Spring is here and that means the weather will turn sunny and warmer. For many this is a great time to take a much needed vacation. I know when I see the flowers bloom and hear the birds sing I am ready for a vacation from being inside during the winter. So, my family is ready to break out and play and learn outside. Since homeschoolers notoriously do school nonstop since schooling is in the blood, break is just another way of saying the books are on the shelf but the learning is not. So, that means spring is another learning opportunity as we chase butterflies and plant our gardens.
Spring time fun:
Planting: Every year my family plants. It may be a whole garden or just a few flowers but we find time to study planting every year. Our study time includes getting hands dirty, digging, looking at all the differences in the seeds, watering, and watching seeds sprout. Rarely do we do any book work for our study. We may draw, color, or do lapbooking or projects but never textbooks and quizzes. Planting is a verb and we study by action.
Nature Journals: Spring is a great time to begin nature journals. Your child can start off drawing a tree in your backyard or the neighborhood to chronicle the changes. Draw pictures of a flower that was just planted and every week track the progress of growth.
Journaling: Spring is a time of growth and change so nature not only represents visual beauty but internal beauty. Allow your older students to use this time to discover themselves and perhaps chronicle the changes in their own lives.
Bird Watching: I have a daughter who loves birds. She gets a thrill discovering the birds in the neighborhood. Get a bird book and see how many birds you and your children can pick out in your area.