Weekend Edition~Gardening and Life Skills

As you can probably tell by now, my thoughts on homeschooling, is life is learning! When homeschooling our children, yes we want them to learn to read, and write and do arithmetic, but do not by pass life skills!

Gardening is a life time skill that children can use the rest of their lives and on into the new system. Teaching to recognize and identify food. Teaching them nature science! Children learn so much by simply digging in the earth!

Today we planted chives, garlic chives, stevia, collard greens, and many more. We have been planting for months though, every thing from tomatoes, to kale and mint! My children are learning to identify weed from food, and so much more.

Today in our gardening adventures, we have discovered three ant colonies, tons of larva! And the ants coming to attack us by the drones! I had no idea we had three ant nest right outside our door! And that's just what we discovered today! haha It was very educational. I was able to teach my children safe ways to control ants, using DE.

Then they also were able to play with worms, rolly pollies, and lady bugs! The children had so much fun, and learned so much. They just love "saving" worms. One summer we had so many worms and so much rain they came out all over the streets, and when the rain dried up many of the worms died from baking in the sun. So now when they find worms on the surface, they always make a effort to re-home them by putting them where the dirt is. haha

As I was coming into the house to clean up, I could over hear them telling the neighbor children all about every thing we did today and how to identify ant eggs and all about the thousands of ants that came swarming out of the nest when we disturbed it. Which then of course, with my children's enthusiasm made the neighbor boy very interested! And he wanted to learn all about the ants and their nests too! haha They were also so eager to show him all the vegetables in the garden.

They go out every day and check the tomatoes, and strawberries, they usually eat the chives down to the ground. haha And have to add mint to their water all summer long. Who needs gum when you can go out and chew on a fresh mint leaf?


You just never know how a day at home will turn into a rich learning experience! Please don't forgo these fun memories and teaching moments, for a text book or workbook. Sure workbooks and text books can help some children to learn. And have their place in some education. But, don't let yourself become a slave to them. And allow them to take up so much of your time, you miss out on the every day fun learning experiences there is to be had outside of a desk and a chair.