We are beginning to enjoy some fall-like mornings and evenings around these parts. This morning after the smalls saw Michael off to work, they came running inside asking if we could spend some time outside. Little L said, "Mama! Mama! It is fall! It is cold!" (Not quite, but we will take what we can get at this point!)
Armed with coffee and sidewalk chalk we went out to spend some time enjoying the coolness. We weren't out long when I asked if they would like for me to read history while they played in the dogwood tree. They jumped on the idea and added that we should take our nature notebooks out as well.
After a few minutes of gathering our books, pencils, games and a blanket we were all set up to enjoy school. We had a great time! The weather was perfect for some of the notebooking I had scheduled for later in the week. (I love it when that happens and I am ahead of schedule!) We searched our yard for monocots and dicots to sketch.
Tiger lilies (sans the flowers) and gardenias were our favorites. I was proud to see Larkin really putting an effort forth to capture the gardenia rather than just scratching something down.
Our plant hunt then moved on to mosses and then quickly to insects which meant another trip in the house for our insect field guild and our magnifying glasses.
After the nature hunt we settled down for a bit of history. Josephus to be exact. The kids had fun building some of the key words using our Bananagrams game. (I love that game because it comes in handy so often!)
After history, the smalls finally got around to what they had planned in the first place--tree climbing. They have grown quite fond of our little dogwood tree as it is easy for both of them to climb up into it and provides a great shelter for secret missions.
I hope that we have many more mornings like this. I find it amazing how the joy from a little bit of time outdoors like this seems to fill us up and spills into the rest of our day.
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5 comments:
i love being outside and when we are able (which isn't often it seems because it's always too hot here) it really does make a difference in everyone's attitude and spills over like you said. and i still want to climb trees sometimes.
your school posts almost tempt me to homeschool. ;)
I really need to do this. I am feeling sick w/ a head cold and barely muddled through today. Maybe just taking it outside, a heavy blanket and pillow (for me) and just let them journal and doodle, and banangrams! Sounds like a plan!
don't you love it when they are the ones who initiate the "leaerning" !
Another great way to spend school time! I always loved "field days" and I think you did too!
what a great way to teach the kids! Enjoy the beginnings of fall!
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