Although I’ve always known we’d be on the path to homeschooling, this year we really got down to business and made a commitment to this way of life. Our kids Luca (age 7), Rose (age 5) and Remi (age 2) explore life and learn every day through reading, imagination, play, and time spent together and with our community. We are documenting our experience here. Enjoy!
This month we are studying China… but before heading to the other side of the world, here we are exploring the incredibly beautiful Mushroom Rock State Park in Kansas. I explored these rocks many-a-magical-time growing up and it was delightful to see my kids and their cousins finding that same magic among the majestic prairie rocks.
…on to China! Here is our dragon for the Chinese New Year in the making:
The kids filmed me doing a dragon dance:
The kids loved the idea of creating a Chinese garden with all of the traditional elements present: a building, water, a bridge (Lego of course!), flowers (fake, but look pretty good!) and trees (branches snapped off of our Magnolia tree).
Can’t do China without noodles!
We are so lucky to have family around us who are happy to lend a hand in our homeschooling exploration – here is Aunt Mary sharing Chinese numbers with us – Rose trying out some number writing on the Buddha board!
Luca capturing some Chinese characters in his journal
We also enjoyed a wonderful morning with Meme and Grandpa Bill – diving into pictures and stories from their travels in China and family history (Sandy’s great grand parents spent a good deal of time in China and Sandy’s grand mother was born there).
Sampling some traditional tea
Sandy’s Aunt Eleanor and her mother (the kid’s great great grandmother) in China
Hand painted bottles from Meme and Grandpa Bill’s travels
We had a wonderful Chinese New Year party! Here is the invitation:
Rosie’s Chinese princess
Luca has really been enjoying The Magic Tree House series and this one seemed fitting!
Some other lovely books that we found at the library. Our favorite was The Story About Ping of course!
A section of Rose’s world princess puzzle
Luca’s collection of dragon paper air planes
Also this month we’ve touched a bit into Exploring Nature with Children – especially enjoying reading the poems and looking up the artwork that is paired with each week.
Luca spent about 30 minutes whittling with his pocket knife on a little willow branch. But I could hold this memory in my mind’s eye forever…
Checking out the winter beach – always magical finds.
Enjoying a brief hike up into the Northumberland forest with the whole family.
Some other lovely books we enjoyed:
My boy band:
Loved this moon phase craft that we did at our library hour:
Rosie playing the addition, subtraction game
Our usual:
There is maybe nothing better that Luca likes creating then weaponry! Thank goodness for duct tape!
Flags are also always a hit
Remi checks out our growing rocks that Aunty Lua gave us for Christmas – they turned out so beautiful!
Another great library project – mini constellation peek holes
Rose loves to take pictures on my phone: