Summer! No more lesson plans or homework or schedules!! Instead we start to plan days at the park and family reunions. A trip to the beach or camping in the mountains top the list – also fresh fruit, farmer’s markets, extraordinary sunsets, and oh so much more!
We somehow stop “schooling” and allow the children, and ourselves, to let our hair down a bit. We worry less and wonder more! It’s beautiful. So why not continue this lovely trend through the school year. Let’s take a look at what we can learn from summer’s sunny curriculum…
When Camping
There are about a hundred things that we can roast over a campfire
Dad gets a little goofy when he’s camping – and we like it!
Flint and steel really works, but it takes practice
There’s a reason the tent comes with a rain fly
Wow, are there really this many stars in the sky?
Family Vacations
Planning a family vacation takes a lot of work – but it’s worth it!
I CAN get along with five siblings while in the car for fourteen hours, but it’s hard
Mile markers come in handy
A tree will do in an emergency
Not all hotel rooms are created equal
Dreaming and planning are half the fun
What’s a budget?
Electronic devices aren’t as fun as playing the alphabet game with my whole family
There has to be some “give and take”
Summer Days at Home
Weeding the garden goes faster when we all work together
Picking peas is fun whether we love to eat them or not
Yummy lemonade can translate into money for new clothes
It’s tough work to run a lawn mowing service, but it feels good at the end of the day
There IS time to lay on the grass and watch the clouds go by
It’s fun to sit on the porch and visit with the neighbors
Swimming lessons are fun, but a little scary
If my bike has a flat tire I can fix it – with a little help from my dad
In other words we spend more time as a family, we learn about business, we work hard and play hard, we enjoy the things that really matter and sometimes we finally get to those things that we said we would do “someday!” We also find ourselves setting goals for next summer, the next trip together, how to save money for it etc.
Take a moment and consider the many memories you are building together this summer, and consider carrying them right into the coming school year, for that’s what natural learning looks like!