Brainstorms: Flipping the Script

Ah, (late) Spring! When we dust off everything that got all dusty during winter, rub our crusty eyes, yawn and stretch and start school.* Yep. Backyard University is flipping the script. We see no reason to commence in fall and break in late spring. That's just when we're getting started! There's more light. The weather is nicer. The adults are more energetic. The garden is exciting. It feels like a beginning, which is why saying good-bye to teachers and learning activities at this point in years past always seemed strange to me. After many long dark months in which leaving the house is a painful chore, we are suddenly on our own when the sun is out and everyone finally feels like going here and there? No. This is the new time, and for us here at the BU, ~Spring is the new Fall!~

And, while we're at it, ~Saturday is the new Monday!~

Real Talk: Most of the week is less than productive. When you factor in every daily obligation, there's little time to do lots of prolonged active learning projects. There's one adult here, and she's just trying to scrape up the usual chaos sprinkles of daily life most of the time. The weekend holds more promise. The mathematician is home, and the conversations and projects can go on uninterrupted, for the most part.

Speaking of projects, we're happy to announce the initiation of the launching of an idea. We're going to blog our way through this book.

You'd think blogging your way through something would require hipwaders, but no. I might still wear mine, but that's beside the point. This book requires just a few basic craft supplies, time, bored kids of a variety of ages, and grown-ups. We have all of that (and so much more), and are going to give it our best shot.

We're going to go for an average of one activity per day for a whole year, starting this Sunday, with the Bas-Relief Pancakes (#18). The activities range from simple to very involved, so rather than do them in order, we'll choose them according to the seasons, weather, and our needs. We reserve the right to double up and and do two or more simple activities one day, if we need to make up a day. Not all of them will be discussed here on the blog. Sometimes, we'll just post a photo or status update on the Backyard University facebook page. You "liked" that already, right? Good.

*We practice a rare form of unschooling called Secretly Maniuplated Living, and it really goes on 24/7/52. It is powered by the superfuel that is a kid's internal motivation, and somewhat supported by attending grown-up masterminds who put said kids into situations where they can pick up grade-level skills and concepts said grown-ups looked up on the Oregon Department of Education Common Core State Standards page. Shh! Don't tell the little ones. They just love to cut and glue. They don't know they mastered key fine motor skills.