Invite Your Children to Learn

Lifestyle learning does not necessarily equate with a no-rules, no-expectations environment.  I have found that creating a standard set of boundaries helps my children get the most out of their days.

For example, one of the first things we did in our home was limit video games.  Now don’t get me wrong, used intentionally, video games can be educational.  (Minecraft is played a lot in my house.)

However, left to their own choices, my children would play video games all day, every day, and the results of that are in opposition to our goals.  So, our boundaries include setting aside specific times and days where playing video games is an available option, and they are off-limits the rest of the time.

Setting some defined, but freeing, boundaries helps your children to understand what is expected out of them and how to best fulfill those expectations.

Creating boundaries also includes the idea of setting out invitations for learning.  For example, one summer I put together an “explorer’s backpack” that included magnifying glasses, tracker cards, tree and wildflower ID guides, collection bags, notebooks, and writing utensils.

Create invitations to learn with ideas like:

• Purchase inexpensive bug boxes and butterfly nets to leave near the door.  You could also set out books (from your own collection or from the library) that help them identify and learn about the different kinds of bugs.
• Rotate art materials to leave out on your homeschool table.  Look through your stash of supplies, and entice your children with a different collection each week.  Maybe you lay out construction paper and crayons one week, How To Draw books with colored pencils and a drawing pad the next, and follow with watercolors and canvas.
• Hands-on science kits are fun and require little prep!
• Invite your child to cook with you in the kitchen.  Use the opportunity to talk about kitchen safety, technique, nutrition, family traditions, or anything else that the moment inspires.
• Leave out a bucket of Legos with building challenge cards.

Overall, your boundaries should:

• Support your homeschool goals
• Expose your children to new and different ideas and topics
• Challenge your children to solve a problem or be creative
• Inspire your children to think critically about something
• Help your kids engage with the world around them
• Give them a direction to run when they are bored or directionless

Simple little invitations like this can be very powerful in setting the stage for your child to embrace curiosity and creativity!