Never let your schooling interrupt your education.

Giveaway: Curriculum Package from Oak Meadow

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This giveaway has ended. Check back on Saturday, December 4 for the winner!

Welcome to Simple Living Media’s Home for the Holidays! We’ve got 25 giveaways across the entire network this week to give you plenty of chances to win a great gift, just in time for the holidays.

Today I’m giving away a complete curriculum package (valued at over $300) from Oak Meadow Curriculum and School. Oak Meadow has offered innovative, creative, and independent learning materials for homeschooling families around the world for over 35 years.

I wasn’t actively looking for a new curriculum for our family, but back in the summer when I had the chance to review Oak Meadow’s First Grade Program I truly felt drawn to their approach.

For today’s giveaway Oak Meadow generously sent me their Kindergarten program to review, and I’ve been using it with my kids for five weeks now. It meets a real need that I didn’t even realize was lacking in our homeschool–the need for creativity.

Learn more about Oak Meadow and how to win.

Oak Meadow’s Kindergarten package includes the Kindergarten syllabus, a book of Kindergarten Fairy Tales, and the First Book of Crafts. The syllabus is broken down into 36 weeks and offers a plethora of activity suggestions covering a range of subjects: circle time, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, music & movement, and crafts.

I love its ease of use–at the end of the week I just read through the syllabus, mark down which activities I want to do, and we’re ready to go the following Monday.

The best word I can think of to describe my family’s experience with Oak Meadow is FUN! The arts and crafts, an integral part of the program during the early years, are simple to complete and use easy-to-find supplies.

I also appreciate the gentle introduction to academic learning within the Oak Meadow programs. They respect the natural development of a child and don’t rush straight into boring worksheets. Instead, the child’s spirit of curiosity is kindled and ignited.

In what other curriculum do you get to make A’s out of bread dough during your school day?

Oak Meadow offers complete curriculum packages from PreK through 12th Grade, which you can purchase and use at home with your children. They also offer an enrollment option in their accredited distance learning school. This allows students to receive full academic credit and transcripts for their work at home–as well as the support of an experienced teacher.

I loved reading through Oak Meadow’s educational philosophy, which centers around meeting academic standards, involving the whole child, supporting a child’s natural development, adapting to each child’s unique learning style, and creating a caring, supportive relationship.

From a personal standpoint, I feel grateful to have discovered Oak Meadow. From a professional standpoint, I believe many of you would also find their imaginative, holistic approach a positive addition to your home.

One Simple Homeschool reader will win a complete Oak Meadow grade level package of your choice, including all curriculum materials and readers (excluding the craft kit)!

How to win

Everyone has two chances to win. Here’s how:

1. Comment on this post, answering this question: Does bringing creativity into your family’s life come naturally to you, or do you have to work at it?

2. For an extra entry, “like” Oak Meadow and Simple Homeschool on Facebook. — you can use the provided buttons below. Then leave an additional comment letting me know you’ve done so.

Oak Meadow:

Simple Homeschool:

This giveaway will end tonight, Wednesday, December 1 at 11:59 p.m. I hope you win! We’ll announce the winners of all the holiday giveaways at the end of the week.

Enter today’s other Home for the Holidays giveaways:

About Jamie C. Martin

Jamie is an introverted mom of three, who loves books, tea, and people (not always in that order), and avoids answering the phone when possible. She co-founded SimpleHomeschool.net in 2010 and began IntrovertedMoms.com in 2020.

Jamie is the author of four books, including Give Your Child the World (reached #9 on Amazon's Top 100 Best Sellers list), and her latest release, Introverted Mom (an ECPA bestseller). Her work has been featured by LeVar Burton of Reading Rainbow, the Washington Post, Parents, Today Parenting, and Psychology Today.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  6. Kelly

    For me it varies day to day. Somedays I can come up with something crafty out of nowhere. Other days I struggle to find the simplest crafty thing too do.
    Kelly’s latest post: Dear Santa

  12. Cassie C.

    I really struggle coming up with creative stuff for my kids. I definitely have to work much harder at it than I would like.

  13. Kim

    I definitely have to work at bringing creativity into my kids’ lives. I am starting to figure out how to do it for myself, but am always apprehensive of the mess that comes with kids being creative 🙂
    Kim’s latest post: 363- It’s Bokeh

  16. Alina B.

    I liked both on Facebook. I have to look up ways to be creative in books and on the web, but once I have an idea I can be creative from there.

  18. Alethea

    I find as the kids get older bringing creative activities into the home are becoming harder and harder, because of ambition. It used to be really easy when I was homeschooling 1 child, 5 almost 6 years ago, but now that I am homeschooling 2 that are 5 years apart, finding creative activities that will suit both children is hard.

  19. amber!

    Creativity in my son’s life is huge. We do have to work at it, but the work is a sort of blocking out time to just BE. Time to draw or mold or paint (or read or play or other inspiring fun kid stuff).

  23. Tara

    Both my husband & I lean on the creative side, but with any gift–your always growing & being challenged!

  24. Carmen

    My 9 year old son is a very hands on/creative learner. He has Down Syndrome and learns much better when he can create. I am fairly creative, but I sometimes struggle to keep it exciting and not to let monotony settle in . And that’s a big part of the reason I decided to homeschool!

  26. Serena

    We don’t really have to work at it. It seems like all of us would rather do creative stuff than anything else.

  27. Laura

    I would like to think that being creative is natural in our family but we seem to run out of time during the day to do the “fun” learning activities. My curriculum is more worksheet based and by the time we are done with that, the creative juices have dried up! This is a curriculum worth exploring! Thanks!

  30. Torey

    I think I have to work at it. . . I signed my daughter up for art lessons b/c I just couldn’t think of what to do for our homeschool art. The kids seem to come up with creative ideas on their own (thank goodness); yesterday they took Trader Joe’s bags and cut out faces so they could turn them into masks.

  31. Dena

    I don’t think our life is very creative. It’s systematic and practical and basically predictable but not really creative. I guess that’s something I’ll have to work on. This would be great to win. I think it would help!

  34. nancy

    I am definitely not a natural, although reading and the internet have made it easier to do things 🙂
    I would love to win this curriculum looks great!

    Thanks!

  35. Jennifer

    Somehow, creative pursuits are just built into the way we function as a family– what a blessing to educate our children at home and enjoy these experiences together!

  36. susan

    I believe that I am creative at heart! my children are very creative as well. my oldest (5) attend the waldorf school of san diego last year and we all loved it so much! however, the cost of school put us in the negative and we were not able to return. I have been researching Oak meadow and has a friend who uses it with her son and loves it ! we would love to have the chance to win !
    with love and light
    susan

  38. Pam in Missouri

    My kids are always pushing me to let them do creative projects. I love what they come up with but I cringe at the mess that can be left in the wake of a great project. I’m working on relaxing about that. It all washes up so I just need to take a chill pill! 🙂

  42. Marina

    I’ve always been very creative. Unfortunately, I’m having trouble getting my little one to like it. I think I need to try new things!!!
    I’ve been looking and loving and wishing for this curriculum lately!!!
    I really hope we win!!!!! It would definitely help us find our rhythm.
    Thanks for this amazing opportunity!!!!

  45. Kim

    Sometimes it comes easy sometimes we have to work at it. I wish we had more time to do extra activities at home.

  54. Angela

    To be honest, my creative juices use to flow when my older three were little, now it takes more work, but I do enjoy creating with my kiddos!

  58. Sara

    Creativity is definitely something i have to work at in our homeschooling. I would love to try this curriculum with my son!

  63. Lannette

    Sometimes I’m creative, but It gets a little difficult when working with all of my kids, and my youngest happens to be starting kindergarten next semester! This looks like a fun curriculum.

  66. Cari

    For me it depends on the area of study – if we’re talking Language Arts and History I can be fairly creative. However, the world of art intimidates me so much – this is where I struggle.
    Cari’s latest post: Thankfulness

  69. Danielle

    Creativity comes in ebbs I find. Sometimes I’m filled with ideas and other times I need to go out and seek some inspiration!

  70. Tansy Chaudhary

    Some creativity comes naturally, but other resources and ideas definitely inspire me as well.
    Liked you on FB.
    Thanks!

  72. Sara Sophia

    Creativity comes naturally to me … but I really have to work at MAKING SURE we LIVE creatively. Its just too easy to get caught up in going through the motions.

    I’d LOVE to try out a curriculum built around fostering the creative mind <3

    —S.S.
    Sara Sophia’s latest post: And they gave thanks

  75. Cassandra

    I absolutely have to work on it! I was never a artistic or creative person (go figure, I’m a statistician now) and my Mother always did creative projects with my artsy sisters and would ask me to go read a book. Now, with two creative boys, I’ve had to learn how to feed their growing intellects in ways that mine just doesn’t function in! I tell my oldest to be patient with me, I’m learning at the same time he is!

  76. Archer Atkins

    I have to work at bringing creativity into my family’s life mainly due to time. Its easy to focus on everything I have to do and less on being more creative with the fam!

  77. jennifer

    I really have to work at being creative. Not so with my daughter….she often has her own ideas about how to liven up what I come up with. Lol.

  78. kat

    sadly, being creative does not come naturally to me. i have to constantly work on it by letting go of my expectations and just enjoy creating in the moment. I find inspirations by checking out other homeschooling blogs and sometimes tweaking their ideas to suit our needs.

  81. crystal

    Yes! Count us in! A curriculum would be a HUGE time (and brain) saver. We would love to win this!!!

  82. Natalia

    It’s interesting, because being ‘creative’ is part of my non-home education job – I have a letterpress. So sometimes I just want to switch off being creative and ‘get on with something different – and not creative!’ That said, we don’t seem to be able to avoid it here: both of us are always designing, making, re-arranging, re-thinking! Every piano practice starts with improvising first, my son reads books and then imagines how they could have turned out differently, we both love not just writing letters (okay, I like writing, he likes trying to get me to write them for him!) but then embellishing them, using sealing wax, making things look ‘good’.
    However, I feel we don’t have enough of that in our home learning programme. So this curriculum looks like something I could do with.
    Natalia’s latest post: The exotic in the backyard

  84. Deena

    I have to work at creativity in most cases, but it’s so incredibly worthwhile. There is nothing like the look on my child’s face when she makes or imagines something and that’s something I really want to share and encourage in both of us.

    More times than not, I find that my daughter’s natural sense of creativity inspires me to try harder to find my creative spark. Her ideas and outlook are always fresh and she sees things in ways I don’t.

    A good example is that I’ve never felt as though I could draw at all, but she loves to tell stories and have me illustrate them for her. I mostly see my mistakes, but she sees our work together and always loves whatever I draw for her. I’m trying to bring that sense of creativity and support to our work together and to our home.

  86. Erin

    Hmmm… I’d say that creativity comes naturally to me, but it takes a bit of effort for me to figure out how to include the family in ways that appeal to everyone.

  87. SitaG

    I’m always yearning to bring more creativity into our home. It doesn’t come all that naturally to me. This would be great to win!

  90. Sofia's Ideas

    I think it comes naturally in our family, but for me, I go through ruts where I really rely on the inspiring blogs I read to re-spark my own creative juices. I think it has to do with the fact that I’m on baby number 6 and I feel like “I’ve done this so many times!”. I just try to keep in mind that its new to the little ones and the joy in their eyes is validation of that! 🙂
    Sofia’s Ideas’s latest post: The Hidden Cost of My Frugality

  93. Bev

    Creativity…..hmmmm. I guess it depends on what we are studying. Some subjects naturally come easier than others. The holidays make it easy so does being out in nature for our family. Not so easy is months of cabin fever. Seems to stunt our creative energies.
    Bev’s latest post: Thanksgiving

  94. Linds

    I am not a naturally creative person, so I need to be prompted to remember to do these kinds of things and take a break from my cozy routines from time to time. This looks like a wonderful way to do it!

  97. Shawna Rodenberg

    So far, we haven’t had any trouble bringing creativity to our homeschool efforts. It’s much more of a challenge for us to manage all the different varieties of creativity spilling over from homeschooling five children of different ages and learning styles!

  101. Renelle

    I have ‘liked’ both Simple Homeschooling and Oak Meadow for a while now, so yes I’m in. I’ve been considering the curriculum, so it was good to here your review. I have two children 6 years apart and different but both learn well and are happiest when creativity is priority in our home. ds is a right-brained learner (my topsy turvy child) and dd is very eager to be in anything creative. I really want that gentle learning to be part of our homeschool and think that this curriculum could help me achieve that. I so want to win this one !

  106. Melissa

    Creativity does not come naturally to me. I definitely need a little inspiration to get me started.

  107. Renee Alam

    Hmm,that depends,sometimes the creativity comes more quickly than at other times. I have heard a lot of good things about Oak Meadow and would love the opportunity to try it for one of my 3 daughters.Thanks!
    Renee

  108. Lindsay Sledge

    I have always been creative. My favorite thing to do as a child was sit at my big desk with all my art supplies and draw and paint. Thankfully my children have inherited it.

  109. Diane S

    Creativity abounds with our two. They love to make stuff. They’re always coming up with some sort of story to play. You just never know with them. They keep me on my toes.

  110. Shannon

    I definitely have to work at it. Finding order is always difficult so when I don’t creativity lacks. But when it all comes together it is a beautiful thing.

  112. The Butterfly Nest

    I’m naturally creative and full of ideas, but am hard-pressed to implement because of my lack of organization and rhythm. I’ve been looking at Oak Meadow for my daughter…. a very precocious three year old, and was thinking about using some holiday cash to purchase it! I actually really like Oak Meadow’s sample plan for preschool, and the idea of “breathing in” and “breathing out.” We’ve been trying to implement more of that over at our house! I’d love, love, love to win!
    The Butterfly Nest’s latest post: No Spend Month

  114. Sarah Gainey

    Creativity is definitely something I have to work for. I keep a “Mom Notebook” where I tear out articles with activity ideas from parenting magazines. I have them loosely organized by age, with a few special holiday ones. I also love getting ideas from other moms!

  126. Becky

    The creativity this is huge, but a lot of work for me. It doesn’t come naturally, so I really have to make a conscious effort.

  129. Amy

    I really struggle adding creativity to our days! I think it was a combination of thinking I’m not good at crafts and fear of the whole “clean up” thing with a bunch of small children. We’ve used OM in the past and my oldest especially loved the creative aspect!
    Amy’s latest post: St Andrew Novena

  134. Sarah M

    I L-O-V-E Oak Meadow!
    Bringing creativity to my family is both easy (it comes natural to me) and hard (I hate messes). It’ easy for me to sit down and do something, but when my kids want to learn, it takes a great deal of patience and planning.

    Sarah M
    Sarah M’s latest post: Happy Thanksgiving

  136. Noel

    I really have to work at bringing creativity into our school at home! It is so hard to get everything organized, control the mess, be positive, and not to get discouraged when my kids don’t want to participate!

  139. missweb

    I think it has really come naturally. We are very musical and I think that is were our creativity starts from. A note, a tune, bringing us the song that surrounds us while we create, learn, love and live.

  140. Emily C

    Oh, creativity is something that I desperately try–and feel like I clunk along ridiculously.

    It’s sometimes fun, and usually messy, and sometimes it just doesn’t work at all. But I try!

  141. Becca White

    Yes, creativity comes naturally up to a certain point. I do find myself getting stuck in a rut w/ it tho… I’ll do a few creative things over and over because my idea was so brilliant! Then it looses it’s creativity. 😛

  143. melissa

    Unfortunately creativitiy does not come naturally. I need guidance. Thank you for this opportunity

  144. Julie Chapman

    Creativity is something that comes forth in our home when I relax and allow my son to flow and make choices. Oak Meadow has been an amazing platform for this.
    In gratitude, Julie

  146. Mary SJ

    My husband and I try to keep a creative, natural, simple lifestyle and homeschool. It is a bit difficult at times as we live in a fast-paced city environment. We use Oak Meadow curriculum and love it! It helps us to stay true to the path we are following.
    Thanks for the giveaway!

  149. Maureen

    I have been looking at using Oak Meadow next year, so winning this give away would be awesome.

    As far as creativity, I think I do a pretty good job. Since I wish I was much more artsy-fartsy than I am, I make sure my kids have plenty of opportunities to be creative. Fortunately, they both love to create, although in different ways.

  152. Holly Grantham

    Creativity comes in fits and starts around here. I try to provide the materials and let things flow organically, but that doesn’t always work. This Christmas, we’re making quite a few presents and those projects have spurred on a few other creative endeavors. We’ve discovered the joy of Shrinky Dinks (again, for me)!

  155. Jen F.

    We just started homeschooling with Oak Meadow this year and we love it. My daughter has spent the last four years at a Waldorf school and I think that has spurred her love of drawing, painting, sewing and knitting. It comes easy in our family since we all love to create.

  156. Wendy R

    Bringing creativity into our home!?!?! I would have to say this is in the middle of the road – We have our moments but sometimes lack the starting point – If we can grab a good idea we are able to run it, unfortunately, sometimes grabbing a good idea can be a struggle – I would love the opportunity to have creativity presented in a way that makes my life a lot easier to incorportate the creativity into our everyday homeschooling process that I am sure my daughter is craving!!

    We would love the opportunity to explore it with Oak Meadow!

  158. bryssy

    It’s fairly natural for me to be creative but I do work at giving my children activities that build on the skills they already have!

  159. Danielle

    I definitely have to work at the creativity in the home. It does not come naturally, I wish it did because my children thrive on it.

  161. Sara Gallaugher

    Creativity comes in and out our house. Some days we are really doing something excited and the next we are checking out lots of books from the library to get into the groove. I’ve been reading about this curriculum and would love to use it with my pre-K son!

  163. Ronessa

    I find it happens naturally, but I have to work at not trying to direct things or limit an activity’s scope, due to messiness or time constraints. My kids have really helped loosen me up from some of my type-A proclivities. 🙂

  164. Carie

    While I am creative when given the opportunity to be so, I naturally gravitate toward work over “projects.” Having a set schedule designed by someone else of things to do with my kids makes it easier for me to incorporate creative projects into our school.

  169. Krista

    My daughter and I can do craft projects for hours, it takes more effort to get my older son engaged. I’ve been looking at the Oak Meadow curriculum for a while, what a great giveaway!

  170. Rachell

    Creativity does not come naturally to me, but I do spend a lot of time researching new, inspiring things to do.

  177. Kristen

    Creativity doesn’t come naturally to me. My son always does all kinds of neat things when he visits my mum, and then asks to do them at home too, and I just don’t know where to start!

  178. Mandy

    We are first-year homeschoolers, trying to find a way to educate our super smart, super creative 7 year old daughter in a way that captures her imagination and appeals to her sense of practicality. Just a few days ago I stumbled across the Oak Meadow site (on a link from this blog, I think!) and was very impressed with the way the educational materials were presented. My daughter HATES doing worksheets and busy work, but she loves painting and drawing and sculpting, and the fact that these elements are so much a part of the curriculum makes me very eager to try it.

  179. Rachel

    I think we are mid level creative. sometimes I let the thought of the mess get in the way of doing.

  180. Mandy

    Oh, and I already “like” Simple Homeschool on Facebook — in fact, that’s how I discovered it and I love it — and now I “like” Oak Meadow, too!

  181. Gina

    I never thought of myself as “creative” before I had my daughter. I work hard to bring creativity into our lives and I’m finding that it is now starting to come more naturally. I’d love a chance to check out this curriculum!

  182. Sarah B.B.

    I am homeschooling a first grader right now, and I think art is lacking in our day. I feel intimidated by coming up with crafts for us, and spend way too much time searching online for craft ideas that use materials we already have, and which won’t take half the day to complete.
    Sarah B.B.’s latest post: Project Food Blog

  185. Jen

    Being creative does NOT come naturally for me. I really have to work on it! Having a curriculum come up with the creative ideas for me would be great!!

  186. Angela

    When we make the time, creative projects and learning experiences really permeate our homeschooling, but unfortunately they seem to be the first to go when life gets busy, which is often. I love Oak Meadow and have considered it for several years and am looking into it again now that our 5th child will be arriving in a few months. Thanks for the opportunity to win.

  189. Katie

    I would not consider myself particularly creative but my kids are. I try to provide them with the materials, time and space in which to do so.

  190. Melissa

    Creativity has always been hard for me. I am begining to see things differntly and find ways to be creative since my oldest has been diagnosed with Asperger’s. Seeing the world through the eyes of 1, 3 and 5 year old boys helps me be more creative.

  192. iulia

    Hi ! I love your blog and I often find encouragement here to go on with my idea of HS our 2 children (one is 4,7 years and the other is 6 months). I am from Romania and HS is not legal here, except for children with special needs.
    As for the creativity part… it sometimes comes naturally. Most often, however, my creativity needs some prompts! I found “The Creative Family” to be a very inspiring book and I also appreciate many blogs. Unfortunately, I find it very hard to get organized! There are so many ideas and so little time to take care of everything…
    iulia’s latest post: Născuţi la comandă

  194. Amy

    Creativity does not come easy in our homeschool. Not because it isn’t “in there”, but because the business of life gets in the way. You only have so many hours to get schooling and planning in and sometimes I opt for the more educational way than the creative way. Just because it seems to take less time. Would love something that incorporates both for us.

  197. Danyel

    I find adding creativity to my homeschool. both challenging and easy. I think alot depends in the season and how much sleep I am getting. Love this site and encourage all my home educating community to read!

  199. Fiddler

    Does bringing creativity into your family’s life come naturally to you, or do you have to work at it?

    We have a bit of the left/right brain wars going on in our house! DH is a left-brained thinker who can’t abide mess. I’m a right-brained musician who knows what’s in each pile on my desk . So, while creativity does come pretty naturally (and seems to have transferred to my mostly right-brained learners), it’s always tricky to control the chaos so that all family members’ needs are met.

    Oak Meadow has tempted me for years now but I haven’t been able to bring myself to take the plunge.

  200. Fiona

    I am not the most creative of individuals. I think kitchen creations are about as much as I can managed. I am blessed with four children, and they are blessed creatively, both in the kitchen and in many other areas of their lives. I encourage them as much as I can, and never fail to be surprised by their originality!

  201. Andrea

    While I am a creative person and so are my children we do have to work to allow creativity in to our day. Sometimes we just don’t get to it. I love that Oak Meadow includes creative projects in their curriculum

  203. Amy

    I want to be more creative with my kids, but I am realizing I have to work at it! I struggle with having to deal with the mess that will inevitable follow!

  207. Deb Crosby

    WOW! I’ll check into Oak Meadow regardless of the outcome of this entry. I have a right-brained, creative, energetic 7 yr. old and have been looking for years for a way to best ‘school’ her.

  208. Kelly L.

    Although I think I’m a “fun” person, that doesn’t extend to include being overly “creative”! I tend to think in organizational patterns, and while I love to add things into the mix they rarely approach the crafty aspect that I see many others achieve! So the scholarly, academic approach I’ve always preferred for myself usually hits a wall with the reality of homeschooling! We’ve been looking into Oak Meadow, and this would be a perfect chance to give it a test run. Thanks for offering the chance!

  209. Jessica Jones

    Naturally… I grew up in a family of artists. It’s all I know and I’d depending on my husband to bring science and music into the house because I’d hopeless on those fronts.

  210. bethany

    Oh my gosh! This is incredible! My husband and I just settled on Oak Meadow to begin homeschooling our boys next year. We were worried about affording it. I’m keeping my fingers crossed on this one!

    We naturally bring creativity into our home. I draw and paint. My husband is a musician. He plays guitar, banjo, drums, bass, keyboard. My children are naturally drawn to creative endeavors. Our youngest (who will be 2 next week) asks for paper and crayons on a daily basis. He will sit for a solid hour alone at the dining table and draw. My middle son has been drumming on anything he could get his hands on since he was about 1. He is currently 3 and makes really good beats all on his own. My oldest is very hands on. He loves to make things ordinary into things that are fantastic. He will make amazing things in the kitchen. Potatoes turn into babies to care for. He loves to draw and use clay to create characters. All three of our boys LOVE music. The love to create it, dance to it, sing, listen to it. There is always music on in our home.

    I love watching their creative talents blossom! LOVE IT !!!!
    bethany’s latest post: snow!

  214. jen

    I think I’m a mix about creativity…sometimes it comes naturally but I love having ideas to add to the mix! <3 And, I love Oak Meadow!!

  220. Jen T

    Oh we definitely need help in the creativity department around here! I love organizing, but I’m not too good at creative fun!

  221. Kim S.

    I often feel crushed for time, so it can be hard to direct a lot of creative activity. However, my girls are so naturally inclined to play imaginatively, so there is plenty going on around here! My goal is to bring more structured activity in and expose them to more types of art.

  223. Christina

    Creativity is something I really have to work at and I look for any help I can get in that area.

  224. Stephanie

    Bringing creativity into our homeschool doesn’t come naturally and it makes me sad! I love being creative, I’m just too much of a perfectionist and if I don’t have all the “right” tools, I don’t do it. The best times are when my kids pick up boxes or junk or whatever and make amazing things. We had a few diff. size boxes laying around and they made Yoda! It was seriously the cutest thing, and it really looked like him. I’m not quite sure how that fit into “school”, but I was impressed!

  225. Chrissy

    Sometime being creative come naturally to the situation, but sometimes I really have to work to put it into our day. But I think that’s a good life lesson for my children. Just because something doesn’t come easy, doesn’t mean we don’t so it.

  227. Kristin

    We will be starting to homeschool our daughter within the next year and I’m a little unsure of where to start. Oh what a wonderful giveaway!

  229. Maureen Ruble

    What a dream come true this would be for my family!

    I have started our homeschooling journey with my three children and I thought at first that it would be so easy to be creative…..I now realize that I have to work at it quite a bit. I have also learned that given the opportunity my children’s creativity flows so naturally and given the right tools there are no limits!

    Thank you for this amazing opportunity!
    maureenruble@yahoo.com

  230. Carla

    I feel like I am a creative person, but I do struggle to bring creativity into our day. My girls are 5 and have become great at leading the way in this aspect of our day!
    Thanks for the opportunity!

  232. Christy Davis

    I am an artist so I guess I should say that creativity comes fairly easy to me. I find when I am not creative I get pretty cranky.

  233. Lisa

    My kids love being creative but I definitely have to work at it. I am frequently searching for new ideas and crafts to try with them. Creativity makes education much more fun!

  234. Lisa

    Oh!!!! A fantastic giveaway! Yippee!!!! I would have to say that creativity does not come very easily to me! I tend to forget how much we all can learn when we approach things in a fun way! Thanks so much for the chance!!!!!

  235. Lily

    After marrying an artist, I have discovered that creativity is very much a part of our every day life. It may not always take traditional forms, but there isn’t a day that goes by when my children aren’t creating something.

    Right now, our family is working on making homemade Christmas gifts for my best friend’s family who is going through a custody battle involving homeschooling. My friend left her abusive husband, and now the courts have ordered CPS to take the children because the husband is accusing my friend of educational neglect. It’s simply another way that he is trying to control her. She wasn’t able to hire a lawyer because she’s been a SAHM for years. Since her family isn’t in a position to offer help, our family has stepped in and ‘adopted’ her.

    My 16 year old and my husband are building a custom play kitchen for their young child. My daughter is making doll clothes for their daughter’s dolls, and my youngest son is enjoying helping with both!

    Both of us use Oak Meadow, and this would really help out since we’d be able to put more money towards her fight to get her children back! Either way, prayers or good thoughts for her situation would be appreciated!

  236. Julie

    I have realized my need for creativity in my everyday life over the last couple of years and try to incorporate it into it our day but I do struggle with fitting it in. I get overwhelmed my the many ideas in my head of what we could do and we end up letting other things take up our time, leaving us with little to no time for our creative pursuits. Having a curriculum like this would help me stay focused. I’ve actually been considering buying their curriculum for next year.

  237. Amanda

    I am lucky enough to live near Oak Meadow School (only about an hour away), and I got the chance to preview the syllabus during an open house they were having. I got to meet the teachers and review all the curriculum from several grades. What a fantastic program they have there! My son will be ready for the pre-k syllabus next year and I will definitely use Oak Meadow. It allows the child’s creativity to shine all while being easy to use and fun. Plus you have the teacher support if you need a little extra help.

  238. Lily

    Liked both of facebook. I will mention that I used a pseudonym here b/c I don’t want my friend’s husband to find out that we are helping her. If the author of this blog needs to know my IRL identity, I’ll be happy to provide it privately. 🙂

  239. Ashley

    I thought I would be more creative but when you get down to keeping the house and kids and food and part time work it just had not happened like I wanted.

  240. Megan O.

    I have to work at it. I tend to be “in my head” most of the time. So while I’m creative, it doesn’t often come out in a crafty way.

  241. Helen

    I am fairly creative, but I find we really struggle to include creativity in our days. I find I am more “crafty” in the winter months.

  242. jenleahlynn

    my kids are always eager to jump into a new project. i have a hard time though with the mess, and not stepping in and ‘touching up’ their work. i do better when i try working on my own project along side them.

  243. Rachel

    I was looking at Oak Meadow for my kindergartner, but we ended up sending him to a local montessori school. We would LOVE the chance to try this curriculum out!

  245. Rachel

    I am planning to homeschool and don’t know where to start! Creativity is not my best trait so any help would be wonderful.

  246. Helen

    Very excited to find out you are on FB! Liked both OM and simple homeschool. Thanks for this opportunity.

  249. Serendipity is Sweet

    I love doing creative things with my kids, but I have to admit that the mess that usually follows is a bit of a deterrent. I know I should not let it be but with 4 kiddos it takes much longer to clean up than create. I love finding new tips and ideas for creative fun though.

    thanks for the fun giveaway!
    Serendipity is Sweet’s latest post: Wordless Wednesday

  250. Bethany

    I have to work hard at creativitey and so many times it just doesn’t happen.
    Thank you for the chance to win.

  253. Denise

    I definitely have to work at it, I’m not a naturally creative person although I really want to be for my children. I’m always looking for ways to help me in that department!

  255. Connie R

    I really have to work at it. I am not creative at all. And that’s hard for me because one of my daughters is totally creative and wants me to do/think up projects with/for her. The good thing is that she IS creative so she helps me along too!

  256. lolo

    growing up, and for half of my adult life I firmly believed I was not a creative person at all. Now that I am homeschooling, I cannot believe the change inside of me, my creative “juices” are on overdrive, I lie awake at night so excited about ideas of things to do creatively with the kids, and to see their lives changed by this attitude is so rewarding! I have been interested in oakmeadow for quite some time and would LOVE to win! Thank you

  261. Jennifer

    I am not creative so I am always looking for material to help me. My daughter is very creative and I think this would be good for her. I am new to homeschooling and looking into different ways/styles to start my journey.

  265. Laura

    I am a somewhat creative person, but I really have to work at creative adventures with my child. Not sure why. Perhaps I just need a jumpstart from good curriculum.

  267. Erin Day

    I love being creative at home with my 3 year old but I sometimes have to gear myself up for it – it tends to be involved and messy! Once I’m in the midst of a project, though, it’s such fun. I think most children are naturally creative – follow their lead!

  268. Jackie Watson

    So far I have loved everything about Oak Meadow!! I have yet to take the plunge and buy the curriculum though. My daughter will be 5 in May so starting kindergarten homeschool in the fall — this would be amazing!

    We are both super creative and love making all sorts of stuff 🙂

  274. Mindy

    I have to make sure to take the time to plan the creativity or it gets forgotten in our daily activities. I’d love to win this!

  275. Leigh

    I wish it did. I really want my kids to be surrounded by creativity, but I get lost and don’t know how to do it myself.

  276. Julie Capp

    I love being creative and my daughter learns through creativity. When she was in earlier grades (she is in 2nd grade now), it seemed like her various curriculums had a lot creativity built into them, but as she has moved up in grades, there are separate art classes and less creative learning exercises leaving less time for creative fun.
    This year, we found out she has a learning disability related to reading and writing. She is working with a reading therapist outside the home to help her adjust and learn around her disability. At home, we have resorted to art projects as a way to have her express what she has learned about her subjects. They say that necessity is the the mother of invention, well, this has been the funnest home school year so far! Granted, we have eliminated the frustration of the the disability from our daily routine, but allowing her to express herself artistically and creatively has been pure joy for both of us. Thank you for offering the Oak Meadow giveaway!

  277. anne

    I am a creative person, and my kids are very creative. I don’t have to work at the creativity part, but I do have to work HARD to find the time to fit it in! Homeschooling 3 boys in 3 different grades and keeping up with everything takes up all of my time, and sometimes it is just too hard to pull out the art supplies or science experiments, but it is always truly rewarding when we do, because the boys thrive when they are involved in hans-on activities.

  279. Gwyn

    Creativity is one of the things I thought poorly lacking in our public school experience. So it is the foundation of my homeschool philosophy. Art, music, and theater are an integral part of every week around here. And since the kids love it (and excel in it) so much, it’s pretty easy to do. I highly recommend everyone listen to Sir Ken Robinson’s talk about creativity in education on TED.com. It is so inspiring!

  281. Lisa Allen

    Hi! I love being creative myself, but honestly find myself struggling to include it in my daughters education. I have been inspired by this post and look forward to searching out ways to be more creative in her home schooling.

  282. Heather

    I think I have to work hard at finding creative things to do with littles, I am ready to teach knitting and sewing, and they are happy finger painting…or painting themselves 🙂

  284. Misty

    For my mom and my sister it is one of those things that comes naturally. So you’d think it would for me too but that is definitely not the case. I have to really work at it.
    Misty’s latest post: Shut That Door!

  285. Beth

    I definately have to work at it! With a baby, a preschooler and a first grader, I have to fight the tendency to just “get it done” in whatever window of time is available. My kids love the creative stuff.

  286. Trena

    Adding creativity to our school is very hard for me and I often fail to follow through on projects.

  287. melissa

    It does take effort we are expecting number 5 in about 4 weeks so my creative jucies in the homeschool realm are nill to none right now! =)

  288. Shelly M

    I recently requested the Oak Meadow catalog, and I love the look of it. I am considering using their curriculum next year. I find that while I want to have a creative home, I have to work at it, and a lot of times the creativity gets pushed away and other things take its place. I am glad to have read your review, b/c this curriculum sounds like it would help me get the balance I am looking for. Thank you!

  291. Meg T

    Creativity adds fun to parenting, so I am always actively searching for ways to think and play creatively during our days. It makes my job more enjoyable and the kids benefit from that too.

  293. Rana

    It comes naturally for me. My mom was very creative. She was always pursuing some sort of craft or taking a class to learn something new from sewing to photography to ceramics and sharing it with my sister and I. I love to do the same thing with my kids and their friends. I think this curriculum would be a great addition to our learning adventure.
    Rana’s latest post: Memories!

  295. maranda

    Even though I am a creative person, it’s hard being creative with school. I get way too focused on the academic part of it. This would be awesome to try out!

  298. Liz

    Is it fair to say that I’m naturally creative and it’s something I really have to work at? Creativity feeds my soul and I have constant ideas of things to do, but I often really have to push myself to DO the things I dream of, or to take the time to organize a project my young daughter can do as well.
    Liz’s latest post: Christmas Books Advent Calender

  299. Cathy

    My husband is an art teacher and my girls are both very creative, but I wasn’t raised to be crafty or creative, and it’s not my comfort zone. I have to work hard to keep myself in the creative family mix.

  300. Amy B

    I’ve always struggled with my own creativity so it’s a bit hard for me to bring it into my family’s life as well. But I keep trying!

  301. Lindsey

    No, creativity does not come easily to me! Right now my brain is consumed with breastfeeding my 6 week old and potty training my 2 yr old, so I feel my 5 yr old is getting the short end of the deal! I need all the help I can get! Thanks for the chance to win!

  303. Julia

    As a former professional opera singer and music educator. creativity, in some ways, comes naturally to me, while in other ways I have to work at it continuously. I performed for adults; later, as a voice teacher, I taught adults. To enter into my children’s world of creativity requires me to look at the world with their eyes — not the eyes of discipline that enabled me to become a singer, but the eyes of magic that enable them to see a box as a boat, a train, an airport, a castle. Now i try to train my eyes to see the everyday as brimming over with possibilities for beauty that my family needs only to excavate and dive into.

  304. Dee

    I think creativity comes naturally in our family. I grew up watching my grandmother, a former home ec teacher, knit, sew, bake, etc. She taught me these things and now I teach my children as they show interest. They are also great art lovers and I make sure to provide whatever they need and let them take it from there.
    Dee’s latest post: November 28

  306. Sydney

    I think that right away I would say creativity doesn’t come naturally but that is because I don’t give myself enough credit for the everyday things that we do. I think being creative doesn’t necessarily mean that you are good at the typical arts and crafts types of activities, but also includes the creative ways that we problem solve with our children everyday. We may not sit down and have an official craft time, but we find creative ways of play to help us get through the tough transition times that my 3 year old experiences, and the way he is learning to build a relationship with his 9 month old brother.

  307. Jessica I

    I think that I am creative, although not always in the arts and crafty type of way. My creativity usually comes out in being flexible with daily living, finding ways to problem solve with my children, cooking, and small decorating projects. I do appreciate ideas for creativity in making things since that is so valued by my children. The Oak Meadow program looks great – the dough letters look like something that my mom did with me when I was little!

  310. Amy

    I have a difficult time mustering up the energy to be creative. But once I can, then I’m usually on a roll 🙂 I would love to win this giveaway. Thank you for the opportunity!
    Amy’s latest post: Wordless Wednesday

  312. Mary Beth

    Being creative does not come naturally to me…in any area. I can take a good idea and do something great with it, but need all the help I can get to jump-start the process.

  314. Erin

    Creativity is a natural part of our daily life, but there are certain times that I think it’s necessary to be more intentional about it, rather than just letting it happen. I’m trying to plan a little bit more lately and direct a little bit of the creative energies we have.
    Erin’s latest post: Handmade Christmas- Finishing up!

  316. HopiQ

    We definitely need help in the creativity department! My kids love hands-on activities. This curriculum looks so interesting. Fantastic giveaway!
    HopiQ’s latest post: 1000 Gifts

  317. Melanie

    Creativity comes pretty naturally for me, but it is definitely the work of preparation, planning, and purpose that keeps me busy in giving my little ones a creative homeschooling experience.

  319. Lizze

    Bringing creativity into my family is definitely difficult for me and I am just about to start homeschooling my son and need all the help I can get!!!!! So hoping I win this one!

  320. Bethany

    I have to work hard at being creative, but it’s a huge part of our homeschooling. I love Oak Meadow!

  322. Crystal

    Creativity does not come naturally. While my kids love hands on activities I find it hard to be creative while finding something thats easy to do with all 3 of them and working within our budget.

    I also liked both pages!

  324. Leah

    I definitely have to work to bring creativity into our homeschooling. I love coming up with ideas (either my own or someone else’s that help make our days more fun/interesting/challenging. This is our first year homeschooling. I have a 9,7, and 4 year old. This curriculum would be awesome for my 4 year old!

  326. margaret

    I have to remind myself to work creativity into my own routine, but the kids are experts in their own ways. My sons are constantly creating (one artwork on paper, the other “inventions” of all sorts). My daughter loves to dance and make up stories with her babies. When I take even 15 minutes a day to do a row of knitting or sew a seam the rest of my daily tasks get done with ease. Funny that I keep forgetting to set aside the time.

  330. Rebecca

    First I have to say that this is our first year using OM and we love it! The girls love the creative projects and so do I. As I get older I am finding more and more that I AM creative, but I struggle many days with having the energy to get it all done. I think we are all creative in our own way!

  331. maggie

    Creativity comes naturally and was nurtured early on when my art work was celebrated before I was school age. It can take many forms and I try to let it unfold naturally often, but I also set up work stations for him to use traditional media. I try to make sure that when my son creates, I comment on the process rather than the just the work – and I ask him to talk about what he has done. I am especially amazed again and again by the intuitive nature of children’s creativity and the absoluteness in their “compositions” whether 2D or 3D. We create in our house with objects in addition to media, including decor, blocks, race cars, and he even has a knack for creating choo-choo’s on the counter when unloading the dishes. It takes longer to put them dishes away, but he says “Soo-pise!” when showing me his finished work. Recently, while I was getting dressed he created a “picture” using everything from lotion bottles and hairbrushes to musical instruments. He kept running off and bringing back other “found” objects. When finished, he picked up a flute from the shape he’d made and danced around while piping away. I would love the Kindergarten edition of the curriculum package.

  333. Nicole

    I feel creativity comes naturally – but I am also needing motivation and support – that is natural too, right. We all need encouragement.

    This is a wonderful giveaway. I have read about Oak Meadow and a friend loaned me a few books – I will like them on FB.

    Thank- you and Namaste, Nicole

  336. Ashley

    I am beginning to homeschool my daughter this year. It’s a bit early, but she’s already at a 5 year old learning level. I can’t wait till next year when I can officially register with our state for her homeschool. I love to do creative things, but I can’t always think of fresh and new ideas. I like to try to challenge both her and I, because she enjoys it when I do the projects as well 🙂 This would be such a blessing to us because I can’t afford any curriculum books right now.

  337. jennie

    I have not left a comment here before, but your blog has become a daily stop for me. Thanks for the inspiration.

  338. Leslie

    I really have to work at bringing in the creativity in our schooling. I love to be creative but I also like getting our stuff done and on to other tasks.

  340. Amy E.

    I would love to win their kindergarten curriculum. The desire to add creativity comes naturally to me, and I can spend hours looking at projects to do – but I’m not as good at actually doing them so this would be a big help!

  342. amy

    Creativity comes very easily to me…but bridging my creativity with my son’s creative style is more of a challenge! He is a little engineer and I have to be sure to keep this in mind when we’re actively creating.

  346. Aimee

    I seriously have to work on adding in creativity to our schooling. The kids adore it, but even as a child, I didn’t. It’s a struggle for sure.

  348. Katie

    Creativity is a huge struggle for me. But both of my children are really creative like their dad! So, I am always looking for easy fun ideas.

  350. Marcie

    I struggle. I struggle with anything that falls outside of the routine. I mostly just feel like we are re-doing the first year over and over again.

  351. Mikaela

    I always have to look for inspiration for creativity in our family life. Keeping a 2.5 year old busy is hard!

  353. Lindsay P

    I love creative experiences with my children, but unless I take the time to plan it out it never happens. It would be great to have such quality lessons at my finger tips.

  354. Kristen

    I soooo wish that creativity came easier to my family matters! I have to work on it, find ideas on line and copy or alter or stay up late until that weird second wind brings me new ideas… Love the curriculum!

  355. Jackie

    Creativity is something I love and it comes naturally, however with almost 11 children is is more of a challenge to make time than it used to be!

  356. Deborah

    Creativity is a very natural state for me and for my kids. We all lean towards this and love homeschooling for this reason. I would love to have the Oak Meadow curriculum. Thanks.

  357. melissa

    I’m somewhat natural when it comes to creativity, but i’m even better at it when I have lots of great ideas.

  359. Marcia Fisher

    Some days are easier than others. Most of the time when I’m feeling lacking in the creative arena, my kids surprise me with their ability to turn a moment into something creative, inventive, and unexpected.

  365. Carey Jackson

    Creativity in our home comes and goes. Homeschooling 3 children at three totally different stages of life (9th, 7th and 1st grade) certainly has its challenges. I find I am the most inspired to be creative and am allowed to let that flow most easily when we have a good rhythm going. Creativity just happens…and it is a beautiful thing. But, throw in a sickness or anything that may break our rhythm and it sure seems to make the flow stop! Fortunately we do use Oak Meadow and we love it…we have learned how to create rhythm and also learned that when little things happen to break it that we surrender for a bit…and…hang on and we find it again soon enough.
    Carey Jackson’s latest post: Michaelmas in our Waldorf Home

  366. Sara Lester

    I love creative activity, but it seems like it gets pushed aside for lack of time way too often at our house!

  368. Cari

    I struggle with the creative side of things. Mostly I have a hard time getting everything organized so that the creating can happen.

  371. Kayla

    Bringing creativity into my family’s life comes with some work; I am constantly searching for ideas on the internet that I can do with my daughter.

  372. Catherine

    Creativity comes easily in our family. I leave lots of time for creative pursuits for all of us which also helps.
    Thanks so much!
    Blessings,
    Catherine
    Catherine’s latest post: Just One

  375. Linda

    I struggle with the creativity side of things too! It is always the last thing to get attention from me, and I HATE that it is like this! I think it is such an important aspect of homeschooling!

  376. Krymsen

    creativity comes easily to me but I haven’t thought that it was really important in my kids education.

  378. Leigh

    I love being creative, but I’m a perfectionist… so it’s hard for me to extend my creativity to my kids. So I need encouragement and guidance for me to bring creativity to my house and my kids…

  382. Julie Gonsalves

    We love creative learning and using our imaginations in our lessons. Rarely a day goes by that my kids aren’t dressed in costumes acting out some of their favorite stories.

  383. katie

    I have to work at it. I have lots of desire to be creative with my kids but, have a hard time making it happen.

  384. sam

    I have to work at it….I like curriculum that says “do this” and my kids get to make/do something – everyone might think I winged it….but I didn’t!

  386. Alissa T.

    Oh yes, I most definitely have to work at bringing ‘structured’ creativity to our home. Spontaneous play, however, is another story 🙂

  387. Angel

    I don’t have a problem letting the kids get the craft stuff out and occassionally we will do something with that goes along with what we are studying. But I have trouble fitting it all in, so it usually doesn’t get done. What a great giveaway!! Thanks.

  389. anne fischer

    I work really hard to pull creativity into my homeschool routine. I have two boys and keeping things interesting is key for their interest and learning. I would love to have materials that have it all ready for me.

  391. Catherine

    I come up with ideas naturally, and provide child-led opportunities easily, But structured “let’s now be creative” things I have to plan for, because they don’t seem as essential to me as reading / math /etc. This looks really neat! Thanks for the review!

  403. Sunny

    I am not creative and really struggle with trying to do creative things with my boys. I need all the help I can get!

  404. Sarah

    I have three goals for us every day: read together, be outside together and create together. Oak Meadow would help us do that perfectly!

  405. Carol

    I am extremely creative … not everything turns out wonderful … but, I’m always creating something! I’m actually surprised out how little time my daughter and I have to create fun arts and crafts during our homeschool days! But … we will! ;o)

  409. Amanda

    It’s definitely something I struggle with, and then when I go looking for ideas, I get overwhelmed and waste time.

  410. Jenna C.

    Oh my goodness! What an amazing giveaway! Please, please, please!

    I have found that nurturing the creative spirit is getting easier. At first I really didn’t know what to do, how not to make it forced. But with time, and some great resources like Amanda Soule’s Creative Family, we are really getting into a groove. As my oldest is approaching school age, I surely want to keep up our momentum.

  416. Danna

    I am not very creative when it comes to cooking – our weekly meals tend to look much the same. 😛 However, with my 3-year old, I’m very excited about the creativity he and I experience daily. I’m trained as a JH teacher so I’m not that versed as a little-person-leader. I am so interested in learning/doing more creative stuff as he gets older/more skilled/more interested in focusing for longer amounts of time. 🙂

  417. Lori

    I love to provide creative experiences for my child, but often feel I have to organize or clean something in my house first. I am trying to get past this, but it’s in my nature!

  420. Miranda

    Creativity doesn’t come naturally to me at all. Luckily my mom is super creative so I just copy her!

  421. Danna

    I have “liked” both you (thrilled about that one) and Oak Meadow (looking forward to learning more about them since I’d never heard of them before) on Facebook.

  422. Michele Donner-Ramsey

    I would love to win a curriculum! We are a creative family naturally, so we don’t have to work at it. But my son will be starting Kindergarten soon and I’m still unsure what curriculum I will use, so winning one would be great!

  423. S

    My kids are young (19 months), but as a former teacher, I don’t find it hard to be creative…it just remains yet to be seen if I can apply those same skills with my own children!

  424. Michele Donner-Ramsey

    I made sure I “like” Oak Meadow on Facebook! I had already liked Simple Homeschool. 🙂

  425. heather

    I think I’m semi creative on my own. I wish I could be more creative though. I believe that it is so important that you bring creativity into your home whether or not you are home educating. I think teaching children to be creative stimulates them to think for themselves. When they are creating they are bringing forth something that they invented themselves, and I find that that gives them more self confidence, and the beginnings of problem solving in the future.

  426. Guisla

    Bringing creativity into my family’s life doesn’t come naturally to me. I have to be very intentional about it.

  427. heather

    I think I have to work at it a little bit. I like to talk to others ad get ideas as well, I just put my own twist on it 🙂

  429. Hannah

    I do struggle to find something “new” that is creative to do. Usually it ends up that we go outside, however in the winter that makes it difficult. This set would be great help.

  430. Rachel

    Some days i feel like it comes naturally, others not so much. It seems to come naturally to my kids though, so that’s helpful!

  431. Vivien

    I can use some help with creativity and craft projects. We have never used a curriculum. Looks like Oak Meadow curriculum can help in that area. What a gift!

  432. Jessica Tomberlin

    I am great with structured academics but I am incompetent when it comes to creativity. I’m always looking for ideas to implement something creative into our day!

  433. Amy

    I feel like I’m crafty…but not creative. I’m great at copying ideas but not great at coming up with my own. I’ve created my own “Family Fun” binder to try and help me integrate more creative and family fun moments into our families’ lives 🙂

    I’ve liked both Simple Homeschool and Oak Meadow on FB 🙂

  434. Cara Moody

    My favorite part of homeschool is the creativity, but it’s hit or miss for us. I am a creative person, but I can’t always think of creative projects for every subject and lesson. Whenever I add creativity the girls get a lot more out of it though!

  437. Heather

    I definitely have to work at bringing creativity into our lives, not for lack of desire but simply because of the time constraints.

  439. grace

    I would like to say that bringing creativity into our family’s life come naturally for me but it’s not as easy as I thought it would be. So in the way, I have to work on it .. plan it ahead and tweak it as I go. Thanks for the great giveaway!

  441. PsychMamma

    Weirdly, I always considered myself creative, but somehow, I have to work at thinking of creative things to do with my daughter. It’s always, always worth it, though. The times we create something together and/or I watch her learn in the process are absolutely priceless.

    Thanks for the chance to enter!
    PsychMamma’s latest post: DuoSpoon Review

  442. Andrea

    Oh my…it’s ironic, creativity does seem to come naturally during our day to day happenings EXCEPT when it comes to schooling. Can’t quite figure that one out! That’s why I regularly flock to blogs like this to help stir up those creative homeschooling juices! Also, I’ve actually been enamored with Oak Meadow for a few years now, but $$$ was always the issue, so keeping my fingers crossed!! 🙂

  443. Lisa

    Creativity does not come easy… well, at least for me. I have to read and study a bit, but once I do, I am happy to follow directions and be creative. 🙂 My daughter is especially creative, and I think she would enjoy this curriculum. I’m always interested in pursuing good curriculum.
    Lisa’s latest post: My Daughter’s Seventh Birthday

  458. Marlis

    I am a trained Waldorf teacher, but I still very much have to work at bringing creativity in to my family’s life. And I think there should be a bit of challenge to it, to keep things fresh and new. Thanks for having this giveaway…what a lovely idea!

  459. Nicole

    This question is interesting because yes, creativity comes as natural as breathing to me BUT this whole tailor-it-to-a-little-person-and-come-up-with-a-curriculum-that-incorporates-it-for-everyday-learning is *so* my greatest struggle. If I’m faced with a problem to solve or a goal to reach, I can probably come with a unique way of solving it. So, interestingly enough, I have the zeal for creative measures and yet not the analytical capacity to orgainze myself into utilizing it without prompt in a curriculum. Hence my answering this question in hopes of getting a chance to utilize Oak Meadow to bridge the gap! 🙂

  461. Kristin Heron

    I find myself full of deeply compelled to bring creative ideas into my home. The hard part is coming up with the ideas! I would LOVE this packet!!!

  466. Emily

    I “liked” both Oak Meadow and Simple Homeschool on Facebook 🙂 Sometimes I can be creative and other times I have to work on it, it really depends on the subject!

  467. MissB

    Our family is very much into the “arts” so creativity is more naturally brought into our lives. We enjoy the Oak Meadow curriculum because it includes so much creativity which is laid out for us. I really hope I win the curriculum.

  470. kara f.

    i have to work @ it….although some seasons it does come easier— when my mind is freed up- it seems. (:

  477. katie

    it depends on the day and my energy level.. if it’s up then the creativity flows if not, it struggles

  478. heather

    Creativity does come naturally to me personally, but I have a hard time coming up with appropriate age projects for my kindergartener

  480. Scotti Erickson

    I find that the desire to be creative comes naturally, but the ideas need some inspiration. I have looked at this package in the past and was not ready to spend the money. Winning this would be great.

  481. Mary-Sue

    Hmmm. I’ve just been thinking that a bit of curriculum would probably really help me with my home educating… I have 3, and creativity comes naturally to me, personally, but to get all 3 going on something at the same time I really have to work at it. It’s just so overwhelming to know how to accomodate the three age levels and not completely overwhelm myself in the process! This looks beautiful!

  482. Jennifer Mendiola

    anything physical or active does come easily to me but anything creative, artsy or crafty does not!

  483. Sandra

    Does creativity come naturally? Sometimes! If I’m especially excited about something the ideas just seem to flow! But I have to start thinking about it ahead of time. I’m not good with spontaneous creativity!
    Sandra’s latest post: On 1s iPod

  484. Cindy

    I really have to work at being creative. The only creativity that comes naturally to me is cooking/baking. I try and teach my kids these things. My kids show me everyday how creative they can be. I feel so lucky that I can homeschool them.

  487. Jessica

    I find that I am creative in some respects, but have to work at others. There is a fine line between routine and rut. When a subject no longer seems fun, it’s time time to identify a new approach, which may be as simple as singing memory work instead of saying it or as big as choosing a whole new curriculum. It all comes down to being purposeful about our approach.

  488. Laura

    Growing up, I always thought of myself as creative, but somewhere along the way I seem to have lost that, and now I do have to work at it, and actually even have to remind myself to do so!

  489. Debbie

    We liked face book and Oak meadow…

    Now I’ll answer the question with a comment here:

    Yes, creativity comes naturally to all of us which is why Oak Meadow is such a wonderful fit for us. I used to create my own unit studies before our first child entered 7th grade level but one day expressed to a homeschooling friend that I wanted to in crease the academic studies in our home school with out giving up the creativity part. She suggested I take a look at Oak Meadow for the middle and high school age years. I was hooked after our first peak at the catalog!
    It’s perfect for us because the foundation for being creative and making individual choices is already present in our children. With Oak Meadow we just keep ” creatively ” rolling along…Great give away! Good luck to us all!
    Deb

  497. Stacey

    I can do some creativity, but we could use more! And it’s nice when someone does the thinking and provides the supplies.

  498. Sarah Rosen

    I do have to work at bringing creativity into the home but I find the more I do it the easier it becomes.

  499. kristen

    I’m generally creative but I need to be guided in the right direction. Once I have found an idea I’m good to go.

  502. Jessica

    This curriculum looks great! We’re considering homeschooling next year for kindergarten. Creativity is in our “genes,” and projects abound in our house.

  504. Rebecca

    Oh I could so use this as my daughter is ready in so many ways for school except in her age, she was too young to start. And as much as I want to be creative and come up with things for her and her younger sister to do with a new baby in the house, it just seems daunting. I think I want to homeschool and this is probably just what we need to try it.

    Creativity is hard beyond the basic coloring pages as most of my craft stuff is packed away (to make room for the new baby), I’m not “organized” and sometimes am just overwhelmed of being a single parent during the week. I’d love to try this out.

  507. mandy

    I really have to work at it. I enjoy it, but I am not a blank slate thinker – I need others’ ideas in order to create what we need for our family from that. Resources like Oak Meadow are invaluable to me.

  508. alizabeth

    Actually, I can be very creative and love getting my kids to do fun and creative things to think outside the box. Yet I have noticed the more children I have (xpecting our 6th in Feb) I tend to be on more of a “lets-make-it-thru-the-day” mode. which is unfortunate for the younger ones and I am working on trying to bring back the creativity, despite the extra work and mess it brings with it. :o)

  510. Caroline

    We could use some creativity in our home! I love to do creative things with my daughter, but I definitely need guidance in this department. The curriculum sounds wonderful!

  512. Penny

    Creativity is something I have to remind myself to plan into our day. It just doesn’t happen spontaneously.

  513. Gina

    I do have to work at creativity but luckily there are so many great websites and books available for ideas. I was actually thinking about switching from Winterpromise to Oak Meadow next year for my artistic daughter so this giveaway is perfect!

  517. Michelle

    I am not the most creative mother, but fortunately for me, I have access to creative friends, books and the internet to give me ideas on how to be creative with my daughter. I’m grateful to those creative individuals out there who willingly share their ideas for those of us who are less creative.

  518. Amber

    I’m usually a pretty creative person, but for some reason it’s very lacking in our homeschool schedule. I’d love to try a curriculum that adds creativity to it.

  521. erin

    I’m not familiar with Oak Meadow, but would love a chance to try it out! Coming up with ways to incorporate creativity into our school day comes naturally to me (an artist, married to another artist–we have a pretty creative home). But with 4 small kids it’s the task of _incorporating_ the creative ideas that’s challenging to me. It’s so much easier (and cleaner) to read a book and do some narration!

  527. Gracie

    Creativity comes and goes in our house. We are always making up songs and dancing around the house. Physical creativity through art and such are more difficult for me to come up on the spot and usually involve googling.

  529. Sheri H

    I’d love to say that it comes naturally, but honestly, I have to work at it. It’s a lovely challenge, though.

  530. bridget stevens

    I go in spurts, sometimes it’s easy to be creative and sometimes I get into a rut of uncreativity!

  531. Sarah

    Creativity does come easily at our house! Especially with my daughter. The problem is when Mom (that’d be me…) lacks motivation to foster it. I think this curriculum would be just the thing. A-ma-zing giveaway.

  534. Annie

    We are in our first year as homeschoolers. I have 3 wonderful kids and things have been a tiny bit hectic around here. We’re in the process of selling our home, etc. etc. I looked at Oak Meadow a few months ago and would love to try it. My six year old son is very creative and loves the arts. We also spend a lot of time outdoors and enjoy hiking, camping, and bugs. (“and bats, and tigers, and kittens, and whale sharks, and sea turtles, and dinosaurs..and and can’t member!”)ha 🙂

  535. Anne

    I have to work at the creativity, it doesn’t come naturally. A curriculum like this that includes lots of activties would be great.

  537. Angela

    I definitely have to work at it – I’m much more business like – “let’s get it done” than creative

  539. Amy Adams

    I consider myself creative, but it’s hard to “be” creative when there’s so much else that needs done. So it’s nice when you have to plan for it and you allow yourself the space and time to get the creative juices flowing!

  540. Naomi Jones

    I have to work at being creative. I was a creative person as a child, but now that I’m a mom, my creative moments have been almost completely replaced by practicality.

  544. Nora

    I think I’m somewhere in the middle. I research different crafts dependent on my children’s capabilities. It usually turns out well. I teach preschoolers at co-op, and the parents are constantly commenting on the great crafts. They just don’t see behind the scenes where my husband and I are up until midnight cutting circles out of cardboard! 🙂

  545. Kristie A.

    I definitely have to work at being creative. Thank goodness for the internet or we would never do any crafts!

  546. MkMama

    I am NOT an arts and crafts person. I love books and read to my children every chance I get. But I was just saying I need to hire someone to help me in the creativity department! It’s not a lack of motivation; I just have no idea where to start.

  547. Sara

    I’d love to be able to use Oak Meadow for our homeschooling. Creativity does not always come naturally into our home, sometimes I have to work hard at it.

  552. jessica

    As a beginning homeschooler, the creativity is often overlooked while trying to just make it through the rest of the say.

  553. SoCalLynn

    I an actually looking at using Oak Meadow for next year, I hope I win!

    Creativity is something I have to work hard at adding to my daughter’s schooling. I would much rather read a book; she would much rather sink her hands into clay, or paint or draw or cut. She’s so creative!

  556. Anastasia Borisyuk

    Creativity comes naturally to us. I think that it is because my mother gave me an amazing basis of art and music education. We were constantly in museums, art classes, galleries, the theater, and piano lessons. I’ve learned a lot from her that I incorporate into our education now!
    Anastasia Borisyuk’s latest post: Tiny Prints Holiday Cards Review

  558. JDP

    I “Liked” both on FB. We will begin Homeschooling next year and I would love to do Oak Meadow. Creative time is my childrens’ favorite time, but unless I plan it (which is tough for me) it does not happen. Would love to see it as part of our steady days and think our kids would too.

  559. Stefanie

    I always can use some new fun ideas…I think I have to plan most of our crafts but sometimes it is on the fly!

  561. SaraR

    I love being creative and my husband is an artistic type so it came as no surprise when our daughters came out loving to create as well. My oldest is constantly creating and the younger isn’t far behind.

  566. Jeannie

    I am creative when I have a little something to spur me on! I usually need someone/something to get me started & then I can run with the idea.

  568. Amy

    Creativity does not come naturally to me, although my kids are overflowing with it. Some days, I can’t give them enough material to fill their creative needs.

  570. Jessica

    Some days I will get a really great idea and feel very creative. Other days, it can be a struggle!

  571. Ruth

    Creativity is definitely a “needs to improve” project around our house. It just doesn’t come easy to me.

  573. Carolyn

    We just started homeschooling our 5th grader, 3rd grader, and Kindergartener this year with another curriculum. It is good academically, but I am not very artistic or creative and would love to try out this Oak Meadow curriculum for one of them. I need some help including creativity into our learning. They miss their art teacher from school last year!

  574. Abbigale

    Creativity does not come naturally, but i work really hard at it! I think i have done fair so far, my kids really do enjoy it when i break out of habits!

  577. Beth Butler

    I love to be creative. It comes easy enough for me. The big problem is making the time around laundry, picking up and other chores.

  578. Celia

    I’m kind of surprised at how hard I have to work at bringing creativity home. Papier mache was so much more fun when I was little (sigh).

  581. Cari

    In our homeschool, I have a gift for collecting good creative resources…it’s harder for me to organize the ideas I find into a usable system. Too many ideas, too little time!

  582. Holly

    I get my creative genes from my mom, so yes, it’s natural for me, though it still takes effort to follow through on the ideas!

  588. Amy

    I love being creative — that’s what makes teaching the kids fun! Oak Meadow has appealed to me recently since they suggest creative things I would never have thought of… it’s a good balance to the way I normally think.

  589. Jen

    I have to work at adding creativity to our curriculum even though I am naturally creative.I always felt that was my thing to enjoy away from the kids.I now see what a mistake that is and have been making it part of our daily lives.It is a win win situation and I can’t figure out how I didn’t see that before.

  591. Kim

    Definitely doesn’t come easily to me! Once I have suggestions and guidelines, we take the craft world by storm.

  592. Mystik Momma

    Liked you on FB too! I was discussing curriculum issues with some mommas yesterday and this would certainly help me out on my path of homeschooling, very active boys!~

  594. Ayesha

    Creativity comes naturally with our family..but coming up with different ideas for daily activities is another thing. I love knowing that the oak meadows curriculum is great fun! That’s what learning is all about!

  595. McKt

    90% of the time I have to work at the creativity. 10% of the time it shoots light a lightning bolt and everything works out beautifully. The 10% of the time motivates the 90% of the time.
    McKt’s latest post: The Season is Coming

  597. mandy

    This sounds wonderful! Creativeity takes work in my house! Once we get the juices flowing, the kids are off and running. But I know I could use help getting those juices flowing!

  598. Sandra Scott

    I love doing craft with my children and loved the look of the Oak Meadow packages, mixing craft with learning, something I had not thought of myself. I am always looking for ideas and ways to help my 6 year old especially, she has some problems with her learning. Would love to win.

  603. d.turner

    Creativity comes easily for me, but is not received as easily with my son. My son needs a little nudge to get the creativity fires going. My daughter, however, takes off with it.

    Dina

  604. Heather

    Creativity is something my children come by naturally, but I have to work at because I hate cleaning and creativity often results in a mess!
    Heather’s latest post: Identity

  607. Sarah

    Bringing creativity into my family’s life doesn’t necessarily come naturally to me, but I know it’s worth it, so I try to work hard at it!

  611. Cindy

    Adding creativity to our lives used to be easy when we only had 2 kids. Somewhere along #3 or 4, planning creative activities for the kiddos became work and not something that came naturally.
    Cindy’s latest post: Rosebud Leggings

  612. staceyw

    what a great giveaway!! i read about them a while back–cuz you listed them as a sponsor. i even considered buying it, but instead just printed out their rough schedule to help guide me. however, their philosophy is helping me understand that my first grader still needs LOTS of playtime, not just worksheets.
    as far as creativity–some aspects come naturally like playdo or painting. but my research in homeschooling opened up soooo many more purposeful crafting/creativity options. from people’s reviews of products to crafts specific to holidays, i have found many ideas that add creative expression into our daily lives. plus, imaginative play gets more time in our house, too.
    i think that oak meadows and others make it easier for us to remember ALL the elements of schooling–not just the academic components.
    thanks again for a GREAT giveaway and site!
    –stacey
    ps–could you please put EST or PST, etc for your deadlines on giveaways? especially at this time of year when there are loads of specials online, it is very helpful to know the EXACT cutoff point. thanks!

  613. gwynn

    Bringing creativity into our homeschool program is VERY challenging for me. I feel I’m constantly struggling to come up with art projects and ideas for my daughter.

  616. staceyw

    just an fyi for the hs-ing mama’s who struggle with creativity–jean at http://artfulparent.typepad.com/artfulparent/ is AMAZING with everyday creativity. she has Ker and toddler and the way art just flows thru her house is very inspiring.
    there are of course plenty of other wonderful “art” blogs, but jean’s jumps to mind. 🙂

  617. Susan

    I have a hard time with creativity as I can’t even draw a straight line with a ruler. I also do Family Child Care and have a hard time thinking of activities I can do with all the differrnt ages. Susan

  619. Meredith Branch

    Creativity in our household is synergistic. For example, my fabulous babysitter will initiate a beading project, which will then spur my daughter on to create her own unique spinoff project, at which point her brothers will jump in and start their own, unique projects. Everyone feeds off each other, and you don’t always know who – or what – will initially spark everyone’s creative juices!

  620. Jodi

    Both of my children love to do crafts/activities. With a little help, it comes together nicely! Fun family time is important!

  621. danielle

    bringing creativity to our home definitely requires some effort and planning on my part. does not come naturally to say the least.

  622. greengardeninggirl

    Creativity comes too naturally. I think I need a curriculum to control the creativity!

  625. carrie hamm

    Does bringing creativity into your family’s life come naturally to you, or do you have to work at it?

    I have to say naturally – I help the teacher of my little girl with ideas – we made a tree out of paper rolls

  626. Dawn Christ

    As I grew up surrounded by creative folks and myself being creative it is surprisingly difficult to bring creativity to my family… I work at it – hard and fail a lot.

  629. deb

    My son is autistic, and modifying activities to fit his needs uses up all my creativity – it’s so nice to have some place to work from! I love Oak Meadow’s hands on learning and arts & crafts ideas.

  630. Ashlee

    Creativity comes pretty naturally to me. We are often adding an extra craft or baking project to our school day.

  632. Elizabeth

    I think creativity is something that doesn’t come as natural to me. I’ve been feeling inspired lately though and am hoping to bring it out more!

  633. logsplitter

    Some of our creativity comes naturally…mostly from the children. But I get so much inspiration from reading blogs like this one, and many others. Great ideas out there!

  636. Leah

    A little of both. I am naturally crafty/creative, but figuring out what to do with the kids is a little more work.

  639. Jamie

    Creativity comes naturally to my kids, but I often feel overwhelmed by all it can entail, so I have to work on fostering it without worrying about it.
    Jamie’s latest post: Thankful

  642. Jenna

    I am creative but am working on adding creativity into my sons day. He loves it though! Anything to do with helping mom is great, or making a mess (which is a huge part of being creative isn’t it?!)

  643. AmandaXC

    We’re pretty creative around here, but there are definite ebbs and flows. We’re in a very creative stage right now and I’m loving it!

  645. Laura

    While we have yet to officially start homeschooling (we have an almost 4-year old in this house….sob…how did THAT happen so fast?!?)….I do find creativity to be something we have to work at. While my dd does enjoy crafts and creative projects, both she and I are more drawn towards reading and the occasional worksheet for fun, so it’s definitely something we have to be intentional at!

  647. lynn

    We parent both a 7 year old and a 23 month old so creativity
    is the name of the game around here – from the art table to the dinner
    table and all of the journeys in between!!

  648. Sarah

    I definitely have to work at it! Fortunately, we have twins who love to make-believe and they do that a lot on their own. And I have a friend who does crafts with our kids when we go over. But I’ve been working on it and improving! 😀

  649. Eileen

    Creativity comes and goes…often I’m lacking the organization to make it happen!
    I bet a structured curriculum would help 🙂

  651. Kathy

    I have to work at it. I use lots of ideas from this website, as well as from library books. My kids are naturally creative. I think my creativity was schooled out of me 😉

  652. Evelyn

    I think in general that i lean towards the not so easy to inject creativity because I have so many ideas that I have a hard time organizing them. I think I’m starting to see how they can all fit together though 🙂
    Evelyn’s latest post: Hello world!

  655. AmyLyn Reynolds

    I do not feel like a naturally creative person, however, I feel that creativity simply flows from my daughter and youngest son. My older son and I, though, could use a little help. =-)

  656. Trish White

    I “plan” creative activities, but I am trying to be more flexible and be inspired by nature.

  659. stacy

    It comes pretty natural. My parents were very creative with us. i would love to use the kindergarten program with my son 🙂

  660. Lee Webster

    I come from an artistic family, so I think it comes pretty naturally because it’s how I look at the world. But I really want to instill that into my children too. This sounds great!

  663. Brenda

    I *definitely* have to work at it! And having this resource would be so, so wonderful!! Thanks for your great work.

  664. gina

    I try and be creative with the children. Sometimes I have to remind myself to have more patience! The kids love crafting and creating so they are always open to making new things. Thanks for the giveaway!

  666. Robyn

    When I only had one child I felt like I had time to come up with lots of creative ideas and gather the materials for them. Now that I have three I have to work at it, or rather I have to pay for it by buying things like Oak Meadow.

  668. Sharon Spry

    I am not naturally creative but since I have been exposed to Waldorf I have become more “artsy”….there is something freeing with all that handwork and wet-on-wet painting.

  671. Barbara

    I have to work at it! Thankfully is comes more naturally if I have my basic household tasks in order which allows space for letting the little ones lead. They are much more in touch with their creativity. I’m learning. Slowly.

  672. Kimber Granola

    It comes naturally to me, but what doesn’t is my organizing skills. I have to work at sitting down and planning things. ; ) We’re in the preschool stage, so it’s working for us so far!

    I’m happy to Like both Oak Meadow and Simple Homeschool on Facebook (I think I do already actually. )

  673. Danielle

    I’m a naturally creative person, but need help in the details. I can think of the best ideas and have them floating around in my head, but execution is much harder!

  675. Jessa

    wow. what a wonderful givaway!

    creativity does come pretty easy to me. My mother was creative, as was hers and it is just a part of the way we live.

    I’ve liked both on facebook also.

    Many blessings to you!

  677. Kathy

    I suppose my answer would be “both”… I love creative pursuits, but sometimes the day-to-day needs get in the way and I have to work a little harder to come up with fun ideas to enliven our days.

  679. Allison Fambro

    There are aspects of creativity that do not come naturally to us but mainly we all grow and learn together which helps

  680. Vina

    Creativity in some forms come naturally to me…like creative movement. And stories. I think I just need to let loose and let the creativity come without trying too hard to be someone else. So that’s our challenge!
    Vina’s latest post: Christmas- My Version

  685. Carmen

    Some creative things come easiy to me like knitting and baking, but anythin involving paste, glue, glitter and scissors do not. I “liked” both Oak Meadow and Simple Homeschool on FB!

  686. Laura

    Coming up with good creative activities comes easily, but implementing them can be a bit more challenging. There’s so much to organize and the timing has to be just right for the activity to be a success.

  689. Tara F

    I am naturally creative, but my son is not…well, rather, he is, but I think he is in ways that are different than mine. I am always searching for a place where we can “meet”.

  690. Jaclyn F.

    Creativity comes naturally to me ~ This would come at a perfect time because we’re going to be homeschooling our children as of Jan 1.

  691. Kimberly

    I have to admit my intentions are always grander than my ability to execute them at times. But I do love to do crafty things!

  696. Tracy

    I definitely have to work at it, mostly by using ideas that creative bloggers graciously share. Thanks to those great bloggers!

  697. MaggieAnnie

    The creative part comes very naturally to us, its the more sit down, hit all the bases part that we struggle with 🙂
    We may spend whole day doing nothing but cutting out snowflakes, hmm can that be art and PE ? 🙂

  702. Sherry

    I definitely need all the creativity I can get! I’m just starting out homeschooling our kindergartner.

  703. Kelly

    Oak Meadows curriculum sounds wonderful. I think that I’m somewhere in between when it comes to adding creativity to our homeschool. It isn’t foreign for me, but energy has to be put into it or it gets crowded out by other things.

  705. camille

    I like to think I’m a creative person, but as far as adding creativity to homeschool, that isn’t easy for me! Maybe it’s have three young kids (5 and under), so I’m stretched thin most days as it is, but I’ve been wanting to try Oak Meadow out!

    What a great giveaway!

  706. Jaimie

    Creativity does come naturally in our home. My kids are wonderfully talented with natural music and artisitc ability. It’s wonderful! We love to bake, draw and create, my son especially loves experimenting and working with magic. This is an awesome resource, thanks for introducing it! :^)

  710. Michelle Malette

    I love the opportunity to get creative and believe firmly in the value of learning through play & through hands on activities! This program looks and sounds fantastic!!

    Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!

  713. Cara

    I think creativity comes naturally to me individually, but bringing it to my family life takes a little more effort. This is SUCH an amazing giveaway, and I’d love the chance to check it out!

  715. Casey

    I am an artist, so you would think that I would naturally do lots of creative things with our homeschooling, but I have to constantly remind myself to. My daughter has fine motor problems, so she doesn’t love the drawing and the bookmaking like I do. I’ve had to become creative in different ways.
    Casey’s latest post: Thankful for Fall

  716. Amy Kotula

    Bringing creativity into our family life is something that I have to work at. The more I try to incorporate, though, the easier it gets. Creativity seems to breed creativity.

  718. Jennifer

    I think I struggle with creativity, but my sisters and mom think I am great at it…I tend to be in charge of “craft time” when all the cousins get together!!

  719. Heather

    I definitely have to work at being creative at home but when it all comes together it is a beautiful thing!

  720. Jennie

    I hate to admit it but I have to work to bring creativity into our family life. My husband and I both feel that public school kind of dampened a lot of our innate creativity and this is one of the reasons we have decided to homeschool. I am very interested in Oak Meadow!

  722. Amy Beaunaux

    I definitely have to work at being creative as far as teaching goes. We tend to get busy with little things instead of enjoying the moment and going into more of a creative journey! I am really excited to hear about Oak Meadow, and it is something I will look into for our family!

  723. Eli

    I have a great desire to be creative in every aspect of our homeschooling. Sometimes it comes naturally, sometimes it requires a little kick in the pants. It’s so easy to get in the rut of just doing the norm when what we all need is a bit of excitement. Thank you for offering this giveaway.

  725. Sharon

    Creativity comes naturally in our family, but I tend to turn it off when I’m in school mode in order to complete the curriculum.

  726. Renea

    Unfortunately, I have to work hard to bring creativity into my home. This would be so appreciated, as I could use the help and would do my best to use it to help my children grow to love learning.

  730. Kelly

    My husband is a musician and has a creative flair. I consider myself a good imitator when it comes to artsy crafty things, but find that I can think creatively with most aspects of life.

  731. Jenny Runyan

    Being creative is totally something i have to work for! I have all these creative ambitions on the inside but they never come out right….so this would help me a ton! Thank you!

  732. Linda

    I think my past years of teaching in a classroom have made it more natural, but bringing creativity into our home is something I work at every day.

  735. nopinkhere

    I find family creativity harder than personal creativity. I even tried having Family Art Nights (should have been tonight) after reading about them in Amanda Soule’s Creative Family. It lasted 3 weeks.

  737. Rebecca

    What’s really hard is balancing creative projects with everything else that must be done in a day. There never seems to be enough time!

  740. Claire

    The desire to bring creativity into our family life definitely comes naturally to me, but I do need quite a bit of help harnessing that desire into something useful!

  747. Audrey Jawando

    I have always enjoyed doing crafts myself, so finding creative projects to do with my son is important to me. I do find it difficult to find age-appropriate activities, though and could use some guidance in that respect.

  748. Tonia

    I definitely have to work at bringing creativity into our lives. It’s really a matter of carving out part of our day to try new things and look at thinkgs in a different way. My kids are always reminders to me to stay creative.

  753. liza

    Creativity does not come naturally to me, but but does to my eight y.o.
    I have to buy her materials, and then get out of her way.
    If we won this curriculum, she would be the one paging through it, choosing projects.

  754. Mandi Bozarth

    Creativity comes naturally around here. I have four little ones — a kindergartner, a three year old, and twin two year olds. So all of our lesson plans have to be creative. I try to get everyone involved on some level in at least one lesson a day. That means the idea or task has to be changed to fit each child. Luckily, they usually have ideas of their own to help me out.

  755. Gayle K.

    I grew up with an art teacher for a mom, so creativity has always been a part of my life. Now that I’m a parent, I love doing creative things with my girls, but it’s sometimes a challenge to find ways to bring creativity into our every day.

  758. Eileen

    Although I like to do crafts and other creative projects, I’m finding I have a hard time incorporating them into our homeschool day and coming up with age appropriate activities.