We call this our “Supper Procedure,” a concept I learned from homeschool blogger, Pam Barnhil. This is a fun to-do list that we look forward to every evening. Everybody knows the order. And because even my parents join us for dinner, things that pop up on these activities encourage conversation because inevitably a memory is sparked and shared. And laughing together always increases bonding!
When the clank of dishes is too loud, this speaker (or this one at the grandparents’ house) is an improvement over our cell phone speaker.
Perhaps these great listens will fit into your family dinnertime discussion even if you don’t homeschool and even if you only get together at breakfast!
Every Word Podcast
- This is a 1-2 minute Bible-based discussion.
- Daily.
Merriam Webster's Word of the Day Podcast
- About 3 minutes.
- Sometimes everyone has to use the word in a sentence.
- Sometimes we use it in Mad Libs games.
- Daily.
- Time varies based on how easy the word is.
- This has started a family contest across states and countries.
- How to play: 5-letter word. 6 tries to guess the word for the day. Green means right letter, right place. Yellow means right letter, wrong place.
- If possible, make a sentence with it or use it for Mad Libs.
- This has really encouraged my slower readers to sound out words and think of how letters combine.
- Play once each day.
Inquisikids Podcast
- Random educational topics
- 5 minutes, but sometimes goes longer
- Weekdays
Piano Puzzler Podcast
- Comes out once a week. (Currently Wednesdays)
- Composer rewrites a common song in the form of a classical composer
- Times vary.
- We often listen to the original songs afterward.
- If you subscribe to the newsletter, you can get an additional archived one.
BirdNote Podcast
- Facts about birds around the world, often tied to the season.
- Runs around 2-3 minutes.
- Varied commentators. Michael Stein is one of the original contributors and a favorite!
WSJ Market Report or Market Place Minute
- The Minute Briefing is just a couple of minutes.
- Weekdays.
- The kids don't always understand the big words, but it’s a start.
Mad Libs Game
- We go around the table, each person filling in a blank according to the label..
- One person assigns labels and writes answers directly onto the story page.
- Alternatively, each person can go around the table writing in their own answer. Someone might need to copy the answers over to the story page.
- Huge opportunity for learning the basic parts of a sentence (noun, verb, adjective).
- Sometimes, we try to use words we learned in podcasts that evening.
Some versions we've enjoyed:
Is there something that should be on our Supper Procedure? Don’t let us miss out! Share below!
