In my never ending quest to keep the kids busy....which keeps them from fighting (theoretically)...and keeps them from sitting in front of the television...we have gone to the zoo twice, gone to the pool - I don't know how many times, are doing a reading program at the library (and soon Barnes and Noble) and recently started attending a science class at a church in a nearby town.
I worry about the kids losing some of what they have learned over the school year. So this year they are doing the science class, reading, and doing math facts. We will be taking a few field trips as well. I am trying to keep it interesting for them and not so school-like. They get "paid" to read, to do math facts, to exercise. This is in play money, which they record in a check register and then deposit it in the "bank". If they watch tv, they have to "pay" money. My thought is that they will learn the beginnings of how to balance a checkbook. The problem is, they haven't spent any of their money to watch television!
Last week was their first science class, it was taught by Hayley's mom (and my friend), Sandy. She had them build an edible dirt pile (showing the various dirt levels) and they painted with dirt. This was super cool and I need to take a picture of their paintings. She is a smart one, that Sandy. (side note: I ran into Mr. Craig, who was one of Amber's teachers and he said so many nice things about Amber and how special she was to him. He also said that he has some pictures of her that he pulled out of some of his other photos so they wouldn't get lost. He is going to give me those pictures. I will make copies of them and get them back to him. Amber was in his science club and participated in the science olympics and went on science field trips with him - he is an awesome, awesome teacher and man)
I had attempted to find a mystery online that the kids could solve using various math skills, etc. I couldn't find anything that I liked so I made up one. I printed a "newspaper" that had an article about a stolen crown from a museum. Also, there was a crossword puzzle that the thieves were using to communicate with each other. I had the kids interview witnesses...which were all played by me because the neighbors weren't home. They had a blast doing that and we were all laughing like crazy. The interviews led them to the suspects car where they located a purse that had been accidentally left behind. In the purse was a sheet of multiplication problems - a code. They continued looking in the car and found the decoder. They had to solve the multiplication problems and then use the decoder to figure out what the message said. That message led them to another message out in the pole barn. That message led them to look in the "newspaper" and figure out the crossword puzzle. That message led them out to the pond - the crown was hidden between the apple tree and the pond. They had so much fun they want me to write more mysteries for them to solve. It was all very 1950s. I had embraced my inner Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden and went with something very simple and nonviolent. Andrew was disappointed that they didn't catch the criminals, but also remarked that it could be they will be attempting more heists. THE PRESSURE!!
Last week I had the kids come up with a menu and activity plan for this week. I gave them a budget and they went to the grocery store and wrote down the price of all the food they were wanting to fix. They still need to figure up if they stayed in their budget. They are going to do all the cooking (with supervison and assistance). We are going on a field trip to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and heading out to the lake. We are also, of course, going swimming, to the science class, doing daily reading and daily math games.
So far we are having a good summer. We have other activities planned....Tanganika with my sister-in-law; the Hutch zoo with Kim....and I'm sure we will come up with lots of other fun things to do!
