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Homeschool Australia
Teach your children at home!


After 20 years of being a contact and support person
Beverley no longer takes phone call or email inquiries.
Please join one of her yahoo groups (see below) if you want
to know more about homeschooling or have a question.

 

Save time and simplify your homeschooling life...
Learn from experienced homeschoolers how to write your own curriculum.
It really is that easy!

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Back in print for a limited time only! Beverley's manual on how to write your own homeschool curriculum! $25

Getting Started with
Home Schooling:
Practical Consideration

 
photos of children learning at home
photos of children learning at home
photos of children learning at home
photos of children learning at home

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Thank you for visiting!

Inexpensive Gift Ideas

© Beverley Paine, Nov 1999

I can't remember a time when giving a small gift to a good friend hasn't filled me with incredible joy. There are many times a year when the giving of gifts has become a traditional and almost thoughtless procedure, done from duty more than a sense of thankfulness for the enduring friendship and company the person receiving the gift continually offers. Giving gifts was never a highlight in my upbringing, but receiving them was! As an adult I am slowly coming to undo this one sided and often selfish attitude, realising that the gift is rooted in the act of giving - more often the item or activity selected as a gift is a token, a symbol of friendship and love.

Some time ago I came across a list of wonderfully inexpensive gifts to make or find. Over the years I have found this list useful, especially for my younger friends. As I come across more ideas I add them to my list and keep it in my home educating folder, so that on the days when I am tired and unimaginative but still want to say thank you in a special way I can find just the right way of saying it! I hope you find the list useful, especially at this festive time of year!

  • packet of seeds and small terracotta pot
  • coloured pencils in a decorated recycled tin
  • biscuit cutters, small rolling pin and playdough recipe
  • basket or jar of small, similar sized pebbles from beach for counting
  • small tin with sewing needs in
  • balls of left over wool and crochet hook or knitting needles
  • make a pack of cards (for matching, happy families type games)
  • make dominoes either from plywood or stiff card - animal, clock, number
  • pretty scrunchies from silky materials
  • decorated container of all types of balloons with lid, or jar
  • packet of sparklers
  • personalised calico library or shopping bag
  • origami instructions and coloured construction paper to suit
  • small basket of interesting shells from beach (collect your own rather than buy harvested ones - that practice is causing extinctions on reefs around the world!)
  • small teddies ($1 from Cheap as Chips) with homemade clothes
  • fridge magnets made from pom poms, pipe cleaners, etc, or a boxed kit to make them
  • finger puppets or a boxed kit to make them
  • small squares of felt, cotton and odd bits of lace, etc, instructions to make finger puppets
  • bunch of flowers, or small posy
  • voucher for promised work to be done by person giving voucher!
  • snakes and ladders game, other simply made board games
  • home made paper and envelopes
  • decorated art folder
  • necklace or other jewellery made from seeds
  • bead stringing kit - collect wooden beads and add thin plastic tubing, string or thread and embroidery needle
  • a packet of material squares or useful oddments of material left over from sewing box for making dolls clothes and dressups from
  • home made playdough, in various colours, in small recycled clear plastic containers
  • a personalised stationary set using a desktop publishing program on the computer
  • a personalised calendar using a desktop publishing program on the computer
  • a photograph frame made from any materials, with or without photo
  • home made soaps, gift wrapped in cellophane in a small box or basket
  • a jar of home made or favourite sweets or biscuits tied with a ribbon
  • home made preserves in a decorated jar or container with a personalised label
  • a knitted scarf, or beanie or gloves in a neutral or favourite colour
  • a small decorated box of small, inexpensive toys or items that is sure to bring your friend a lot of joy
  • a dream catcher - decorated with leaves and feathers, small beads, etc
  • a small rag doll
  • a kit for making old fashioned clothes peg people, with every thing needed to complete them
  • small worry dolls, or a worry doll hair clip
  • a small 'treasures bag' made from exotic and luxurious material, with a drawstring

After 20 years of being a contact and support person Beverley no longer takes phone call or email inquiries. Please join one of her yahoo groups if you want to know more about homeschooling or have a question.

 

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If you like what you read here, you can order Beverley's books!

Getting Started with Homeschooling - how to write your own learning programs
Beverley's E-books
Learning Without School - how 30 families homeschool
The Homeschooling Trail - Christian unschooling life
Learning in the Absence of Education - how we did it
Practical Homeschooling Booklet Series - your questions answered!
Educational Games Booklet Series - make learning fun!
Practical Homeschooling Language Development Series
Natural Learning Series
Homeschool Diaries
Ready to use Portfolios / Report Cards
Fridge Magnets - handy reminders!
Homeschool DVDs
Sample Learning Programs
Stock Clearance

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but still not sure? Read

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Home Education Directory

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Browse the
Homeschool Australia Article Library, or join our
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.

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Home education is a legal alternative to school education in Australia.
State governments are responsible
for regulating home education.
Different states have different
requirements, however homeschooling
families are able to develop curriculum
and learning programs to suit the
individual needs of their children.
For more information:
Home Education Association


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Copyright © 1999-2008
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Please note:
The information on this
website is of a general
nature only and is not
intended as personal
or professional advice.
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Grab a copy of the
HEA Resource Directory
to find some of the
best Australian home education resources available! Including... Downunder Literature
Spiral Garden
Australian History Pictures

 

photo of Beverley and Robin PainePioneering members of the home education movement in Australia, Beverley and Robin Paine are passionate advocates of true educational choice for families. They began homeschooling their children in 1986 and three years later started the South Australian Home Based Learners network.
Beverley wrote Getting Started with Homeschooling in 1995-97 and since then continues to write books and booklets on home education. She balances spending time helping home educators with working in her garden and renovating her home, as well as continuing to build her collection of writing on a variety of homeschooling subjects. Beverley maintains an extensive collection of websites as well as several Yahoo groups supporting families teaching their children at home. In 2007 Beverley joined the HEA and became a committee member in 2008: she also edits and produce the HEA Newsletter, HEA magazine, Stepping Stones for Home Educators, annual Resource Directory and other HEA publications. If you'd like to keep in touch with what Beverley is up to her in her life, sign up for the Homeschool Australia Newsletter or visit her Facebook page.