It’s a Big World …and my contient bin of it!

Hey you peepin’ Toms and Leann’s (Leann wants to see everyone’s contient bins with her blog hop so check it out)! 😉  Quit sneaking around and just pull the bin out already! 😉  I’m not too sure how to share our world bin as it’s pretty standard.  So…I snapped some pics…and I’ll add some captions!  We don’t have a lot of the “Montessori” stuff but my kids have been able to find everything despite that so I think we’re doing ok! 😉

A BUNCH of maps.  Santa brought the kids some maps one year and this is an amazing compilation from the depths of the oceans to the outer reaches of space.  If you ever come across National Geographic maps but don’t want them…send them to me.  One day I’m going to laminate all my maps so they stay in good condition and usable.  I just haven’t found a way to fold laminated things up like well…NOT-laminated stuff so they stay neatly contained in their lovely box.  You know National Geographic…if you ever wanted someone to review for you just HOLLER! 😉  Seriously, National Geographic is THE magazine for education.  I LOVE it and MISS it since we’ve been simplifying and downsizing everything.  I didn’t give up my maps though!

These were bought at Borders.  If I’m not at Half Price I’m at Borders (both also offer a Homeschoolers discount but you need proof and the kids with you during the day and stacks of educational books aren’t considered enough proof…just FYI).  Ever since 1/2 moved to Beavercreek Borders has enjoyed our dollars and we’ve gotten less books but…drive an hour up and then back with an irritated toddler or pay a bit more and buy less?…hum…..pay more and buy less. 🙂

Ahh…the box of maps and a WONDERFUL book of all kinda places on Earth to color.  It’s great for art projects and also makes it easier for me when I can’t come up with a project for something obscure…go to the coloring book!  It even has pics of how the real places look so you don’t have to hunt it up.  I paid less than 10 for it.  I also bought one of the world flora, one of Birds of the world and we will be using them for a bird study as well as a plant study.

Beautiful pictures.  I’m REALLY considering cutting them out to place into frames when we’re working on a place but…I think I’ll just have to make a big book stand to hold it open.  The other one is a book that will play the song a bird sings.  It’s lovely and divided up by locations.  There are full color and page representations and information about the bird.  HIGHLY recommend it.  I recommend it SO much I bought two….wonder what I’ll do with the second one? 😉



Some other lovelies I’ve bought from Pass It On Kids in Yellow Springs, as well as Half Price and Borders.  Although the Animals of the World came from Santa and Karen gave me The Rosetta Stone.



BLURRY!!!  But, they’re books of Places, People and Nature of the World.  I bought a mess of these about 7 years ago from Half Price.  Every other year I pull a new one out and we’ll learn about everything.  It’s really cool ’cause as they grow they learn new things…or something will catch their attention that they never saw before.  They have stickers and I also have one that’s over the flags of the world with this HUGE 5*4 poster that you match up the sticker flag with it’s country.  It’s really intense and every few years we (although it’s normally me) will do one.  This is our last one and I’ll laminate it this year.  I wish I’d bought the others so Sunshine could get all the edugoodies too.

A puzzle book of the continents and then a large floor puzzle of the world.  Sunshine can do both of these and I’m REALLY needing to get the ‘montessori’ style maps so they can trace and learn the ACTUAL shapes of the different countries and such.

A fun game about the world.  It’s great for sharing the world with your kids on a cold blustery day! 😉  This is another game we’ve had for YEARS!  It was bought at Aunt Sally’s (Salvation Army).  I REALLY miss Aunt Sally and Uncle Will (Goodwill).  We haven’t been visiting (thrifting) since this whole bedbug epidemic has swept Ohio.

The COOOOOLEST thing at Target is this world map shower curtain.  We unfold it and do everything from locate countries, put animals in their country, we’ve shown migrations, played ‘find the country’, sailed ships passages, followed the ocean currents, checked out locations of wars, natural disasters, landmarks, 7 wonders…TONS of stuff.  For less than 20 bucks you can’t get any better usage.

Just a bunch of maps and games for the Geosafari.  You can also use a dry erase pen or Chinese marker and match up stuff.  I will do that for when I’m wanting to go beyond or not in line with what the game has set up.  These are great and you should check them out on ebay or at your local United Art and Education.  We got our cards at from their clearanced area.  I only paid 10 dollars a bag full.  They don’t have that option any more though….  But!  I’ve also bought them on sale and ALWAYS used my coupon of 5 of 20$ that I get about 5 times a year.

Ignore the upside downness by twisting your laptop around.



 I also have some globes (hit the summer clearance cause I bought my big globes for 3 or 5 bucks each.  Nice deal when they’re normally 18-20.00) that I painted to be all Montessori like.  I use to have a little world (target dollar section) that showed land/ocean but I was watching Sunshine this summer and she just seemed to struggle a bit making the connection that the big globe was the world but also that this little one was too.  I thought how Maria would always have only one difference between the materials so the children could focus on THAT thing.  So…I’m starting to paint my big globes.  I sent the little ones to a friend for her preschool class and I’m painting mine.  I am really starting to wish I’d kept them and just waited everything out but…I think when they ask well…it’s time to share and answer exactly what they ask.  This way they see land/water, continents (by color too), and then the world.  They’ll all be the same size and I think that’s easier and more in line with Maria’s work than a small world and a big world.

Oh…and since this is about the World you have to check out Renee and Jeremy‘s It’s a Big World.  I LOVE them.  I play their cd ALL THE TIME.  They also have another cd called C’Mon.  It’s great too and they also have some videos of their songs made up.  I’ll pull them up and let Sunshine watch them on my phone while we shop.  It’s a nice diversion and I ROCK OUT!!!!! 

And, in the words of Renee and Jer (…yeah…we’re that close.. 😉 ) don’t worry about a thing cause every little thing gonna be all right.

Honey