Sonlight Hands-On History: Is It Really Worth It?
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I hated the subject of history for many years during my schooling years. Seriously. I couldn’t relate to it and I didn’t find it interesting. It was a series of dry facts and irrelevant dates.
This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.
And then my mum started to homeschool me and used a literature-based approach to teach history. I’m sure, had she known about them then, she would have jumped at the opportunity to use Sonlight Hands-On History kits.
Historical fiction made history come alive to me and forever changed my attitude towards it. It also played a vital role in forming my approach to homeschooling my own children.
Thankfully, I do know about Sonlight and the resources that they offer. If you’re not new around here then you’ll know that I’ve been an avid lover of their curriculum for some time now.
This year, I have the privilege of working directly with them to bring you some reviews of their products.
I am not being paid for this review, but I have been sent these products for free.
I would have bought them regardless because this history curriculum is something that my children love. We have learned so much in the 2 years that we’ve been using it.
In this post, I’m going to specifically focus on the Hands-On History Kit that you can purchase from Sonlight.
All About Sonlight
Sonlight is a long-standing homeschool curriculum company that using a literature-based approach to teaching.
They offer all subjects but are probably most commonly known for their History/Bible/Literature (or HBL) package that they offer.
When you purchase curriculum from Sonlight, you’re not going to be sent a textbook and correlating workbook.
Instead, they have curated a rich assortment of literature from which you’ll teach your child. While the books are certainly the tools from which you teach, the real magic of the program is the teacher’s guide which includes a full year’s schedule along with notes for the teacher and many other valuable insights and tools.
What Is Sonlight Hands-On History?
So, what exactly is the Hands-On History Kit? It’s an optional add-on to their HBL cores. Currently available for core’s K-C.
While the books are more than enough to teach from, adding in the Hands-On History Kit really does bring another level to the program.
It is comprised of several different crafts and activities that correlate with the history that you’re teaching during the year.
What You’ll Get
When you get a Hands-On History Kit, you’ll receive a box full of individually packaged crafts. You’ll also get a bound book which has all the instructions you need to complete each craft as well as some interesting information about the item your children will construct.
The box contains almost everything you’ll need to make each craft and there is a list of common household items that you’ll need to gather yourself.
The additional items really are very basic things that you’ll already have around the home.
The instructor’s guide will prompt you when it is time to complete a certain craft. It will let you know the week to do it, but there’s not a specific day to get it done on. That part is up to your own discretion and schedule.
Our Experience
This year has been our first year using a Hands-On History Kit and so far, my children have absolutely loved it!
You could purchase a kit for each child, but in my experience, one kit to share has been plenty enough. I just have each child take turns doing different parts of the craft.
I love that I can look ahead in the instructor’s guide to see when the craft is scheduled so that I can plan ahead and be sure we make time for it.
The projects have been simple to put together and my kids have easily stayed engaged in the process.
Best of all, I’ve definitely seen them really being able to connect the dots with what we’ve read about and what they’ve then made.
My kids LOVE history. We talk about it a lot in our home. There’s never a day that they groan about having to read history books together or do a project.
I chalk that up to the fantastic resource that Sonlight is.
Final Thoughts
So, is it worth it? Many homeschool families have restricted budgets and have to be very intentional about choosing homeschool curriculum.
Is it worth spending the extra money on a Hands-On History Kit?
I say yes, but I encourage you to go check it out yourself.
Sure, you could source your own project ideas and materials, but the convenience that Sonlight affords with their kits really does make sure that these projects actually get done.
Take a look at their website and see for yourself if this is the right fit for you and your kids.
