i can't believe the summer is almost here!
this year is going by so incredibly fast, however, i'm here for it because i am ready for a summer of fun, adventure and exploration.
we are year-round homeschoolers but for us that does not mean that our heads are stuck inside of curriculum 365 days a year. we have what i call an "academic year" beginning mid august and ending usually by the end of may. during the academic year we cover all of our core subjects such as math, language arts, spelling, writing, science, history, etc. but once our academic year is complete we put the core subjects to the side and shift to nature studies, outdoor activities and hands on fun. we still review things such as math facts and things i want to keep fresh in my little guys brain but its very minimal as in our home, experiences and adventure take priority as there's no better way to learn then experiencing things first hand.
this year i am apart of brooklyn homeschoolers, a hub that my best friend created for urban homeschoolers here in nyc. we offer tons of events for homeschooling families and this summer we're offering a 5-week summer program called urban beach study. we'll be learning all about the beach, ocean and tons of sea life so my little guy will be attending this program and exploring all it has to offer.
along with that, i've chosen several books which i'm sharing here with you today, where i am pulling from to plan out the days in between and after the summer beach program is complete.
the main resource we will be using this summer is the young naturalist by wild and free.
let me start by saying how absolutely gorgeous this resource is and how incredibly well written and thought out it truly is. it is inspiring me so much being that i am in the midst of writing and designing my own art curriculum.
it covers different nature topics such as bees, earth, mammals, etc and has both information on those topics and art projects to go along with it. it also has other resources you can download and links to videos you can watch such as how to's, watercolor tutorials, etc. to say i'm excited about this resource is an understatement! definitely recommend it. this would even be a great resource to use during your school year for nature studies.
i am also using 1000 hours outside by ginny yurich to plan out our summer. the goal this summer is to spend as much time outdoors as possible! will we hit 1000 hours? most likely not, but aiming to spend as much time outdoors as possible is good enough of goal for me.
this book is packed with games, crafts and activities which are all organized by season. so i am pulling lots of ideas from the summer section such as flower art, berry picking, beach art, butterfly catching, suncatchers .... ahhhhhh there are so many incredible ideas, it's so hard to choose! pick up this book asap!
another amazing book by ainsley arment founder of wild and free (can you tell that i'm a nature wild and free mama, lol) that i am using is wild and free nature. yet another beautifully written book that is filled with the wonder of nature. from exploring the city to national parks this book screams adventure and beyond!
there's a quote in the beginning of this book that has become my motto for this summer, it states "go out, go out i beg of you and taste the beauty of the wild. behold the miracle of the earth with all the wonder of a child" by edna jaques. i mean, if that quote doesn't get you up, outdoors and on the path of adventure, i don't know what will!
and last but but definitely not least is the unplugged family activity book by rachel jepson wolf. i know i'm not alone in the battle of the tech devices! ugh, keep them away, keep them away! listen, i have no objection with the occasional movie night or saturday morning cartoons with dad on the sofa. but i definitely don't want the summer to be a time of "i'm bored, can i use my tablet mom?!" nope, sorry you cannot kiddo! so i am also using this book to plan activities, crafts and recipes we can cook and bake.
this book is also organized by season which i love and i also really appreciate that it comes with recipes. so far i've jotted down lemon balm ice pops and homemade ice cream with berries to make this summer. i cannot wait!
lots of fun plans for sure.
summer is a time of wonder and joy. soak it all in because it goes by oh so fast!
now tell me, what do you have planned for the summer?
happy planning!
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