“For me, civic education is the key to inspiring kids to want to stay involved in making a difference.” – Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, U.S. Supreme Court Civic engagement and education have always been important, and never more so than right now. Election season is prime time to engage your kiddos in political discussions and […]
Jesse Owens For The Win
Children are naturally curious and look for examples to make sense of their world. And right now our world is rife with the endless fight for equality. Conversations about racism, unjust laws, and discrimination may be messy, full of missteps, and hard honesty, but they are essential. To borrow a smart assertion about talking to […]
Activities for the Great Outdoors (or the Backyard)
We must teach our children to smell the earth, to taste the rain, to touch the wind, to see things grow, to hear the sun rise and night fall—to care. ~ John Cleal If you’re looking for a way to get energy out, foster independence, encourage exercise, limit screen time, calm behaviors, and get stress […]
Incorporating Honest History in your Morning Baskets or Unit Studies
Editor’s Note: every so often, we hand-select someone to write a blog post for us. Since everyone is currently homeschooling in some form or another, we thought it’d be a perfect time to select someone who homeschools full-time and offer some tips and tricks for using Honest History in your curriculum. This piece is by […]
Embracing + Raising Creative Thinkers
So many of the brave, smart, historical people we profile in Honest History are exceptional in their own right, but it’s easy to imagine they all have one characteristic in common: creative thinking. Which is also to say an acute ability for problem solving, curiosity, hard work, inventiveness, adaptiveness. So, not just the form of […]
A Few Thoughts On Distance Learning (And What Is Working For Us)
First, a check in. How are you faring at home? A quick update on us, and our operations: We are diligently working behind the scenes to stay up and running, while also considering what we can provide you during this time. Stay tuned for updates from us on Instagram as we share ideas and resources […]
Aquatic Exploration + Issue Seven
First, we need to quickly pause to acknowledge our current state of affairs, in which many of us are homebound, for the foreseeable future, for collective health and safety (thank you to all those on the frontlines!). Know we will still be here offering you educational content that you will be able to put into […]
Easy Ways To Encourage Lifelong Readers
I don’t doubt that you can easily rattle off a few favorite book titles from your childhood, and what the words, characters, and adventures meant to you while growing up. And the joy is not lost on me that I now am able to revisit these long-lost friends through the eye of my children. Books […]
Using February’s Holidays To Teach Kindness + Compassion In Children
February is Black History Month, which is very worth a mini-lesson for your children, as it’s a month that we celebrate the achievements and history of African Americans. A bit of history (per National Geographic Kids): “In 1915, in response to the lack of information on the accomplishments of black people available to the public, […]
On Playtime Outside—Yes, Even When It’s Cold
For many of us riding out January, it’s cold. And wet and gray. And thus very tempting to stay snuggled inside until the spring sun shines again. However, we are here to encourage you to face the elements and head outdoors with your children. With a little patience (yes, boots, mittens and hats) and fortitude […]
Setting Intentions + Goals For The New Year (Kids Included!)
How was your January 1st, the first day of the new decade? Perhaps it was extraordinary, perhaps it was completely ordinary? Perhaps there was quite a bit of expectation wound up into one day when, really, your big plans, hopes and dreams can take hold at any time. Yes, this is about New Year’s resolutions, […]
A Brief Hello + Some Thoughts On The Holiday Hustle
Hello! I’m Brooke Klauer, not to be confused with Brooke Knight, fearless co-founder and editor-in-chief of Honest History (though we both agree that two Brookes are better than one). Mine is the voice you’ll hear in this blog as we have big plans to offer more thoughtful, creative, smart advice and information—all the things you’ve […]