When people hear that we homeschool, they think about books and kids piled around a big wooden table with mom sitting at the head, teaching the lesson of the day.
But this is 2023. And homeschool rarely, if ever, looks like that.
More often than not, it involves a library, kids sprawled on sofas and their beds and the floor, and a laptop or tablet or some other device.
Technology is a big part of the world, and as such, it plays a big role in our kids’ education.
In a homeschooling family, the mother is also the teacher… the ONLY teacher!
How beautiful that often is! But it can also be overwhelming for mom. And the kids inevitably do need exposure to other people as teachers.
That’s where online classes come in. We trialed it this summer with my 6 and 4 year old. We decided to try out art classes… something that was very low-key and no-pressure so we could ease it into the routine and so the kids could get accustomed to the new learning style.
1- Michaels had these art kits by Camp Creatology. Each kits has 3 art projects…(with 3 sets of each project) and one surprise project. Then there are the accompanying online classes…initially live via zoom, and then with video accessible via Youtube indefinitely afterwards. The kit itself was $20 each, and we got them on a Buy 1 Get 1 Free deal.
I have to say it was an awesome experience! Every single supply was provided in the kit. The teacher was very good. And the projects were perfect for that age range. Lots of variety and definitely lots of fun. Plus the extra supplies meant that friends could join in the experience too. The budget friendly aspect was definitely a plus too.
2- We also tried out the High Seas Summer Art Camp by Soul Sparklettes Art. This was a 5-part story series, where the kids got to create an art project each class as they heard more and more of the story about Captain Claws. It costed about $6 CDN.
This was the highlight of our day for the two weeks it took us to get through all 5. Registration granted us access to the accompanying facebook group where the classes were delivered via facebook live. Then the videos were available afterwards for those who missed the live class. We did 1 live, and 4 using the saved videos.
This class called for you to provide the art supplies, but the list was always available ahead of time and it was stuff most people have around the house. Things like permanent markers and crayons and watercolour paints.
The thing that made this one stand out was the use of different techniques as well as teaching the kids the terminology. As someone without much art experience, I really appreciated this. It was one subject where my own knowledge was very limited, but thanks to the online options, I could still provide my kids an education on that subject. And I happily joined it and learnt alongside them!!!
Having put those under our homeschooling belt, I look forward to broadening our learning with online classes on lots of different topics. Not only does it give mama a break from being teacher, but it lets my kids and myself experience and learn about new things, especially those that I am not able to offer instruction in.
So mamas, don’t be afraid to step into the world of online classes. It’s a window to a whole new world.
