Save Money Now and Later
Not only will we have dozens of items at convention-only pricing, but we also offer double the Doodle Dollars for every eligible purchase made at the show! Doodle Dollars are our reward points, and it basically means that if you spend $100 at the show you will have $10 gift certificate on your account for your next order! We will ask for your email address so that we can send you your points after the show.

Science Demos
Our science demo table is always busy, and a fun place for kids and parents to stop by and watch the experiments. Demos can vary widely, so far this year we’ve had dry ice bubbles, a PTC gene test you can take on the spot and an abundance of polymer activities. Polymerization has been particularly fascinating to me ever since a fire chief explained how in a tanker wreck, for instance, you have to be careful not to induce polymerization lest the tanker explode or the hazards spread. That makes a lot of sense once you see it in action!

Conference-only Items
These are items we may not sell in our catalog or online, yet they are perfect for conventions. A favorite so far this year has been Mini Thinking Putties which come in adorable tins about the diameter of a golf ball. Many parents have stopped by the booth to pick Thinking Putty up for their children (and even Dad!) who sit in the sessions with them and need something to do with their hands.

Gifts for the Kids
If part of the conference fun for your kids is coming home with a treasure of their own, you’ll enjoy our assortment of inexpensive, practical goodies from Glow in the Dark Spit Balls to Smencils, Putty and even puzzle erasers, see below.

A Free Gift For Each of You
The single most exciting thing for most of those who drop by though, is the free Japanese Puzzle Eraser you can earn at our game demo table. Simply stop by, solve an age appropriate puzzle challenge and pick out your eraser!

Links, Dates, etc:

WHO Convention
June 17 – June 18, 2011
Puyallup, WA
Puyallup Fair & Events Center
washhomeschool.org

Oregon Christian Home Education Conference
June 24 – June 25, 2011
Portland, OR
Oregon Convention Center
oregonhomeschoolconference.com/

Haven’t read it yet? Glance this article over before the conventions this weekend:

Get the Most From a Homeschool Conference!
* What To Do Before You Leave Your House
* Pros and cons of booking your rooms at the conference hotel.
* How To Tackle The Exhibit Hall
* What Should You Ask Every Vendor?

View Timberdoodle’s 2011 Conference Schedule in a full screen map

We’re hitting the open road

2011 Conference Schedule

Midwest Homeschool
Convention

March 31 – April 2, 2011

Cincinnati, OH
cincinnatihomeschoolconvention.com

Christian Heritage Family Discipleship & Homeschooling Conference

April 28 – April 30, 2011

Redmond, WA

Overlake Christian Church
christianheritageonline.org

CHOIS Convention
June 2 – June 4, 2011
Nampa, ID

College Church of the Nazarene
chois.org

WHO Convention

June 17 – June 18, 2011

Puyallup, WA

Puyallup Fair & Events Center

washhomeschool.org

Oregon Christian Home Education Conference

June 24 – June 25, 2011

Portland, OR

Oregon Convention Center

oceanetwork.org/calendar/conference

Annual Arizona Home Education Convention & Curriculum Fair

July 22 – July 23, 2011

Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix Convention Center
afhe.org

Homeschool conventions can be either a blessing or a blight to home educating families. Notoriously expensive to attend, what with registration, transportation, and hotel fees, many families find that the cost to merely walk though the convention door can amount to hundreds of dollars. Is it worth it? How can you get the most out of a homeschool conference?

Homeschool conferences offer two enticements: speakers and vendors. You will be miles ahead in making a financially prudent decision by knowing who is attending. While we can’t speak impartially to the value of attending just for the speakers – we have heard both engaging and disturbing presentations – as a vendor we do have a few tips for making your trip worthwhile. Knowing how to organize yourself ahead of time, and how to manage your experience while there, will help make the most of any conference you attend.

If you want to maximize your opportunities to meet and socialize with other homeschoolers, book your rooms at the conference hotel. Being on the premises increases the number of casual encounters you could benefit from. Some of the best conversations can be had in a hotel lobby or breakfast nook. Conference hotels will be a budget-stretcher, but the chance for fellowship and the convenient location make this appealing.

Perhaps one of the more intimidating parts of any conference is navigating the Exhibit Hall. This can be either a frustrating or rewarding experience as you learn about the companies and their products. Taking a quick lap around the trade show floor will help you get your bearings, but be sure to double back. Slow down and engage as many vendors as is feasible. The most interesting, useful, and educational moments are often these informal chats with homeschool vendors. Most of us are homeschool veterans and we know what works and what doesn’t.

If you have questions, please don’t be too shy to ask. We are so thrilled that anyone is looking at our stuff, much less asking questions, so ask away! And if you find that the answers are not what you expected, ask for recommendations. If we know of another vendor’s program that would be a better fit for you, we will tell you. We want your homeschool experience to be successful, so ask lots of questions!

Are you the checklist type? Here is a summary for you!

1. Check out the vendors online and get familiar with what they offer.
2. Make a list of what you need to find for each of your children
3. If you really need to see a particular title, contact the vendor to make sure they will be bringing it with them.
4. Write down questions you’d like answered.
5. Pack supplies like return address labels, etc.
6. Consider lodging in the conference hotel if possible.
7. Pack driving and parking directions in an easily accessible place.
8. Once you reach the Exhibit Hall, take a quick lap around to see what is there and get the lay of the land.
9. Now go slowly and systematically. (If it is crowded at the front of the hall, consider making a beeline for the back and starting your circuit there.)
10. Take the time to talk to as many vendors as is feasible.
11. Ask questions!
12. Ask vendors about their show specials.
13. If possible, recruit a strong teen to shuttle your purchases directly to your car or room.
14. Keep an eye out for demos.

A year ago this month was the first time we heard speaker Terry Small at a local homeschool conference. We were immediately enthralled with what he had to say and deeply amused with his style of delivery. Acutely engaging, Terry will not easily let you be an inactive spectator in his sessions but soon has you along with everyone else, laughing, encouraging, joking, antsy with anticipation, fluctuating from relaxed to on edge, perpetually interesting he keeps you engaged and learning. His topic: Your Brain.

We came home from that homeschool conference (WATCH) brimming with new information about our brains, many interesting facts and entertaining stories which Terry imparted to us during those 3 days.

Of course we could not help but want more information and were delighted to find that Terry regularly sends out a newsletter with more facts and information on the brain.

The latest Brain Bulletin we received from Terry Small (#54) included 6 unique facts about the brain and then this fascinating video clip about a man with a phenomenal memory. Incredible!!

If you like us are always interested in more information about our brains, how they function, how to improve your memory, and more, you may wish to also sign up for his informative Brain Bulletins. Enjoy!

We were blessed yesterday with some wonderful helpers at the conference and with their help setup only took us about 2-2 1/2 hours! We so appreciated the help!

We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

First steps include unloading all the empty shelves and then beginning the process of design.

With new products added to our selection regularly we are always left with the decision of what to bring to the next conference. We wished we could bring it all and inevitably we will arrive at the conference only to find we left behind the one thing that everyone wishes we had brought…. Let us know if you have something you would like us to bring!

Three days until the WATCH Conference!!!

The WATCH Conference is this weekend and we have 3 booths there, have you signed up yet?

Last year was our first year to vend at the WATCH Conference and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. We were privileged to be able to attend many of the general sessions and found the main speaker last year,Terry Small, so engaging that we have talked about him all year long.

We experienced a conference God centered and God saturated, with real people seeking to encourage real homeschool families in their walk with God and in their labors to teach their homeschooled children.

We are delighted to be able to attend again this year and look forward to seeing some of you there.

If there is a particular product you would like us to bring please just leave us a note below and we will do all we can to fit it into our trailer.

Trailer packing is scheduled for today and tomorrow so get us your requests soon!!