F is for FUN!

One of the best things about homeschooling is that we get to do FUN things all the time and call it school!

Helping mom make banana muffins is more fun than learning about measurements from a textbook.

Having dad lead an impromptu nature study while working in the yard is awesome!

Climbing trees is the best part about PE!

Playing a game for your phonics lesson is more fun than a worksheet any day!

Even though we read about history and are starting to narrate, Building the Mayflower is more fun than just reading about it!

Exploring The Wonders of the Ocean (and the historical sites around it) on a week long trip in September is probably more fun than spending a week in a regular classroom!

Having mom make a themed lunch or snack to go along with what you're reading/learning is FUN!  This was our Polar Bear snack to go along with our Polar Bear Math lesson.

Trick or Treating with long-term care residents is fun because you get to dress up while learning about dad's job.

Field Trips are very FUN!  This picture was taken at the Imagine It! Children's Museum in Atlanta, GA, but just a few other field trips we've enjoyed include zoos, aquariums, the Creation Museum, Winter Wonderland, the annual Bob Evans Farm Festival, and visiting a pumpkin patch.

Having your big brother as your teacher is not only fun, but something you wouldn't see in a school classroom!

Since you are only 5 (and 2), building blocks and Legos count as school too!

Mom letting you take a break to eat strawberries and watch the snow fall is FUN!

Outdoor Play often leads to the most natural science lessons!

There are so many ways to make learning fun.  We play educational games, incorporate hands-on activities, and take field trips, but we also let practical life skills and unstructured play lead to natural learning opportunities.  Sometimes more learning happens when we abandon the "lessons" and take a more relaxed approach.  I love the idea of the Charlotte Mason approach, but I do see the benefit of child-led learning as well!