Europe

Here are some resources for: flags and European animals (I made some other continent animal cards a while back and they're already with the world felt map so I'll just keep them there)

http://www.montessorimaterials.org/geo.htm

Here is an outline map at the same site:
http://www.montessorimaterials.org/Geography/Europe.pdf

I found it as I was already printing this one to be used for the command cards and to draw/label rivers:
http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/euoutl.htm

I haven't exactly decided how big I want to make the pin map or puzzle. I'm tempted to just save up and get a puzzle but it would have to be a cardboard one and they don't seem to have the countries cut the way I want. Of course, it would still be MUCH better than I could do. I never was pleased with my homemade continent puzzles. For South America I just made a magnetic puzzle (which they have used a LOT) but they can't use it for tracing/punching.

I just looked in my bookmarks and I had a note saying "Get Europe!" for this one:
http://www.montessoriconcepts.com/products.php?cat=Geography&PHPSESSID=d9b30649f404bbdbf9538d2261e87aee

This one is cardboard and 1/2 the price:
http://www.geographyzone.com/products/puzzles/continent-europe.htm

I saw this a few years ago at a McNally store and didn't get it (grr) because the cutout pieces weren't to my liking. So, we ended up with nothing all this time - should've gotten it, eh?
http://www.geotoystore.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=99&Itemid=122

[If you have either of these I'd appreciate some feedback.]

I love this site and used it to print the template to make the world felt map forever ago. I don't know why I didn't use it to print my Europe outline map for the command cards when I was already planning on using it for the pin map - it would've saved me some time searching online. That happens when you are interrupted when you think you have a few minutes, right?

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/megamaps/print-europe-maps.html

When I made the horse pin maps I made each continent separate on a regular 8-1/2x11 paper size and it works fine because there aren't necessarily pins in every country. For the Europe flag/country pin map I think I'll make it double-size (2x2) so it can still fit in the shelf where I want it but will be big enough for the work. It's printing as I type so I'll see if it'll work...

Other Europe ideas:
*Rivers of Europe - I printed it off of Enchanted Learning and will put the answer one in the box of world felt map materials. They can use the blue pony beads to make the rivers. I need to make labels though - add it to the list! I'll put another copy of the answer one with blanks (they have the rivers drawn in) in the Europe Continent Box for them to label and glue in their culture notebooks.
*Mountain Ranges of Europe

What do you use to study Europe? For those using continent boxes, what do you have in your Europe box? What do your children like to do? What are some of their favorite materials? What are some of your favorite online resources related to Europe?
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What's Cookin'?

- Pear sauce (as opposed to apple sauce) made from some wonderfully ugly pears from the farmer's market. And no, I don't know what I'm doing :) but I'll do a quick search to confirm my thoughts of cooking it just like apple sauce. I canned the pears last time but in all honesty I'm too tired today to even think about it. That was my plan when I got these but pear sauce sounds much easier; especially if I can freeze some. Middle dd offered to peel and slice (yeah!) so that's helpful. I *should* make some bread, but again, too tired. Maybe later...

Update: I found a recipe even I can follow! We had 12 pears (because we ended up eating 3 at lunch). Uncooked they fit just right in my 2 qt pot. I wouldn't have thought of adding a bit of lemon juice. I saw that in a few recipes I read.
http://frugalliving.about.com/od/frugalfoodsrecipes/r/Pear_Sauce.htm

Enjoy!