With Independence Day approaching, we look for exuberant and meaningful ways to celebrate. After all, this day holds great significance in the history of our country!

As I make celebration preparations for July 4th, I reflect upon a few notions in an effort to make Independence Day more purposeful and meaningful yet filled with excitement, wonder, and cheer. These notions involve patriotism, history, and science.

After reviewing these notions, keep reading for 15 fun ideas to help your children understand the depth, breadth, and meaning behind Independence Day. I guarantee you will celebrate with more fervor than ever before!

When I first started homeschooling in Pennsylvania, no one had anything good to say about our state homeschool laws; everyone talked about how hard it was! At first, I was really discouraged because we had just moved here. How was I going to handle all that they required? A portfolio? Evaluation? HELP!! It seemed like so much work just to prove to the state that I was giving my children an appropriate education. First of all, the portfolio isn't as scary as it seems. Actually, it can be quite fun, and my children enjoy looking back through it. You are required to show the child’s progress throughout the year in each subject. I love that BJU Press Homeschool Distance Learning gives you everything you need. Let me walk you through some of what is required.

Today, more than at any other time, there is a push to live simply – to live tiny, to minimize, to “KonMari” our lives. This philosophy states that by eliminating distraction, eradicating things that are superfluous, excavating anything that does not bring us joy, we can live more abundant lives. And there is a truth in this philosophy which probably accounts for why it is so popular today. So how can that simple living be applied to homeschooling?

Life is busy, especially for a homeschool mom. This post will give you some insider information on how to make the ordering process with a Homeworks by Precept Consultant quick and easy.

I will never forget when my husband asked me if we should do a standardized test for our kids. His question sent shock waves through me as it brought forth all sorts of anxiety about how well I was teaching our children. Yes, I knew we were learning and making progress, but I was scared. The doubts poured in. Were we on grade level? Were there gaping holes? Had I selected the right curriculum? Was I doing enough? Was I doing too much? Even though my children would be taking the tests, I felt that their scores would really be a reflection of how I was doing. Does any of this sound familiar?

Sharon Huizinga lives in Michigan with Tom, her husband of 13 years, and their four children. They both grew up in Connecticut, met at church, and got to know each other better in college at Western Connecticut State University. Sharon graduated with her bachelor’s degree just a few weeks before she and Tom married in 2006. She went on to teach second, fourth and fifth grades in Christian schools.

Natalie Smith lives in Fayetteville, NC – the home of Fort Bragg 82nd Airborne and US Army Special Operations. She graduated from Bob Jones University with a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Counseling and a Master of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education. Natalie met her husband, Germaine, at Bob Jones University working in the University Cleaners. They have been married for 13 years. The Lord has blessed them with two girls.

My name is Beth Milligan. I live in a beautiful part of North Idaho surrounded by glistening lakes and rugged forests. We live in a rural area where fishing and hiking are within minutes and where a moose may pay a visit on our back porch. In the summers, you will find our family of 5 playing a fun round of “frisbee golf” at a nearby course in the mountains, spending our afternoons soaking up the sun while we picnic at the lake, enjoying a day of squealing excitement at Silverwood Theme Park, or climbing aboard Papa’s pontoon boat for some fishing in the evenings. We definitely love the recreational aspect of where we live, always enjoying the outdoors in some way.

Esther Black is a second-generation homeschooler, wife, mom of 7, and HomeWorks by Precept Consultant from Iowa. Her goal is to encourage and support other homeschooling families to find the tools they need to continue investing in their children.

As a homeschooling momma of 7, I’m familiar with the fear of ruining your children for life. I’ve even tossed around the idea of pushing my kids on the school bus and throwing in that towel! I desperately didn’t want to, and I just didn’t know what else to do! I was drowning. I needed homeschool help, and I just didn’t know where to find it!