Homeschool In The Woods: Make-A-State Activity Pak {Review}

Home School in the Woods is my go-to company for hands-on history projects, lap books, activity paks, and timeline figures.  We have been learning all about Texas history over this summer so when I learned that the Homeschool Review Crew would be reviewing some Home School in the Woods products, I requested the Make-A-State Activity Pak so my children could make a wonderful scrapbook of all that they had learned about Texas.  That was an easy decision for me since it fits in perfectly with what my children are studying but they also offer other Activity Paks on the Old Testament, New Testament, Composers, and Artists.  

You can purchase the Make-A-State Activity Pak as a download for $18.95 or you can purchase the CD version for $19.95.  Both versions contain the same materials which are all printables designed for your child to complete and record key facts about what they have learned about a particular state.  The pieces for each set of facts are usually folded or cut in such a way to make cute little interactive folders, pockets, and other fun pieces.  The child writes out information or draws pictures and then all of the pieces get placed in the lap book to make a wonderful keepsake of what they have learned.


There are printables to make generic booklets and folders and pockets but there are also several state specific printable like all of the state flags.  Rachel had fun putting her Texas flag on its flag pole which is how she will later put it in her lap book.

The Activity Pak is intended to be a supplement to whichever curriculum you choose to use.  However, as a bonus, it does include a one page information sheet about each state which makes for a good reference when completing some of the activities, like the Key State Facts..

All of these little pieces and booklets will get glued into the lapbook base.  Here is a short video on how that goes together.  You just need a folder, two sheets of cardstock paper, and some wide packing tape.

Once the base piece is made, all of the little pockets and booklets get glued into it.  Some kids, like my daughter, love this part.  She wants to put everything together herself.  Other kids, like my son, don't get as excited about this part.  He just likes the finished product. Either way, there are easy to follow instructions to help your child put the lap book together in just the right way so it all fits.  The final result is just beautiful!

I love that some of the pieces come with special tabs that can make the child's artwork "pop" up when opened.  It's the extra touches like this that make me always go back to Home School In The Woods for products like this.

Pros: The Make-A-State Activity Pak comes with very creative and fun lap book pieces that are already designed for you.  It comes with easy to understand instructions which make printing and putting it all together a very simple process.  The activities are straight forward so my children were able to add all of the needed information on their own after we had discussed it or read the information on our own.  It is a great way for them to review what they have learned and also created a book of their own to refer back to.  It is very affordable and can be used with multiple children in the same family. 

Cons:  My only read con is that the prep work can be very time consuming.  In my case, I like to do all of the printing and cutting out of the pieces myself and then just have my kids complete the information.  But there are so many wonderful booklets and activities that there was a lot of cutting involved.  My husband has encouraged me to let the kids do the cutting out themselves next time and I just might do that.  

The Make-A-State Activity Pak also comes with a bonus Name That State File Folder Game that you can make.  It was easy to make and the kids have had fun reviewing their knowledge of the United States.  You print the map and color it then glue it in a file folder.  Print and cut out the cards, one for each state.  The cards have an outline drawing of the state on one side and facts about the state on the other side.  There are several different ways to play.  I had my 8 year old choose a card and match the outline of the state to the map then she read aloud the facts on the card.  If she matched the state correctly then she could place a marker on that state.  My older son had to choose a card and match the state but then he had to also name the capital city before he could put a marker on the map.

The Make-A-State Activity Pak creates a detailed lap book.  It can be used to supplement an in-depth study of your child's home state but it could also be used to make a Lap Book for each of the 50 states if you are doing a year long geography study of the United States.

As I've mentioned, I love Home School in the Woods for their hands-on history products.  We have used several of their products before including this other review I wrote for their Project Passport on the Renaissance and Reformation.

But in addition to the multiple product lines they already offer, Home School In The Woods is now also offering A La Carte Projects so you can purchase individual pieces and not have to purchase a complete history product.  What a great option for pulling in small projects here and there throughout the school year!

The Home School Review Crew has reviewed several different products from Home School in the Woods.  If you would like to check out some of their reviews for other products, just click on the banner below.