While it’s officially “summer” for my children, that doesn’t mean that
they are not learning at any given time. If you were a public school go-er
like me, then summer means playing, zoning, and absolutely NO school lol.
Yet for my children, they march to a different drum .”School” to them is
fun, so why stop? When you are a mother of homeschoolers, and you have
been teaching all year, it becomes hard to “stop” teaching.
Homeschooling is a natural part of our lives, so when there’s an
opportunity for more learning, we take it!
Here are a few opportunities to “teach” at the drop of a hat
this summer:
1) Make the “day to day” a learning experience: Sometimes
during the official school year, we get so caught up in activities and
books, that we forget to stop and learn about the day to day stuff. You
know, the important things that every kid should know, like how to
sort laundry, do dishes, and make their bed. Or better yet, how to
cook dinner or go grocery shopping. During the summer months, we can go a
little more in depth with “survival skills” and really give our kids
knowledge on how to take care of themselves. Want to go
further? Work math into cooking or shopping. Have your child
be in charge of the grocery list, marking off items as you go along and/or
adding up the total.
2) Road trips equal Social Studies: If you’re taking any
road trips (or even day trips) this is a great chance to engage your
children in a lesson! If you are traveling far, show them the states you
will be driving through and give them a little background. This could be
historical information or even family stories (this is where we did
*blank* when you were *blank*). It gives children a better sense of the
world around them and helps them see past the bubble that is their norm.
If you are staying local, talk to them about your destination and anything
and everything you know about it. While in the car, point out landmarks or
other interesting things along the way. Want to go
further? Have your kids record their favorite places and do
some independent research.
3) Family is History: Speaking of trips, if you see any
family this summer, this is a great time to talk about family history!
Share stories with your children about your heritage, show them pictures
and make them feel knowledgeable about their background. This is something
that can be done at any time, and it’s great if you have a photo album!
Want to go further? Create a family tree and
paste pictures or write facts about each family member.
4) Let Nature do the Teaching: My favorite part of summer
is the fact that we can spend days outdoors. We can go to the park and
walk the trails, travel to the mountains, or even spend some time at the
lake. These mini adventures open up opportunities to soak up some real
knowledge and get personal with mother nature. When kids are in their
natural environment, away from plastic toys and man-made objects, they are
more open to using their imagination. This is super beneficial for their
growing minds and bodies. Want to go further?
Bring in natural Science and talk to your kids about the trees and plants
around them, how the mountains are formed, or animals that you find in the
lake. Have them collect samples and bring them home for further study.
5) Boredom is “Educational”: Yes, even being bored this
summer will be a learning process for your child! I think it’s good for
every kid to experience some sort of boredom- it makes them have to use
their brains to figure out something to do! It’s also good to have periods
of time like this where they don’t have any commitments- instead of having
a full schedule and/or high anxiety all summer. Want to go
further? If you’ve had enough of the “boring” times, play a
board game! This will be developing their strategy skills, while also
getting some quality time with you!
So you see, learning can be done anytime, anywhere, anyhow. The world
is your classroom! All it takes is a shift in perspective.
*Blessings and Love*
-Randi