Seasonal Schooling In The Spring!

Missed the first post in this series? Check out The What, Why, And How Of Seasonal Schooling. All caught up? Let’s move into Spring!

Spring planning usually hits at the beginning of March–that time of year when winter is still clinging, but Spring is trying to break free. After a long winter inside, it’s fun to plan for gardens and outdoor explorations.

Spring begins on or around March 20th and goes until about June 20th. It’s a time of rain mixed with sun; cold days mixed with warm. Not only do we have some great days where we can stay indoors and get some work done, but we also have some wonderful outside days sprinkled in.

So How Do We Plan For Spring?
Well, first, look at the holidays your family celebrates during Spring. Determine if any require time off from school, special plans or might be something you want the kids to learn more about. Mark the holidays on your calendar, and jot some quick notes down about each one. Remember to be realistic in your holiday planning. Doing an in-depth study for all of them might not be wise, so pick a couple for this session. Next Spring, you can learn more about other holidays.

Don’t forget to check for obscure holidays such as Look Up At The Sky Day or Kiss-Your-Mate Day found on this list. Caution: searching these types of lists can be addicting. You can always do different “days” next year.

Before You Move Forward
Next, look back over what your kids accomplished. Take time to congratulate them for their hard work. Evaluate the rest. Are there things that aren’t working? Do they need to be eliminated? Or set aside for later? Make a note about it. Now, what do they need to continue using into the next session? These things get added in first. Plan how much they can get done or if they can finish it completely during this next session. This is only for what they used in the last session. We’re not adding in yet.

Spring Activities
Now it’s time to look at possible Spring activities. I’d encourage you to do this before pulling new books and resources from your list. I know that seems weird, but trust me. Spring is a time where lingering winter colds hang out, allergies spring forth, and cabin fever rushes in. You can navigate these by embracing what Spring has to offer. Here’s a list of ideas to get you started:

Learn about herbs and natural remedies.
Prep your gardens and flower beds.
Clean up from winter’s messes.
Do nature studies involving flowers or birds.
Order butterfly larva or other such critters for some neat studies.
Play in the rain; jump in puddles.
Head to the park with your books; play after you study.
Air out the house; do cleaning or work projects better suited for Spring.

Take time to plan these side studies and family projects. Figure out how long they might take and where you’d like to fit them into the schedule. Some things might happen a little each day, wait for Saturdays, or take a week off to hit an area hard. You have 13 weeks to spread everything out. Work things in around the holidays.

Back To Academics
Now that you have the Spring fever handled, add in those academics you’d like to work on this session. Again, have a mix of things you can finish completely, and others you can make progress on. You can get a lot done during the Spring session, but remember to not overload your schedule. You can always add more if you finish sooner than you thought.

Remember, Spring is perfect for spontaneity: “Grab you math books, and let’s work at the picnic table!” “Quick, run and jump in a big puddle!” It doesn’t take much to have Spring time fun mixed in with school time activities.

Tomorrow, I’ll talk specifics about Seasonal Schooling In The Summer!

In this series:
The What, Why, And How Of Seasonal Schooling
Seasonal Schooling In The Spring! This post.
Seasonal Schooling In The Summer!
Seasonal Schooling In The Fall!
Seasonal Schooling In The Winter!

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