IKEA furniture comes with instructions…
Our new car has a user’s manual the size of a small phone book (for those of us old enough to remember what those are)…
Even my electric pencil sharpener came with a little booklet of helpful information…
So why isn’t there a Parenting Manual to help us with the hardest job we’ll ever have?!
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Kids are natural-born inventors.
I’ve seen children invent games together using only their vivid imaginations.
I’ve seen them occupy themselves for hours with a pile of rocks or a piece of ribbon.
As parents and caregivers, we can encourage our kids’ innate creativity even more by providing them the time and materials to pursue their many ideas.
Time is one of the greatest gifts you can give your child. Time with you. Time with other people who love them. And even time alone.
In this series on How to Homeschool Preschool, we’ve already talked about the importance of playing (in Part 1) and character training (in Part 2). But, to do both of those things, you need time and you need to be intentional with it!
If you’re just tuning in to this How to Homeschool Preschool series, first check out Part 1 here.
In Part 1, I shared how important playing is in your at-home preschool. In fact, some would say preschool should be all play since kids can learn so much so easily while they’re playing.
But just because they’re playing and having a fun time learning doesn’t mean we allow them to act like crazy hooligans. A balanced homeschool needs to focus on character building, too.
Question: What do the following things have in common?
I’m not sure why this simple, homemade game has been such a hit with all of my kids. Maybe it’s the shaking. Maybe it’s the dumping. Whatever the reason, they’ve all loved it!
I wish I could recall where I heard about this game first. I’ve seen variations of it floating around, but I’m not sure who came up with the original idea for Phonogram Sound Shake. Whoever you are, thank you!
I’ve hesitated to write this post because our art closet is… well… ugly.
But, I’ve decided to give you this photo tour anyway. It’s a late addition to the Tour of Our Homeschool series.
Picture-perfect art rooms are often more discouraging for me than inspiring. I walk away feeling like I could never make it all so organized and matching and beautiful, and I give up before even trying.
So, because it’s not Pinterest-worthy, I’m hoping the pictures of our homely art closet will show you that working art into your homeschool is totally doable. You don’t need to wait until you’ve built a dedicated She-Shed or made adorable, color-coordinated mason jar labels to get started.
What is this secret weapon, you ask?
Here’s a hint…
All moms and dads have this parenting tool in their arsenal. But homeschooling offers the advantage of significantly more time and freedom to use it!
So, what is this thing that makes homeschooling so effective, even when it’s used by average Jane’s and Joe’s teaching their kids in their kitchen?
Drum roll, please…
”Do you ask a fish how it swims? Or a bird how it flies? No sirree, you don’t! They do it because they were born to do it!”
– Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Just like Willy Wonka was born to invent new candy bars, kids were born to learn!
This isn’t the first time I’ve written about why homeschooling works easily for kids of all ages. They’re even learning on sick days. And, on our recent trip to the lake, I was reminded (yet again) how kids are always learning – even on vacation!
2020.
What. A. Year.
And we’re not even three-quarters of the way through it yet!
Even though I can’t seem to keep track of what day it is right now, I’m at least aware that it’s August. And August in our homeschool means it’s time to finalize and share our curriculum plans for the year ahead.
