Ah the end of summer, and beginning of the new homeschool year. It’s easy to walk into a new year with high expectations, excitement, and a long wish list of activities, subjects, and books to cover throughout the year. But what is it that actually makes a successful homeschool week?
While you might expect the answer to be something like, “make a schedule”, “plan for free time”, or “have lots and lots of snacks on hand”, none of those are what I’m here to share with you today. (Although these can all be VERY helpful and contribute to the success of your week. Especially the snacks. Don’t ever let there be no snacks.) What I believe actually makes for a successful homeschool week just might surprise you:
Make Time For Adventure
The most basic answer is to make sure you’re spending time outside. There are endless benefits to being outdoors, like fresh air, keeping circadian rhythms in check, getting plenty of vitamin D, boosting the immune system, and more. But the real gem of successful homeschooling is planning actual adventure into your week.
Let’s Define Adventure
Adventure is defined in two ways by Merriam-Webster:
- An undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks; the encountering of risks
- An exciting or remarkable experience
While this definition has people generally thinking of big, grand adventures to faraway magical places, I’d like to argue that even pint-sized adventures for pint-sized people make a world of difference in homeschool, and life. Even small adventures can be exciting and remarkable.
Why Adventure
We’ve already determined that time outside is beneficial, and I would argue crucial to our physical health. But time outside, and especially adventure, is also beneficial for our mental health and creativity. The tendency in homeschool is to focus on the lessons – the curriculum and the agenda, the topics that need to be covered and the work that needs to be completed. The problem is that while these things aren’t bad (they are actually good), they can stifle a child’s willingness to and desire to learn, and their imagination if not done carefully.
Intentionally scheduling adventure into your week not only gives a break from the regular course of work and lessons, it also helps children see the world from new angles. They are given space to take new risks and learn their own limits, gain solid judgment, grow an appreciation for the outdoors, and foster imagination and creativity.
Best of all, adventuring is a time when the whole family can let loose and enjoy spending time together. Afterall, it’s our children’s character and relationships that matter more than the information they’re learning. So schedule time for adventure – I promise it will be the best thing you do to have a successful homeschool week.
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