Tag: play
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What are you doing this summer?
We all have them, right? Summer memories of lazy days, popsicles, swimming, pick-up games of tag or kickball, and oodles of fun. Well, maybe we don’t all have them, especially since summer has become just another season for scheduling stuff. These days, when people ask What are your kids doing this summer? the answers generally include multiple…
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The boy with the boulder
Many years ago, when my eldest daughter was in public school kindergarten and I was helping out in the classroom, I witnessed the following exchange between the teacher and a boy who had brought in a special object for show-and-tell. Boy (holding up his smooth round rock proudly): “This is my boulder.” Teacher: “You mean,…
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Back to homeschool
It’s the middle of August, and summer is winding down. September looms, and with it the beginning of the school year. Just what does “back to school” mean for homeschoolers? There isn’t one answer to that question. All homeschooling families are different. And one of the great benefits of homeschooling is that we’re not bound…
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Play’s the thing
Just the other day I posted about how sitting still is overrated. Yesterday, the New York Times published an opinion piece on the downside of early academics, which is linked to sitting at desks. Let the Kids Learn Through Play, the headline urges. To which I respond, what do you think we’ve been doing? By…
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The future of education is here
Someone sent me an article by Marina Gorbis called The Future of Education Eliminates the Classroom, Because the World Is Your Class. Nice to know our family is living in the future – this idea of the world as your classroom has been a foundational principle for many homeschoolers for a long time. Beyond that,…
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Kids and structure
In these times when structured programs and expert instruction are available for everything, people can come to believe that allowing kids an open schedule with plenty of free play will keep them from future success. How, they may ask, will kids be able to structure their lives if they just run around and play all the…
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Every day is play day
Did you know that today is Global School Play Day? It’s a good idea, I suppose. I mean, I understand why it was created. But it still strikes me as absurd. Register now to play! Take pictures so the world can see kids playing! Don’t forget the hashtag! There’s even an official #GSPD song with a rap…
A Potluck Life 