Cycle 2 Week 2 At Home Activities for Classical Homeschooling
Looking for fun and engaging ways to practice the Cycle 2, Week 2 memory work at home? In this post, I share a peek into our second week of homeschooling, our daily rhythms with my small children (ages six, four, and two), and the activities, games, and readings that made our learning fun.
After the excitement of kicking off a new cycle last week, this week felt a little more settled as we began finding our groove. We enjoyed building on what we started in Week 1, adding new songs, activities, and books to keep the memory work fresh and fun.
Cycle 2 Week 1 Recap
Last week we kicked off Cycle 2 with a wonderful start. Our mornings began with Bible study, where we learned about Deborah from the book of Judges, worked through our 24 Family Ways memory verse, and sang hymns together. We kept up with math using The Good and The Beautiful, and my 4-year-old enjoyed her preschool lessons and handwriting practice right alongside her sister.
In geography, we focused on the continents and oceans with songs, activities from our Cycle 2 Memory Work Activity Book, and stamps in the girls’ Cycle 2 Geography Passport. We also added Poland to our large felt Europe map and read from our European Countries Workbook. For history, we learned about Charlemagne through coloring, tracing, and picture books like The Elephant from Baghdad and See Inside Castles. In science, we studied the days of creation with flashcards, songs, coloring activities, our Creation Placemat and review games.
It was such a full and joyful first week, and I loved seeing how quickly the kids began settling into our new rhythms. Read more about what we did at home during Cycle 2 Week 1 here.
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 2. Visit my channel for tutor ideas for many other weeks and other videos with homeschooling tips and encouragement.
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 2 (Judges)
This week we started Lesson 2 from the Foundations of the Bible study by Driven by Grace. The focus was on the second four Judges, and we learned about Samson. I read his 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 Samson actually means “sun.” We have also been enjoying listening to the Judges memory work song from Driven by Grace. It’s really catchy and has helped us learn the names of all eight Judges.
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 2 about the second 4 Judges:
| Day of the Week | Bible Passage | Story Title | Page in TCICB |
| Monday | Judges 11:29-31 | Jephthah’s Promise | pg. 146 |
| Tuesday | Judges 13:1-5 | Samson the Strong | pg. 148 |
| Wednesday | Judges 16:4-6 | Samson and Delilah | pg. 150 |
| Thursday | 1 Samuel 1:1-2 | God Hears Hannah’s Prayer | pg. 154 |
| Friday | 1 Samuel 3:1-3 | A Voice in the Night | pg. 156 |
The 24 Family Ways
We also learned our second Family Way from The 24 Family Ways by Sally and Clay Clarkson. We began memorizing the Bible verse that goes with it, Psalm 119:1. 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 corresponding 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 2 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 European waters.
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 the girls a song to the tune of Father Abraham to help them remember the European waters. It was so catchy that we were all singing it by the end, and it made memorizing them so easy!
The girls were so excited to stamp their Cycle 2 Geography Passports after learning all of the European waters. These passports have been such a fun tool for us and have made geography one of the highlights of our homeschool so far this year. I also just figured out how to fit the stamps to these sticky circular labels which makes it even better! I have included instructions with details for how to print these stamps onto circular labels as part of the digital download if you want to purchase a passport for your kids to use this year.
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; Czechia. My daughter continued 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!
We also continued reading from 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!
Sail the European Seas Game
To make geography review even more fun this week, I created a game called Sail the European Seas. The goal of the game is simple: be the first player to sail your ship along the path and visit every sea on the map!
This game was such a hit with my girls. They had a blast racing their ships while reviewing the European seas, and I loved how it helped reinforce their memory work in such a playful way. You can download the Sail the European Seas game board at the end of this post and play it with your own kids!
Drawing Europe
Another highlight of our geography this week has been using the book Draw Europe by Kristin J. Draeger. My 6-year-old has really enjoyed following along with the step-by-step lessons and learning how to draw parts of Europe on her own map. So far, she has drawn the Ural Mountains, a couple of the seas, and part of the European border.
This book has been such a wonderful addition to our geography time. It gives her a sense of ownership and confidence as she learns to build Europe piece by piece. She is always so proud to show me her progress, and it’s been amazing to watch her excitement grow as she realizes she is learning to draw the continent herself.
History
This week in history we learned about William the Conqueror. My girls loved coloring his figure in their Cycle 2 Memory Work Activity Books while we talked through the important events of this time in history using our history placemats. These placemats have been such a helpful guide for sparking conversations and giving the kids a bigger picture of how everything fits together.
My 6-year-old did a wonderful job writing in the missing parts of the history sentence. This one was a little longer than last week’s sentence, so it was a good challenge for her, and I was so proud to see how she stuck with it.
We also continued reading more from the Usborne book See Inside Castles by Katie Daynes, which gave the girls a fun look at the world William the Conqueror lived in.
Between the activity books, the placemats, and the picture books, history has been a subject my kids are really excited about, and it’s been so fun to dive deeper together.
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 the different land biomes. We enjoyed reading several wonderful books by Gail Gibbons: Deserts, Nature’s Green Umbrella, and Polar Bears. I love her books because they’re packed with information, beautifully illustrated, and always keep my kids engaged.
We also used Kimberly Vieley’s gorgeous memory work flashcards to review the characteristics of each biome. These cards were the perfect visual tool and paired so well with our memory work.
To help with memorization, I taught my girls a simple song to the tune of Jesus Loves Me. We sang it many times throughout the week, and it really helped them remember the different biomes.
My girls also worked on the corresponding science activity in their Cycle 2 Memory Work Activity Books. They colored the different biomes and labeled each picture with its correct name.
I also created fun science placemats that help us dive deeper into the memory work each week. This week’s placemat about biomes gives a clear visual of each one, which helped my daughters compare and understand the differences.
We also had fun with the Biome Bonanza game I made. In this game, we took turns drawing cards and matching them to the correct biome. Another way we played was with the biomes spinner. We raced to see who could fill their board first by spinning, finding a card, and placing it in the right biome. There are so many fun variations to try, and you can download the 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 our math skip counting together and sang both the Latin noun endings and the pronoun song. I love using songs for memory work. They’re fun, easy to prepare, and incredibly powerful for helping kids remember. Plus, once a song is learned, it’s simple to review again later, whether at home, in the car, or during playtime. Here is the definition of a pronoun song we used to the tune Yankee Doodle.
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 2
Here are all the picture books we enjoy this week:
- Geography from A to Z by Jack Knowlton
- Draw Europe (Draw the World) by Kristin J. Draeger
- See Inside Castles by Katie Daynes
- Why Oh Why Are Deserts Dry? by Tish Rabe
- Deserts by Gail Gibbons
- If I Ran the Rainforest by Bonnie Worth
- Life on the Tundra by Jen Green
- The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry
- Polar Bears by Gail Gibbons
- Nature’s Green Umbrella by Gail Gibbons
You can see my ENTIRE Cycle 2 picture book list for each week of Cycle 2 here!
Cycle 2 Week 2 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.
I hope you are having 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!
