Five Fun Unschooling Things To Do This Summer

Even if you normally follow a rigid curriculum during the academic year, summer is a great time to relax a bit and try unschooling on for size.  Unschoolers typically follow a less regimented approach to homeschooling, and utilize things like project-based learning, Waldorf-inspired lessons, and student-led learning to educate their kids.   Doing some travelling this summer?  Roadschooling fits in well with that!  Find educational things to do along your way, and learn as you go!  Enjoy your summer!


FIVE FUN UNSCHOOLING THINGS TO DO THIS SUMMER:


1.  Have a lemonade stand and let your kids practice their math skills!  What's their profit margin after the cost of supplies and paid employees (little brothers?) are subtracted out?  Is it any better to make homemade lemonade from a pile of lemons, or to buy the mix?  And how do you triple the recipe?

2.  Do a nature study!  There's so much to notice outdoors in the summer.  Why not write some of it down in a journal, or do some sketches of the summertime landscape?

3.  If you're going on vacation this summer, there are probably lots of interesting and educational things to do and see along the way.  Check out a science museum in a town you're travelling through, or learn about the local history while you're there.  Even better - have the kids read the map for you and calculate what kind of gas mileage you're getting!

4.  Try something new, especially something you didn't have time for during the school year.  Have your older children always wanted to learn about photography, or take horseback riding lessons?  Maybe your younger children would enjoy identifying different types of birds, or having some time to build a fort in the backyard?  Sure, it's fun, but they're learning too!
 
5.  Gardening is the ultimate in project-based learning.  If you can't plant a garden, at least plant a few things in containers and watch them grow!  You'll eat healthier that way too!