With our charter school year ending in about eight weeks, I can't help but thinking about summer vacation. Next week, I will go to our school for the monthly meeting and pick up the state requirements for next year. With that in hand, I will spend month and a half, researching and planning the boys' curriculum for next year and preparing my materials order for June. However, for the few days until the meeting, I am free to contemplate summer.
I've come to two conclusions. First, I would like to take a break from scheduled lessons for the summer. As much as the boys love piano and bok fu, I think we need a break from the routine. Copious amounts of unscheduled time seem to me to be a vital element of happy childhoods. Frankly, it would also do this adult some good as well. Second, the lack of a schedule should not mean the lack of opportunities to explore, discover and learn just for the fun of it.
Given those two conclusions, I need a list of activities that I can pull out as needed. Here's what I've come up with so far, in no particular order.
(1) board games & puzzles - We have a cabinet full of great games and puzzles. However, after I've taught the boys, I need my afternoons and evenings to work in our business, do things for the household or write. So, our games and puzzles have gotten less use than I'd hoped, and not for lack of interest on the boys' part. These will make an excellent way to pass hot afternoons.
(2) organic gardening, composting and worm composting - I put in a small organic vegetable garden each year, and we are doubling the garden's size. We also have a few fruit and nut trees. This year, I would finally like to get my compost pile going successfully and look into worm composting. These provide an enormous opportunity to learn about the mechanics of growing one's food, nutrition, the environment, botany and even biochemistry. I have a copy of Practical Science for Gardeners, which should prove very useful for this task. In a sort of related adventure, I'd like to try baking bread from scratch with the boys to understand the processes at work.
(3) swimming - I have made the decision to forgo swimming lessons this year and try a new tact. I will buy a family swim pass this year and give the boys the opportunity to play in the water as much as possible. If the opportunity arises, I will teach them more about swimming on my own. However, I think the time to just play in the water for long periods and get more comfortable will be invaluable by itself.
(4) art - My terrific watercolor instructor from the junior college class I took last fall offered to email projects for the boys. These usually involve the suggestion to paint a particular picture and to study a related aspect of art history. When completed, I will email pictures of the boys' work to the instructor, who can give feedback. The best part is that I can do the projects along with them, so they can see me as a student who is still learning. In addition, I would love to hike and paint with the boys in the great out of doors.
(5) day trips - We recently purchased a car that will comfortably seat the whole family and still allow a bit of cargo space. I am now feeling empowered to try some day trips with the boys. So far, I have accumulated the following list: Monterey Bay Aquarium, the San Jose Tech Museum, any and all museums in San Francisco, the beach, and maybe even a short trip to Disneyland. I seriously doubt we will get to all of those, but I like knowing I have options.
(6) bike riding and hiking - Summer should mean lots of time out of doors, getting exercise. Because we live out in the country where there are few sidewalks and many people who drive too fast, our boys haven't had a lot of opportunity for biking. I aim to remedy this over the summer by searching out bike trails. The same is true for hiking trails. I hope these boys are ready to get up at the crack of dawn to avoid the heat!
(7) an African Grey - We are adding to our family this summer. (Some would call me the Angelina Jolie of pets.) In addition to two dogs, two cats, two tanks of fish, two goats, one horse and one lovebird, we have put a deposit down on an African Grey parrot. At the moment, the baby is in an egg over in Placerville. We just received pictures of the parents last night. And the baby should be ready to come home over the summer. This new baby will provide us the opportunity to study up on African Greys, their origins, needs, and training. (I already know all of this because I've cared for one for a few years, but the boys can still learn.)
(8) building - No summer for the boys could be complete without building stuff. Right now, we are in the middle of building a robot. We also have an erector set with plans to build many different projects. I also have a copy of Steven Caney's Ultimate Building Book, which is filled with fun possibilities.
(9) reading, reading and more reading - No summer could be complete without endless reading for pleasure. We will probably participate in the summer reading program at the library. I already have serious difficulties keeping Landry adequately supplied with books because he likes to read late into the night. This summer, I hope to nudge Kipp over from reading because he must do it to make me happy to reading because he simply cannot put the story down. I also hope to spend a great deal of time reading aloud to all three boys. The opportunity to do that wont last forever, and I do not want to miss out on a minute of it.
(10) science kits and experiments - At the end of the school year, we will have some Young Scientists Club kits that remain. We also have books that describe simple experiments. While I am sometimes underwhelmed by the explanations given to the processes at issue, these kits and experiments provide a great diving-off point for deeper discussions. I see no reason that those should be confined to the school year.
(11) computer games - Despite my best efforts, I'm sure the boys will get plenty of time to play computer games. Truth be told, I approve of some games and need to have a list of those that I will try to direct the boys toward at those times I need a break or need to get things done. If I get time to organize my thoughts, I will post on that subject by itself.
Okay, is it summer already?
I've come to two conclusions. First, I would like to take a break from scheduled lessons for the summer. As much as the boys love piano and bok fu, I think we need a break from the routine. Copious amounts of unscheduled time seem to me to be a vital element of happy childhoods. Frankly, it would also do this adult some good as well. Second, the lack of a schedule should not mean the lack of opportunities to explore, discover and learn just for the fun of it.
Given those two conclusions, I need a list of activities that I can pull out as needed. Here's what I've come up with so far, in no particular order.
(1) board games & puzzles - We have a cabinet full of great games and puzzles. However, after I've taught the boys, I need my afternoons and evenings to work in our business, do things for the household or write. So, our games and puzzles have gotten less use than I'd hoped, and not for lack of interest on the boys' part. These will make an excellent way to pass hot afternoons.
(2) organic gardening, composting and worm composting - I put in a small organic vegetable garden each year, and we are doubling the garden's size. We also have a few fruit and nut trees. This year, I would finally like to get my compost pile going successfully and look into worm composting. These provide an enormous opportunity to learn about the mechanics of growing one's food, nutrition, the environment, botany and even biochemistry. I have a copy of Practical Science for Gardeners, which should prove very useful for this task. In a sort of related adventure, I'd like to try baking bread from scratch with the boys to understand the processes at work.
(3) swimming - I have made the decision to forgo swimming lessons this year and try a new tact. I will buy a family swim pass this year and give the boys the opportunity to play in the water as much as possible. If the opportunity arises, I will teach them more about swimming on my own. However, I think the time to just play in the water for long periods and get more comfortable will be invaluable by itself.
(4) art - My terrific watercolor instructor from the junior college class I took last fall offered to email projects for the boys. These usually involve the suggestion to paint a particular picture and to study a related aspect of art history. When completed, I will email pictures of the boys' work to the instructor, who can give feedback. The best part is that I can do the projects along with them, so they can see me as a student who is still learning. In addition, I would love to hike and paint with the boys in the great out of doors.
(5) day trips - We recently purchased a car that will comfortably seat the whole family and still allow a bit of cargo space. I am now feeling empowered to try some day trips with the boys. So far, I have accumulated the following list: Monterey Bay Aquarium, the San Jose Tech Museum, any and all museums in San Francisco, the beach, and maybe even a short trip to Disneyland. I seriously doubt we will get to all of those, but I like knowing I have options.
(6) bike riding and hiking - Summer should mean lots of time out of doors, getting exercise. Because we live out in the country where there are few sidewalks and many people who drive too fast, our boys haven't had a lot of opportunity for biking. I aim to remedy this over the summer by searching out bike trails. The same is true for hiking trails. I hope these boys are ready to get up at the crack of dawn to avoid the heat!
(7) an African Grey - We are adding to our family this summer. (Some would call me the Angelina Jolie of pets.) In addition to two dogs, two cats, two tanks of fish, two goats, one horse and one lovebird, we have put a deposit down on an African Grey parrot. At the moment, the baby is in an egg over in Placerville. We just received pictures of the parents last night. And the baby should be ready to come home over the summer. This new baby will provide us the opportunity to study up on African Greys, their origins, needs, and training. (I already know all of this because I've cared for one for a few years, but the boys can still learn.)
(8) building - No summer for the boys could be complete without building stuff. Right now, we are in the middle of building a robot. We also have an erector set with plans to build many different projects. I also have a copy of Steven Caney's Ultimate Building Book, which is filled with fun possibilities.
(9) reading, reading and more reading - No summer could be complete without endless reading for pleasure. We will probably participate in the summer reading program at the library. I already have serious difficulties keeping Landry adequately supplied with books because he likes to read late into the night. This summer, I hope to nudge Kipp over from reading because he must do it to make me happy to reading because he simply cannot put the story down. I also hope to spend a great deal of time reading aloud to all three boys. The opportunity to do that wont last forever, and I do not want to miss out on a minute of it.
(10) science kits and experiments - At the end of the school year, we will have some Young Scientists Club kits that remain. We also have books that describe simple experiments. While I am sometimes underwhelmed by the explanations given to the processes at issue, these kits and experiments provide a great diving-off point for deeper discussions. I see no reason that those should be confined to the school year.
(11) computer games - Despite my best efforts, I'm sure the boys will get plenty of time to play computer games. Truth be told, I approve of some games and need to have a list of those that I will try to direct the boys toward at those times I need a break or need to get things done. If I get time to organize my thoughts, I will post on that subject by itself.
Okay, is it summer already?
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