Mixing Up Your Homeschool Routine

Is it time for a change? Maybe it could be as simple as just a quick walk in the woods. Time for mixing up your homeschool routine!

Walking the trail #SilverComerTrail #fall #1000gifts

I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers ~ L.M. Montgomery, Ann of Green Gables

Mixing Up Your Homeschool Routine

Aren’t you glad you live in a world where there are Octobers too? I think it just might be my favorite month. And sometimes it is just time to stand at the crossroads and look. Simplify your homeschool with the ancient paths.

This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. Jeremiah 6:16

We did. We stood at the crossroads and looked. And this is where the ancient paths took us. See, we’ve mixed things up a good bit this last week. We knew that Hodgepodgedad would have Columbus Day off work. So we grabbed a hold of that precious time, we added some to that and we squished many a field trip into a long weekend. Sometimes it’s just good to do everything at once. So here’s a quick run down of what all we’ve been learning and the roads we’ve traveled.

Maybe how we mixed up our homeschool routine will give you some ideas and help you created some memories too. All the while learning:

• Go on a Field Trip!  Apple Orchard, Pumpkin patch, State Park, Zoo for Science
• Unit Study for Current Events
• Vocabulary for Learning Root Words and Enhancing Foreign Language Studies
• Visit family

Visit Family

Last Thursday we got stuff done – even schooled ahead. We also visited great-grandmother and played King’s Corners. Last Friday we met up with Grandma and Grandpa and headed for the hills. We figured we could hit Mercier Apple Orchard and swing back down to Amicalola Falls and Burt’s Pumpkin Farm. It was doable! We left home at 9 a.m. and were back around 6 p.m.

Take Field Trips!

Mercier Apple Orchards – Which variety would you pick? Pink lady apples aren’t yet ripe. Beautiful and busy day at Mercier Orchards! #exploregeorgia #apples #fall #fieldtrip

The eating of the fried pies at the top of Amicalola Falls (The smell of the fried pies was heavenly but I resisted! Gluten free for going on 16 months now and I didn’t want to feel poorly. Those that carry epipens stayed away too and had a caramel apple or apple lollipop.)

It’s a gorgeous fall day for visiting at 720 foot waterfall! #Amicalolafalls #exploregeorgia #gastateparks #homeschool #fieldtrip You might remember that we visited here last May during our tour of Waterfalls to Visit in Georgia with Children. It was time to see what it was like during the fall.

We made a full apple, waterfall and pumpkin tour today #blessed #fall #exploregeorgia – The pumpkins at Burt’s Pumpkin Farm are ginormous and make for fun photos! They also have all kinds of variety from lumpy and bumpy to even pink!

We had a busy but restful weekend with football, parties and church. Monday…

We had fun finding all the animals we are studying with Apologia Land Animals at Zoo Atlanta #fieldtrip #Atlanta #exploregeorgia

Go to the Local Zoo

Eldest pointed out that when you have a large-ish family that one of the benefits is an annual membership. Because by the time you get tickets for the whole family you have bought an annual membership. That was the case last year with the Georgia Aquarium and the case this year with Zoo Atlanta. Also, be sure to tell the membership office you homeschool. You never know when you might get an educator discount! We got $10 off!

Twin Pandas Mei Lun and Mei Huan were born last July at Zoo Atlanta – so neat to see in person! (You can see them on the Panda Cam too!)

You can see Stone Mountain today! #KennesawMountain #exploreGeorgia – in keeping up our habit of enjoying spots close to home to break up the homeschool routine.

We Recommend These Homeschool Resources

It’s Constitutional Literacy night! Apologia with our high schoolers. We are still enjoying this fantastic resource (and learning so much!) Constitutional Literacy from Apologia and HSLDA’s Michael Farris. Often we gather around with the older children after the younger ones are tucked in bed. Then the high schoolers complete the questions in their spiral notebooks after we watch the session #ConLit #AmericanGovernment

American Elections

It’s almost time to vote and it’s the perfect time to enjoy a unit study on elections. Be sure to find out more about Elections by Unit Studies by Amanda Bennett. The American Elections is specifically aimed at middle grades (3rd-8th). It’s an adventure for your students to do on their own – with prompts for your child to come and tell you what they have learned! (Yay for independent learning!) It is a discovery adventure where your student solves the mystery by unlocking questions – with clues along the way.

Now we use the app for all our ages, because I am so very thankful we have the time to include current events in our studies. What better time to study elections than right now?

 

The Pilgrim’s Progress – love the audiobook! All-in-One curriculum pack includes the text, student pages and audiobook (don’t you just love audiobooks?) Find my review at The Curriculum Choice.

WordUp! by Compass Classroom is the newest curriculum for Latin and Greek roots. We already love Visual Latin and now Dwane Thomas has us laughing and learning even more! (Even the roots of my favorite hydrangea!) Find out more at (affiliate link because we love and depend on these resources!) compassclassroom.com.

More Hodgepodge for You

• You ARE An Artist – resources galore!
• Apples and Pumpkins Art Tutorials and Resources (follow up for your fall field trips!)

Enjoy Minions at Hodgepodge!

Many thanks to these kind hostesses (I’m linking up!):

• Collage Friday – Homegrown Learners
• Finishing Strong – Homeschooling the Middle & High School Years
• Weekly Wrap Up – Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers

 How have YOU been mixing up your homeschool routine?

-originally published October 2014