Hey Reader,

Here's a fun fact to share at lunch today: Henri Rousseau, the French painter famous for his wild, leafy jungles full of tigers and monkeys, never actually saw a jungle. He never left France. He built those scenes from trips to the Paris zoo and botanical garden, a few postcards and magazines, and a lot of imagination.

Which makes him the perfect artist for kids who are sure they "can't draw a tiger." And it's why we picked him for this year's art contest.

🎨 Good news: the Great Safari Art Contest now runs through October 31
If September got away from you, you've got a whole extra month. This year's theme is the jungles of Henri Rousseau. There are two age groups (Little Explorers 4–9 and Trailblazers 10+), it's free to enter, and there's nothing to buy.

Prizes in each age group: first place wins a full year of Book Explorer, second place wins a year of Lion's Library, and third place wins one of Kristy's children's books. Every child who enters gets a Certificate of Participation.

A 15-minute Rousseau mini-lesson to get them started:

1. Back: Draw a horizon line and paint or color a sky. That's the background.
2. Middle: Add one or two animals peeking out. Rousseau's animals often look right at you.
3. Front: Fill the bottom of the page with big, overlapping leaves in lots of different greens. This layering is what makes it feel like a jungle.

Bonus: you just taught foreground, middle ground and background, which counts as art and a little bit of science vocabulary. Write it in the planner. 😉

👉 See the guidelines and enter the art contest

📖 October reading, spooky but not too scary
Our 10-book Halloween list is back. It's full of picture books that are silly and spooky without causing nightmares, like Ghost Afraid of the Dark and At the Old Haunted House, which sneaks counting practice onto every page.

👉 Get the Halloween book list

Want to check whether they actually understood the story? Book Explorer has comprehension quizzes on the books your child already reads. The demo is free.

🦁 New: your whole homeschool year, all in one place
The question we hear most is some version of "I just want someone to tell me what to teach this week." So we built Safari Station.

It's a complete PreK–8 curriculum covering Math, Reading, Grammar, Writing, Science and Social Studies, laid out week by week. It's parent-led and low-screen. Each child works at their own level, progress saves across devices, and practice questions check themselves, so you aren't grading every page.

You can try it before you decide anything. The first lesson of every grade is unlocked in the free demo, and you don't need to sign up. If it's a fit, one Family plan covers up to 5 kids for $12 a month, and families who join in this first year get a lower introductory rate while we keep adding video lessons.

👉 Open the free Safari Station demo

Lion's Library also keeps growing. It now has 191 printables, games and digital books, every one made or chosen by a certified teacher. 👉 Browse the Library

You're in good company.

Starting January 1, 2027, the new federal Education Freedom Tax Credit lets taxpayers donate up to $1,700 a year to scholarship organizations and get the full amount back as a tax credit. The scholarships it funds can cover homeschooling materials and expenses, not just private school tuition. Thirty-plus states have opted in so far, including four where we're an approved ESA vendor: Utah, Arkansas, Wyoming and New Hampshire. (Arizona hasn't opted in yet, but Arizona's universal ESA program is still going strong.)

The details of how scholarship groups will run this are still being worked out, and we'll share what we learn. The big picture is that funding for families who teach at home keeps growing, and so does the number of families choosing it.

Not sure where to start? Our free 2-minute quiz shows you your homeschool style and gives you a 90-day plan built around it, plus a starter pack of printables for your kids' grades.

👉 Find my homeschool style

Coming November 1: the Safari Give-Back Challenge. Your family does something kind in your community and tells us about it. There's no judging, and every family that takes part gets featured. Start thinking now!

Happy painting (and reading),
Khara & Kristy
The Homeschool Safari Team 🌿
info@homeschoolsafari.com
480-382-6006

Yes! We accept ESA in Arizona, New Hampshire, Utah, Wyoming, and Arkansas.

PS: Hit reply and tell us which jungle animal your kid would hide in their Rousseau painting. We read every message. 🐒

PS2: Please don't unsubscribe from our emails! By staying subscribed, you'll continue to receive important updates, community news, and helpful tips to support your homeschooling journey.

Unsubscribe