Today I’m going to reveal the key to an awesome homeschool day. It’s the best kept secret ever and it needs to be told. After I tell you this…please do not keep this to yourself. Tell every mother you know. Mothers of toddlers, of grade school children, of teenagers. Yes…even teenagers. No I don’t homeschool teenagers, but I am positive this well kept secret will be a part of our every day in some way shape or form when my kids are older. I’m sure of it. Here it is….the key to an awesome homeschool day is…
…a ream of paper…
If lots and lots of beautiful white paper isn’t a part of your everyday, then it certainly needs to be. There’s nothing more inviting to a child than fresh paper and a stack of pencils, crayons or markers close by. The learning possibilities are endless. Just endless. We always, always have paper available to the kids, always. They don’t get scraps either, they get the good stuff, because their creations are worth it.
This ream of paper can be transformed into books, stapled together while holding a child’s drawings and penciled in words above their scribbles. Suddenly they are authors. Grab a few pieces and go outside, find the most interesting leaf or flower or plant that you can find and have all the children sketch their innocent version of it. Suddenly they are botanists. Allow yourselves to dream about building a treehouse, a chicken coop, or a secret hideout, grab some rulers, paper, pencils and a calculator, suddenly they are architects. Treat their sketches like they are your own trophies. Allow each child to have their own binder that houses all the drawings that they complete over the year. This will give them a sense of ownership and also corral all the paper that happens.
We have no clue what our kids will become, whether they are authors, botanists, or architects. Maybe they will become teachers, world travelers, or be the best mom or dad they could possibly be. Whatever it may be, let’s encourage a foundation of creativity in our children, and encourage that creativity absolutely all the way through their childhood and teen years.