Cycle 2 Week 1 At Home Activities for Classical Homeschooling
Looking for fun and engaging ways to practice the Cycle 2, Week 1 memory work at home? In this post, I share a peek into our first week back, our daily rhythms with my small children (ages six, four, and two), and the activities, games, and readings that made our week both fun and meaningful.
This week was extra exciting as we kicked off Cycle 2! I always love starting a fresh cycle. There’s something about new books, new topics, and new goals that makes me want to dive in with my kids.
Summer Homeschool Routine
This summer, we continued our morning routine of reading the Bible together. The kids enjoyed coloring in their Attributes of Jesus workbook while we worked on memorizing several corresponding Bible verses as a family. I also loved going through the Homegrown Education Real Food activity books with my girls this summer. We kept up with a little math and handwriting to keep skills fresh. In the evenings, I began reading more chapter books to my oldest daughter before bed, which we both looked forward to. It was a simple, peaceful routine that gave us rest while still providing a sense of structure for everyone.
We also recently began working through our European Countries Workbook and using our large felt Europe map. A few weeks ago, I started introducing a page or two of the workbook at a time, and we have been talking about each country together. This has been a fun way to start diving deeper into Europe as we prepare for Cycle 2.
Tutor Ideas for Classical Homeschooling
If you are part of a Classical homeschooling community, are you tutoring? If you are, be sure to check out my posts with tutor ideas for each week here.
Also, I have a youtube channel where I make videos with tutor and memory work ideas each week. Below is my tutor video for Cycle 2 Week 1. Visit my channel for tutor ideas for many other weeks and other videos with homeschooling tips and encouragement.
First Day of School Traditions
On the first day of school, I always give each child a new picture book. I choose something they are excited about and that connects to something we will study this year.
This year my oldest received Polar Bears by Gail Gibbons. My daughter LOVES polar bears and this year we will be learning about the tundra and Northern European countries where polar bears live. I bought my younger daughter Nature’s Green Umbrella by Gail Gibbons since she loves animals and we will learn more about different land biomes and the rainforest this year. My two-year-old son received a fun book about trucks called, The Ultimate Book of Vehicles by Anne-Sophie Baumann. This doesn’t really relate to what we are learning about this year, but he absolutely loves trucks and was quite entertained by it this week!
Another part of our first day traditions is making a fun little sign for the girls to hold. We write the year and their grade on it, and then take first day pictures. I love looking back on these photos each year to see how much they have grown. You can use this template to make your own “first day of school sign” here.
Morning Devotional Time
We always begin our mornings together around the breakfast table. This is one of my favorite parts of homeschooling life. There is no rush to get out the door. We can take our time to read and talk together.
I have learned some morning habits that help us all get down to breakfast at the same time. This helps me make the most of our morning time together. Read more about these habits here.
Bible Study: Lesson 1 (Judges)
This week we started Lesson 1 from the Foundations of the Bible study from Driven by Grace. The focus was on the Judges, and we learned about Deborah. I read her story from The Complete Illustrated Children’s Bible. The beautiful pictures and faithful retelling help my kids connect with what they are hearing. My daughters also enjoyed coloring the corresponding activity page from the Foundations of the Bible Activity Book also from Driven by Grace. We learned that the name Deborah actually means “bee.”
If you would like to know more about our full morning devotional routine, you can read my post about it here.
Also, here are the Bible stories we read from The Complete Illustrated Children’s Bible (TCICB) that went along with the Foundations of the Bible Study Lesson 1 about the first 4 Judges:
The 24 Family Ways
We also learned our first Family Way from The 24 Family Ways by Sally and Clay Clarkson. We began memorizing the Bible verse that goes with it, Matthew 27:37. I write both the Family Way and the Bible verse on chalk boards that hang near our kitchen table so we can see them often.
While I read, my girls colored the first page from their 24 Family Ways coloring books.
After reading, I played two songs for them — one was our Bible memory work song about the Judges (from @drivenbygrace), and the other was a song to help us remember the Bible verse. I have found songs that match with each Bible verse and Family Way, and we use them often. Most of the songs I use are from Steve Green’s CDs. Songs are such a powerful tool for helping children memorize Scripture. You can download my matchup of the 24 Family Ways with Bible verses and songs from my Resource Library.
We always end our devotional time with prayer and singing a few hymns from this gem of a book called My First Hymnal by Karyn Henley.
Math and Language Arts
After devotional time, we moved into our daily math work. I’m continuing to use The Good and The Beautiful for math, and it’s been such a good fit for us. My oldest is working through Level 1, and my 4-year-old is doing their Preschool curriculum, which I’ll explain more below.
Read here why I decided to switch from Saxon math to The Good and The Beautiful (TGATB). I like doing math right after devotional time because everyone is fresh, and it’s easier to be consistent this way.
This year we are starting to do more focused language arts with my oldest, and it has been such a joy. We are using The Good and The Beautiful Level 1 Language Arts and Literature curriculum, and we have been loving it so far.
The curriculum covers everything she needs at this stage—phonics, reading, spelling, grammar, writing, and handwriting—all in one open-and-go program. The lessons are beautifully illustrated and very engaging, which keeps her interested from start to finish. Each lesson takes us about 30 minutes a day, which is the perfect length for her attention span right now.
I also picked up some of the readers that go along with the program, and she has really enjoyed them. They give her extra practice with reading and help her gain confidence as she sees herself making progress. I am so encouraged to see her excitement grow as she realizes how much she is learning.
Preschool with my 4-year old
With my 4-year-old, I am keeping things very simple. She is working through The Good and The Beautiful Preschool Curriculum along with a Handwriting Without Tears book, and that combination has been perfect for her.
I don’t believe children at this age need to be doing formal bookwork yet. I think play, stories, and being part of family life are the most important. But I like having these gentle resources because she often wants to do what her older sister is doing. Having her own activities gives her a sense of ownership and keeps her engaged.
We even call this her “math,” and she beams with pride when she sits down with her workbook. It is such a sweet way for her to join in without adding pressure, and it gives us a fun rhythm we can enjoy together.
Weekly Memory work songs
I try to review as much of the weekly memory work with my kids as possible during the week with songs and games. Often when I’m cleaning up breakfast, I play this week’s playlist of memory work songs. We also listen to these songs in the car when driving. I either record myself singing or download the CC songs to the Voice Memos app on my phone. Then I make a weekly playlist of all the memory work songs. That way, I can just plug my phone into my car when we drive and we can listen to them! See my playlist of Cycle 2 Week 1 songs for English, Science, Math and Geography below.
Daily Subject Focus
I like to dive deeper into one subject each day. I’ve found that focusing on just one subject each day is very manageable and doesn’t feel overwhelming. Here is our usual weekly schedule (you can download this template here):
Geography
This week in geography, we learned about the continents and oceans.
We began by looking at the continents on our Classical Conversations placemats. The girls also worked on the geography activity from their Cycle 2 Memory Work Activity Books.
I taught them a song to the tune of Yankee Doodle to help them remember the continents and oceans, which quickly became a favorite!
Since they already knew the continents and oceans pretty well, they got to put a stamp on that page in their Cycle 2 Geography Passport. They also enjoyed drawing a picture of themselves and filling out their information in the first few pages of their passports.
Next, my oldest added the felt countries we’ve learned so far to our large felt Europe map from her European Countries Workbook. Then, we learned about one new country together — Poland. My daughter started drawing some of Europe by following along in the book, Draw Europe by Kristin J. Draeger.
My girls love taking the European countries off and on of our large felt Europe map as we learn their names and locations. Download paper maps of Europe with all the countries labeled here!
I have the patterns for all the European countries, as well as a tutorial about how to make this kind of map in my shop. Also see my video for how to make this map with a few simple materials. You can find more information and links for these materials here.
We also made up a fun song to help us learn all of these European countries!
I also read from a few of the following picture books while my kids enjoyed a snack: Maps and Globes by Harriet Barton, Geography from A to Z by Jack Knowlton, and Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney. Make sure you check out the entire Cycle 2 booklist I made for this year. I have amazing picture books that relate to the memory work for each week of Cycle 2!
Trekking the Continents and Oceans Game
I love creating simple games that make learning the memory work fun. My plan is to make a new game for each week of Cycle 2. For this week, I made Trekking the Continents and Oceans, a game designed to review the names and locations of the continents and oceans.
This game is inspired by Ticket to Ride. Players collect cards and race to connect continents on a large world map. They earn points by completing routes, naming oceans, and finishing ticket cards.
You can download this game for free at the end of this post and play it with your kids. To make the board, simply print the four pieces of the map on regular printer paper (8.5 x 11 inches) and tape them together.
My daughter had so much fun playing this, and it was a wonderful way to review the geography we focused on this week.
History
This week in history we learned about Charlemagne, and my girls really enjoyed the activities we did together. They had fun coloring the Charlemagne figure in their Cycle 2 Memory Work Activity Books.
My six-year-old especially loved tracing his name in her notebook and filling in the missing words in the history memory sentence. Since handwriting is a big focus for her right now, this activity was the perfect way to combine copy work with history.
We also read a couple of wonderful picture books related to Charlemagne. One of our favorites was The Elephant from Baghdad by Mary Tavener Holmes. It is a true story and such a sweet read, weaving in Charlemagne, the Mediterranean Sea, and other parts of Europe that tie in beautifully with our Cycle 2 memory work. We also looked through the See Inside Castles by Katie Daynes, which my girls found fascinating.
To go a little deeper, we used one of the history placemats I am made that highlights the major timeline events connected to Charlemagne. Going over these together helped my daughters understand who Charlemagne was and why he is an important figure in history. It also gave them a clearer picture of some of the significant things he did in his time.
NEW Cycle 2 History and Science Placemats
I’m so excited to share these brand-new Cycle 2 History and Science Placemats with you! 🌟 These placemats are designed to make memory work fun and interactive for kids, whether you’re using them alongside Classical Conversations or on their own as a way to dive deeper into history and science.
Each placemat is filled with colorful visuals and simple explanations that bring the topics to life. Just print, laminate, and use them again and again during meals and review time. They’re an easy, no-prep way to dive deeper into the history and science topics with your kids. Get your set for the first six weeks below. Future weeks will be available soon!
Science
In science this week we learned about what God created on each day. We started by reading the Creation story from The Complete Illustrated Children’s Bible. My girls always love the beautiful illustrations in this Bible, and it made the story come alive as we talked about God’s amazing work in creation.
We also used Kimberly Vieley’s beautiful memory work flashcards as we learned about what God made each day. These cards are such a helpful visual tool and paired perfectly with our memory work.
To help with memorization, I taught my girls a song to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell. They sang it over and over and it really helped them remember the order of creation.
My girls also worked on the corresponding science activity in their Cycle 2 Memory Work Activity Books. They enjoyed coloring the images for each day of creation and writing the correct numbers to match what God created on that day.
I also created a Creation Placemat that gives a beautiful visual of what God made each day. In the bottom corner, I included a fun activity where kids can draw their favorite thing that God made and share why they love it. This was such a sweet way for my girls to reflect on God’s creation in their own words and pictures.
They also enjoyed playing the Creation Build and Match game I made. In this game, they practiced matching the number of the day with what God made. You can download this game for free at the end of my post!
Math, Latin, and English Memory Work
On the last day of our week, we focused on the math, Latin, and English memory work. My girls worked on the activities in their Cycle 2 Memory Work Activity Books, which gave them fun and simple ways to practice each subject.
We reviewed the math skip counting together, and it was sweet to see my 2-year-old chime in right alongside his sisters. He proudly tried to count along, and the older girls loved helping him. It was a reminder that even the youngest ones pick up so much just by being included.
The memory work activities kept things engaging and gave my 6-year-old and 4-year-old extra practice with writing and tracing. Having dedicated time at the end of the week to pull these subjects together worked really well for us, and it gave a sense of closure before heading into the weekend.
Memory Work Review Games
One of our favorite ways to review is with fun, themed board games. I created a set of Candyland-style games that make memory work review exciting and interactive for kids. These games can be used with any cycle and are a great way to practice all of the memory work subjects together.
We’ve been playing Memory Work Kingdom, a fall-themed review game (since fall is fast approaching!). It works just like Candyland, but with the addition of memory work review built in. Players move along the board by drawing cards with color blocks or picture spaces, then answer a review question that matches the space they land on. Correct answers let them stay put, but if they miss, they move back. The game also includes fun twists with slides and ladders to keep things lively. The first player to reach the castle wins!
The best part is that I now have a fall version, a winter version, and a spring version, so you can rotate them throughout the school year. You can grab each one individually, or get the seasonal bundle with all three at a special price.
These games have been such a hit in our home. They are perfect for community review days, family game nights, or just a fun way to end your homeschool week. You can find them all in my shop below.
Planning Our Homeschool Week
Instead of printing out detailed lesson plan templates this year, I have been using my homeschool planner to keep everything organized. It has been such a helpful tool for me as I think through our week.
I use the Cycle 2 memory work pages in the planner to map out how we will practice the memory work together. These pages make it easy to see each subject at a glance and jot down games, songs, or activities that I want to use with my kids. I also use the weekly and daily planning pages to schedule what we will do each day for math, language arts, and reading.
I’ve tried to simplify things this year so I don’t need to spend a lot of time prepping or printing. Having the Cycle 2 Memory Work Activity Book and my Cycle 2 Picture Book List ready to go means I can sit down and plan the week quickly without extra work.
Another part of the planner that I love is the monthly habit tracker. I use it to write down a few habits I want to focus on each month, like improving my health and being more present with my kids. It’s been a great reminder of the small but meaningful steps I want to take.
This planner has truly helped me stay organized so far this year, and it makes planning feel simple and purposeful instead of overwhelming. Get one for your homeschool year here!
Picture Books for Cycle 2 Week 1
Here are all the picture books we enjoy this week:
- Maps & Globes by Jack Knowlton and Harriet Barton
- Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney
- Draw Europe (Draw the World) by Kristin J. Draeger
- Fact Frenzy: Planet Earth – Continents by Lisa Regan
- Continents by Harriet Brundle
- Geography from A to Z by Jack Knowlton
- The Elephant from Baghdad by Mary Tavener Holmes
- See Inside Castles by Katie Daynes
- You Wouldn’t Want to Live in a Medieval Castle! by Jacqueline Morley
You can see my ENTIRE Cycle 2 picture book list for each week of Cycle 2 here!
Cycle 2 Week 1 Memory Work Games
Here are the two games I mentioned in this post that you can play with your kids this week to practice the memory work. You can sign up below to receive these FREE games below.
The first week of Cycle 2 is in the books! I hope you’ve had a great transition into a new school year. Please comment below with any questions or share what’s been working well for your family so far!
