of this game is to try to guess things about the other people playing the game and win little token chips. You’ll be surprised what you find out about those you think you know best, thus the name “Whoono.” You use cards to identify what you think the other person (who is “it” for that round) likes. For example, when I play, someone might give me a card for books and reading, but someone might also give me a card for “shopping.” That person wouldn’t get any tokens, though, because I would put “shopping” at the BOTTOM of my list! This is a wonderful ice breaker game or a good game to play with people when you just need to renew relationships and learn how to have fun together again.
Scrabble
Ages 10 and up
2 to 4 players
Time: 90 minutes
Even my youngest children enjoy playing Scrabble! Everyone knows you can learn vocabulary by playing this game, but did you know that you can also change the rules and allow dictionary use to encourage spelling skills, vocabulary skills, and reference skills? We also allow foreign words when we play so that also reinforces any foreign language vocabulary that your child may be learning.
Upwards
Ages 6 and up (Players need to know how to read and have the ability to spell.)
2 to 4 players
Time: approx. 30 minutes
This is a very fun spin-off of Scrabble. You put words on the board, just like you do in Scrabble, but then the fun starts. You can CHANGE the words that are already on the board by building UP. For example, if the word “box” is on the board and you have the letters f, e, s, t, q, b, you could change the “b” to an “f” and end up with “fox,” then add the “e” and “s” and end up with “foxes.” Then you could play your “b” in the next round and you’d have “boxes.” It’s a lot of fun. We always keep a dictionary handy so that we can verify spellings. When we play as a family, we also allow foreign words.
Scattegories
Two to four players
Ages 8 and up
Time: 45 minutes
I just love this game. You are given a category (let’s say “kitchen gadgets”) and a letter (S for this example). Then you have to list words in that category, preferably with the given letter (you get points for words that start with other letters, but not as many points. Also, you don’t get ANY points if someone else guesses the same word as you. So I would guess spatula for this example and if no one else got that, then I’d get points.
Cranium
Ages 13 and up (Our younger children play this with no problem. Public votes give recommendations of ages 10 and up.)
4 to 16 players (You can play on teams.)
Time: 60 minutes
This is a hands-on, fun-filled, intellectually stimulating game for older children and adults. It’s meant for ages 12 and up, but we’ve played it with our middle children as well. It’s loads of fun and requires you to use many different skills to create clay sculptures, decide whether a statement is true or false, answer a trivia question, act out a clue, sketch a clue, imitate a famous person, etc.
Cranium Family Fun
Ages 8 to adult
Recommended 4 players teams
Cranium game
This is much like the regular Cranium games, where families build, sketch, sculpt, guess, etc. to get the correct answers.
Trivial Pursuit
Ages 8 and up
Two to four players or teams
Can be very long games – from one to two hours
Hasbro
There are a whole bunch of varieties of this game – including versions for particular years, versions for younger children, games that cover particular topics (like music, art, specific television shows, etc.), and other specialized games. We play the general Trivial Pursuit game, which includes questions on various categories. Players can play individually or break into teams. You try to get all the little wedges for each category before the other players / teams. When you get all the wedges, you win. This is a great game to test facts and knowledge.
Settlers of Catan
Ages 10 and up
3 to 4 players
Time: 50-60 minutes
You collect resource cards and try to “settle” on the board with roads, buildings, settlements, etc. You earn victory points when you make settlements or do some other good thing. If you have larger armies or develop your area better, you get special cards and more points. When you have ten victory points, you win.
Pandemic
Two to four players (We play this as an entire family. You can play with individual players or you can even have some groups. One “team” can have one player while another team has two players. It really doesn’t matter since everyone is fighting against the board.)
Ages 10 plus
Time: 45 minutes
Z-Man Games
Everyone playing the game is trying to keep diseases from rampaging the earth. This is a VERY difficult game and if you don’t like to lose, you shouldn’t play it. Christopher (10) says it’s “the hardest game on earth.” We’ve played numerous times and we’ve only beat the game one time so far! And you can play repeatedly because you have different diseases attacking different areas at different times so it’s always a new challenge.
Ticket to Ride
Ages 8 and up
2 to 5 players
Time: 30 to 60 minutes
You are supposed to get points by building train routes. We haven’t been incredibly impressed with this game.
Checkers
2 players
Even young children can play
Chinese Checkers
This is a lot like regular checkers, except that you have a board with holes and you play with marbles.
Action Games
Hullabaloo
Ages 4 and up
2 to 6 players, but it can be played with ONLY ONE
Time: 10 minutes
This fun action game is meant for younger players. Our children have most enjoyed this game between ages four and ten, but older children enjoy playing sometimes, too. Players have to wiggle, dance, hop, step, etc. to a colored pad. Players can share pads and while they are learning to share, there is also an element of cooperative play. Colors, shapes, and names of animals, foods, and musical instruments are reinforced during this action-filled game. I like the fact that children can play this game with friends, siblings or even alone!
Twister
Ages 6 and up
2 to 4 players (more fun with three or four!)
Time: ten minutes
This is an easy game most of you are probably familiar with. There is a mat on the floor with various colored dots. You choose a person to be in charge of the spinner – who does not play the game – and they will tell you where to put your hands and feet. As you try to find a place to put your hands and feet, you become tangled with the other players. It’s a great game for families.
The Bilderberg Group
"The Bilderberg Group, Bilderberg conference, or Bilderberg Club is an annual, unofficial, invitation-only conference of around 130 guests, most of whom are persons of influence in the fields of politics, banking, business, the military and media. Each conference is closed to the public and the press." (From Wikipedia)
This group has met every year since 1954.
Is it a coincidence that our textbooks started using REVISIONIST history a few years later???
Is it a coincidence that the Civil Rights Movements took place several years later???
Is it a coincidence that our Constitutional Rights have been eroded, freedoms revoked and nationality destroyed since the first Bilderberg Group meeting????
Well, perhaps. But considering the fact that these are some of the most liberal people in the world who attend the meeting. AND considering the fact that some of the members have openly stated that they are seeking an era of "post-nationalism," when humans can come together as the "race of humankind" or the "children of the earth," then well... no, I'd say it's not a coincidence. I'd say it's all part of a greater plan.
And this plan is much more sinister than Hitler's of Nazi Germany because this plan doesn't involve turning the citizens or children of Germany into little soldiers to promote the Arian race. Nope.
I believe THIS group plans to force everyone into a one world government where we do not pledge allegiance to our country or where we do not worship God with our individual religions or where we do not enjoy and celebrate our differences with something as simple as being a MALE or a FEMALE. They would prefer that we all commit to ONE WORLD, ONE MANKIND, ONE GENDER, ONE GOD (the "no" god concept), etc.
Now, does all THAT sound familiar????
It's something to think about!
Sonya Haskins, author of Homeschooling for the Rest of Us
This group has met every year since 1954.
Is it a coincidence that our textbooks started using REVISIONIST history a few years later???
Is it a coincidence that the Civil Rights Movements took place several years later???
Is it a coincidence that our Constitutional Rights have been eroded, freedoms revoked and nationality destroyed since the first Bilderberg Group meeting????
Well, perhaps. But considering the fact that these are some of the most liberal people in the world who attend the meeting. AND considering the fact that some of the members have openly stated that they are seeking an era of "post-nationalism," when humans can come together as the "race of humankind" or the "children of the earth," then well... no, I'd say it's not a coincidence. I'd say it's all part of a greater plan.
And this plan is much more sinister than Hitler's of Nazi Germany because this plan doesn't involve turning the citizens or children of Germany into little soldiers to promote the Arian race. Nope.
I believe THIS group plans to force everyone into a one world government where we do not pledge allegiance to our country or where we do not worship God with our individual religions or where we do not enjoy and celebrate our differences with something as simple as being a MALE or a FEMALE. They would prefer that we all commit to ONE WORLD, ONE MANKIND, ONE GENDER, ONE GOD (the "no" god concept), etc.
Now, does all THAT sound familiar????
It's something to think about!
Sonya Haskins, author of Homeschooling for the Rest of Us
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Math formulas to determine area
We were trying to figure out how to determine the area of something yesterday and I found the following websites. I am sure there are others that have formulas for areas, but these pretty much give you all the information you need. I like the second link a little better, but if you simply need to PRINT out the formulas, the first one will work.
Here is website that has the formulas for how to determine area for various shapes - triangles, circle, etc.. This one is very basic.
http://www.math.com/tables/geometry/areas.htm
This one has the same formulas, but goes into a little more description on how to actually USE the formula information. I like that and it's helpful for students who haven't done a lot of geometry.
http://www.onlinemathlearning.com/area-formula.html
Sonya
Here is website that has the formulas for how to determine area for various shapes - triangles, circle, etc.. This one is very basic.
http://www.math.com/tables/geometry/areas.htm
This one has the same formulas, but goes into a little more description on how to actually USE the formula information. I like that and it's helpful for students who haven't done a lot of geometry.
http://www.onlinemathlearning.com/area-formula.html
Sonya
Oppose Obama's Cap and Trade Plan
Obama: "Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket... whatever the industry was, uh, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers."
Say NO to "climate tax"!!! Speak out!!!!
Watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlTxGHn4sH4
We keep our heat turned down and freeze all winter because we already can't afford a high heat bill AND because we're responsible ON OUR OWN - without government interference.
Our house gets so hot in the summer that two years ago our computer motherboard actually MELTED!!! We can't afford a high air conditioning bill and we're responsible ON OUR OWN - without government interference.
Obama has lost his mind! Please help me oppose new taxes - even if they're "hidden taxes." Watch the You Tube interview with Obama above. It's only one minute long.
Speak up. Tell your legislators that you oppose these hidden taxes that will - once again - serve a special interest group and harm the REST OF US.
Sonya Haskins, author of Homeschooling for the Rest of Us
Say NO to "climate tax"!!! Speak out!!!!
Watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlTxGHn4sH4
We keep our heat turned down and freeze all winter because we already can't afford a high heat bill AND because we're responsible ON OUR OWN - without government interference.
Our house gets so hot in the summer that two years ago our computer motherboard actually MELTED!!! We can't afford a high air conditioning bill and we're responsible ON OUR OWN - without government interference.
Obama has lost his mind! Please help me oppose new taxes - even if they're "hidden taxes." Watch the You Tube interview with Obama above. It's only one minute long.
Speak up. Tell your legislators that you oppose these hidden taxes that will - once again - serve a special interest group and harm the REST OF US.
Sonya Haskins, author of Homeschooling for the Rest of Us
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