Gabriel and I both woke up at 8am. He went into his “LEGO Room” to build while I made breakfast. Around 9:30am my toddler, Jade, was up and ready to get the day going. When I asked them what we should do first they immediately yelled “Go Outside!” Okey Dokey, outside it will be. We headed for our favorite trail that circles around our apartment complex. It is awesome, because you feel like you are really in the forest! We only got about 200 yards into the trail when we spotted 3 deer in our path! The kids were supper excited. Gabriel wanted to get closer and observe them, like any good scientist would. He tried but they would only let get about 30ft from them before they would prance in the opposite direction. Jade kept whispering, “Reindeer Momma, see the reindeer!” I snapped a couple of pictures but they are so well camouflaged that you cannot see them! Only occasionally would you see the flick of the white tail.
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A Day in the Life of an Unschooled Scientist
We observed the deer for about 15 minutes before they finally got spooked by Jades never ending “Reindeer” rant and ran off. After that we headed through the trail to our favorite clearing. This green space holds Gabriel’s favorite climbing tree and Jades favorite “Crocodile infested” creek. I enjoy it for the menagerie of birds that seem to be drawn to this open area. I’ve even downloaded an app on my phone to help me figure out what species they are. It’s called the North American Birds Sounds and I really like how it plays the songs of the different bird species. Because, sometimes I can’t see the bird, I just hear its song.
When my son started climbing “His Tree,” he immediately realized it had other occupants! A pair of cardinals had built a nest in it, which at first he thought was rather rude, being that he claims the tree as his and they didn’t asked him if it was OK to build a nest in it! I asked him, “What would a scientist do?” That seemed to do the trick. Now he was on a mission, to observe and document this nest in his favorite tree! He plans to come back daily to observe and document any new developments.
A Day in the Life of an Unschooled Scientist
Jade played in the mostly dry creek looking for crocodiles. Occasionally she would yell, “Crocydiwals Momma, Crocydiwals!” I would go over and look and it would be a rock or a stick. But I would humor her and say, “Whoa, look at that Crocodile!” Gabriel was still trying to get a better look at the nest. He even took my phone to try and get a picture of it. After a while Jade came to me to announce she was tired and ready to go home. Gabriel on the other hand said, “Momma, I’m observing this very important find!” Ok, I say, a few more minutes. Suddenly he yells out, “Momma I’ve found a bone in this tree! This is another important find!” Wait, what?
Ummmm, that bone looks like an old chicken leg a cat has been chewing! “Gabriel, please wash your hands when we get home. To which he replied, “But Momma, I’m a scientist!!!!” Really? I had no idea scientist didn’t wash their hands? The excuses little boys will use to not use soap and water!
A Day in the Life
We headed back home so we could wash our hands…thoroughly, eat lunch and let Jade take a nap. After which Gabriel very enthusiastically asked if he could add and divide up chocolate chips! Umm, Yes! He poured out over 100 chips. Math is so much better with chocolate!
He then asked me if I would snuggle into a pillow fort with him and read his current favorite book, 50 Climate Questions. This is a really neat book! It covers everything from the dinosaurs all the way up to modern times and how climate has effected changes throughout the eons. Now reading this book also brings up other subjects that my little scientist then wants to investigate, such as: Natufian Culture, Homo Floresiensis, Leif Erikson, Sir Frances Drake, the Lost Roanoke Colony, and Hernan Cortes! So, once those topics were brought up, he wanted to watch documentaries on them all. I pulled up videos on each subject for him on the computer while he worked on a new building for his LEGO city. I then went and got Jade up from her nap.
A Day in the Life
For the hour or so that Gabriel was watching videos, I snuggled with my girl and read her book “What Makes a Rainbow” over, and over, and over, and over….are you sensing a theme yet? Yes, I read her book out loud about 8 times. I am not exaggerating! But the snuggles made it all worth it! Then we colored ponies and dinosaurs at the kitchen table.
Once Gabriel’s videos were finished and his curiosity for those subjects was satisfied, I asked him to tell me a little bit about each subject. Well, turns out the Natufian Culture was the first to farm grain, the Homo Floresiensis was a real life Hobbit, Leif Erikson was the first European to discover North America…not Christopher Columbus, Sir Frances Drake was a pirate, slave trader and friends with Queen Elizabeth I, The Lost Roanoke Colony was off the coast of North Carolina, and Hernan Cortes was a Spaniard that conquered the Aztecs. The coolest part was learning how climate played a role in each of these subjects!
A Day in the Life
We went to the playground around 5:30pm. Jade insisted on bringing her notebook and pencil. She said, “I need draw shapes, Momma!” So she drew “shapes” which were really just squiggly lines all over her papers. She chased “Brudar” around a little while holding her notebook and pencil. Then she got caught up in the songs of the birds. When all of the kids at the playground started playing a game of tag, Jade tried to keep up. But her little legs were so much smaller than everyone else, that she really had no chance at all. So she resorted to just yelling, “Brudar!!!!” every 10 seconds across the playground. In less than 30 minutes my children were exhausted! When I told Jade it was time to go home, she shooshed me with her finger and said, “Hush Momma! Hear dat bird?” Yes I heard the cardinal…I wonder if it’s the same one from Gabriel’s tree?
Once the cardinal hushed, we headed inside for dinner and baths. Baths lasted about 30 minutes. The kids always enjoy playing in the water with their toys. Gabriel likes to wear his swim goggles and play pretend.
A Day in the Life of an Unschooled Scientist
It was 7pm, by the time I tucked them both into bed with their blankies, and began reading 50 Climate Questions again. Yes, that is the book they wanted to hear before bed! Both of them were excited to hear more of this book. So, I read several chapters out loud. Papa came home in the middle of my reading so he curled up in the bed with us and listened to the book. 8pm and they both could barely keep their eyes open. Papa sang them a song and then out went the lights. Until tomorrow, when the adventure begins again!
Wow! What a day! I love the big Lego city he built! Awesome!
Thanks for sharing on the Shine Blog Hop!
Wow! What a day! I love the big Lego city he built! Awesome!
Thanks for sharing on the Shine Blog Hop!
Thanks Tiffany, he is always tearing parts of it down and then rebuilding it into something else 🙂
What a fun-filled day! This is what a day in the life of a child should look like! It’s so great to see kids discover and learn naturally! And those legos! Wonderful! Found you over at the Saturday Evening Family Friendly Free For All linky party. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Nicole! Those Legos are his pride and joy 🙂
How lucky you are to have a nice nature trail to walk whenever you feel like it! Thanks for linking up at the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop! We hope you stop by again next week!
Thanks Samantha, we enjoy it very much 🙂
What a lot of fun learning adventures outdoors. Learning is so much better outside.
Thanks for linking #LetKidsBeKids
Thanks Karen! Being outside is very important for us. I feel Nature is a wonderful teacher!
I love reading about your home schooling – it’s so inspiring how you weave education into your fun days and Gabriel is such a natural learner – as most kids are when it’s fun I guess – so keen to soak up information. Love that you re-read that book so many times to your daughter. My son is a bit like that with his favourites too 🙂 You might be interested in a guest post over on Bod for tea this week about schemas by the way http://bodfortea.co.uk/2015/04/does-your-toddler-have-a-schema.html). Thank so much for linking this up at #sharehtejoy x
Thank you, Michelle! I went over and checked it out. Very interesting. I wonder what schema Jade would be?
What a jam packed day, sounds like both kids had a great time and I’ve added that book to my daughter’s wish list, it sounds like the sort of thing she’d love, thank you 🙂
Thanks Em! It really is a fascinating book! We’ve since picked up 50 Body Questions a book that spills it’s guts, HA!
This is brilliant and you are always getting outdoors and creative and I love it. Great post. Thank you ever so much for linking up to Share With Me #sharewithme
Thanks Jenny! Nature and creative expression is a huge part of our education 🙂
What a lovely post…your kiddies are cuties. love to see other homeschooling families.
Thank you Salma, I enjoy documenting our days. Many times you don’t realize how full of learning your days are until you write it down 🙂
A lovely post. It’s great to read about what other homeschooled kids get up to in a typical day. Great to see you spending so much time outdoors in such lovely surroundings. That book sounds really interesting too.
#letkidsbekids
http://www.multiculturalmotherhood.com
So glad you enjoyed it! We are big into nature/science 🙂
A lovely post. It’s great to read about what other homeschooled kids get up to in a typical day. Great to see you spending so much time outdoors in such lovely surroundings. That book sounds really interesting too.
#letkidsbekids
http://www.multiculturalmotherhood.com
I loe how curious kids are by nature, and getting outside is always a big win in our family, too. I came here from the Mom Blogs Party, by the way. 🙂
Thanks Jessica, curiosity is the best!!!
Sounds like a great day! Love the books your kids want to read!
Thank You! They have very eclectic tastes in books 🙂
You have such a wonderful nature around your apartment!
Thank you, we enjoy it 🙂
Wow, I love that LEGO city your kid built!
Thanks Susan! It is his pride and joy 🙂
I love how your daughter is right in on the learning! That will serve her so well in years to come! You know how people say the more kids you have, the more neglected they are, the less they get, the more their needs? I disagree completely. I think the younger children learn so much from the older ones, that they are inspired and have even more people to learn from! I can’t wait until they are both "school aged" to see how it goes for you!
Thanks Rebecca! My daughter is 2 going on 40 so it will be interesting to say the least 🙂 I agree that at least for my daughter she learns and imitates so much from her brother!
What a great day! My daughter calls all deers reindeer as well. Your son’s Lego collection is awesome, my son saw the photo and asked if they could be friends as he is a fellow Lego lover. I really enjoy following your unschooling adventures.
My son would love to be friends with your son. Lego lovers unite!!! They could always SKYPE 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!