here's an idea for real life learning... you know-to prepare them for the real world! so, they know how to function and not just turn 18 and wander around in circles... like so many nay-sayers warn us against!

how about this...

use a grocery store sale flyer for the day! here's what i did on several occasions:

-add up any 10 items on the sale flyer

-alphabetize the items

-if a loaf of bread is buy 2 get 1 free and the price is $3.25 over all... how much is each individual loaf?

what if you had a coupon for .50 cents off and the store doubled your coupon? what would the final price be on the bread?

look on the bag of bread... where was it made?

look on the bag of bread... read the ingredients.

find a vitamin and research it.

find a mineral and research it.

plan a meal using the flyer. include the basic food groups. how much would this cost you overall? what if four people were eating your dinner... how much a person would this cost you?

make a grocery list.

alphabetize the spices in the cupboard.

when finished... mix up some glue and water (decoupage) and for art, your children could try their hand at decoupaging -using the sale flyer! they could cover a manila file folder, to hold coupons, a tin can with holes poked in it as a quirky candle holder or pencil holder, cover a clipboard, or small notebook for grocery lists!

the list of ideas could go on forever, depending the ages of your children. the really great thing is, multiple ages could work on this together! you just need to sit down and type out your "grocery store flyer scavenger hunt!" be sure to read my comments below... because i've been getting really nice ideas from viewers... which by the way, thank-you!