With the exception of the SEE homeschool co-op, we haven’t really done activities outside of our academic curriula (math, science, history, language arts). We were just getting started with homeschooling and I wasn’t sure what we could handle, so I erred on the side of too little, rather than too much. Now we’re finishing up our first semester, and I have a better feel for what Captain Science is able to balance, schedule- and work-wise, so it’s time to start adding in some other things.
I wish we had the money in our budget for Captain Science to take classes through Master’s Academy, which, though definitely not secular, offers some fantastic classes in the arts. Unfortunately, that’s just not affordable for us this year.
Luckily, my great aunt has recently moved into town and happens to be an accomplished pianist and piano instructor. In January, she’s going to start teaching Captain Science piano. He’ll start with two lessons a week and has been promised that he can take an additional class in electric keyboard once he has learned his scales and the basics of piano playing. He was a little reticent at first, until he heard Great-great Aunt Elaine would be teaching him, and now he’s excited and keeps pestering me to let him start before the new year. Glad you’re stoked, kiddo, but I’ll need to revamp our schedule a bit before we can start that!
I’m also hoping to start him in a foreign language (probably Japanese). We have an old friend of the family who may be dating a woman from Japan who is also a Japanese instructor, so that’s one possibly avenue for that. Alternately, our local high school has had a great Japanese language program for many years and may have some one who could tutor Captain Science in Japanese.
Finally, my mother suggested adding arts and crafts into our schedule, rather than just feeling bad that I don’t make time for it. I think that sounds like a good idea. I would like to pick one day a week where we do some time of at least vaguely directed crafting or art work of some time. I’m going to pull out my craft project books and try to remember some of the best stuff we did in Girl Scouts. Paper making springs to mind. I think he’d enjoy that!
I’m really looking forward to the ways in which we can flesh out our homeschool experience with the addition of more outside instruction and artistic experiences.
My sister was really into papermaking in high school. If you really get into it with Captain Science, you may want to pick up a cheap blender at a thrift store.
Your mother is an incredibly brilliant woman.