What a month! Lots of new games, fun trips to thrift stores and a few places visited. I’m gearing up for the next three months that will be heavy on travel, going places with friends and family, and taking advantage of all the festivals and other fun free programs that take place during the summer…
Tag: self-directed
Why Kids Need to Take More Risks Not Less
One day last summer I took the kids to a nearby park. I was enjoying a rare moment of reading alone when I heard a woman gasp. I glanced up at her, and she looked over at me with a scared look on her face. “Oh my goodness! Is that your son?” she asked. I…
Chasing Rabbit Trails…and Finding Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland was one of my favorite books when I was about 8 or 9. I’d sit by myself in the attic, reading it out loud, and acting out the story. I’d line up stuffed animals to be the Mad Hatter and the Door Mouse. I’d push two chairs close together and jump down…
A Year in the Life of an Interest-Led Learner 2011-12 (video)
Each month I share with you the activities and resources our family uses on our interest-led, unschooling journey. But I don’t usually share pictures of my family. It’s not that I don’t want to share. I do. It’s just that I decided the major focus of this site will be to talk about ways we…
Homeschooling with a Sick Child: My Interview with Kimberly Ehlers
What happens when your child is sick? If it’s a serious illness, do you start to panic and think that they’ll get too far “behind?” Do you focus on the limitations rather than on what everyone in the family could be learning from that illness? About a year ago, I had the wonderful pleasure to…
My March Unschooling Fun & Resources
As March came to an end, I wondered why I felt so tired. Then I looked at this list! Really, though, it was an incredible month for my family. We learned so many new things, went to so many new places and just enjoyed spending time together. I’m hoping some of the resources or activities…
Abstracting,Analogizing & Recognizing Patterns: The Next Three Thinking Tools
Last Wednesday I shared with you the first two thinking tools: Observing and Imaging, from the book Sparks of Genius: The 13 Thinking Tools of the World’s Most Creative People. I’ve found these tools fascinating and think that introducing them to my kids will be an invaluable resource for them to develop the important…
Sparks of Genius: The First Two Thinking Tools
About five or six years ago I read a wonderful book called Sparks of Genius: The 13 Thinking Tools of the World’s Most Creative People. In the book, highly creative people described the way they thought and went about the process of expressing their creativity. I had been doing a self-study on creativity and had…
My Interview with Homeschooler Keilee about Creativity & Following Your Interests
Today I’m so excited to share an interview I did with Keilee. Keilee is 12 and has been homeschooling for the last five or so years. I’ve learned a lot about all the creative things Keilee has been doing lately from visiting her mom Karen’s blog at HomeschoolGirls. I wanted to interview Keilee because she…
The Comfort Zone: Helping Kids Get Out of It
I’ve been planning a big road trip that we’re going to take this summer. We’re a nature-loving family, and our travels in the past usually include either mountains, deserts, beaches or islands. This summer will be different. Our trip will have a lot of nature-watching, but it also will have some big city touring, too….