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Because of all the school budget cuts, in many cases it’s the parents’ responsibility to ensure their children have well-rounded educations. Luckily, the Internet is full of educational materials — if you’re savvy about searching for them. And since kids are so hip, going online to learn is natural for them. I used to watch my four-year-old nephew click around YouTube looking for space shuttle launch videos and tornado pictures, so older kids should have no problem.

You can often find learning opportunities in unusual places, for example, in the world of vintage art. Digital antique advertising, postcards, greeting cards, posters and other ephemera contain a wealth of historical information that’s fascinating and revealing. The following vintage images are great examples of online materials that can be used for teaching:

Vintage Travel Memorabilia

Kids will enjoy learning about their world if you expose them to vintage aviation posters. These views of travel from days gone by not only teach about the destinations, but how different cultures were represented in advertising.

Tall Sailing Ships Photos and Paintings

There’s a lot of fascinating information to be found when studying historic tall ships. From sloops-of-war to caravels like Columbus sailed, stories abound of life at sea.

Vintage American Icons Postcards

There were quite a few postcards printed that honored American presidents, statesmen and even heroines. In fact, these used to be all the rage. From George Washington pictures to cards with pictures of Betsy Ross and John Adams to fictional American icons like Uncle Sam, the Internet is full of antique pictorial references. Most tell some aspect of the featured person’s life story, making them a great source of mini history lessons.

Stoopnagle Tales

Spoonerism stories originated in the early- to mid-Twentieth Century, brought forth by Reverend William Spooner and made famous by Frederick Chase Taylor, a radio comedian, performing under the name Colonel Lemuel Q. Stoopnagle. These twisted tales swap the first letter or phonetic sound of one word with the next word or a word that falls a few words away. Authentic spoonerisms include “cattle ships and bruisers” for “battleships and cruisers” and “a blushing crow” for “a crushing blow”. Besides being funny, these funky mash-ups also give children the chance to play with words.

Victorian Era Fashions

Studying fashion doesn’t have to be trivial or just for children who want to become designers, if it reveals a piece of history. Looking at Victorian fashion how different life was almost two centuries ago. At the very least, they’ll understand just how good they have it now!

Current Events Teaching Resources

There are also plenty of current subjects that can be studied. You just have to watch out for impartiality. For example, there are probably a lot of parents who don’t like President Obama’s policies. But that shouldn’t stop them from using free Barack Obama clip art, free President Barack Obama photos or even free Michelle Obama paper dolls to create interactive social study modules. In fact, one open-minded homeschooling mom used all three to create a tote board for her children during the election. Her own political opinions weren’t an issue, she just wanted to make sure her kids understood the American election process. Because of her impartial presentation, her children are now better equipped to make their own decisions when it comes to politics.

Remember, children absorb the attitudes around them, so you’ll want to make sure they receive balanced information. Keeping an emphasis on fairness will make a big difference to them later on in their lives. Who knows, one of them might even be president some day!

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