Everglades Holiday Park (Home of the Gator Boys) Review #usfg

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Everglades Holiday Park is South Florida's premier gateway to the state's most exciting natural attraction-the Everglades. The park started nearly three decades ago by George M. Bridges who build the first airboat by hand in his backyard in 1982. The park is a family fun entertainment destinations and offers everything from guided Everglades airboat tours and live alligator presentations to food, souvenirs and fresh water fishing,

A moms review:
Visiting the Everglades has been on my, "places to visit list" for a very long time. So when we received an opportunity to review Everglades Holiday Park during our visit to Florida I just had to say yes. Everglades Holiday Park is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida so it took us about 3 1/2 hours to get there from the Orlando area but the drive was well worth it.

We arrived at the park around 11 am. Parking was plentiful and it was very easy to locate the gift shop where we received our airboat tour ticket. The gift shop was quite large and offered snacks, souvenirs and fishing gear. There were well maintained restrooms located just outside of the gift shop. There was also a deli located next to the gift shop in case you need to grab a bite to eat. After receiving our airboat tour tickets we went outside to sit on the covered porch in front of the gift shop to wait for our tour number to be called. In about 10 minutes they announced our tour number over the PA system and we proceeded down to the boat dock.

Once at the boat dock a staff member gathered our family and took a souvenir photo. And guess what the photo is included in the cost of your tickets! How cool is that? No need to pay another $20+ for a photo to remember your experience.

At this point the kids were getting really excited.....okay so was I. Our Captain walked us up the dock to the boat and we piled in. The boats seat 20+ people and are covered so you don't have to worry about melting in the Florida sun! After our Captain Mike went over some rules we were off on our 60 minute thrilling airboat tour of the Everglades.

WOW! We learned so much in 60 minutes. Mike told us the history of the area, how the Native Americans lived off the land, and how to survive if you ever get lost in the Everglades (which I hope never happens...eek). He also showed us the numerous flora and fauna of the area and yes we did get to see a couple alligators...one of them was only a few feet away from the boat! Our Captain really made our experience a fun and remarkable one. It is one that we will never forget. He was funny, informative and you could tell he was very dedicated to his job. **Important note: bring cash to tip your airboat Captain and the Gator Boys that do the presentation...they deserve it. The Everglades Holiday Park airboat experience is perfect for all ages and a must for nature enthusiasts, thrill seekers and artists!

A video posted by @kbalman on Jun 16, 2016 at 11:05pm PDT

This video clip explains it all!

After our airboat tour we picked up our souvenir photo and headed up to the waiting area for our gator show with the famous "Gator Boys"! If you don't know who the Gator Boys are let me tell you a little bit about them. The Gator Boys are a group of people (and not just boys there is a woman too) dedicated to rescuing nuisance alligators around Florida. Their reality show airs on Animal Planet, in fact many of their episodes were filmed at Everglades Holiday Park. When it was time for our show they walked us down to a covered walkway located in front of the "gator pit." **Important note: Everglades Holiday Park is in the process of building an arena area for future shows! The 20 minute show is an adrenalin-charged good time filled with exciting stunts, tricks and some of the best entertainment around. It is also very educational which is a plus for our homeschooling family! The show is very animal friendly and in fact the Gator Boys Alligator Rescue actually helps nuisance alligators by giving them a place to live and eat in a natural setting. These gators, if not rescued would have been euthanized...instead they are now animal ambassadors helping to break down alligator stereotypes!

After the show is over you can head over to the photo area to capture some more special memories. For a small fee you can get a memorable experience and photo holding a baby alligator, snake or other critter (animals do vary but they generally always have a baby alligator available for a photo shoot). Look at their grins. They were in absolute heaven.

We give Everglades Holiday Park 5 stars. The cost, experiences and staff were all stellar. We highly recommend this experience to any family looking for a one of a kind way to spend their time in Florida! I promise you will not be disappointed. When I posted our photos to social media several followers told me they had similar experiences with Everglades Holiday Park and visit every year when they vacation in Florida!

Extra details:

• Ask QUESTIONS! The captains are a wealth of knowledge and being prepared with questions can definitely enhance the experience.
• Take along sunscreen and bus spray...after all it is Florida and a swamp!
• The airboat ride can be very loud at times. If you have a child sensitive to loud noises take along ear protection, 
• Don't forget to take cash along to tip your airboat Captain and the Gator Boy or Girl doing your show!
• All ages can ride the airboat, children under 3 are free!
• Find out about various family friendly events taking place at the park by visiting the Gator Kids Club page.
• Everglades Holiday Park is home to many animal species learn more about them here.
• If you want to get a glimpse of the park before visiting check out the web cam.
• Everglades Holiday Park can accommodate various groups and offers discounts for 15 or more, read more here. 

Where:

21940 Griffin Road
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33332  

954-870-4822

Links to follow:

-Everglades Holiday Park Website

-Everglades Holiday Park Facebook

-Everglades Holiday Park Twitter

Everglades Holiday Park Limited Time Coupon Offer #usfg

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for details.

We are really excited to be heading to Florida soon for our family vacation. We have some fun things lined up one of which is Everglades Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale, FL. As you know we are a nature loving family so it should be no surprise that we would choose an airboat tour though the swamp as one of our activities. Everglade Holiday Park is home to the Gator Boys Alligator Rescue. The park has been in operation for nearly 3 decades and promises visitors a one of a kind, unforgettable experience. Be sure to follow us on Instagram to see photos from our Florida adventure.

At Everglades Holiday Park your family will glide across the River of Grass in a state-of-the-art airboat before taking in an alligator presentation performed by the Gator Boys from Animal Planet's hit TV series, where you'll learn all about the American alligator. Included with the adventure is 1 free group photo to remember your fun-filled day. Everglades Holiday Park has endless options for continued fun, including animal encounters, fishing, bike trails and more!

After our visit to the park we plan to hit up Everglades National Park so we can get in another National Park visit this year as we celebrate the centennial anniversary of the National Parks System.

Don't worry after our visit I will be sure to do a follow up post reviewing our experience. In the meantime check out the reviews on Trip Advisor.

Limited time offer - SAVE $4 Off Adult and $2 Off Child Airboat Tour, Gator Presentation & FREE Group Photo Ticket - Everglades Holiday Park -- home of the GatorBoys! Click here to obtain your coupon.

There's Only One Everglades, and Only One Way to See it!

Follow Everglades Holiday Park:
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Homeschooling With National Geographic Books #NGKInsider

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It is no secret that our family has a slight, okay a BIG, book addiction. We have several favorite publishers that we love and utilize in our homeschooling journey and National Geographic Kids is one of them. Their entire line up of books are educational, fun and filled with beautiful illustrations. And most importantly the kids LOVE them.

Over the last few months we have received several amazing books from National Geographic, it is one of the many perks of being part of the National Geographic Kids Insider Club. Sadly I got a little bit behind due to some health issues so I am sharing all of the great books we received that we have been utilizing in our homeschool learning adventures.

I'd like to also mention that all of these books make great gifts for the upcoming holidays too and many are currently on sale on Amazon right now!

A Friend For Lakota by Jim and Jamie Dutcher - ($16.99) Since we homeschool you might think bullying is not a huge concern for our family, but it is, and mostly in our own home. I always say that my kids are each others best friends and worst enemies, it is to be expected since they are together ALL the time. In this book Emmy winning Jim and Jamie Dutcher had the unique experience of living in a tented camp in Idaho's Sawtooth Mountains among a pack of wolves where they observed and documented the rarely seen social behavior, including bullying. In the book Lakota is a shy wolf pup who is growing up as the lowest ranked and frequently picked on member of the wolf pack (his brothers and sisters). This story was a great one for my kids. It taught them a very important lesson about not bullying one another and being there for each other no matter what and it also taught them that they shouldn't bully other kids and should they see a kid being bullied to do something to help them. In the back of the book there is a map that shows where Lakota lives as well as information about gray wolves, notes from the authors and a page with websites, books and places to see wolves. The photographs in this book are absolutely stunning by the way and make you feel like you are right there with the National Geographic photographers.*If you hurry you can get this book for $11.79 on Amazon right now!

100 Things To Make You Happy by Lisa m. Gerry - ($9.99) Have you ever made a happiness bucket list? Well after you flip through the pages of this book you just might. This book is filled with great ideas that are guaranteed to make you happy. Try a few or try them all, from exercises and foods that boost happiness to tips from professional "happy makers," like psychologists and even magicians. This book is also filled with inspirational quotes, heartwarming tales from the animal kingdom and interviews with National Geographic explorers who followed their dreams. I will tell you I have been very down in the dumps lately due to my health. I am in pain just about everyday and extremely exhausted. So whenever I am having a really bad day I flip open to a page in this book and find some inspiration to be happy. So not only is this book great for kids it's great for moms too! "The secret to happiness is to start by doing things that make you happy!" *If you hurry you can get this book for $7.34 on Amazon right now!

Why? Over 1,111 Answers to Everything by Crispin Boyer - ($19.99) Have you ever wondered why your cat hacks up hair balls? Or why volcanoes blow their tops? Well this book has you covered. It contains 7 chapters covering questions about your body, our planet, the universe, history, technology, animals and pop culture. This book is filled with hundreds of topics ranging from silly to serious, and includes expert information! It is fun and entertaining and will literally keep your kids busy for hours....seriously it kept my kids busy during a recent road trip from Georgia to Florida. Answers include all kinds of fascinating extra info like top ten lists, weird-but-true facts, explorer profiles, and cool activities. If your kids are anything like mine they ask a lot of questions....well this book will give them the answers without needing to Google! *If you hurry you can get this book for $10.99 on Amazon right now!

Mission Tiger Rescue by Kitson Jazynka - ($12.99) One of our favorite series from National Geographic Kids is the Mission Rescue Series. One of the homeschool clubs I run is zoo club. Each month we visit the zoo and learn about an animal while sitting in front of the animals habitat. Well thanks to the Mission Rescue books I am always well prepared for zoo club and can not only teach the children about the all about the animals but also ways we can help rescue them. Mission Tiger Rescue combines fun and amazing adventure stories, beautiful photographs, hands on activities, tons of facts and more. Throughout the book you meet real life tigers and learn about their habitats, challenges, and successes plus how YOU can personally take action and save these amazing endangered animals. Check out my review on Lion Rescue and Elephant Rescue here. *If you hurry you can get this book for $11.4 Amazon right now!

Buzz Aldrin Welcome To Mars with Marianne J. Dyson - ($18.99) This book is perfect compliment for our astronomy lessons. This book has 5 detailed chapters and covers Why Mars, Off to Mars, Approaching Mars, Riches of Mars, Martian Home and Green Mars. The kids favorite part of the book are the hands-on science experiments. I love that in the back of the book there is a section with additional book recommendations and websites. *If you hurry you can get this book for $12.22 on Amazon right now!

Pope Francis by Barbara Kramer  - ($3.99) I am sure you are all well aware there is a new Pope in the Vatican, Pope Francis! But did you know that he is the oldest of 5 siblings, that he loved to play soccer as a kid, that he was the first pope to take a selfie, or that he is an excellent cook? Well you can learn these facts and more in this Level 1 reader. This book arrived at the perfect time because my daughter asked to learn about the smallest country in the World this year which is well the Vatican!

How to Survive Anything by Rachel Buchholz - ($12.95) My kids are very interested in survival skills so this book is right up their alley. It contains 31 chapters and covers everything from surviving a tornado to a breakup. We took this book along with us on a recent camping adventure it was the perfect book to read at bedtime. I mean knowing how to survive a snakebike, being lost in the woods, or wildfire is definitely important information to know when camping! *If you hurry you can get this book for $8.34 on Amazon right now!

APPS:
Before I get to some really exciting news I want to quickly share one more valuable resource we use in our homeschool and that is apps. Well National Geographic experts have teamed up with Google Play to hand select some top educational apps. Nat Geo Kids is all about exciting children to explore the world around them. With these apps kids will have so much fun discovering all about animals, science, countries, and more that they’ll forget they’re learning. We have personally tried at least 4 of these apps and can say they definitely deserve to be on the list!

 

My kids love their National Geographic Kids subscription. This magazine subscription definitely makes a great gift for any child. Each magazine is loaded with engaging age appropriate content and fantastic photography. Little kids is designed for children ages 3-6 yrs old and Kids is designed for children age 6-12 yrs old. Currently you can get a subscription for as low as $12-$15.

Giveaway:
Guess what? One winner will receive a 1 yr subscription to their choice of Kids or Little Kids National Geographic Magazine thanks to National Geographic. Just fill out the Rafflecopter entry form below. Only the first entry is mandatory. Other entries are optional and give you extra chances. This giveaway is not affiliated with Facebook in any way. The winner will be posted on the blog and will be emailed. Winner must reply within 24 hrs with their contact information or another winner will be chosen. Prize will be shipped by National Geographic. Wait a moment for it to load....

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Raising Awareness For Endangered Animals All Year Long

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Did you know that World Lion Day was August 10th and that World Elephant Day was August 12th? Before becoming a National Geographic Kids Insider I didn't. I know these two days have passed and if you didn't know about them don't worry because you don't need to only raise awareness and celebrate these spectacular endangered animals on just these days, you can help them all year long and here are some things you can do!

Lions:
Did you know that it's not just Lions that are at risk? Many big cats in the wild are disappearing at an alarming rate. But there are things you and your family can do to help, so keep reading.

National Geographic is working hard to help raise awareness for Lions and other big cats by getting people to give high fives on social media. It is really easy, just follow the steps below.

• Share the Facebook and Twitter posts found HERE. Or get creative and share your own photo or video using hashtag #5forBigCats on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.  Don't forget to tag your friends in the virtual high five.
• Then head HERE to donate $5 (or more) to support National Geographic’s Big Cats Initiative.
• Sit back and watch the chain grow across social media!
  
  

Some other things you can do are:

• Support the Big Cats Initiative. This initiative helps prevent livestock from being killed by building better corrals, tracking lions and warning farmers, educating farmers and locals on other methods besides lethal action.  Simply text LIONS to 50555 to donate $10.00 or shop Big Cats gear.
• Educate your children about lions and other big cats. Teachers and parents can download this free kit to help educate kids on saving wildlife from National Geographic Kids. Learn more about lions here. Or purchase this awesome book Mission: Lion Rescue. This book is filled with amazing stories, facts and resources. Education is key to understanding and helping these magnificent creatures!
• Host a "Lion" Aid Stand.

Elephants:
Another animal that is endangered is the Elephant, the biggest mammal to walk Earth. And National Geographic is working hard to make sure that these animals are around for future generations.

• Education is key remember! Purchase this awesome book Mission: Elephant Rescue. Just like Misson: Lion Rescue this book is loaded with amazing stories, beautiful photography, hands on activities and more. I am super excited to use this book in a few weeks with my homeschool zoo club. We will be learning about Elephants and I am planning to do one of the many fabulous rescue activities in the book. I found these great little National Geographic books on Elephant Migration at Dollar Tree and will be giving one out to each family attending the zoo club meeting.
• Head over to the National Geographic website and watch the Elephant Mission: Animal Rescue video.
• Download this Mission Animal Rescue Fundraising Kit.
• Print out some Mission Animal Rescue Posters.

Cagles Family Farm - Ag-Venture Tour Review

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Cagles Family Farm is a family operated farm located in Canton, GA. Since 1936 this farm has been in operation and was a working dairy farm up until 1995. Though it is no longer a dairy farm, it still maintains a herd of dairy cows and a variety of farm animals. Present day Cagles is now used primarily as an agri-tourism venue for family fun and education. Their motto is "Every urban child should learn that their food, including milk, is produced on a farm and not just a product of the local grocery store." 

A moms review:

Escape the city hustle and bustle for some good ole' country fun. Cagles offers many great activities for families and groups. At Cagles you can get lost in the huge corn maze, visit a pumpkin patch, take a hayride, watch the herding dogs work, take a walk through a scary haunted barn and see where milk really comes from. There is so much to do down on the Cagles Family Farm.

The kids and I took an Ag-Venture tour at Cagles Family Farm. We met our tour guides Cathy and Oak (a border collie) outside of the red brick ranch house, which is where you also pay. While we waited the kids had fun playing on a very large antique scale located outside of the house. They also got to pet a few of the other border collies that were out and about. From there our guide led  us through the "Cow Subway". The kids found the large steal tunnel going under the road fascinating. And of course they couldn't resist yelling to hear their echos. We moseyed our way into the museum barn where our guide told us about the Cagles Family Farm history and their transition from a Dairy Farm to an Agricultural Farm. There are lots of cool things to see in the museum like old tractors, tools, milk jugs, antique typewriter and more. 

Next came the highlight of our day. Our guide led us to an open barn where there was several animals including the two cutest baby cows. She explained to us that they were Holstein Cows and that they supply the majority of our milk. She then bottle fed one of the cows which got lots of awww's from the kids and adults. She briefly explained some of the other animals that were in the barn and gave each of the kids some special leaves to feed the animals. In addition to the cows there was also a pig, turkeys, white ducks and a few chickens. My daughter was fascinated by the cows who loved to lick your hand when you rub their noses. And my son was fond of the pig who loves to be scratched and will even roll over on his side just like a dog when you do. I had to practically drag my kids away from the animals when it was time to move on. I really liked that above each animal they had a sign with some great educational facts which I could read to the kids. On our way to the next area the kids got to see and pet some of the BIG cows. The guide provided each child and adult with some hand sanitizer as well before moving on.

Next we visited Miss. Rosie's Parlor for a milking demonstration. But where was Rosie? The guide opened the barn door and had us yell, "come on out Rosie." We had to do it a couple of times and then she came running out and right into the milking stall. The guide explained to us that Rosie was a Jersey cow and that she was a little different than Holstein cows. The kids noticed that she was solid brown and didn't have spots. The guide joked with the kids and said her brown color didn't mean that she produced chocolate milk...but that she did give richer, creamier milk that is used in ice cream, cheeses, etc. I think YUMMY was the response from all the kids. The guide also explained how they milked cows in the olden days and how cows are milked today. Then she hooked Rosie up to the milking machine and we got to watch the milk shoot through the tubes. The kids even got to put their hands on the milker tubes to feel how the suction feels to a cow. My kids said it felt just like a vacuum cleaner. Guess what else? Rosie is expecting a baby!

Next it was time to board the hayride. Our driver had some trouble starting the tractor but after we all yelled Yee-Haw it surprisingly started right up. We took a tour of the farm grounds and stopped in a large field by a lake to view a sheep herding demonstration. Oak our border collie guide did the demonstration. Oak is currently being trained and had to be on a long rope lead but he did a great job of following his commands and getting the sheep back to their pen. 

We ended our tour which took about a little over an hour by visiting the goats. Another favorite part for my kids. Each child and adult received a handful of feed. There were goats of all colors shapes and sizes. My kids could have stayed there all day petting and feeding the adorable goats. 

But wait.....on our way back to the car we stopped for a little fun on the Jumpee Pillow. WHEEE! 

My daughter (age 6) whose dreams of owning a farm when she is a grown up said she "had the best day ever." And after her first visit to a real working farm she is even more determined to be a farmer. But she is still very adamant that her husband will have to clean up the poop.

Extra details:

• Wear proper footwear like sneakers or boots. This is a working farm.
• During the summer months the concession stands are not open so make sure you pack a lunch, snacks and beverages.
• If your susceptible to headaches from certain smells I suggest sitting at the middle or back of the hayride so you don't get a headache from the tractor fumes. 
• Pavilions and nice shade trees are available to eat under.
• Ag-Venture tours are only offered on the 2nd and 4th Saturday at 10 am during the Summer months. However if you have a group trip you would like to plan they offer those by request during the week.

• Outdoor Bathrooms and hand washing facilities are available. They are very clean and not porta potties.
• The walking part of the tour is handicap and stroller accessible.
• There is a dirt parking lot with ample parking.
• They accept credit cards and cash.
• Sign up for the email list to get valuable coupons. Also check out websites like Groupon which offer special offers from time to time.

Where:

Cagle's Family Farm
355 Stringer Rd.
Canton, GA 30115
770.345.5591

Links to follow:

-Cagle's Family Farm Website

-Cagle's Family Farm Facebook

Poisonous Animals Book and Itsy Bitsy Spider Craft

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We love reading and hands on learning so of course I couldn't resist participating in another online book club. The last Thursday of every month I will be joining some of my Usborne friends in the Story Corner Blog Hop. Each month there will be a theme and I will share one of our favorite Usborne books and a hands on learning activity to go along with it.

Make sure you also follow my Usborne Facebook page where I share about literacy tips, book deals, giveaways, new arrivals, upcoming party information and more.  - Kathys Cluttered Book Nook.

Book:
Poisonous Animals is part of the Usborne Beginners set (only $4.99 each). This is probably one of my  children's favorite Usborne sets. Each book is jam packed with information and includes a glossary and website recommendations. In the Poisonous Animals book children learn about why animals have poison, what happens when a snake bites, why wasps sting and more. The font in the Usborne Beginners set is large and easy to read and the paragraphs are concise making these books perfect for beginning readers...or you can use them as a read aloud too. And you won't have to worry about children loosing interest because the images are bright and beautiful and encourage children to continue reading to learn more!

Craft:

For our craft we made spider webs...they also make great dream catchers. These are so simple to make and are a great complimenting craft for spider, Halloween and Native American books.

Materials:

• Black or white paper plate (we used small 6" plates)
• Hole punch
• Yarn
• Mini toy spiders (we used glow in the dark spiders for an added effect)

Instructions:

1. Cut the center out of the plate (this part may require adult supervision). When I we made ours I had to cut about 40 plates for a group so I used my scrapbooking circle cutter and it worked great!
2. Punch holes around the outside of the paper plate. For a small plate punch about 12 evenly spaced holes.
3. Weave yarn through the holes in any pattern. If the children wish to hang the web up you will want to have them leave a piece dangling. 
4. Add a mini toy spider onto the web. 

Free Journal Pages:
Here is an arachnid journal page that goes along great with books on spiders. Download your copy here or click the picture below.

Story Corner

Each month we feature different themed books and corresponding activities! This month’s theme is animals so make sure you check out all the other posts!

Mix and Match Animal Game

Poisonous Animals and Itsy Bitsy Spider Craft

Dogs, Dogs! Memory Matching Game

Reading With George

Shark Sight Words

Activity Basket for Kids: I Can Draw Animals!

Panda Bear Play Dough Fun

Farmyard Tales Sticker Stories

Sea Animal Paper Plate Aquariums

Disneynature Monkey Kingdom - Journal Page, Crafts and More

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A couple days ago we went to the theater with our homeschool movie club group to see Disneynature's newest film Monkey Kingdom. If you missed the last movie club update check it out, we wen to see Night At The Museum (there is a fun, free journal page and craft idea on the post that you won't want to miss).

Every few months when a fun, educational movie is released we get together and go to the movies with friends from our homeschool group in Georgia. But that's not all...I also create a journal page centered around the movie and come up with a fun craft project for the group to complete afterwards.

We are huge fans of the Disneynature movies. We have seen them all and even reviewed Chimpanzee when it was released. This movie was just as good as all its predecessors. There were funny, sad, and edge of your seat moments. Plus the movie is really educational. An added bonus of seeing the movie during opening week is that part of the movie ticket proceeds go towards helping protect monkeys and other endangered species in their natural habitats.

After the movie our group got to go behind the scenes to check out the projection room....special thanks to Aurora Cineplex a locally owned and operated theater and entertainment center.

After the movie the kids made two fun crafts. One is craft was about monkeys and the other was about our planet Earth, both go along great with the movie

Earth Rock Craft:

Supplies:
-Blue Paint
-Green Paint
-Rocks
-Paint brush
-Acrylic Spray

Instructions:

1. Paint the rock blue first and let it dry.
2. After the rock is dry add some land formations with the green paint.
3. After the rock has completely dried spray it with acrylic paint.

You can put the Earth rock in your garden, flower pot or just sit it on a shelf.

Monkey Pipe Cleaner Craft:

Supplies:
-4 Brown Pipe Cleaners
-1 Yellow Pipe Cleaner
-Scissors
-Pencil

Instructions:

1. Cut the brown pipe cleaners into the following sizes: 1- 10 inch, 1 - 6 1/2 inch, 2 - 3 1/2 inch,  2 - 1 inch. Cut the yellow pipe cleaner into the following size: 1 - 1 inch
2. Take the 6 1/2 inch pipe cleaner piece and make a circle at one end for the head. This is the head/tail.
3. Next take the 10 inch pipe cleaner piece and create a corkscrew/spring. You can either wrap it around a marker or your finger. This is the body.
4. Place the corkscrew/spring over the head/tail pipe cleaner piece. Pinch the top and bottom of the body piece onto the head/tail piece to secure.
5. Next take the two    pieces and place one just below the head and wrap it around once to secure. Place the other piece at the bottom of the body piece and wrap it around to secure. These creates the legs. 
6. Next take the two   pieces and wrap them around the top of the head to create ears. 
7. Finally give the monkey a banana to eat by placing the yellow pipe cleaner in one of his hands.

The monkey can now be played with, sat on a shelf and posed, wrapped around a stick and placed in a flower pot or put on the end of a pencil for a cute pencil topper.

Free Monkey Kingdom journal page:
Each family also left with a copy of the journal page I created for the movie. You can download a copy for FREE here (or click the photo below).

Photo courtesy of  Disneynature.

Recommended reading:

• Monkey's
• Monkey's Sticker Book
• Monkey's Friends
• National Geographic Monkey's
• Monkey's A Picture Book (FREE eBook)
• Gorilla, Monkey and Ape Eyewitness 

More goodies:

• Visit the Monkey Kingdom website for fun games and downloads, including an educator guide and parent guide.

Don't worry I will share the craft and journal page after each homeschool movie club meeting!

Homeschool Nature Journal Club and All About Squirrels

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for details.

About a week ago I had my first homeschool nature journal club meeting for the North Metro Atlanta area. This has been something I have wanted to do for quiet sometime, but have always been too nervous to start. Well I finally took the plunge and the first meeting was fabulous. Nature journaling is something that myself and my children are really passionate about and we have been nature journaling since we started homeschooling in 2011. I wanted to share the joys and importance of nature journaling with other families and so Homeschool Nature Journal Club - Metro Atlanta was created. I will try my best to share each of our monthly meetings on my blog in hopes that it encourages you to start nature journaling with your children or perhaps even start your own club.

First let me tell you how to create a nature journal club group for those that are interested then I will tell you more about our first meeting topic and share exactly everything we covered and the resources we utilized.

Staring a nature journal club: 
It is really not as hard as it sounds. I created the group on Facebook, because for me that is the easiest way to communicate with a large group and post events. I decided to offer meetings for the entire North Metro Atlanta area (which includes Cherokee County, Cobb County, Fulton County, Gwinnett County and more), but you can make it for a smaller region if you want, like just your city or county. I offer two meetings a month and because my group covers multiple counties I offer one on the west side and one on the east side to try to accommodate everyone. In the past I have arranged nature walks with another group I am in and was very disappointed when the day of the nature walk no one or only a couple of families showed. I felt like all my hard work had been for nothing. So with this new, larger group I charge each family a small fee from $5-$7. This basically pays for my time and any supplies I may need for the meeting (like handouts, craft materials, books, etc).

For each meeting I pick a topic and different location so families can get exposed to a variety of nature preserves, parks, etc. Some of the upcoming topics include squirrels, GA birds, mushrooms, worms, pine cones and conifers, macroinvertabrates, spiders and more. At each meeting I talk about the topic, read a book, provide a drawing demonstration, have some sort of hands on activity and then we hit the trail for nature journaling.

For the first meeting I covered what nature journaling is, the reasons why nature journaling is so important, as well as what type of information to put in a nature journal. Be sure to view and download my nature journaling 101 handout.

Of course it is very important to give families a list of the supplies they will need to bring to nature journal club.

What to bring to each meeting:

• Writing utensils (coloring pencils, crayons, etc)
• A blank nature journal - it basically needs to have a blank page/spot to draw. If it has some lines to write that is fine. (see below for recommendations)
• Snack or lunch
• Nature bag for further exploring
  

Here are some journal recommendations

• Miller Pads and Paper - spiral bound, blank space on top with writing lines below
• Nature Log - Targeted for children, ages five to twelve, Nature Log Kids is a journal that lets youngsters note encounters with nature. Pages to paste photos and artwork add a perfect blend of creativity to each and every entry.
• Guided Nature Journal - No one could describe Nature Journal as a blank book. Clare Walker Leslie has transformed what could have been an ordinary diary into something truly unique. The text and illustrations offer just the right amount of inspiration and guidance to help the journal-keeper begin and succeed at making this book his or her own.
• Standard Journal - This stylish journal is a must-have for everyone, from artists and students to writers and professionals! Featuring a natural cork cover that's soft to the touch, this unlined blank book is ideal for note taking, sketching, doodling and more.
• Handmade diary or handmade brown bag journal

1st Club Meeting  - Squirrels:
Our first meeting was fantastic and my heart jumped for joy when I read the comments parents posted afterwards on the Facebook group.

My non-writing, non-artistic child today enjoying our first nature journaling meet up. He actually took notes about what was being taught and drew a few pictures! We are really going to love this new group! It's all about finding what they love. Stacy

Thank you for a great morning. The nature journaling is going to open a lot of doors for us. We look forward to next month! Stephanie

I heard great things, so glad my husband was able to take them! Looking forward to the next one and meeting you all. Thanks for putting these things together! Sarah

After I covered the nature journaling 101 information I introduced the children to the KWL chart. We discussed what they knew about squirrels, what they wanted to learn and hopefully later they discussed all they had learned with their parents. Since we are unschoolers we use KWL charts a lot.

After the KWL chart I read some interesting squirrel facts to the children. While reading the facts though I worked in some questions, like "what is a mammal," and "what is an herbivore." This helped keep the children involved and interested.

After we covered the facts I asked if anyone had any questions. The weather was a bit chilly so we didn't get around to reading the book I had planned to read, Burgess Book of Animals for Children.

So I passed around the red squirrel skull I purchased on Ebay and showed the children how to tell that squirrels are rodents (long orange teeth). They all really loved the skull!!

I then showed the children how to draw a really simple squirrel. This YouTube video was a great help.


After the drawing lesson I verbally gave the children a list of questions to think about as they observed the squirrels (these were taken out of the Handbook of Nature Study book). Then I handed out little cups of birdseed and gave them each a little squirrel ornament goodie for being so well behaved. I also encouraged them to do journal entries in between our meetings and told them at the next meeting I will ask for volunteers to share some of their entries.

Then we hit the trial! During our walk we didn't see many squirrels...can you believe it.  Luckily though most of the children said they have squirrels in their backyard so they promised to go home and watch the squirrels in their yard. We did all sit down though to create journal entries. Some children journaled about squirrels, others journaled about other things like trees and birds.

Be sure to download a copy of my squirrel nature journal club guide.

Here are some of the additional books I took along for the children to look at:

• The Squirrel
• World of Animals
• Fun With Nature

The first meeting was tons of fun and I am looking forward to so many more fun nature journal club adventures. I hope this post inspires you to get your children outdoors!

44 Animals of the Bible Review

*This post contains affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for details.

This month for the Moms of MasterBooks we reviewed 44 Animals of the Bible! Below is my review about the book. 

A moms review:
Do you have any children who love learning about animals? My children do, whether it's a creepy crawly snake or large graceful elephant. Whenever we visit the library I can pretty much guarantee that we will coming home with books on animals. About a month ago we received a copy of 44 Animals of the Bible and the children were really excited. They immediately began paging through the book to look at all the beautiful animal illustrations.

This beautiful 8 x 8, hardback book is 44 pages. It was written by Nancy Pelander Johnson and illustrated by Lloyd R. Hight. The book is obviously about 44 animals, but these are just any animals they are animals that are mentioned in the Bible. Each animals gets a single page which includes several paragraphs of text about the animal, a beautiful full-color, glossy drawing of the animal, and a Bible verse that mentions the animal.

The text on each page is short, simple and easy to read, but it provides lots of interesting facts about the animal such as where it is found, what it eats, etc. There is also information regarding how the animal is referenced in the Bible and a Biblical verse at the bottom of the page that mentions the animal.

One interesting animal we learned about was the Palmerworm...which is not really a worm. It is actually a young form of a locust which looks like a worm. Some of the other animals included in the book are the Peacock, Horse, Lizard, Leopard. Weasel, Whale...

This book can be used in a variety of ways. One way would be utilizing it as a daily devotional. It is great for children of all ages. Be sure to preview the book here.

More about the book:
God watches when the doe gives birth to her fawn. He makes the leopard swift to hunt its prey. From the exotic ibex to the more commonly-known tortoise, these and the other wonderful creatures of this book will delight children and parents during an exploration of where each animal appears in Scripture!

The 44 Animals of the Bible are:

• Shown in splendid, full-color illustrations
• Included within the text of specific Bible verses
• Easy-to-read with helpful details and fascinating facts!

God cares for the animals and He wants us to do the same, as they represent some of the most amazing and unique creatures that He has designed. Learn their importance and connections to biblical events and develop a cultural understanding of their place in the Bible with this delightful presentation.

Where to buy:You can purchase 44 Animals of the Bible for as low as $4.89 at New Leaf Publishing. You can also get the book on Amazon.

Be sure to visit the other Moms Of Master Books to see what they thought.

Zoo Atlanta 411 - September 2014

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for details.

Welcome to the September edition of Zoo Atlanta 411 Have you visited Zoo Atlanta recently? There is always something new to see and do so I encourage you to add Zoo Atlanta to your Fall outings. During our most recent visits to the zoo we checked out several of  the VIP experiences.

Have you ever wanted to feed a Lemur? Or come face to face with a Tiger? Ever wonder what an Elephant feels like? Well the Atlanta Zoo Wild Encounters are the perfect way to make these once in a lifetime dreams come true.

For even more fabulous animal encounters as well as unique tours, conveniences and amenities and more be sure to use the NEW ExpApp to book your VIP Pass experiences. I used the app to book our 4 experiences and was delightfully surprised at how quick and easy it was. Within minutes I had our experiences booked and received our confirmations. Animal encounters and tours range from $13 per person - $150 per person (zoo admission is separate). You can purchase tickets to encounters and tours the day of your visit, but it is highly recommended you purchase them in advance because space is limited and they do fill up. Experiences last 30 minutes to 1 hour.

VIP Pass Experiences and Amenities Include:
-Lemur Wild Encounter
-Elephant Wild Encounter
-Tiger Feeding
-Personal Gorilla Experience
-Bird Tour with Curator
-Guided Zoo Tour
-Skulls and Bones Galore Tour
-Giraffe Feeding Fast Pass
-Plush-To-Go
-Advance Single or Double Stroller Rental
-Advance Scooter Rental
-more coming soon...

*Note tours and feedings are only offered on certain days of the week. 

The app can be accessed from iPhone and Android Smartphones.

My daughter is very passionate about animals and it has always been her desire to own a horse and animal rescue when she is older. However after attending 4 of the VIP experiences at Zoo Atlanta she is now considering becoming a Zoo Keeper. If you are passionate about animals or have a child that is passionate about animals the animal encounters and VIP tours are a terrific way to encourage those passions while creating special memories that will stay with you long after you leave the zoo. Plus by attending a wild encounter or tour you are helping the zoo with conservation efforts!!!

Here are some pictures and a video of our 4 encounters. The children both said the Bird Tour with a Curator was their favorite. Mine favorite is a toss up between the Bird Tour with a Curator and the Tiger Feeding.

Bird Tour with Curator
James Ballance takes you behind the scenes for an in-depth look at some of the zoos diverse bird collections. He is an amazing guide and is very passionate about his job. During our tour we got to pet the baby flamingo's which are one of the zoo's newest arrivals (only 1 month old). We also got to feed the Giant Hornbill's and several birds in the Living Treehouse.

Elephant Wild Encounter
Go behind-the-scenes and meet one of the zoo's 2 African elephants, Kelly or Tara. You will come nose to trunk with an elephant and get to touch their skin, feel their ears, and feed them. You will also learn about the important conservation efforts being made to save these magnificent creatures from extinction. Did you now that over 100 elephants are killed per day? Visit 96 Elephants to find out what you can do to help.

Lemur Wild Encounter
Go behind-the-scenes to meet and feed the famous residents of the Madagascar. In this up-close-and-personal encounter you will meet either the black-and-white ruffed or ring-tailed lemurs and get to hand feed them. During our encounter we also had the privilege of hearing why lemurs are referred to as the Banshees of the Rainforest (check out the video)!



Tiger Feeding
Join a Carnivore Keeper and a Sumatran tiger for a totally unforgettable, once in a lifetime experience. Not only will you learn how the tigers are trained, but you will get to feed them too! Note the tiger feeding and keeper talk can be viewed by all zoo visitors, however if you want to be only 2 feet away from them and feed them you will want to purchase the VIP Experience.

Video Montage:

Upcoming September Events and Programs:

September 3 and 6 - Adventure Cubs - Creatures Quarters

September  6  - Fall Educator Appreciation Day (homeschoolers may attend this event)

September 6 - Members Only Night

September 7 - Grandparents' Day

September 10 - Homeschool Academy          

September 11 -Wild on the Rocks - Komodos and Cocktails

September 13 - Jazzoo                                              

September 13 - Family NightCrawlers - Partyin' With Pandas 

September  24 and 27 - Stroller Cubs - Full of Feathers 

September  26 - Deluxe NightCrawlers - Groovy Great Apes 

September  27 - Cub and Boy Scout Day

Deals:
From now through the end of September take advantage of the 6th Annual SWAMPtember Saving Event. 20 Metro Atlanta attractions are participating this year!

Families looking to find something new to do this September are in luck! 20 Metro Atlanta attractions have partnered together to offer significant savings in the annual SWAPtember event, running September 1 – 30, 2014.  SWAPtember encourages Members of the participating attractions to explore the offerings of other organizations.

Members from any participating attraction can show their membership card at any other attraction and receive $10 off a membership purchase. Some attractions are also offering additional discounts on admission during the month-long savings event.  For full offer details, visit the participating attraction’s web site.

The 2014 SWAPtember participants are:

Atlanta Botanical Garden
Atlanta Contemporary Art Center
Atlanta History Center | Margaret Mitchell House
Booth Western Art Museum
Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
Callaway Gardens
Center for Civil and Human Rights
Center for Puppetry Arts
The Children’s Museum of Atlanta
Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Georgia Aquarium
High Museum of Art
Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University
Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia
Museum of Design Atlanta
Oglethorpe University Museum of Art
Piedmont Park Conservancy
Tellus Science Museum
Zoo Atlanta

Announcements:
The otter habitat is open again after being closed for renovations. You can now see river otters and giant otters at the habitat. The two species of otters are rotated during the day so if you plan to spend all day at the zoo you can get a glimpse of both of them.

Did you know?

Everyday there is something exciting going on at Zoo Atlanta, check the calender for details. Activities are also printed on the back of the zoo map. 

Activities Include:

-Public animal feedings (Gorilla, Tiger, Orangutan, Birds and more)

-Petting zoo

-Parakeet aviary (fee for feed)

-Splash fountain

-Wildlife Theater shows

-Keeper Talks

-Fantastic Flights show

-Giraffe feeding (fee for feed)

-and more...

During one of our visits we got to catch the Orangutan feeding. We learned that Benny, Blaze and Pongo are from Sumatra and that they are critically endangered because their forests are being destroyed for Palm Oil. Did you know many of the products we use and foods we eat contain Palm Oil? There is a way you can help though. Visit Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and download the Sustainable Palm Oil Shopping Guide App. Did you know Orangutans are the only apes on the continent of Asia?

Free resources for children:

-Visit my notebooking/journal page for FREE printables to help you enhance your zoo trip like a zoo scavenger hunt, zoo animal journal page and more.

-Visit the Kids Corner on the zoo's website for fun activities, games, crafts and more.

For more information about upcoming events/programs and announcements visit the Zoo Atlanta website.

As a Zoo Ambassador I will try to provide you with an update at the beginning of each month about zoo events and announcements. Be sure to follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for even more updates including photos during our visits.