My Little Black Book of Ideas

[Thinking2014]

Ive been getting the usual "omg have I done the right thing" thoughts so I'm trying to reassure myself that my children are better off home educated...so what better way than to list lots of activities to keep us busy? My DCs are 3.5 (boy twins) & 8.5 (DD) so any educational / fun / budget friendly / seasonal ideas would be great right now!

I think this year will be a mostly "home made" ! I'm sure we'll have fun making it all though!

So far I've got:

Cookery (budgeting/grocery list making/weighing ingredients/reading instructions)..
Arts & crafts (which covers a lot like home made decorations for each seasonal holiday / Make your own calendar)
Bug hunting (finding out about what you've caught)
Create your own song/dance/music piece (maybe create a 'mash up' on the computer)
Making a den/tent & have a picnic inside
For the rainy season: use a cup & measure how much rain falls each day/compare results after a week

...Any more ideas welcome

Hello Thinking

I can't remember if you are following nc , but the first year of dd H.ed so about your dds age we covered so much of science in our local park.

Habitats, plants, bugs, birds, squirrels and bats, water, sustainability, recycling, etc.

We also covered history especially the social aspects of why parks were founded in the first place. Fits in great with other Victorian studies.

Your ideas are fab, thinking. I would contribute but my kids are very young so we're at a different stage really. Hopefully others will be along though

I love your mash up idea, have you seen the Disney song one on youtube, its amazing.
I think the idea of the book is great, you can get the dc to give ideas too.
For your dd I would add journal and diary, the first as a general sort of "Things we have done, places we have been" etc and the diary for personal things. It is often the only writing that dd does as she really doesn't like writing much. Shopping lists are another good way of encouraging writing.

Thanks everyone! DD isn't much of a writer either although she is now very glad she doesn't have to follow the school's strict handwriting rules (which I think are all for nothing really especially nowadays when almost everything is typed!) So maybe this will encourage more writing... I will suggest a diary though, maybe a collage can be made for special days out?

We'll have to get down to the park then, its only 5 mins away, it'll be like a nature study... Maybe play a bit of make believe to make it more 'fun' for her