Do you ever have those homeschool days where your schedule is “off,” and you are afraid you aren’t going to get anything done? We certainly do. Doctor appointments, dental appointments, sickness, tiredness, grumpiness, etc.
This week we had a couple of different medical appointments that have thrown our schedule for a loop. I’ve learned over the years to embrace the chaos and look for learning opportunities outside of our normal routine. One of my favorite things to do is to find a project that the whole family can work on.
building bridges
One of our projects this week was learning about bridges. We used the K’Nex Bridge Building Set to build bridge replicas. This activity was so much fun, and all 7 kids were able to help with it. We were able to build two bridges at a time from the set. The kids even connected the two bridges when they finished and had a 9-foot span of bridge. The littles have loved racing different cars across them.
woodworking
Another project we did was a woodworking project. My oldest two girls needed a nightstand, for their room and I wasn’t finding anything online that I loved. We decided to build one out of some leftover cedar lumber that we had from a different project. We searched through Pinterest to get some design ideas and then drew up a design. The older kids all pitched in helping measure, cut boards, sand boards, and put everything together. I have a whole Pinterest board of DIY projects that I would love to build.
outdoor learning
The kids also love helping with outside activities. One afternoon we planted blueberry and raspberry bushes around the house. Everyone was able to pitch in and help. The littles had fun using their sand shovels to add peat moss to the holes while the older kids planted and filled in with more soil.
When you are homeschooling the learning opportunities are endless. Even on those rough days look for a learning opportunity. It could be baking, cooking a meal, playing a game, a random science project, a DIY project that you have been wanting to do around the house, gardening, a spontaneous field trip, etc.
Amanda Kaye
Catch more of our homeschool adventures on my author page.
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If you still have it, could you share the drawing of your nightstand design?
So true. Ordering that bridge set now!
That bridge set is impressive. It is sold out at that site. Do you know of another place I could order one? Thanks.