 After a long day of work, picking up kids, driving kids places, and doing everything else that you must do each evening, you are probably really tired.
Your children may be tired too. Making it a habit to do schoolwork together is important. Adding to the curriculum is even more important. In an education system where less than 10% of science classrooms perform experiments with their students, it is your job as a parent to take the weight. I am an advocate of educating your own children. Honestly, I don't know when it happened, but parents have shrugged off teaching life skills and academics to their children. I hear parents say, "It's the school's job, not mine...” That is just not true. Every day you should pick something to do with your child that involves thinking and doing. For example, maybe you will go out, collect leaves from plants, and research the plants using a flora and fauna book.
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Drawing
Kids are imaginative and if you remove all the tech from your house and supply them with paper, pens, markers, scissors, glitter, and glue, then they just might become an amazing artist. Drawing is a great hobby because your kids can do it anywhere and you can create an on-the-go art kit for car trips or when you are out-and-about. Many universities, museums, and libraries offer affordable drawing classes for kids of all ages. And if you don't have something like that in your town, then you can try Youtube, Udemy, or a number of drawing books. 
Cooking
Not only is cooking a great way to build a relationship with your child, it teaches them invaluable skills that will stick with them for life. I began teaching my daughter to cook since she was about three. Through cooking, she's mastered metric and Imperial measurements, understands the difference between mass and volume, and is an excellent spoon licker. Not to mention that she is really great at knowing if something is missing from the soup. Give it a try! After all, if you are cooking every day, there's always an opportunity to do it together. 
Sewing
Ah, the lost art of sewing. My mother was taught how to sew as a girl, but somehow, she forgot to teach me...probably because sewing at home lost its luster with consumer retail becoming so readily available. Despite my lack of instruction, I taught myself how to sew and now my little one is learning. You could definitely teach your kids how to sew. It's fun, but requires a ton of patience. 
Backpacking
If you have a high-spirited child with a curiosity for the outdoors, then you should consider taking up backpacking together. Backpacking is a little expensive to get going, but once you do, you will love it. Backpacking is a great combination of physical exertion, camping, and enjoying the beauty of nature. Stop by your local outdoors store to ask how you can get started with kids. They will be able to point out good hikes and all sorts of other stuff. 
Gardening
Give a kid a seed and he'll see how the world truly goes round. We all know that food comes from somewhere, but by introducing your child to the process, he will become closer to it than ever. You can start small in containers or you can create a big ole garden in the back yard. Let him choose a few vegetables to plant on his own, but be sure to teach him the basics of gardening. 
Board Games
Board games are kind of amazing -- they teach kids teamwork, logic, and how to be strategic. You could introduce your child to a new board game every week or every few weeks. Eventually, you will know what kind of games your child likes and then you can begin collecting those kinds of games. Consider starting with the classics like chess, Monopoly, checkers, Scrabble, and Clue. 
Fishing
Like gardening, fishing teaches kids about their food. And it is also a great way to spend a summer morning before the sun bursts out. Kids under 12 can fish without a license and it will be super easy to teach kids...if you can do it. If not, watch a few Youtube videos and wing it.  Summertime is around the corner, and after this winter, we are going to spend every waking moment outdoors. yes, I am building an outdoor version of my indoor office and I don't care what anybody thinks about it! But the kids are going to need some things to do too...I guess.
This summer, we are going to hit it hard. Every time I take a break, we will be doing something amazing. Gardening, swimming, archery, etc...and you should too! Don't you remember being a kid and loving your summers? I do, and I want my kids to have that too. Camping outside on hot nights; building an epic fort...all without parental supervision of course, because that's how kids learn to be adults. Here is a list of 100 or so hobbies that you could start with your kid/kids this spring, summer, fall, or winter. Enjoy!  I have a unicorn lover living in my house, and to foster that love, I created a unit of folklore and mythology. By reading about unicorns, she can increase her reading comprehension skills, math skills, and understanding of the world.
I have included resources to help you create a wonderful unit on unicorns and myth. This can be part of your language arts lesson plan for the year. |
