Incorporating Hands-On Fun Into Your Homeschool

The following is a post from contributing writer Colleen:

As you work your way through the beginning of this new homeschool year, think back on the hands-on activities you did {and didn’t do} with your kids last year. It’s really easy to get caught up in the trap of “just getting through” the subjects, and to forget that it can get pretty dry for your kiddos.

As homeschoolers, we have the luxury of incorporating more hands-on fun into our days than they are able to in traditional school settings. We don’t have to chain ourselves to the workbook – let’s take advantage of that, and replace some of our kids’ paperwork with hands-on fun.

Look through your kids’ curriculum materials or think about their interests. Which topic would lend itself to skipping the worksheet?

• Instead of reading how birds build their nests, could you go for a walk and find a few unoccupied ones to bring home? {This works best in the fall or winter.} Then, give your kids some fine tweezers and a magnifying glass, and have them slowly dissect each nest. Tell them to pay attention to what materials are used and how they’re held together.

• Is your little one learning how to regroup in addition? Pull out drinking straws or other manipulatives and have them bundle groups of ten and exchange as they add one column at a time.

• Instead of studying an account of life before electricity was discovered, implement a non-electric day. Cook over a fire, play games together, keep the TV, computer, and video games off. This will be easier during the day, but keep it up until everyone goes to bed. Read together by candlelight after dinner. Talk about the ups and downs of the day. Have your kids wash in a basin of warm water, then snuggle into a warm comforter to fall asleep.

• Did the little boy in the book your adventurous boy is reading build his own slingshot? Take your son for a walk to find the perfect stick. Climb a few trees along the way. Stop by the post office and ask for a thick rubber band, or get some rubber tubing, and tell your son to build his own. Have him practice outside {away from others and glass windows}.

There are so many ways to pull in hands-on experiences, no matter what your kids’ interests or curriculums are. Look at the topics with a creative eye {or use Google}, and get ready to find your kids engaged and loving their learning.

A former public school teacher of gifted and talented kids, Colleen Kessler now writes books about hands-on activities for children and homeschools her own highly gifted kids. As her kids’ attention-span is as short as her own, you never know what kind of hands-on mess you’ll walk in on if you stop by for a visit. She chronicles her family’s adventures in life and homeschooling on her blog, Raising Lifelong Learners, and procrastinates regularly on Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook.