Video Break

We're six weeks into homeschooling my son and, so far, the educational experience is wonderful. He's a great student. Once the bell "rings" at 9 o'clock, he's ready to go. We've had occasional bouts of wandering eyes and stifled yawns, but I'm learning to shift lessons around to make his day interesting and even fun.

One secret weapon that I have is the "video break"... These are short educational videos that I find for free on the Internet, via sites like PBS.com, Google Video, YouTube, and even iTunes. Most surprising was discovering that iTunes has free video podcasts from providers such as Discovery Channel, National Geographic, and EcoGeeks.

I spend about ten minutes each night looking around the web for clips that pertain to recent or upcoming lessons. So far I'm finding more than enough 5 or 10-minute videos to sprinkle through the day, in between math and history or just when my son needs a change of pace.

Here are a few fun educational videos you can share with your kids...

ASIMO - Honda's robot prototype ... a 4-minute news report about a most amazing machine.

Alpine Tundra ...a 5-minute report on a unique biome.

Spotlight: Iceland ... a 3-minute look at Iceland's volcanoes from National Geographic (iTunes must be installed to view this)

Hornet Hunters ... a 6-minute look at Japan's giant hornets. (iTunes must be installed to view this)

Math Lesson ... Hilarious clip from an old Ma and Pa Kettle movie, just for laughs!