Homeschooling and distracting the tiny ones.

We lean very heavily unschooling. This doesn't mean we don't do "schoolwork", but instead that we do "schoolwork" my son is REALLY passionate about. 

My oldest is 7, and he is a wonderful, passionate, focused, loving, dramatic child. The issue is when you put his passion and his focus together (usually when he's pinning and categorizing his insects) he canNOT handle people interrupting his "flow". I get this. No, really little dude I feel you completely! 

So my "job" (besides helping when he asks for it) when he is focusing is finding new and inventive ways to distract his little brothers (4 and 2). We are currently amidst a screen free month (and while Daniel Tiger is awesome he really didn't hold a candle to how interesting ACTUAL INSECTS ARE!) 

So these are a couple methods we've used as distraction this last week. (Keep in mind I am the world's cheapest homeschooler so these are all pretty budget friendly) 

Rainbow dyed beans (http://www.funathomewithkids.com/2014/02/how-to-color-beans-for-play-and-art.html):

I had the kids help me make them. 

Then made sensory trays

We used the remains of the rainbow beans (there was a water incident) and the undyed ones to make glow-in-the-dark find it bags (presented here in light to actually see them), the snakes/lizards in the rainbow bag glow and there are glow beads in the other.

Food colored water, eye droppers, and cotton balls made a pretty fun color mixing activity. This actually amused them for a good 10 minutes before anyone tried to drink the waters or disassemble the eye droppers. I say that's a success!