Have you ever heard someone say that school doesn’t teach kids basic life skills? Well, The Thinking Tree Life Skills Activity Book has got you covered! Seriously, I’m impressed!
The Thinking Tree Life Skills Activity Book is designed to help children aged 8-16 learn basic life skills such as cleaning and laundry. There are 36 lessons, with a different skill for each lesson, so children can practice 1 life skill each week they are in school. This structure makes it a popular choice among homeschooling parents, but any child can benefit from learning how to do basic life skills. The Thinking Tree Life Skills Activity Book was written with Dyslexie font, making it easier for dyslexic children to read. The authors are Melissa Dougherty, Sarah Janisse Brown, and Anna Kidalova.
Never have I been so excited about an activity book in my life! Seriously, parents. Check it out!
What is The Thinking Tree Life Skills Activity Book?
Life Skills Activity Book is all about teaching children and teens how to do basic life skills. Most of these topics are not taught in traditional schools.
This amazing book prompts kids to learn how to do things such as laundry, write thank you notes, how to properly study for a test, how to pump gas, how to start a business, and many more skills.
The book is set up to be an activity book. There are 36 lessons included in the book.
This is the same amount of weeks children are in school, so the book is designed to be taught in conjunction with normal subjects such as math and grammar. Many homeschooling parents are incorporating this book into their regular lessons.
One thing I absolutely love about the book is that the authors ask the child to research the topic on their own and come to a conclusion. GENIUS!
This teaches kids how to learn and doesn’t just feed them the information.
This keeps kids engaged in the lesson, and they learn so much more using this method.
Not only are they being taught how to do basic life skills, but they are also asked to practice the skills.
Kids being excited to do chores and give foot massages? Sign me up!
| How to wrap a gift | How to store food properly | How to find a book in the library |
| How to tie a tie | How to make your bed | How to use a tape measure |
| How to write a thank-you note | How to manage your time | How to safely use a knife |
| How to pump gas in a car | How to practice online safety | How to practice good table manners |
| How to take care of your teeth | How to do first aid | How to sew |
| How to read a map | How to make a meal plan | How to talk on the phone |
| How to do laundry | How to speak publicly | How to make a shopping list |
| How to apologize | How to be a good friend | How to meet new people |
| How to iron clothes | How to make tea | How to study for a test |
| How to take care of a plant | How to use a dictionary and thesaurus | How to give a foot massage |
| How to clean a bathroom | How to host a garage sale | How to schedule an appointment |
| How to start a small business | How to crochet a hat | How to change a lightbulb |
What are the Skills Covered in Thinking Tree Life Skills?
Above, you’ll see all the life skills this amazing activity book has to offer.
Digging a little deeper, the laundry section explains how to treat stains and get bubble gum out of clothes.
The section about taking care of your teeth explains all about fluoride and tooth remineralization.
The foot massage section teaches about reflexology!
As for the online safety lesson, kids learn about sexual predators, cyberbullying, scams, and more!
The List-Maker Mom in me loved the section on time management. It teaches kids how to make To-Do Lists and cross things off their list after accomplished.
The thank you card lesson gives examples of when and why you should write a thank-you note.
In the lesson on starting a small business, kids are encouraged to think about ways to make extra money, such as babysitting, mowing lawns, and many more ideas are given!
The first aid section has the child take notes from what they learned after researching how to care for a bloody nose, scrape, or first-degree burn.
There is even a section about when and how to call 911 and the dangers of too much screen time.
What are Parents Saying after Using Life Skills?
The Thinking Tree Life Skills Activity Book has rave reviews.
My son is only 5 and can pump my gas, so that’s pretty awesome. He also helps clean, does laundry, and knows how to take the lug nuts off to help change a tire.
Even with all the life skills we work on with my son, I still found gaps in his knowledge that The Thinking Tree covered. My son is a little young to do it by himself, but there are still so many life skills he’s learned because of this.
So many parents are singing the praises of this activity book. Myself included.
Many parents are even saying they are learning by doing the lessons alongside their child!
Parents are loving how self-sufficient their children are becoming as a result of this activity book.
The books are visually engaging and some parents elected to buy all the other workbooks that The Thinking Tree has to offer.
One mom said, “All of them are invaluable to us and have changed our whole way of homeschooling.”
Besides the Life Skills book, The Thinking Tree also has the following activity books:
- Fun-Schooling for Beginners (preschool and Kindergarten)
- The Thinking Tree – Rocks & Minerals – Science Activity Book (ages 7-17)
- Alphabet Fun-Schooling Journal (ages 3-6)
- Brain Games, Mazes & Coloring Pages – Homeschooling With Minecraft (ages 5-12)
- Do-It-Together – ABC – Spelling (ages 3-7)
- Horse Dreams – Fun-Schooling Journal (ages 7-10)
- The Artist’s Fun-Schooling Journal (5th-12th grade)
- My First Fun-Schooling ZOO Curriculum Journal (ages 6-8)
Conclusion
Teaching life skills is seriously lacking in public schools, and this is a great solution.
Even if you are not a homeschooling family, I encourage you to buy this book and see for yourself.
Have you tried The Thinking Tree Life Skills Activity Book? I’d love to hear your thoughts on it and how your children liked it!
