Ok, it's definitely Spring here in Texas. Storms have come and gone, and will come again before all is said and done. We've been fortunate that the temps here in north central Texas have been staying in the 70s during the day and in the 50s at night. There have been plenty of Aprils where we had 90 degree weather and it was hot & miserable! But now...it's perfect weather. When perfect weather hits your part of the world, don't forget to take some time off and celebrate it!
Sure, the institutional entity down the street closes for snow, but all their pupils must be in their seats on truly nice days. This is one of the benefits of homeschooling. In the summer, our temperatures can reach 100 easily with high humidity and that makes being out and about miserable. Many take a spring vacation instead of a summer vacation, if they school 10 months a year. But even if you don't take a long break, spring is a good time to get out of the house and move.
This is a great time to walk in your local park with your student. Bring along a sketch pad for both you and your child to do some nature notebooking. All you have to do is copy what you see; don't worry if it looks like the item or not. It's a great exercise in learning to observe. Don't forget to bring a ball or a frisbee and you can have a great game of catch--get those muscles moving in the fresh air. If you have the luxury of belonging to a homeschool group or know some homeschooling friends, invite them along--the more the merrier!
Don't waste the nice days! You're still doing school, just not inside. In fact, if you feel the need, you can bring your books and papers along with a blanket and have picnic school. I know quite a few moms who call a "Sunny Day" holiday (instead of a "Snow Day") and just take the day off to go play outside.
Today, we'll be heading for a Park Day with our homeschool group and then head to the library across the street. I think my son will call it "The Perfect Day" because of that. Enjoy your Friday! Enjoy your Spring! Let in some fresh air to your homeschool!
Donna Conner lives in Fort Worth, TX with her husband, Glenn, their son, Mike, and their dog, Lucia. Donna and Glenn have been homeschooling their son since the beginning of his education. Mike completes his homeschooling within the next two years. Donna is an artist and has always enjoyed writing. She wrote Homeschooling Only One three years ago, after discovering that there were many other families homeschooling only one child. Her website is devoted to those with only one student in their homeschool, with listings of online resources. You can visit her website at http://donnac.com and read her blog at: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/DonnaC
copyright © 2007 Donna Conner ~~ All rights reserved. Content may not be reproduced in any form without written permission of author, except in the case of brief passages embodied in critical reviews and articles where the title and author are listed.
