Back-To-Homeschool Shopping

It's that time of year. New backpacks, notebooks, folders, lined paper, markers, new clothes, shoes, etc. Of course, since we're homeschooling again for (at least) one more semester, I have to put my own school shopping lists together. The school supply list is relatively short, but that's only because we have leftover items from last school year. In addition to that, I'll purchase items as we need them. I did make sure to buy extra Expo markers because we blew through so many of those! I never understood how my children's teachers went through hundreds of the each year. Now I FULLY understand it!

The back-to-homeschool clothes shopping is simple as well. Everyone got new pajamas, slippers, sweat pants, and sweat shirts. Easy peasy. Each year my parents take the minis school supply shopping and also take care of the necessary socks, underwear, etc. Now the lesson planning, that is one thing I wish was as easy as the clothes and supply lists!

All joking aside, for their back-to-homeschool wardrobe, I had to take into consideration that we'll be traveling much of the fall. Beginning our first week of school, we'll be living on a house boat for a week in northern Minnesota. That required a new life jacket for the youngest. Thankfully, everyone is set on swimming suits and water shoes (mostly because we spent May in Texas). We're planning on hiking more than usual, so everyone got a round of new hiking boots AND winter hiking boots. I added things like extra bug spray and sunscreen to our school supply lists. None of this is on your typical school supply list, but it made sense for these items to be on our's.

I've kept in mind that homeschool is a lifestyle for us, so unique baking ingredients, hiking gear, new instruments, and a few other oddities made our school supply lists. I twinge between jealousy and pity when I see my friends doing their back to school shopping for their kids. While those lists would indictate my life being that much more simple, I can't overlook how much fun we're bound to have in the beginning of our homeschool year.

A Lesson In Live Art

This child put our learning of splatter painting to use!

"What kind of art is this?" a child asked me as she splattered herself with washable neon paint. I laughed and told them they were making live art. They were being creative painting themselves, making different patterns, experimenting with how to get the colors they wanted by mixing colors together, rubbing their knees on paper to get a "swirling" effect on their painted legs. It was all part of the morning activity of painting in the backyard. A daycare mom brought me a large, white, photo backdrop that was used in her photography studio and we put it to use!

We've done this activity for several years now and it remains one of their favorites each summer. We've never managed to save one of their outdoor creations because the paper is always sooo beat up after they're done with it, but this year, all on their own, the kids put the focus on making "cool creations on our legs." This is where the live art came from and we got a quick lesson in artistic action. The kids were shocked that they could turn themselves into a piece of art! I love when the kids can learn through play even as they age.

This kid rubbed himself with red paint, then yellow paint, and claimed he was a hot dog. Then he mixed it together and I didn't get to hear what he was then, but I'm sure it was something!

Naturally, it was one of my children that made themselves into a stabbing victim. In the lower picture, please notice the child laying on the mini trampoline, painting completely orange.

After painting, the kids rinsed themselves off in the sprinkler and little pool, played beach ball volleyball, and ran around the yard. My only regret with this activity is that I didn't start it earlier in the morning because the kids could have done this for hours upon hours!