Using Life of Fred Dolls In Your Homeschool
When my boys and I found out that Life of Fred dolls were available, we were ecstatic! Fred and his doll, Kingie, have become a fun part of our homeschool learning.
As soon as I saw these two adorable dolls, my brain started working up all types of fun ways we could use them to boost our Life of Fred lessons.
My boys enjoy using Life of Fred series in our homeschool. Smiley and Bear both use Life of Fred Elementary Math and Beginnings Reader Books. Captain and Professor study with Life of Fred Intermediate Math and Life of Fred Language Arts.
To find out more about how we have been using these Life of Fred resources-and for lesson extensions, head over to our Life of Fred page!
5 Ways We Use Life of Fred Dolls In Our Homeschool
- Mapwork: Hide Fred and/or Kingie doll. Create a simple map appropriate for your child’s age level. Explain how to use a map, if necessary. Make sure to add major “landmarks” like couches, tables, windows, and doors. Don’t be surprised when your kids want to do this activity again and again!
For older students, add math facts to solve or words to read/define. - Sight Words: Create a path of sight words. Your child must read the sight word, pick up the card, and continue until Fred and Kingie are found. If you need a printable list of sight words to use with your child, you can find download our list here.
Smiley, Kingie, Fred, & Bear are super excited to have all their Life of Fred Beginner Readers! - Learning Buddies: Allow your child(ren) to use Fred and Kingie to help them read, spell, and complete math work. My boys love teaching Fred and Kingie, sharing their learning adventures with them. I find this approach particularly helpful if either boy is struggling with a concept. They will calm down and try again for their dolls. (Hey, whatever works!)
- Where is Fred and Kingie?: Hide Fred and Kingie. Create clue cards with sight words, math facts, or other educational concepts. Child must solve clue to get next card-and find their dolls! Here are a few examples of our clue cards:
- Creative Writing & Art: My boys LOVE to talk about their Fred and Kingie dolls. They started drawing pictures of different scenes their dolls were in-the one with Fred dangling dangerously from a volcano edge and Kingie swoops in to rescue him was hysterical! I help my younger boys turn these imaginative ideas into cartoons and sentences.
One of the best activities has been creating comic strips featuring Fred and Kingie. After helping the boys with their school work, Fred and Kingie need some fun play time! Smiley and Bear have been enjoying comic strip after comic strip with the Comic Strip Creative Writing & Art Fun + Planner Printable Pack. (scroll down to get your download!)
Smiley with his LOF comic strip. He said the doodle lines are because then “it’s open to interpretation”. The boys and I created another craft project for use with their Life of Fred dolls. One of the Beginning Reader Books is titled Bus. In the story, Fred and Kingie encounter an orange bus. When Bear finished reading this book, we thought it would be fun to make our very own orange bus!
Bear & Smiley painting their orange bus
Smiley with Kingie & Fred in their orange bus
Smiley thrilled that his new friends have transportation
Smiley showing Life of Fred Beginning Reader book, Bus, with his dolls and orange bus
Now that you have seen all the fun you can have with Life of Fred dolls in your homeschool, don’t you just need to have them? Well, you are in luck! Head over to Educents where you can find both dolls.
How will you use your Life of Fred Dolls?
To get your FREE DOWNLOAD of Comic Strip Creative Writing & Drawing Fun + Planner, click below: