So yesterday I took the kids to a nature preserve that had a waterfall we could hike to. It was beautiful weather, absolutely perfect, and the hike went really well. They ran ahead, observed birds and critters, and asked a million questions. On the way back to the parking lot we stopped at a creek and I let them kick off their shoes and begin exploring their way down the stream. I sat on a log enjoying the view and just relaxing for a bit. They began having so much fun that we stayed there for quite some time while they pretended and created and asked more questions. We ended up having a long discussion about different bodies of water, what they connect to, the names of different types of bodies of water, etc etc. My oldest noticed that the stream was flowing towards the lake and wondered if the lake wasn't what was feeding it, what was? Amazing discussions.
Anyways, as we were finishing up we heard a commotion and turned towards the entrance of the trail to see a huge group of kids. My oldest shouted, "Look Mom! It's SCHOOL kids!" I had to chuckle, being a public school kid myself once upon a time, that it was such a novelty to him like seeing a strange animal at the zoo. All of my kids stopped what they were doing to observe these interesting children. Once they all got off the bus they were asked to stay in a single file line for about 10 minutes while teachers planned, chatted, grouped up the kids, etc. They then waited longer for the guides to figure out what was going on. Finally the kids were handed papers and told which trail to walk on (away from the waterfall, they didn't get to see it), how long to take, and given instructions on their worksheet. My kids in turn realized there was a trail going in the opposite direction and were overcome with curiosity. So we followed after the school kids. My kids found a dock and it was blocked off by an unlocked swinging gate. I was trying to not be so protective that day and let them explore more so I told them they could go past the gate if they really wanted to but they must understand the reason the gate is there is to show that what is beyond could be potentially dangerous. They must mind the edges, walk slowly, and not lean over too far. Then I let them go. They did so well. They held hands and walked carefully while watching out for one another (I kept the 1 yr old with me). They noticed the fish all watching them and wondered aloud why it looked like they were waiting to be fed, did the workers here feed them? If not what do they eat? What kinds of fish are they? Etc Etc. We then walked on and found a GIANT tree, it looked like two trees grown together, and its entire center was hollow and the contents all spilled out all over the ground: a giant heap of decomposing wood with all sorts of tunnels from insects, etc. Oh we had a field day with that. 100 questions later it was time to head back. As we got back the kids were coming up behind us with their worksheet. It was a scavenger hunt sheet where they had to find a certain leaf, a certain bird, and a few other things. I couldn't help but wonder if that sheet had kept them from being able to really look around them and ask questions.
On the way home we stopped at a field overrun with dandelions and harvested them. We brought them home and steeped the flowers to make dandelion jelly then roasted the leaves and roots for tea. The kids loved seeing the flowers dissected and opened up and wondered why the petals smelled of honey.
Today we went to another nature preserve for a home school group we attend. The kids had a fun music time and Bible time. Then they played for a while. Just then another school bus full of uniform clad kids pulled up. All the home school kids watched as the kids walked in lines, were sat in bleachers for a lecture, were given a worksheet, and were walked around to a few sites. Then one of the mothers in our group, who has a high degree in a few science fields, took the kids on a long walk down a trail. I stayed back with my littles. When my oldest got back he was going on and on about all the things she pointed out and all the questions they all asked and got answered and all the places he was allowed to run off and explore. When they got back the school kids were all being lined up. Our kids went and played more on the playground. A while later I rounded my kids up and we went to the van. The bus was just making its way out of the lot.
I grew up in public school. So did my husband. My sisters send their kids there as do many of my friends. So what I can't figure out is why this school thing suddenly feels so strange and so foreign. I literally couldn't stop gawking like my kids. I remember field trip days as some of the most fun days of the year. I never felt like I was in an environment while growing up that was super structured or not fun, but after living a life not part of the educational institutions for several years, that life seems so unnatural and odd to me now.
A lady from our church gave me an old stack of books from when her kids were little. There were four elementary science books in the stack that looked really cute and fun. I think we'll spend the day going through them tomorrow. We have some curricula we use, but we probably only use them 3 days a week as other days we like to just find our own things to do/learn. It's not the right choice for many families, but I'm thankful, so so thankful, that for now it's still legal in our country to make this choice.
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