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Are you studying ancient civilizations for homeschool history, for example BookShark Level 1 or BookShark Level 6? If so, you will probably find that ancient Egypt is one of the most fascinating topics you’ll cover. In addition to your scheduled reading, your child will probably enjoy supplementing with interactive, hands-on activities.

Are these extra activities necessary? Not at all! But some families truly enjoy making crafts and engaging in creative projects, and when those activities can connect to homeschool history lessons, it's all the better. Here are five relatively simple hands-on activities for ancient Egypt that you can do in your kitchen with supplies you already have in your home.

Math can be the bane of a homeschooling parent’s life. Kids who hate math might put off their schoolwork, lose their focus during math lessons, or become frustrated when trying to learn a new concept. A simple way to make math easier for children is to use math games. Rather than running to the store or placing an online order, try these low-prep math games you can make at home in just minutes! They’re super easy to put together and they’re a nice way to switch up math class for the kids while reducing math anxiety.

If you do a quick search for early literacy, you’ll find study after study confirming the link between early literacy and future academic success.

Educational organizations and schools have taken this to heart, encouraging direct literacy education at home and providing it in schools. But as homeschool families, we know that play, not targeted instruction, matters most in a young child’s social, emotional, and academic development. The skills so integral to early literacy—observation, critical thinking, questioning, and evaluation—don’t need to be taught through flash cards or lessons.

As homeschooling parents, we want to ensure our kids know math, history, spelling, reading, and other traditional school subjects. But did you know there are many things we teach those kids—who are with us all day long—that have nothing to do with school or what might be found on a standardized test. When you’re doing life together all the time, there are many lessons your kids will learn just by being around you.

Our house is full of books, and, of course, being a homeschool family has only added to our collection. I’ve always loved books, and I am a voracious reader. My husband is a book lover as well, so it was natural for our love of the written word to overflow to our children. Although our interest in books came easily, here are five ways that we fostered a family book culture. Replicate these in your home to create a haven for books and reading.