The theme for the 2012 Doodle 4 Google Contest is "If I could travel in time, I'd visit..." Homeschooled students are invited to participate in the competition to create a new design for the Google homepage logo centered around this year's theme.

The doodles will be judged on artistic merit, creativity, representation of the theme, and other criteria.

Past Homeschool Winners:

• Homeschooler Hannah Newsom, of Glenwood Homeschool in Fayetteville, Arkansas, won the Grades 10-12 division in the 2011 contest for her storybook artist-themed "Illustration."
• Homeschooler Vance Viggiano of Heritage Home School Academy in Long Valley, New Jersey, won the Grades 7-9 division in the 2010 contest with his "The Love of Art" entry.

Remember...If you don't enter, you can't win!

Homeschoolers...it's time to enter the 2012 Doodle 4 Google Contest originally appeared on About.com Homeschooling on Friday, February 3rd, 2012 at 14:10:49.

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Shadow or no shadow? Punxsutawney Phil? Candlemas Day? How much do you know about Groundhog Day? Learn all about groundhogs and Groundhog Day with these fun printables, activities and quiz. This cute Groundhog Cupcake was given to my husband at work today to celebrate Groundhog Day. What fun!

• Play a game of Flashlight Tag - you only need a dark room and a flashlight.
• Make shadow puppets on the wall. Can your shadow puppets play tag?
• Play Groundhog Day Tic-Tac-Toe included in the printables. Will it be three shadows in a row or no shadows?

It's Groundhog Day...Cute Groundhog Cupcake! originally appeared on About.com Homeschooling on Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 at 00:10:27.

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G'Day, mate. Care for a lolly? We enjoyed lollies today during our study of Australia. The kids got a kick out of learning some Aussie lingo. Australia Day is celebrated on January 26th each year to honor the day that Captain Arthur Phillip landed at Port Jackson and claimed Australia for the British.

• Australia Printables
• Aussie Lingo Printables

Happy Australia Day! Aussie Lingo and Lollies originally appeared on About.com Homeschooling on Thursday, January 26th, 2012 at 13:30:22.

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This weeks Homeschooling Carnival is up over at janice-campbell.com. Janice shares a wintery theme with the submissions. Enjoy your visit with Janice and other homeschool bloggers.

The next carnival will be hosted at Amy Bayliss. Send in your submissions by Monday at 6 p.m.

Carnival of Homeschooling: Wintery Mix Edition originally appeared on About.com Homeschooling on Tuesday, January 24th, 2012 at 11:35:38.

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I received the cutest email obviously from a student in distress:

"I go to school, but do you think you can can homeschool me online by sending me email messages and I will send them back...please, please please, please, please."

My response:

"I wish I could homeschool you, but that's not how it works. Your parents do the homeschooling. You should talk to your parents if you'd like to be homeschooled. I don't know your situation, but one parent would have to be home and do the teaching.

If homeschooling doesn't work out, let me encourage you to do your best in school. I know it's hard to imagine now, but honestly, your life will be better later on if you do what you need to do now. Even if you have to stay in school, talk to your parents and share your concerns and frustrations with them. I'm sure they love you and would welcome the chance to help you do well.

Good luck to you. Let me know what happens."

I enjoy hearing from students. I really would homeschool this child if I could, but homeschooling other people's children falls under tutoring and not homeschooling and is a whole different ballgame legally. Each state has laws governing homeschooling and tutoring, so if you wanted to do something like this, you'd have to check the laws for your state.

Do you homeschool other people's children? What requirements do you have to fulfill to do so legally in your state? How does this work for you and for the students? Share your story.

From the mailbag: Can you homeschool me? originally appeared on About.com Homeschooling on Monday, January 23rd, 2012 at 17:19:41.

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