Written by monthly contributor Jessica Fisher of Life as Mom

All of life is learning. Our children can learn so much, academically as well as socially, by a simple trip to the grocery store as well as by completing a math lesson amidst the distractions of a sibling.

And summertime is no different. Whether it’s exploring on the beach, strolling through a museum, or even waiting in line at Disneyland, our children are always learning about themselves, others, and the surrounding world.

However, some learning experiences, like gutting a fish on a camping trip, are more appropriate for certain ages than others. And in a large family, there’s the rub. We are eager to share the world with our children, particularly on vacation and family field trips, but with a large family or even two children born many years apart, it can be challenging to create experiences appropriate to all the ages and stages of our children.

• What if the baby can’t handle such a long day in the mountains?
• What if the older children are bored at the children’s museum?
• What if it’s just too hard to take everyone to that amusement park?

Take heart — families with a range of children’s ages can foster meaningful vacations without too much extra effort. [Read more...]

Written by Kara Fleck, editor of Simple Kids.

Would it surprise you to learn that my family and I are time travelers? It is true!  Our mini-van recently became our personal time machine when we visited one of our favorite local living history museums, Conner Prairie.

Living history museums are a way to interact with history, up close and personal, and in some cases at the very spots where the original events occurred.

A visit to a living history museum moves education beyond the page of a textbook. They offer a chance to experience history with your five senses: you can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch the past.

Many living history museums provide an opportunity to interact with performers who portray the thoughts and feelings of their characters while demonstrating the daily chores, pastimes, and politics of the era.

If you’re planning a field trip to a living history museum, here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your visit:

[Read more...]

Written by Jamie Martin, editor of Simple Homeschool and founder of Steady Mom

Summer is almost officially here, and undoubtedly many of you are in the planning stages for a family vacation. Whether you’re heading into the woods for a week of camping, venturing to the seaside, or boarding a plane to another country, we all know that as homeschooling families we never take a complete break from learning.

Of course your educational route may be a little less formal now than during other times of the year, which is as it should be. That’s why it’s good to brainstorm and come up with some gentle, organic ways to continue learning no matter where your journey takes you.

Consider these four possibilities as you vacation this summer. [Read more...]

Maybe it’s because the beach is such a completely different landscape from the one we call home. Maybe it’s the legendary lure of the sea. Whatever the reason, some of our greatest learning adventures have happened with sand in between our toes and salty wind in our hair.

For those of you looking forward to some oceanside days this summer, we’d like to share our favorite ways to make your beach blanket the best classroom ever. [Read more...]

We blame it on Little House on the Prairie. After reading the entire series, we promised ourselves we’d find time to volunteer at a nearby living history museum. In the summer of 2006, we traveled back in time to become a farming family in 1845.

We learned to bake a pie over an open fire, churn butter, wash dishes with a corn cob,  care for critters, and it was all school.

Look around your community. Where can you volunteer, make some family memories, and do school at the same time?

[Read more...]