Friday Fieldtrip

Homeschool day at Doon Heritage Village.  It's a great outdoor living museum of life in the early 1900s in our local region.  My kids went a little bonkers running around so I didn't get much pictures - just one while they sat and ate lunch!

The big hits:

1.   Train Engine 894 - a CP engine constructed in 1911.  Nathaniel LOVES trains right now.  We've been watching a lot of YouTube videos of trains and Nate literally squeals with delight.  Both kids spent a lot of time examining the wheels and climbing up to see where the coal was put into the tender.  At some point, Anna went into the station and looked at the pictures of a steam engine and really wants to know how a steam engine works.  Daddy will explain it tomorrow.

2.  Horse and wagon ride.  What kid doesn't love a horse and wagon ride?!  Nate's favorite was when the horses galloped - he yelled "going very very very very fast!!" and laughed his crazy laugh. 

3.  The church and Christmas hymn singing.  There was a simple organ and two ladies in period costumes singing Christmas hymns.  Anna leaned over and whispered "what IS this??" - she LOVED it.  Nate kept asking "piano? piano?" - he loves instruments and music.

We were all quite tired (and grouchy) afterwards but it was a nice day.

Unschooled Nature Study

The idea of unschooling fascinates me although I highly doubt I'd ever be brave enough to do it fully.  I love the Charlotte Mason methodology of short lesson plans and a big focus on nature and the outdoors.  To me it is the perfect combination of structured study and student, desire-led study.  Any homeschooling I do, I want there to be ample free time left for my kids to just be kids and to explore the world on their own terms and pursue their own interests.

With the change of temperatures outside, we have had a few cool "visitors".  The other day, a ladybug joined us for breakfast.  Both kids climbed up on the table to get a closer look.  Anna pulled out her magnifying glass.  Nate observed from a distance but did not want the bug to go near him!  Anna on the other hand, was delighted that the ladybug decided to crawl on her hand and arm.  She declared that the ladybug was her "bestest friend in the whole wide world" and Nate blew kisses towards the bug.  Anyway, we spent a good 10 minutes (eternity to young preschoolers!) examining and interacting with this ladybug and then Anna released her to the wilds of the front porch.  Very cool.

Later that same day, I walked into the kitchen to see a spider dangling mid-air from the ceiling.  I quickly called the kids in to see and asked how they thought that spider was "floating" there like that.  Anna figured it out immediately and was quite fascinated.  Nate again kept a safe distance and felt quite relieved when the spider made a hasty retreat back up to the ceiling. 

A few weeks ago, someone spilled some Coke and didn't clean it up properly.  Anna and I noticed a straight line of ants walking along the baseboard from the front door to the sticky pop drop on the floor.  We spent some time studying how the ants walked in a straight line and stayed close to the wall.  We also studied how they grouped together into a mass on top of the pop drip. 

Nature study in the comfort of our home. 

Thus far, Nate hasn't showed too much interest in nature or bugs.  He likes trucks.  And trains.  And "mighty machines".  And tools.  Today, I showed him a YouTube video of a freight train.  He screamed with joy.  Literally screamed.  And then demanded more.  And more.  And more.  He watched a good 15 minutes of video of freight trains going past intersections.  He was thrilled. 

I have a feeling, I'll have to keep my computer hidden for awhile unless I am willing to watch railroad crossings over and over and over.  His enthusiasm was adorable.

Daily Routine

I am working to establish a daily routine in the hopes that when it does come time to formally homeschool, it will be a much easier transition with a skeletal routine already in place.

My children are still quite young - Anna is 3.5 and Nate is 2 - so the main focus is definitely on habit training and fun at this stage. 

I let them wake up whenever they are ready and they get 30 min of TV while I stumble around and try to wake up myself!
Then, get dressed.  Anna does this all on her own now (yay!). 
Everyone comes to the breakfast table dressed and ready to start the day.  While the kids are eating their cereal, I review the previous day's Bible story (modelling narration) and read the current day's selection.  This is the Bible story book we use.  If I'm ever being lazy and not iniating the Bible reading, one or both will "remind" me!

Free play and chores after breakfast.  Then we go out somewhere.  Anywhere.  Sometimes to the "party church" - a local church with a GREAT indoor play park that is open to the public during weekday mornings.  Sometimes we go grocery shopping.  Sometimes we walk to the park.  Sometimes we go hiking at the local conservation area.  Sometimes we just hang out at home and do a craft.

Then it is lunch, stories and quiet time.  Nate still naps.  Anna plays quietly in the living room while I am on the computer or napping on the couch.  The last 30 minutes of quiet time I spend with Anna either teaching her to read or playing a game or doing some online homeschool at Time4Learning.

After quiet time, it is tea/snack time.  I have begun reading them a story from For the Children's Hour by Carolyn S. Bailey.  So far the stories are a bit over their heads - especially Nate! - but we push through and they get something out of the story.  I often "narrate" the story back to them (in a simpler version) afterwards to give them the feel for narration (which they will need in a few years!). 

After tea time, it is outdoor play time.  I'm aiming for at least 30 minutes in the backyard.  They're getting there.  They last longer if I go outside too.
Then it is free play time or occasionally TV cartoon time while I make dinner.
Dinner, bath and evening and bed routine time.

Thus far, I've been able to incorporate Bible reading and literature each day.  I'm slowing working in Language Arts for Anna as she wants to learn to read.  I play classical music in the car and sometimes in the kitchen while I'm cooking.  We do nature study as we stumble across it. 

I think that when it finally comes time to do "formal" homeschooling, it will be a pretty smooth transition.