Finding your passion in life

"Don't die with your music still in you!"

These were the closing words at a breakfast talk I went to this morning. Powerful and inspiring words from a wonderful man. Ian Berry spent his childhood being called stupid, and started his adult life believing he was stupid. But when a manager in a moment of weakness saw something in him and gave him a job, he started to realise that when his Nanna told him he was special, maybe she was right! 

He used another quote from German culture "See man as he is, and he gets worse. But see man as he can be, and he gets better". 

I think this applies to children as well. If we see them for who they are today, crying, having tantrums, not doing well at school, being picked on. It festers in our language, our emotions and our behaviour. But if we see the children for who they could become, well behaved, respectful, achieving in their strengths, enjoying life, then we change our language, we change our emotions and we change our behaviour. 

Instead of focusing on the weaknesses and what they do wrong, we need to focus on their strengths, and what they do right. What they are good at, what they enjoy. Encourage them to follow their dreams and be the best they can be. 

Find your heart song

Which is where I am heading. I have grown Learning that's Fun from a page where the only person looking was my Mum, into a great community of people sharing their love for learning and helping children enjoy their education. I've written a small book about my experiences and ideas for making learning fun...although if I knew then, what I know now, it would be a completely different story! I've made amazing connections with wonderful people everywhere. I've been able to run competitions and giveaways and help people build their collection of fun and educational toys and games at little cost. And I hope I've inspired some families to try new activities and create new traditions in their homes to spend more quality time together and have great fun family learning adventures together. But most of all, through Learning that's Fun, I've found my heart song. I've found the music in my soul that makes my heart tick to the beat of my drum, and my voice sings the melody of my calling in life. 

While Learning that's Fun is the vehicle that has lead me there, LTF is not the destination. 

The destination is my Blossom Connect. I suppose you could call it a reincarnation of Learning that's Fun, but directed straight at my local community. And not just in learning, but in all aspects of a child's life. But at the end of the day, every experience in a child's life is learning of some sort. Be it about their health, their well being, their friends, their personal time, their physical ability, their social skills, their life skills. 

So today I'm announcing a break from Learning that's Fun. I can't continue to give this wonderful site the attention it deserves while focusing on a new venture. So from today there will be no new content on the website. And there will be very little activity on the Facebook page. But don't leave us. In the future who knows what could happen. From time to time myself or the other girls may still share a post from other sites or something we find that is really awesome. But there won't be any new content coming from us directly. Unless I happen to find someone willing to take it on, and give it the time and effort it truly deserves. 

The book is still always available for purchase. And I'm always here to continue taking questions or helping with ideas when you get stuck. 

For any of you in the Ballarat area (even out to Ballan, Maryborough, Bacchus Marsh & Daylesford) come on over and join us at Blossom Connect. Facebook & Website. Sign up to the newsletter for discounts and news on local businesses and what's happening around town. 

Thank You & Goodbye (for now)

And also a very special thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way. You know who you are. I won't mention names individually because I would hate to forget someone. But look back through past posts and you will find them. Family, friends, complete strangers who have put their hand up to help out! Be it with editing, reading, coming up with ideas, donating items to giveaways, supporting me in many ways. You are all special and have helped to contribute to a great cause in the world. 

Making learning fun, to help little buds blossom! 

Now I take time to focus on the little buds of Ballarat. Blossom Connect.

Happy Learning.

Louise XXX

Celebrating Australia Day and Back to School

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY EVERYONE!!!

To celebrate our great nation, Learning that's Fun is offering all Australian Residents a MASSIVE 50% Off over the Australia Day Weekend! Plus FREE DELIVERY in my local region.

Easy to read, space to write your own notes or ideas and printable templates to help you get started, Learning that's Fun is just the quick read you need to get you pumped for the school year! 

Delivery Options

Paperback (Ballarat Delivery) $9.99 AUD  Paperback (Victoria Wide Post) $12.99 AUD  Paperback (Australia Wide Post) $15.99 AUD

If your kids are struggling at school with the basics, if you have toddlers craving more stimulation or you are looking for ways to ensure your family gets a well rounded education this book is for you.

This simple guide offers easy tips and ideas for families on a tight budget to make learning fun. Living in a busy lifestyle, many of the ideas can be incorporated into everyday life, such as grocery shopping, driving in the car or around the home. So there's no need to add extra hours to your day or spend loads of money on tutors or expensive materials. 

Delivery Options

Paperback (Ballarat Delivery) $9.99 AUD Paperback (Victoria Wide Post) $12.99 AUD Paperback (Australia Wide Post) $15.99 AUD

Merry Christmas

To all our fabulous followers on the Learning that's Fun Blog & Facebook Page,

We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a most wonderful Happy New Year! 

May your holidays be filled with joy, laughter and fun family adventures. 

Love from the Jones Girls, your Learning that's Fun Team

Aunty Lou (22 nieces & nephews), Megan (Mum of 2) and Donna (Mum of 4)

12 Days of Christmas: Wrapping it Up

Dear Blossoms,

Thank you so very much to everyone who has been involved in the 2013 Learning that's Fun 12 Days of Christmas. It's been an absolutely HUGE online event and I hope you've all enjoyed it as much as I have.

Congratulations to all the winners of the daily giveaways, we had some truly wonderful gifts to share with you all and to those who missed out on a giveaway prize, do check out our shopping list so you can visit the websites of our sponsors and experience the wonderful games and toys for yourself.

Also a massive thanks to the sponsors. Without them the 12 Days of Christmas would just not be possible. They have provided some fantastic products to be reviewed and won by our lucky readers all out of their back pocket. For some of them, small businesses or one person creations, this is a very generous undertaking at expense to them.

So if you could show your appreciation and LIKE their Facebook Pages, and visit their Websites to see what wonderful fun and educational products they can offer you and your family.

Last of all, I hope that we have been able to inspire you to think about the learning benefits of your Christmas Gifts when shopping this year. We have shown you that educational presents are certainly NOT boring, they can be the most unique and memorable gifts of all.

Learning that's Fun will be taking a little break over the Christmas & New Year period, but we will continue to jump online every now and then and share some interesting and helpful things with you. But we will be back in the new year, just in time for Back to School. Maybe another special event heading your way? Stay tuned.

In the meantime if you would like to purchase a copy of Learning that's Fun to get you inspired for the new school year click here. Available from $2.99 on Kindle and paperback copies from $12.

And if there is anything you'd like us to cover next year that you are having problems with, let us know and we can add it to our list. Maths, concentration, learning difficulties etc.

All best to you and your family for this special time of year.

Louise XXX

Senior Learning Funologist
Blossom: Learning that's Fun

Sorry I couldn't find a better photo! LOL

Links to the 12 Days Sponsors:

Kimochis
Brain Box Games
Toy Universe
Skillbuilders
Just About Kids - Craft for Little Ones
Sweet Dreams Enterprise
Margie Balazic

What's been happening at Blossom Learning?

There is so much happening here at Learning that's Fun, some days I feel like I might forget my head if I'm not careful. But it's ramping up to be a massively exciting time for us all.

Photo Challenge

While I was away on a little trip we had the 7 Photos in 7 Days event which was fantastic. The participation rate was pretty small, but those who contributed to the challenge did a fabulous job. It's always so interesting to see how everyone interprets the world differently, and to see their take on life through the lense of their camera. We had everything from Food to Fireworks. And some very adorable little people starring.

It was a bit tricky, but I've downloaded them all and added them a neat little album on the Facebook Page. You can go here to see the photos from each day.

Christmas

I know it's still a little early, but hey I've started planning already! Well for the 1st of December anyway. It's a massive weekend for me that week! I'm taking my vintage car to a show, then I put up all my Christmas Lights ready to spend a month raising money for local charity and handing out lollies to the kids & families who drive past. AND THEN....DRUM ROLL......

We launch the 12 Days of Christmas with Learning that's Fun.

And boy oh boy is it going to be one of the MOST exciting things we've ever done here on LTF! 

Every single day for 12 days we will be reviewing and featuring some fun, exciting, cool, crazy, unique and most importantly, educational, toys and games. I'll have my small army of mini-testers check them out for you and let you know what to spend your hard earned cash on this Christmas, or what to put on the list for Santa. I'll also make it really easy for you to find these gifts! 

But WAIT, there's more! (no, not steak knives).

Everything we review over the 12 days, goes to YOU! Every day, we will be giving away the very product that's been featured. So make sure you're on the Facebook page and have our notifications set to show in your newsfeed. 

And make sure you're on the email list, so you don't miss a thing! 

AND THEN, tell all your friends about it. The more people we can get involved in these sorts of awesome giveaways and online events, the more companies will want to get involved. It's a win-win, and a kind of snow ball effect. 

Other News

In other news, still crowdfunding for the Blossom Connect project. If you haven't heard about it, you can check it out here . It's a local project for the Ballarat and Surrounding Districts, trying to build a great online resource for parents & families. A one stop shop for parents to come and get all the info they need on services for their children, get the latest news and reviews from products and services in the region, share their experiences with other parents, find out about events and what's happening the region for the kids AND get exclusive offers and discounts from local businesses in the area. The funding campaign ends this weekend, but we are only half way to our goal, so please share it around with everyone you know!

Market

For those of you in the Ballarat area, this Friday is the Caledonian Primary School Twilight Mega Market! It's going to be absolutely HUGE. So make sure you get there to snag some Christmas bargains. It's certainly not your average market. Everything they have there is locally grown or made. So you will find food, crafts, art, ME and the Learning that's Fun book and loads more. They also have a jumping castle and face painting and food stalls. ALL the fun stuff. 

We've got discounted copies of Learning that's Fun. We've also got some gorgeous little craft kits to make your own Learning Clock and FREE showbags for Mum. Yes, you read right. Showbags for Mum! But numbers are limited to so be early to get yours. 

PLUS, if you use the secret code word you will get 25% off your copy of the book. The word is "flowers". Don't forget ;) 

Friday 15th November

5pm - 8pm

Caledonian Primary School (Thompson St, Brown Hill)

So it's busy, but it's fun! We wouldn't do it otherwise. 

Hope everyone is having a great week, and look forward to seeing what you've all been up to. 

Happy Learning.

You don't have to be a genius to change the world

All you need is passion, commitment and a cause close to your heart. 

This video will tell you all about mine. 6 minutes, that's all it takes.

What can you do to help?

1. Follow Blossom Connect on Facebook & Twitter.

2. Donate to the project.

3. Tell your friends & colleagues about it.

If you are part of a community group or organisation in the Ballarat & surrounding regions I would LOVE to come and talk at your next get together. 10 minutes to help get this project off the ground and make a huge contribution to the future of Ballarat's children & families.

10 Things About Me

1. I'm 32 years old and I have a little sister who is 9!

2. I live with my husband of 3 years (we've been together for 10) and our little cat April who lost her tail in an accident last year.

Photo Courtesy of Infocus Photography Ballarat

3. I'm an aunty to 22 nieces & nephews aged between 0 and 16.

4. When I was a kid I wanted to be a hair dresser.

5. I'm scared of heights and the dark.

6. My favourite book ever is Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. I'm a sucker for a bad boy story and a brooding romance. I have 7 different copies of the book (so far). Funnily enough though, we chose an excerpt from Jane Eyre for our wedding ceremony. Death & despair didn't really cut it for a long term marriage.

7. I have a 1969 Holden Monaro that my parents bought for $600 when I was 16.

Photo courtesy of my cousin

8.  My favourite smell & taste is vanilla. Anything vanilla! Yum.

9. In pre-school someone told me that my horse drawing wasn't a horse, and I've spent years trying to get over that damage to my self-confidence in having my work critiqued. Until about 2 years ago, if I couldn't do it perfectly, I wouldn't do it at all.

10. I'm terrified of being a fraud or imposter, or having people think that I am here telling them how to bring up their kids when I wouldn't know the first thing about being a parent. Which is true, I'm not a parent, so I have no right to tell other people how to raise their family. But when it comes to education, that's where I want to help. There are so many kids out there struggling through the school system, falling through the cracks and missing out on valuable funding or getting the right help they need and it's just not fair! So my mission in life is not to give parenting advice, but to make learning fun for everyone so that no kid has to slip through unnoticed by their school and can get the chance at a bright and successful future even if they don't get the right help at school. I'm just here to encourage everyone to look at the everyday learning you find if you dig a little deeper, or ways to twist the traditional education system to make it more interesting. If the system won't help you, I will do my best to fill the gap! So if you ever find me telling you what to do as a Mum (the best job in the entire world .... I know cos my Mum is totally the best in the whole wide world!) pull me up and remind me why I'm here. To Make Learning Fun!

I was the crazy aunty fairy at my niece's 1st Bday.

You can call me Aunty Lou. I get to come over for a visit, have fun, bring over a present somethings, make a mess, then pack up and go home!

Happy Learning!

By the way, did you know that I wrote a book on Learning that's Fun? If you'd like to check out the eBook visit Amazon.com or click here to have it delivered direct to your door in Australia.

Learning thats Fun for me

WOW! Is about all I can say right now. 

And not because of the champagne! 

I've just had the most incredible experience at a conference for Bloggers in Australia. My brain is in absolute overdrive, I'm totally exhausted, and my backside is in agony from all that sitting. But WOW! I've come away with so many great ideas and possibilities for growing Learning that's Fun and my new venture Blossom Connect. It's just incredible. 

You know when your heart is really in it, you will just do everything you can to soak up as much information as you possibly can? Grown ups are no different to kids, when you're interested, when it's fun, it doesn't even feel like learning. I've been to a lot of conferences and seminars for my day job, and I can tell you...conferences about IT are about as exciting as watching paint dry. This was ACE!

I took a trip to the airport and travelled with the lovely Dorothy from A Blog of Her Own.

By half through the first day I had almost completed my entire notebook! 

I completely overindulged in a huge array of sweet delicacies. The cake bar, the candy bar, the icecream van (INSIDE the venue!)

'

Met some most amazing and wonderful new people. Am I really that short? I don't think so, I really was sinking in the sand! 

Got to experience my first ever grape crushing to make wine. 

And even had the pleasure of being taxied home by my own Dad. 

But best of all, it was just such a pleasure to hear about the world of blogging and the opportunities it has and can create for people. Giving people the freedom to do what they love, write about things they are passionate about and build a life that they could only dream about. 

My dream for you guys is to make Learning that's Fun a great community. To build it up so much that I can give up my day job and do it full time and dedicate myself to create somewhere for people to come when they are looking for a little help, or inspiration. Somewhere to feel safe to ask the silly questions, or share the amazing moments in their family. And most of all, to make a difference. To reach out to those in need, to come together and help each other through the struggles, through the tough times and help those little buds to blossom. 

From the bottom of my heart, thank you to each and every one of you for following, being a part of the community and helping to build it into something great. Without you it's just not possible.

So thank you. 

Louise XXX

Book Launch: The Wrap

At 10:00pm Saturday night while most people were enjoying a film, a dinner with friends, a quiet night in front of the tele, I was sitting on my rocking chair (yes that's what I use in my office), rocking back & forth wracking my brain to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything!

By 6am Sunday morning, I was so excited I just had to jump out of bed, have a shower and get down the Leisure Centre and busy myself....and get busy I did!

Balloons are a must at any party! As are colourful tablecloths.

The most important table in the room...where you buy the book! So for the launch it was $15 to buy on the day, usually $19 on the Amazon or Lulu publisher websites (where you order & pay postage). And we had a free promo on the Amazon Kindle version too. If you have a quick peek now it may still be free. But otherwise $2.99...small change.

Colourful walls make beautiful backgrounds for kids artwork! So we decorated some hands for the Australian Literacy & Numeracy Foundation and made our own Wall of Hands to show our support in helping indigenous kids learn to read and write. Did you know that only 1 in 5 indigenous kids around Australian can read to the national standard? Closer to home, did you know that 40% of Ballarat's kids won't finish high school? So we raised our hands to say we CARE!

Some of the kids were so proud of their works they didn't want to stick them on the wall, they wanted to carry them home...so some didn't quite make it. But that's ok. We love budding artists.

We had the raffle for the ALNF as well! I promise it was NOT rigged, but gee it seemed like every prize winner was a relative, a friend or a workmate. We did end up having a redraw on one prize when the winners donated it back because they had nobody to share it with and thought it would be more special to share with another guest, so thoughtful. So with raffle ticket sales and 10% from all the books sold we raised a grand total of $200 for the ALNF. Enough to train a mentor to help high school kinds in remote communities and provide vital learning materials for kids all over Australia. So thank you all so much for your generosity! It will make a huge difference in someone's life.

You can't have a mantle without some photos to display! A few pics from the blog, things to make, things to do, ways to make learning fun. Plastic Plates to make a learning clock. Bottle caps to make coins. Play shops. The Rainy Day Jar was a hit. And lots more.

In the end the day was great! We have an album of all the action on our facebook page, so check it out.

And a final thank you to all our sponsors & supporters!

Earl Leonard Music for Kids

(everyone will be talking about how great Earl was for years to come I'm sure!)

Ballarat Books

School of Mum

Letter Gems

Jess Rowan Tupperware

And everyone who shared the event on their blogs (hope I didn't forget anyone!):

Erin McCuskey

Dorothy Krajewski

Margaret Benoit

Caz Filmer

Cat Farrah

And not to mention the fantastic Eastwood Leisure Complex for providing the perfect venue at such great value! Wow, Merita is such a lovely, helpful person who couldn't have made it any easier. Do you know they have 17 rooms to hire? Meetings, sports, clubs, stage, kitchen, you name it!

AND of course everybody who came along! All my family and friends for being there for me, it meant so much to have you there to share the moment and finally understand what it is I've been up to! And everyone who I didn't already know. The people in my life who are my inspiration and my mentors, I hope you know who you all are! If you were there....then that's YOU! And it was so beautiful to see so many unfamiliar faces in the crowd enjoying the music show and sharing my story, who will hopefully take something away to tell their friends about!

Stay tuned for the next phase of Blossom.

Book Launch

The launch of "Learning that's Fun" is finally here, and you are invited! 

Starring Earl Leonard Music for Kids!

* FREE ENTRY

* SHOW BAGS

* FOOD & DRINKS

* RAFFLES

7 prizes to be won

Worth over $430!

Sunday 4th August

2:00pm to 3:30pm

Eastwood Leisure Centre

Eastwood St, Ballarat VIC (behind Safeway)

All proceeds from the raffle go to the Australian Literacy & Numeracy Foundation.

More details go HERE

Please show your support and check out our sponsors too:

School of Mum

Letter Gems

Earl Leonard Music for Kids

Ballarat Books

Tupperware

Fait Avec Lo Ceour

Australian Literacy & Numeracy Foundation

The Launch Speech



Even as a 2 year old I was ready to help Mummy and teach my baby brother to read...upside down none-the-less

So even though you can't be with us in person, here is a transcript of the speech from today's party.
 
When I tell people I’ve written a book and  starting a business for families to make learning fun the first question I usually get is “how many kids do you have”. Well I don’t have any, but I do have 22 nieces and nephews! The next question I get is “oh so you must be a teacher then”. Well no, I’m not a teacher either. But I’m a crusader for education and I believe with my whole body that a quality tailored education can give any child the keys to the universe!  

But there’s a particular story I wanted to share with you, that is my bottom line.

When I was in school I always finished my work and helped others, even in high school I did cross age tutoring and loved it. I loved reading to my brothers and to this day I am the person my family and friends come to when they need help doing something!

But in primary school, there was a younger boy in my class. e was a bit naughty, his older siblings had a reputation for fighting, and it was pretty obvious that things weren’t great at home. But I made friends with him, and when I was finished my work I would move over to his side of the table and help him out. Maths sheets, spelling sheets, reading, whatever. Just that bit of extra one on one attention helped him to get it. He probably would’ve never asked the teacher for help, and would have gone and played or distracted the other kids, but with a little attention he could work out the answers and finish his work. But I went off to high school, and by the time he came through I guess nobody had the time to help him with his maths sheets. His misbehaviour had really stepped up a notch, and by about year 8 he was out. Expelled, just left, I can’t even remember. After this I would see him down the street, jobless, with kids of his own, dead beat friends hanging around just doing nothing and causing a nuisance, so I gradually stopped acknowledging him and would just walk on by as if I never saw him. Then one day I read his death notice in the paper, and through local gossip I found out he’d died of a drug overdose leaving behind a girlfriend and 2 little kids. All because there was nobody to give him that one on one help he needed in class, so he just gave up.

The worst part of this story, is that it isn’t an isolated incident. There are kids out there struggling through school, struggling through life with unemployment, poverty, violence, drugs, alcohol, crime...whatever, all because nobody took the time to spend with them in school to help them with their maths sheet, or with their reader. Some kids pick it up easily, but others struggle with undiagnosed learning difficulties that get labelled as behavioural problems, laziness or just plain dumb.  Even kids who are experiencing bullying or peer pressure might struggle at school and nobody would ever know why. There’s a whole bunch of things going on in kids’ lives but the teachers’ hands are tied because of process and policy. And it’s the “What can I do?” that makes me tick. Can I fix it for all those kids? Can I change the society? Can I change the world? I don’t know. There’s a classic saying…How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Same deal here. I can’t change the world in one bite, but I can take a few bites and give it a go!

So I wrote a book that’s easy to read, it’s not full of scientific facts or research studies. It’s based on my experience, and the stories I’ve heard from my parents, the ideas I’ve tried in tutoring sessions, inspiration from my beautiful little sister and my army of nieces and nephews and great things their parents have shared. It’s just a little book with a really big message!

What I’ve come to realise though, is that sadly many of the people who this book is written for may never read it. So I want to bring Blossom to life and turn the idea into a space, a place where people can come and find information that’s relevant to them at the time they need it. And so they can get some benefit out of it. Which is where the purple poster over there is taking me. Blossom Connect. An interactive website connecting parents to local businesses & services through social media, an iphone app, through targeted offers, specials or events that meet their specific needs. Do they need tutoring help. Do they need access to free or community services. Do they need toys or books? Do they want to find a sport or a club? Can the businesses offer them a special discount? Is a group holding an event? Anything local, relevant to the needs of young children and their development in life.

So this is the next part of my journey. You can see some of my concepts drawn up on the purple poster, and I’ve also put together a little sign up sheet for anyone who would like to be on the list when it goes live? Or anyone who might be interested in advertising on the site, being a part of the project, or even just holding a few copies of the book on your market stall or on your website for customers to purchase through your own business. So please head over and have a look and sign the sheet to be a part of something really exciting that I hope with all my heart will make a difference to at least one bite of my elephant!

Also remember to get your raffle tickets $2 each or 3 for $5. We’ve got prizes donated from Jess from Tupperware in Daylesford / Ballarat. Trecia Bik from Letter Gems who runs programs for pre-kinder kids to learn the basics of ABCs and 123s.. Angela East from School of Mum, a local blogger and online retailer for educational toys. Ballarat Books, our local educational book specialist and also ETSY business Fait Avec Lecour who handmake Montessori inspired learning toys. All the money from the raffle tickets will go straight to the Australian Literacy & Numeracy Foundation who run programs to teach indigenous children all around Australia. Also 10% from every book sold today will also go to them. You can get a copy of the book today for $15. Online it’s available from Amazon or Lulu, the publishing site for $19 plus postage. And it’s also on Amazon Kindle as an eBook for $2.99, so if you’ve got the kindle app on your phone, or you’ve got a Kindle you can grab a digital copy too. And just for today it’s actually free. So great opportunity to download it to keep it handy to show your friends.

And inside your goodie bags you’ll find a flyer that has 3 ways you can help share the blossom message. So have a look at that, but basically the more you guys interact with Blossom online, the wider audience I can reach. So if you have a read through the book, then go onto the Amazon or Lulu publisher websites you can give it a star rating and also leave a written review if you like. But those reviews & ratings are what helps push this book up the list of search results and gives it more credence to potential readers. Then on our social networks like Pinterest, Facebook and blogger, jump on those sites and follow or like the page. And sign up to the blog using your email address so you get the latest updates delivered straight to your email account. And then once you’ve done that, get involved. If you see something you like…click on it, hit the like button, make a comment about it, even if it’s just a couple of words. The more you interact, again the wider audience we can reach. And tell us about great things that happen with the kids, at school, at home, when you’re out and about having fun family adventures or problems you’re having so other people on the sites can share your stories and offer advice or their experiences. Send us pictures and share your stories! Especially from today, if you’ve got a great snap or want to tell us what you really got out of today drop us a line on the facebook page! 

So finally, I’d just like to thank everyone who has helped make today possible. Erin for doing the food, Miffy for being my amazing sales woman, Donna and the girls selling the raffle tickets, Megan for being my official photographer…my Mum for having me.… and all of you for being here today! And especially Earl for providing today’s entertainment! Earl is studying to be a teacher at the moment, and is a musician with kids…so he made music for kids his job! Which is just what Blossom is about, fun and inspiring ways to get kids moving, thinking, letting loose and being creative and learning from those experiences!  

Remember to visit the discount link to get your 20% off the hard copy book, delivered to your door:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/learning-thats-fun-discount/13802254

Or if you've got a Kindle or the Kindle App on your phone/iPad get the $2.99 eBook:
http://www.amazon.com/Learning-thats-fun-ebook/dp/B008OQV5EM

And please visit our sponsors:

http://www.schoolofmum.com.au
http://www.lettergems.com.au
http://www.faitaveclecoeur.com/
http://www.tupperware.com.au

An Invitation

Dear Blossoms,

In just a couple of weeks I will be hosting a little party! A little party, for a little book with a very BIG message!

For all the locals please join me to celebrate Learning that's Fun, the book. And for my long distance friends, save the date too! There will be online goodies for you too. So don't miss out on the fun.

Sunday 4th August
Eastwood Leisure Centre
2:00pm to 3:30pm

Festivities include:

• Charity Raffle
• Prizes from local businesses
• Proceeds going to The Australian Literacy & Numeracy Foundation (ALNF)
• Goodie Bags
• Snacks & Drinks
• Chitter Chatter
• Fun for the kids
• A teeny weeny bit of talking from me
• AND we will have a show from Earl Leonard - Music for Kids!

Long Distance Buddies, join the Facebook Event and stay tuned for some online fun and specials at the same time.

I'm so nervous and excited, I've imagined every scenario possible...good & bad. So to make sure only the good ones turn out, your support means everything to me! Can't wait to see you there.

For anyone interested in finding out more about the book or getting a copy delivered to your door head to Amazon or Lulu. If eBooks are your thing you can get it for $2.99 on Amazon as well.

Join the event and share with your buddies to spread the BIG message :)



Happy Learning!

Why are we here?

As many of you would know, Learning that's Fun is a website. It's a Facebook page, it's an Instagram account and it's a book. But what does all of that really mean? What's it all about? Why are we here? So I'll let you in on the story and the secret.

It's a message.

A message that I wanted to share.

When I was tutoring I started to research, read more about how kids learn, how to help struggling children, understand learning difficulties and disabilities and more about the education system too (scary place, let's not go there).

But what I found was that there are so many kids out there with learning difficulties and learning disabilities, many that will go undiagnosed for their entire lives, many that will never get the individual help they need and deserve. Help that is just about impossible for our teachers to give, because they couldn't possibly find the time in the day to devote to every single child in their enormous classes, and help that they just aren't trained to give in regular, run of the mill school.

Not only are there children with learning problems, but there are kids out there with behavioural problems, and issues at home that are holding them back from getting the most out of their education. And the classroom just can't cater to their needs, and unfortunately many of these kids will struggle through their entire lives with simple things like reading or maths.

I can't solve those problems. It will take a complete shift in society and government to change our education system and curriculum. Hence the massive growth in Home Schooling in Australia (but again, another complete story there!). But what I learnt as a tutor was that learning doesn't have to be boring. In the classroom, reading and arithmetic is like a chore for some kids. They hate it because they struggle with it, so they play up, they get distracted, they make excuses. But it doesn't have to a chore. Let's make it fun!

There are whole schools of thought out there that are based on "learning through play", "experiential learning", "sensory learning" and lots of others. Research and common sense would back them up. Kids learn when they are having fun. And it doesn't mean just little kids, toddlers, kinder and preps. Learning by having fun works for EVERYONE! If you enjoy a book, you read it - if it's boring, you put it down and walk away. If you go to an exhibition of something you are passionate about, you stay for hours....if you go with your husband to a car show and you hate cars, you probably want to leave after 5 minutes.  Kids are exactly the same. If they are interested, if they are having fun, laughing, enjoying, spending quality time with their family, they will learn new things without even realising it's educational.

It's such a simple message, but one that so easily gets forgotten in the day to day routine, especially if "fun learning" wasn't a part of your own day to day childhood. There are so many simple everyday things we can do at home, in the car, out in town, on holidays etc to add some extra learning time to our lives. You don't have to be university qualified to be the Single Most Important Teacher in your child's life. As parents, grandparents, uncles, aunties, family friends, neighbours we are absolutely the most influential teachers kids will ever know. That's the message I wanted to share. So I wrote a book. The rest, as they say, is history.


If you would like to see the book click here.


Please feel free to leave some comments below to share your feedback, or your own ideas or suggestions for fun family learning activities.

To see some of our fun learning ideas check out our Pinterest boards, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram @blossomltf

Reflections and Predictions

With Christmas and the New Year quickly approaching, I'm getting excited about what 2013 will bring for Blossom.

The eBook, Learning that's Fun, is in it's final stages of a second version with new chapeters, more ideas and tips to make learning an exciting part of everyday, pictures and more stories.

Not only that, but it will be available in hard copy! Watch the site in the early months of 2013 for the big announcement!

In the meantime, check out the first version eBook.

We will also be releasing our very first products for sale. I can't tell you what they are just yet (they are still in production), but they will be cute, fun, environmentally considerate and help with everyday learning.

Maybe this next couple of week's is an opportune time for you and your family to sit down and reflect on the year's achievements and talk about some things you would all love to achieve next year. You could use the time to have a clean out and a garage sale to save some extra $ for Christmas spending with the kids or donate to the local charities who will be so appreciative of your generosity at this time of year.

Whatever you do over the next few weeks, remember through all the stress, the rush, the pressure and panic, that it's just another day of the year, just like all the others before it. BUT, it's a great opportunity to be close to your family and spend time just "being together" and appreciating eachother for the wonderful people you all are. And don't forget to look for the little moments when you can make learning a fun part of whatever it is you are doing, baking a cake, purchasing a gift, writing a greeting card or wrapping a present under the tree.

For more ideas like this and more visit our Pinterest boards or like us on Facebook.

Welcome

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to my blog; where we take boring old education, shake it upside down, get back to basics and put the fun back in to learning for your little blossoms!

I'm Louise, but you can call me Aunty Lou if you like; I'm the owner of Blossom - Learning that's fun. I'm an IT professional, an author, a student, a tutor, a wife and an Aquarian, a big sister, and last but certainly not least, I'm an Aunt to my 21 gorgeous nieces and nephews.

This is me!

Now that you know me, I'd like to ask you some questions:

Are you a Mum, a Dad, Nan, Grandpa, Aunty, Uncle, Cousin, Big Brother, Close Friend, Scout Leader, Baby Sitter or any other grown up who has young kids in their life outside of their profession?

Do you ever have trouble helping your little blossoms with their homework?

Do you find yourself nagging them to read or finish off that maths worksheet?

Do you have younger children and you're just not sure how early to start preparing them for school?

If you answered yes to any of those questions you've come to the right place!

Follow my blog for ideas and suggestions on how you can make homework enjoyable for you and your children, tips on activities you can do with your kids to encourage their learning and not even realise they are "getting educated", ways to bring your family closer through shared experiences and discussions and tid bits from other parents and role models just like you!

Like what you see?

See my latest publication Learning That's Fun - Cheap and Easy tips for parents to help their kids with homework and make learning fun!