Tag Archive for: Home learning

Rachel Hodis
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DIY Holiday Cards

DIY Holiday Cards

Get creative this holiday season with DIY holiday cards!

This activity offers you a chance to craft a unique and memorable gift, and spend time with the people you care about.

Here are fun and festive DIY holiday card ideas the whole family can make together.

1. Handprint & Fingerprint Cards

This activity is perfect for younger children!

How it works:

  • Use washable paint to create handprint trees, wreaths, reindeer antlers, or Santa beards.
  • Add fingerprint ornaments, lights, or snowflakes.
  • Outline with markers once dried for extra detail.

2. Collage Cards Using Recycled Materials

This is a fun and eco-friendly craft that uses material you already have lying around the house.

Possible materials:

  • Scraps of wrapping paper
  • Old holiday cards
  • Ribbon pieces
  • Tissue paper
  • Magazine cutouts

How it works:
Create patterned trees, patchwork ornaments, or snowy winter scenes by layering different textures and colors.

3. Watercolor Winter Wonderlands

This is a relaxing, and more artistically advanced activity, for all ages.

Ideas for scenes to paint:

  • Snowy forests
  • Snow-covered mountains
  • Frozen ponds
  • Holiday scenes of towns or home

4. Pop-Up Holiday Cards

Make your cards 3D with an easy stand-up Christmas tree!

What you’ll need:

Cardstock, green paper, scissors, glue stick (and markers/stickers if you want).

Instructions:

  1. Fold your card. Fold cardstock in half to make your card base.
  2. Cut two slits. Along the folded edge, cut two small parallel slits (about 1 inch long, ½ inch apart).
  3. Pop the tab in. Gently push that cut section inward, crease it, then open/close once so it “pops” neatly.
  4. Make your tree. Cut a simple green triangle (or stack 2–3 triangles for a layered look).
  5. Glue it on. Put glue only on the pop-out tab, close the card, press the tree onto the tab, then open to reveal the pop-up!
  6. Decorate + write your message. Add ornaments, a star, and your message.

5. Family Photo Cards

Add something special to family photos by decorating frames around printed photographs or turning it into an “ornament” that detaches from the card. Another fun idea is to add speech bubbles, borders, or hand-drawn doodles to accentuate scenes.

Want More Art Activities?

Our expert art instructor is available to teach all ages and skill levels. If you’re interested in building your art skills or taking up a new hobby, call us at (626) 227-1149 or submit a contact form.

 

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Rachel Hodis

Holiday Home Learning

Holiday Home Learning

The holidays are a wonderful time to slow down, reconnect, and sprinkle a little extra fun into home learning.

Below are a few festive lesson ideas that blend education with the magic of the holiday season, in a way that honors a variety of beliefs and celebrations.

Multi-Faith Holiday Traditions Exploration (All Ages)

Pick 3–5 winter holidays celebrated around the world, such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, Las Posadas, or Lunar New Year.

  • Research Together: Create a simple “Holiday Facts” sheet for each tradition with key info like origins, symbols, foods, and ways people celebrate.
  • Create a Mini Museum: Display drawings, crafts, or photos related to each holiday.
  • Discussion Prompt: What traditions from each holiday are familiar? What’s new or surprising?

This activity builds cultural literacy and can be tied to social studies and geography.

Holiday Storytelling & Creative Writing

Read seasonal stories from multiple faith backgrounds: Hanukkah tales, Nativity stories, folktales about winter, etc.

  • Younger Kids: Draw scenes from the stories.
  • Older Students: Write a short story imagining a celebration from the point of view of a person in another country or faith tradition.
  • Family Twist: Create a “Holiday Story Book” compiling everyone’s creative work.

This activity promotes literacy, builds writing skills, creativity, and fosters empathy.

STEM: Holiday Lights & Circuits

Use LED lights, a battery, and copper tape to make a simple circuit card themed to any holiday symbol like a star, candle, tree, lantern, or unity symbol.

Activities

  • Build a basic paper circuit and watch your creation light up.
  • Discuss the science behind electricity and energy transfer.
  • Expand the challenge for older students with switches or parallel circuits.

This activity is a practical application of engineering principles and builds problem-solving and fine motor skills.

Holiday Kitchen Chemistry

Every holiday has a dish at the center of celebration, whether it’s latkes, gingerbread, tamales, mooncakes, sufganiyot, or harvest fruits.

  • Baking Experiments: Compare how baking powder vs. baking soda affects cookies.
  • Cultural Cooking: Choose a recipe tied to the holiday your family celebrates, or explore one from another tradition.
  • Math Tie-In: Have kids double or halve the recipe for fraction practice.

In this activity, students apply chemistry and math lessons in a practical setting. They also learn cultural appreciation and valuable life skills.

Winter Nature Study

Bundle up and head outdoors for seasonal science activities, such as:

  • Identifying winter birds or trees.
  • Observing seasonal patterns: snow crystals, frost, shorter days.
  • Creating a nature journal with sketches and reflections.

Optional Add-On: Connect the observations to holidays tied to light and seasonal cycles, like Winter Solstice.

The activities can tie into earth science, biology, and build observation and reflection skills, as well as promote environmental awareness.

Final Thoughts

The holiday season is naturally rich with stories, science, faith, food, and creativity. It’s a perfect time to bring education to life in relevant ways.

If you’re interested in learning more about homeschooling, let’s get in touch! Call us at (626) 227-1149 or submit a contact form on our website.

by
Rachel Hodis
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Integrating Art History into Home Learning

Integrating Art History into Home Learning

Home learning offers a unique opportunity to make education more personalized, flexible, and engaging. One subject that’s often overlooked is Art History. Integrating art history into your home learning routine can enhance critical thinking, cultural awareness, and even literacy.

Why Art History Matters

Art history is a dynamic subject that encourages students to think critically about images and symbolism and explore history through a creative lens. It can be a helpful subject for understanding different cultures and perspectives.

When students study art, they’re also learning visual literacy, which is essential in today’s image-driven world.

Simple Ways to Bring Art History Home

You don’t need a museum membership or an art degree to introduce your student to the world’s masterpieces. Here are some easy, engaging ways to integrate art history into home learning:

1. Choose an Artist of the Week

Each week, pick a new artist to explore. You might start with well-known names like:

  • Leonardo da Vinci
  • Frida Kahlo
  • Claude Monet
  • Jacob Lawrence
  • Yayoi Kusama

Research their background, artistic style, and a few notable works. Look at the time period they lived in and what was happening in the world during that time. Even a 10-minute conversation can spark curiosity!

2. Do an Artwork Deep Dive

Select one artwork and analyze it together. Ask your student these questions:

  • What do you see?
  • What mood does the artwork convey?
  • What colors, shapes, or patterns stand out?
  • What might the artist be trying to say?

This encourages students to slow down, observe, and interpret.

3. Incorporate Hands-On Activities

Combine art history with creativity by recreating a famous artwork using household materials or designing a modern version of an ancient artifact. Not only are these fun home learning activities, but they also reinforce learning through experience.

4. Connect Art to Other Subjects

Art history naturally ties into other areas:

  • History: Discuss how art reflected political or social changes
  • Geography: Locate where artists lived or where artworks were created
  • Language Arts: Write a story inspired by a painting
  • Science: Explore the chemistry behind pigments or materials used in art

Make It a Habit

You don’t have to overhaul your homeschool curriculum to include art history. Try setting aside one afternoon a week for an “Art + Culture Hour.” Make it relaxed, hands-on, and discussion-based.

Even just a weekly focus can expose your student to diverse voices and important cultural contributions across time and place.

Explore Virtual Museum Tours

Take a digital field trip! Exploring global art collections from your living room makes the learning experience more exciting and immersive. Many museums now offer free online tours. Try:

  • The Louvre (Paris)
  • The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)
  • The Uffizi Gallery (Florence)
  • The National Museum of African Art (Washington, D.C.)

Final Thoughts

Integrating art history into home learning doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. It’s a fantastic way to nurture creativity, curiosity, and cultural understanding, all while supporting core academic skills.

At Hodis Learning & Music, we’re passionate about making learning come alive. Whether you’re looking for personalized tutoring, art lessons, or homeschooling, we’re here to help your student thrive. Call us at (626) 227-1149 or submit a form and discover how we can help you with your home learning goals.

 

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