Home Ed Matters Podcast

It's our 200th episode! To celebrate we've got a bumper edition with highlights from our recent cruise around northern Europe and visits to Hamburg, Rotterdam, Brugge and Honfleur. Plus we're reviewing two fantastic games we were given by the nice team at Gamely games after they answered our questions for our boardgames focused last episode: Clues in Twos and The Pretender.In case you want to listen to any of our 199 previous episodes from the last decade they are all available to listen to directly on our website www.homeedmatters.co.uk  

Boardgames special! Like many home ed families we're huge boardgames fans and as we start to think about skills and subjects for future success we reached out to a number of boardgames designers and producers with some questions on the topic. In this episode we're discussing the thoughtful and insightful answers we got from a range of fab companies - questions around the skills that make a good games designer, the kinds of subjects they studied, what games inspired them, what games they're proud of and why are game boards often square or rectangular!Huge thanks to the contributions we received from Gamely, Dranda Games, Professor Puzzle, Helvetiq, Catch Up Games, Button Shy and Off the Page Games. We'll be featuring some of the games from these companies in future episodes and on our website, so watch this space!

This time round Asher is discussing natural disasters from his Environmental Management course and Mirabelle is discussing cholera and famine in the Victorian era. More positively Mirabelle is doing tasty experiments studying genes and dna, and Eden is auditioning for roles in a forthcoming play. Plus the kids are enthusing about a climbing trip and making recommendations of books, games, films and shows they're currently enjoying!

In this episode we're discussing book adaptations, visiting Birmingham Botanical Gardens and the Back to Backs. Plus Asher is talking about the board game design course he's doing, Mirabelle's talking about some books she's working through in her Victorians topic, and Eden's reflecting on two weeks back at college and various groups. Plus the kids are making recommendations again at the end of the show.

We're back with a new season as we start our 12th year of Home Education! As Eden goes into Year 11, Asher into Year 9 and Mirabelle into Year 5 we share some of the topics and approaches we're using this year. We're also sharing about what we're looking forward to this term, plus recommendations from the kids on things they are enjoying at the moment!

In this episode we're camping in the Lake District and attending the 150th Keswick Convention, plus making a quick trip to Scotland! Plus we're excited about our three new chickens, and staying busy over the summer.

We're enjoying our summer holidays, but Eden and Asher are pushing on with some of their GCSE studies regardless. Mirabelle's sharing about the paw print badge projects we're doing, we share about a fun trip to Southport and Blackpool, and we look ahead to a trip to the Lake District.

We've finished another academic year! Eden's discussing how her last GCSE exam (this year) went and what she's studying over the summer. Mirabelle gives an update on her summer reading challenge, and we head for a wonderful break in Devon including a (windy) recording on the amazing Lundy Island!

As we're approaching the end of our academic year, Mirabelle and Asher are sharing some of the year-long book studies they've recently finished. Plus we're visiting a farm for Open Farm day to tie into our Environmental Management studies, and looking ahead to an exciting holiday to north Devon.

This time round Mirabelle has been out birdwatching, and we have visitors to our nest box. Asher is sharing about the Explore Arts Award he has recently achieved. Eden is reflecting on her latest exam and discussing new subjects she's starting, and both Eden and Asher are sharing the volume of toast and weetabix they get through (as part of a balanced diet!).

In this episode we're enthusing about our trip to the Tower of London. Plus Eden's looking ahead to A-level options and planning on starting a new religious studies course over the summer. Asher is talking about his Arts Award progress plus his current greenhouse duties, and Mirabelle is sharing about a recent book and her study of a mango!

This time round we're reflecting on a fun trip to Liverpool and our Easter highlights. Eden's comparing exam technique for her upcoming Chemistry GCSE against her previous exams. Asher's starting a new PSHE course and Mirabelle's got an exciting experiment on the kitchen window involving nitrogen. Plus we recorded the entire episode in the garden!

In this episode we're visiting a cotton mill to bring our Industrial Revolution studies to life, Mirabelle's learning about Captain Cook, we're doing experiments to learn about oil spills to tie into Asher's Environmental Management studies, and Eden's deep in her chemistry studies from South West Science and getting ready to start exam prep.

In this episode Mirabelle's enthusing about her trip to Crufts, plus we have some exciting developments in the pond. Asher and I are visiting London to celebrate his birthday, and Eden's sharing about a new favourite book series, using her scientific calculator and a church youth weekend away.

This episode we're sharing our highlights of our recent adventures in Florida, Mexico and Honduras! We had an amazing few weeks, visiting the "pirate island" of Roatan, enjoying the rides at Disney, meeting dolphins, and a memorable trip to Gatorland!

It's our first episode of 2025! Eden's sharing her latest GCSE result in Environmental Management, Asher's just starting it, Miraballe's giving the lowdown on some of her recent books, and we're all looking forward to our exciting trip to Florida, Mexico and Honduras!

It's our last episode of 2024 and we're looking back on some of our favourite parts of the year, as well as our fave bits of Christmas. We're also looking forward to 2025 and share some of the activities we're already anticipating. Thanks for all your support in 2024 and wishing you and your loved ones a happy and blessed 2025!

It's starting to feel Christmassy in our household, and Asher and Mirabelle are sharing the carols they've been studying in our "Caroling Noel" curriculum during December. Mirabelle's also finished a good book about the Tower of London, and they're sharing their best bits from a mini trip to London. Meanwhile Eden's giving the lowdown on how her Christmas show went, how it's going juggling biology at college with chemistry at home, and how she's getting on with a new approach to guitar and piano. Plus we all have breakfast with Santa at Ikea - Merry Christmas!

We're making Christmas cakes and Christmas puddings this time round, for "stir-up Sunday". Plus Asher and Mirabelle take a memorable trip to prison (just for a tour), we're making the most of this year's Into Film festival, and we're enjoying ACTUAL snow!

It's half term! And for the first time we're in sync with the schools. Mirabelle's enjoyed Civil-War related trips out, Asher's working on his piano skills, and Eden's getting used to wearing glasses, as well as practicing hard for a guitar performance at an upcoming Christmas show.