Let’s talk homeschool on the go ….
Often I’ll take Hamish out for the day, we grab a reader ( like his readers from Wildkidsbooksa ), sometimes a workbook or a journal and we head out for the day. Although we will use these items throughout the day, our focus is much broader and more hands-on than the sole use of a textbook to learn from.
So how do we learn if we are out
When we are out of our home classroom we make use of the resources around us to learn valuable learning, development, and life skills.
Maths is in the form of counting trucks that we pass, measuring distance on the maps for how long our journey is, and reading the prices of things we want to pay for. Learning to work out a tip for a restaurant or work with money.
Language is in the form of reading menus, shopping lists, business signs and finding the vocabulary to identify what we see.
For Life skills we do things like catching buses, crossing roads, shopping, ordering off menus, learning to pay at shops, using our manners. Sharing sweets, socializing with other kids, holding conversations, and learning to try new foods or experience new things.
An example of the lessons we learned today whilst out
Today on top of all of the above Hamish watched a puppet show, visited an aquarium, learned about seaweed varieties, built puzzles, made some crafts, drew pictures, coloured in, learned how to use a microscope, discovered street art, visited an art exhibit, budgeted his money to buy the items for his picnic, visited a reptile park, counted every single step at the clock tower district, understood how the swing gates worked, played a game of chess, had a discussion on poaching, completed the gross motor activity at the aquarium, played hopscotch, played with blocks, used a vending machine for the first time, practiced his Handwriting on the blackboard, put on his own puppet show, discovered a map of Africa and learned where South Africa is on a world map, used a periscope, learned about turtles, played at the play area and park, built lego, made a crown, learned about braille and made new friends.
As you can see in a short space of time he was able to learn a variety of subjects and skills and these can be revised inside a classroom later. His lessons were fun, and engaging, and did not feel like learning helping him to develop a larger curiosity for the world around him and build his love of learning.
Learning is so much more than hours of textbook studies. Our children learn all day, every day and the more we expose them too the better they understand the world around them
