Homeschool Days at Lehman's Hardware

Have you been wondering what to do with your kiddos in these winter months? Too cold to try hands on science outside? Or maybe those birds chirping outside your window have got you looking for some early gardening tips. Bring on the springtime!

One of my favorite places to spend an afternoon, Lehman's Hardware in Kidron, offers scheduled events for fun and learning about history, gardening, science, and more. You can find details on their Events page.
This month, their upcoming Homeschool Day on Tuesday, February 25th at 9:30 am. centers around Ohio's Ancient People. Here's a description of the class: "Life would be very different if you lived in Ohio thousands of years ago! In this class we’ll learn about the ancient peoples that lived in this area and the tools they used. Students will make observations and hypotheses based on actual artifacts. We’ll end the class by practicing some prehistoric skills and making a game to take home."
The class has a modest charge of $5.00, as space is limited. There are no refunds, but you can pass the ticket to someone else if you are unable to attend.

Due to my recently heightened interest into archaeology, I find this topic fascinating. There's a lot going on right now to preserve Ohio's history, so this is especially timely. Check out Ohio History Connection and Ohio Archaeological Council  for more info about preservation efforts.

Antique phone booth at Lehman's

If you can't attend this particular class at Lehman's, don't give up! They have a full schedule of events and classes for young and not-as-young alike. Keep checking back for something that fits your schedule or tickles your fancy.

Goodies, of course

And if you are more casual in your learning journey, just spend a couple of hours in their store. It's a history/science/sociology lesson in itself. From non-electric appliances, to soap making supplies, to off-grid household equipment, you can't spend any amount of time at Lehman's without seeing something you probably haven't seen before. You're sure to learn something new, or at least, something new to you. Often the greatest wisdom was already discovered by those who went before us.

Nature Discovery Day for Homeschoolers

I've just learned of a wonderful opportunity for home schooling families at Camp Buckeye in Beach City, which is in the southwest corner of Stark County. Below is the information, copied from their Facebook page:
"We are so excited to invite homeschool families to Camp Buckeye for our first Winter Homeschool Nature Discovery Day! Dress for the weather; we will be spending time outdoors, hopefully in the snow! This hands-on Nature Discovery day will be Thursday, February 13, 2020, from 9:30 to 2:30. Students and their parents will participate in two sessions ("Mammals in Winter" and "Snow!") and an outdoor hike. We will conclude the day with hot cocoa and a journaling or sketching activity.
Please bring your own lunch. Cost for the day is $14 for one student, $25 for two, and $35 for three or more (from the same family). Register by calling Camp at 330-756-2380 or emailing naturediscovery@campbuckeye.org . Sessions will be oriented toward K-8th graders. Parents, plan to stay and enjoy the day with your students!"

The camp is only a short drive from I-77, and always well worth it. Don't let the winter weather scare you away. We had some really great times on field trips at Camp Buckeye. Their staff are passionate about nature and teaching children. Not just for kids, though, moms and dads are encouraged to get involved and learn something new as well. I always said that I learned more from homeschooling my children than I had from my own education in a classroom.
It's short notice, but if you can take advantage of the opportunity, I'm sure it will be fantastic!

I learned about this fun day in my local paper, the Bargain Hunter, linked here to give them credit for covering the important news. 

Let's Trip Again!

23 years ago today, I became a mother.

My amazing daughter was born learning. She had her eyes wide open and immediately started looking at the world and everyone around her.
On that day, I also became a home schooling mom; I just didn't know it yet.

A few years later, it was official. We were home schooling!

Exciting, yes, but also daunting. How to keep her very active mind occupied?
When she reached the typical Kindergarten age, I decided that it would be a good idea to spend time with other children as part of our learning process. I called a few home schooling friends and set up our very first field trip together. Not long after that, my second daughter was born, and I had a full classroom.

Here we are about 18 years later, and I truly don't remember what the first trip was. Giant Eagle? Hale Farm & Village? Dussel Farm in Brimfield? Uh-oh, I must be getting old... At least, I'll use age as an excuse. I might have the records somewhere around here, but what really matters is that it went very well. We had a great time, and found that immersive learning fostered a memorable experience and led to practical teaching moments. So Take Off! Field Trips was born.

If you have read previous (much older) posts, you'll know that we went online in spring of 2005 and by 2006, we had over 500 families involved. Unfortunately, after several successful years and many, many field trips, I had to take a break from Take Off! and from home schooling.
But I have never lost my love of learning and, especially, learning by doing.

I believe that field trips are the best way to learn, whether you are into home schooling, traditional schooling, or just lifelong learning, as I am. I still go and do, visit and learn, all around Ohio. So why not continue to share my experiences and give others some helpful info and advice along the way?
Here's to my personal hope that I can inspire others again to get out and Take Off!