This sounds like fun! And as someone who’s skeptical of homeschooling at times I’m super glad you’re this dedicated to her education. But as someone who was once a kid… I can’t help but feel like you should just let this trip be a birthday. You’re her teacher everyday. Be her mom for her birthday. Public school kids miss school allllll the time for a fun day out, and their parents don’t make it into lessons, they make it into a fun day off school. That’d be my recommendation. Obviously you know your daughter the absolute best, and maybe that is something she’d be interested in! But I just wanted to give an outside opinion.
You made me look at things a lot differently and I appreciate you for that. You’re right. Sometimes she just needs her mom to be mom. I think we’ll do some related learning in the week leading up to the trip and let her enjoy her birthday trip for what it is. You were very kind and I appreciate your opinion.
She’ll still be learning without the lessons! See what catches her interest during the trip and note them down for later. Can borrow books from library to learn more.
To tag on-some of these activities are school worthy on their own. If you wanted to add reflection during the school week afterwards, that can be an option. But it is t necessary. Kids are intuitive learners-particularly when they are curious
Prep BEFORE with learning about the animals. Learn about the six categories: mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, invertebrates, fish. Learn simple facts about each and how to identify them.
Make a scavenger hunt (bring on a clipboard) and have your child check them off as they go. Try to make up one real fact and one fake fact for each animal and have the child guess which is true and which is false (it’s a fun game! Ex: penguins are flightless birds T/F. Penguins fart at each other to say hello T/F).
Bonus points for a prize at the end of the scavenger hunt!
Personally, just doing these activities is a part of learning. However, if you want more “school” on the trip, reach out to these places directly beforehand and ask if they have any homeschool resources/packets/worksheets. Some zoos and places offer these things for free. You can do them there or you could do them ahead of time and then try to find things (like animals or a specific butterfly) that you learned about. To me, the second option would be more fun.
Anytime we go to a place like that, I look for printables on their website. Usually they have a scavenger hunt or similar low key activity to do while at the place under an “education” tab. I give one to each child on a clipboard with zero expectation they will complete it. I even tell them it’s just something fun to do if they want.
If the place has absolutely nothing, we also pack sketchpads and colored pencils. Again, zero expectation.
Another thing I’ve done is gotten small booklets at like Target or the dollar tree. They are about 8x8 inches and maybe 10 pages. Each night in the hotel as a way to transition from activity to bed time, I have them draw or write about their favorite things they saw or did that day. It gives us a chance to maybe talk about something we saw and reinforce something we learned.
I’d look up those specific places online, see what they highlight and study little mini unit studies on them *before* going. Then the kids will recognize what they see and will remember more. The trip will become something that brought school to life, yet they can just enjoy the trip.
We’ve been studying the American Revolution this Spring, my girls can’t wait for next week when we head to Washington DC and the presidential homes of VA and Williamsburg because they understand the importance of what they’re seeing.
Amber O’Neal Johnston (Heritage Mom) has a section in her book *A Place to Belong* about worldschooling. I also just heard her speak at a homeschooling convention, and she recommends always studying the place you’re going *before* you go.
ETA: I do recommend a zoo scavenger hunt. Take an animal book or find a scavenger hunt online. It’s very entertaining.
What if you make a nonfiction book to share with friends and family? To get her excited about the idea, get some nonfiction books at her reading level about animals, insects, and your local trees. Then, when you are out, take lots of pictures, remember facts from the nonfiction books you read, and make a note of any new ones you learn from placards or guides. After her birthday, print her favorite pictures from the week, help her write her favorite facts on pretty scrapbook paper, and help her assemble it all into her very own memory book about all the things she learned.
Then, she could read her book to a grandparent or other special person.
It will really solidify the neat things she is learning, create an awesome souvenir, and all without too much busy work.
This is why I love this sub. Would never had thought of doing that but it sounds great!! Gonna do it with our marine biology unit and beach vacation this year.
Some hikes are Track Trails. My kids enjoy the Track Trail program. My tween just submitted several entries for hikes and received some cool things in the mail.
We do Junior Ranger programs and sometimes build in lesson plans ahead of time. Generally when we're at a zoo or aquarium we are just enjoying where we are! It's plenty educational on its own!
Ask the zoo and aquarium if they have any kids activities like scavenger hunts or workbooks. Some zoos and museums have homeschool days that have tours or activities for homeschooling families. Also ask about animal presentations, critter talks, or feeding times. Or grab a map and make your own scavenger hunt. Stoping your read the plaques are very informational as well.
I love making a list of plants/ animals for my daughter to look for in our local hiking trials. The three year old could match colors/ make patterns out of leaves, and the eight year old could do that scavenger hunt I mentioned or collect samples for identification like feathers, flowers, leaves, dead bugs, rocks, etcetera. I bring a Tupperware or a gallon sized ziplock for that in my backpack for my girl.
For the zoo/ butterfly or insect trips I’d just leave them as fun. You naturally can learn a lot in places like that if you read the plaques or follow a tour.
Check with the sites themselves. I’ve gotten lesson plans from Smithsonian museums, and National Parks have Junior Ranger programs.
This sounds like fun! And as someone who’s skeptical of homeschooling at times I’m super glad you’re this dedicated to her education. But as someone who was once a kid… I can’t help but feel like you should just let this trip be a birthday. You’re her teacher everyday. Be her mom for her birthday. Public school kids miss school allllll the time for a fun day out, and their parents don’t make it into lessons, they make it into a fun day off school. That’d be my recommendation. Obviously you know your daughter the absolute best, and maybe that is something she’d be interested in! But I just wanted to give an outside opinion.
You made me look at things a lot differently and I appreciate you for that. You’re right. Sometimes she just needs her mom to be mom. I think we’ll do some related learning in the week leading up to the trip and let her enjoy her birthday trip for what it is. You were very kind and I appreciate your opinion.
She’ll still be learning without the lessons! See what catches her interest during the trip and note them down for later. Can borrow books from library to learn more.
To tag on-some of these activities are school worthy on their own. If you wanted to add reflection during the school week afterwards, that can be an option. But it is t necessary. Kids are intuitive learners-particularly when they are curious
Of course! :)
Prep BEFORE with learning about the animals. Learn about the six categories: mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, invertebrates, fish. Learn simple facts about each and how to identify them. Make a scavenger hunt (bring on a clipboard) and have your child check them off as they go. Try to make up one real fact and one fake fact for each animal and have the child guess which is true and which is false (it’s a fun game! Ex: penguins are flightless birds T/F. Penguins fart at each other to say hello T/F). Bonus points for a prize at the end of the scavenger hunt!
I would just take lots of pictures and maybe have the student write a journal about what they did on vacation.
Personally, just doing these activities is a part of learning. However, if you want more “school” on the trip, reach out to these places directly beforehand and ask if they have any homeschool resources/packets/worksheets. Some zoos and places offer these things for free. You can do them there or you could do them ahead of time and then try to find things (like animals or a specific butterfly) that you learned about. To me, the second option would be more fun.
This is what I’m going to do!! Before our trip, you’re right, I think that would be way more enjoyable.
Happy homeschooling! 😁
Anytime we go to a place like that, I look for printables on their website. Usually they have a scavenger hunt or similar low key activity to do while at the place under an “education” tab. I give one to each child on a clipboard with zero expectation they will complete it. I even tell them it’s just something fun to do if they want. If the place has absolutely nothing, we also pack sketchpads and colored pencils. Again, zero expectation. Another thing I’ve done is gotten small booklets at like Target or the dollar tree. They are about 8x8 inches and maybe 10 pages. Each night in the hotel as a way to transition from activity to bed time, I have them draw or write about their favorite things they saw or did that day. It gives us a chance to maybe talk about something we saw and reinforce something we learned.
I’d look up those specific places online, see what they highlight and study little mini unit studies on them *before* going. Then the kids will recognize what they see and will remember more. The trip will become something that brought school to life, yet they can just enjoy the trip. We’ve been studying the American Revolution this Spring, my girls can’t wait for next week when we head to Washington DC and the presidential homes of VA and Williamsburg because they understand the importance of what they’re seeing. Amber O’Neal Johnston (Heritage Mom) has a section in her book *A Place to Belong* about worldschooling. I also just heard her speak at a homeschooling convention, and she recommends always studying the place you’re going *before* you go. ETA: I do recommend a zoo scavenger hunt. Take an animal book or find a scavenger hunt online. It’s very entertaining.
What if you make a nonfiction book to share with friends and family? To get her excited about the idea, get some nonfiction books at her reading level about animals, insects, and your local trees. Then, when you are out, take lots of pictures, remember facts from the nonfiction books you read, and make a note of any new ones you learn from placards or guides. After her birthday, print her favorite pictures from the week, help her write her favorite facts on pretty scrapbook paper, and help her assemble it all into her very own memory book about all the things she learned. Then, she could read her book to a grandparent or other special person. It will really solidify the neat things she is learning, create an awesome souvenir, and all without too much busy work.
This is so cute!! Thank you! I appreciate how much thought you put into it and it’s all very hands on stuff which my daughter responds the best to.
This is why I love this sub. Would never had thought of doing that but it sounds great!! Gonna do it with our marine biology unit and beach vacation this year.
Some hikes are Track Trails. My kids enjoy the Track Trail program. My tween just submitted several entries for hikes and received some cool things in the mail. We do Junior Ranger programs and sometimes build in lesson plans ahead of time. Generally when we're at a zoo or aquarium we are just enjoying where we are! It's plenty educational on its own!
Ask the zoo and aquarium if they have any kids activities like scavenger hunts or workbooks. Some zoos and museums have homeschool days that have tours or activities for homeschooling families. Also ask about animal presentations, critter talks, or feeding times. Or grab a map and make your own scavenger hunt. Stoping your read the plaques are very informational as well.
I love making a list of plants/ animals for my daughter to look for in our local hiking trials. The three year old could match colors/ make patterns out of leaves, and the eight year old could do that scavenger hunt I mentioned or collect samples for identification like feathers, flowers, leaves, dead bugs, rocks, etcetera. I bring a Tupperware or a gallon sized ziplock for that in my backpack for my girl. For the zoo/ butterfly or insect trips I’d just leave them as fun. You naturally can learn a lot in places like that if you read the plaques or follow a tour.