Bhagavad Gita Study Guide

Best study guide I've seen. Bhagavad gita is organized in outline form and shows connections, themes, practical applications, etc.  It's included in my links, but really worth pointing out also in this post.

Click here for: Bhagavad-gita Notes
 Also available online are Prabhupada's lectures along with tests!Click Here.

Homemade Toys Link

Just discovered this site while looking for a "paper flute" and adding this link. Not only are their many selections for children to make, but it appears that many have a video included to show how they are made and used. Check out by clicking here.

Make Time to Play

A reminder to include some kind of "PE" everyday or not to neglect  spending time with the littlest ones. In a homeschool setting, Dad can make sure this happens, too:

My precious boy with the golden hair
Came up one day beside my chair
And fell upon his bended knee
And said, “Oh, Mommy, please play with me!”I said, “Not now, go on and play;
I’ve got so much to do today.”
He smiled through tears

Worthwhile Writing Practice

I always felt that if a child is going to practice his handwriting, he should be given worthwhile things to copy and write- whether of personal interest to him, related to the lessons he is learning or educational in the formation of character, values, etc. such as useful sayings, sastric verses, poetry  and the like (I prefer to do spelling tests this way, too, using a dictated spelling word

What We're Doing This Year

For one thing, we are still with the K12 program. Once again a large shipment of books and school supplies came via UPS, cost free, for both second and eighth grades. Simultaneously, I try to incorporate the Krsna conscious perspective into every subject. After some seventeen years of experience and having already spent last year getting used to K12, things have been a lot easier (and by

The Decorated Dead Body

I thought the extract below from the nineteenth century McGuffey's Fourth Reader for children (the older version) elaborates well Prabhupada's purport from SB 1.10.16:

"Human civilization, as conceived of by the sages of India, is to help one free himself from the clutches of illusion. The material beauty of a woman is an illusion because actually the body is made of earth, water, fire, air,

The Srimad Bhagavatam Family Tree

This Srimad Bhagavatam family tree, derived from the genealogies given throughout the Srimad Bhagavatam, appeared in BTG some time ago. It was put together by Jahnavi Devi Dasi. Click on it to enlarge. Click a second time to become even larger, and use the scroll bars to view family lines, etc.

The Life of Ramanujacarya

A new link of note that has been added is the life story of Ramanujacarya. Wonderful stories. Easy to read.
Click here.

The book is available at KrishnaCulture.com.
 

The Sun Dynasty

Edited from The Ancestors of Rama, useful in a study of the Ramayana and Vaisnava history.

The Sun Dynasty or Solar Dynasty or Suryavansha is one of the most prominent dynasties in the history of Hinduism, along with the "Chandravansha" or Lunar Dynasty.

"Suryavanshi" means a person belonging to this dynasty. This clan was the eldest and the most prosperous in ancient India till the rise of

3D Pastimes

Here's a way to remember Krishna when reaching for the refrigerator door. It's a collage with a magnet on the back.

MATERIALS:
3 identical pictures, these came from extra Krishna Art calendars
tape
safety scissors, scissors and or razor knife
1 long strip of magnetic tape per finished collage.
PREPARATION:
Help children choose what to cut out in regards to background, middle, and foreground.

Crayon Techniques

(This got moved from an earlier post- What to Do in Art Class" because it was getting too long as i kept adding examples or photos. This section will be devoted to Crayon Techniques only. More photos are planned.)

Crayons are a lot of fun, because so many things can be done with them. Here's a few ideas:

SHADING
At first, a single color may be used to practice making different shades from

Peacock Keepsake

Inspiration for this craft came from this link.

Using a child's hand for the feather as a template makes the "feathers". Cut two. The "sequins were made with a hole punch and silver foil and olive green paper. In this case, we recycled from a bag that spices were sold in, for the silver; the green paper came from a soap wrapper. Kids can color the peacock and glue on the decor. Framed, this can

Got Junk Mail?

Believe or not, junk mail can be a fun, educational tool. I collect it until the grandkids come over. Besides playing "post office", here's a few more ideas what to do with it:

Practice writing their name, address and phone number in any blanks and forms given.
Practice cutting with scissors on any dotted lines.
Cut out and use coupons while doing pretend shopping.
Follow any written directions 

Maybe Yes; Maybe No

(adapted)                              
Once there was a farmer whose only horse ran away. That evening the neighbors gathered to commiserate with him since this was such bad luck. "Your farm will suffer. Now you cannot plow," they said. "Surely this is a terrible thing to have happened to you."
The farmer replied, "Maybe yes, maybe no."

The next day the horse returned and brought with it six