family activities Archives

6 Great Outdoor Activities for Spring

I’m so excited about the beautiful weather we are having lately. I want to get outside and do fun educational things with the kids. Here are 6 great outdoor activities for you to consider.

#1 Tennis

I’ve written about what a great family activity this is, but I wanted to mention it again. Go to your local park’s or schools’ courts and have fun. Pick up racquets at a garage sale or buy used from a local club. We have also gotten private lessons for our family outdoors at a very reasonable cost. You can count it as P.E. hours!

#2 Four Square

After tennis, this is my favorite outdoor game to play with the kids. Here are the official rules. We use sidewalk chalk on our driveway. Once again, P.E. hours. 🙂

#3 Hiking

We love to hike any time it isn’t really cold. Spring is a perfect time to hike before it gets really hot. Fortunately, there are a number of great hiking trails near where we live. It’s great exercise and so inspiring to be in God’s creation. You can study wildlife and plants on the way and count it science. Even better, do some drawings of what you find and count it as art, too.

#4 Gardening

Anyone who knows me well knows that I don’t garden. But I want my kids to have the experience of planting and caring for plants with the hope they will inherit their dad’s green thumb. This is a great time to teach the kids about plants and yes, counting it as science.

#5 Birding

I took an ornithology class in college because I absolutely love birds. We enjoy watching the birds at our feeder all year, but we have an opportunity to see more species when we venture out. One thing I learned is that cemeteries are excellent places to look for birds. Bring your bird book or app. Look at old headstones or the grave sites of famous people in your area and you’ll get history time in, too.

#6 Reading

Whether you are reading to your children or everyone is reading independently, spring is a great time to take the books outside. Scholastic shares this list of read alouds for spring that would make good options. You can count this as language arts or any subject that you’re reading about.

There are more outdoor activities than I can list, so I want to direct you to the Homeschool Days Hop.

An InLinkz Link-up

What’s your favorite outdoor homeschool activity?

Resistant Learners, Are Grades Important & More: What’s Hot in Homeschooling this Week

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This is the time of year I consider how I’m doing as a mom and homeschooler. The articles I have for you this week reflect that as well as my desire to get OUT OF THE HOUSE with the kids. If you can relate, you’ll love this issue.

One Mother’s Cure for the Resistant Learner

I wasn’t surprised by this cure because I have a son who has the same wonderfully frustrating style. I had to learn how to teach him the hard way, but this article from Hip Homeschool Moms will save you the hassles!

The Two Choices Every Mother Faces Daily

I have made both of these choices and my fervent desire is to make the better choice every day. The difference in results is huge. Women Abiding gives us some excellent food for thought.

Are Grades Important?

The mom who cured her resistant learner mentions her son’s desire for grades. Whether you agree with Blue Manor Education’s position on grades or not, it’s important to think about where grades fit in your homeschool.

The Importance of Formative Assessments (with free letter recognition assessment)

I had never heard of formative assessments before Teacher @ Home shared this article, but it’s exactly the kind of testing I want to do with my kids. If you have younger learners, you’ll appreciate the letter recognition assessment, too.

Sensory Balloon Bugs

These adorable balloon bugs from Teaching Mama are supposed to be for the little guys, but I would love to get my hands on these, too. They’re excellent for fidgety kids of all ages.

Screen-Free Family Activities

I am so ready for some screen-free time. It’s been a verrrry long winter. If you want some fresh ideas for what to do together apart from staring at a box, check out this article from The Holistic Homeschooler.

Want more? Check out the What’s Hot in Homeschooling This Week Pinterest board and the great links below this post from fellow bloggers.

Now it’s your turn to share what’s hot in your homeschool this week. Please grab the button from the right footer of the blog or link to this post. If you were featured, please grab the Featured button if you like, too.