Creative Ways to Practice Academics

From the time the temperature begins to warm in the spring, until the chill of fall sets in, my children are usually found outside. Between exploring the wonders of nature and expending energy at play, I have to find creative ways to practice academics.

Although my children love a good book, they would rather be outside playing than taking time to read.  During an afternoon of creating driveway art with sidewalk chalk, I discovered a fun way to practice reading and story telling.

With my younger kids still mastering sight words, I began writing words on the driveway. I put them in random directions within a designated area. Curiosity provided me a quick audience. As I began reading each word, one of the kids would jump on it.

A short time of hopping, and the location of each word was memorized. I changed the game and began telling a story. I made up a silly tale randomly containing the words on the ground. The story required careful attention to see who could listen for a word in the story, locate it, and be the first to jump on it. Given sight words don’t hold the attention of my oldest, I recruited him to help tell stories. The game naturally progressed into drawing pictures of some of our silly stories.

Finding ways to bring academics into outdoor playtime might seem a little sneaky, but it can be a lot of fun. Although I prefer a relaxed summer break with more self directed play, an occasional mom lead activity is a great way to help children review and retain what they learned during the school year.

Teresa Brouillette is a wife and busy homeschooling mom, living for Jesus. With a love for writing, she shares the adventures and lessons of her family and homeschool at TeresaBrouillette.com.