The A-Z of Afterschooling

What exactly is afterschooling?

It's more than just 'supplementary education outside school hours'.

It's really one way to help your child discover their superpowers.

(Roo just looked over my shoulder while I was typing that and said, "My superpower is the ability to say the word 'diarrhoea' without getting offended.")

Here's a glimpse into what afterschooling means for us.  We hope you get value out of these powerful ideas, too.

Adventure Journals
S-Man and I love our Family Adventure Journals.  It's AWESOME sitting on a park bench together writing and drawing.

Bonding
Learning alongside my children brings us closer together.  There are lots of ways to bond as a family, afterschooling is just one way that works for us.  Every family does their own thing.  Here are a couple of ideas:  What On Earth Is WADD?? and How To Make Someone Feel Special For A Year.

Curiosity
Oh the questions!  Aren't kids SO talented at being curious?  I just want to keep that alive in my boys for as long as possible.  Often when I leave an invitation to explore (like these 4 Sweet and Fat Inquiries) they jump right in and take it in directions I'd never predict.

Look at the delight on S-Man's face in this photo:

Deceptively Educational
'Deceptively Educational' is a great afterschooling blog.

Experiences
Spending quiet time together reading.. or travelling... or trying a new food... I think all those things beat more material possessions, and are usually far more educational.  Lots of the ideas on this outdoor bucket list don't require any resources.

Frascera
A frascera is a kind of Italian brazier, but I'm really talking about two other 'F' words: Family and friends.  We light our frascera and then sit around it together.  Sometimes we toast marshmallows, sometimes we have Poetry Teatime.  One tradition is for the oldest person to tell a story.  Here's a resource for story-telling:  Aboriginal-Inspired Story Stones.

Games
Okay, truth time:  I don't much enjoy games - hence my nickname "One-Hand" Zoe - but luckily my other half does, so he plays with the kids a lot.  (Thanks, Dr Dad!).  Here are our top picks for maths games.

Home
That wonderful place wherever your family is.  Studies show that home environment can have a greater effect on learning than socioeconomic status (Read John Hattie's analyses for more details).

Interest-Led Learning
This is obviously when learners are most engaged.  Roo is into Harry Potter at the moment so I set up some fun Harry Potter chemistry (with a printable).

Journeys
Not just physical journeys (like worldschooling), but also the learning journey we are on and even the journey we humans are on together on this planet.  Last night we walked home in the dark and we used the Planets App to find Jupiter.  I thought: 'Holy moly, my ancestors have looked up at that very same planet, and our children's children will one day, too.'

Knowledge
Let our thirst for knowledge never be quenched.  If you want to find something out, try Ecosia, a search engine which plants trees!

Loose parts
Indoors...

and outdoors.

Music
So much great learning can happen through music.  Roo can recite Pi to seven decimal places (which I'm sure must be an essential skill) thanks to the wonderfully quirky More Than Numbers CD.  You can read more about how we learn music with 11 Ways To Keep Piano FUN!

Nature Play
Time in nature isn't just rejuvenating, it can also be highly educational.  Here are some of our Nature Study posts:

• Nature Study Backpacks + Tassie Nature Apps
• A Trip To The Unzoo (With Printable!)
• Leaf Hunt Printable
• Rock Investigation + Easy DIY Dig-&-Discover
• Forest School Maths

Gutterboats

Outdoor Playspaces
There are some great ones around that you can go visit.  We always look for opportunities for risky play and water play.  I've got big plans for our backyard, but guess what?  The kids don't see any need for all the extras I've got planned.  They just enjoy playing their complex imaginary games out there away from hovering adults.  Here are some great backyard playspaces that will inspire you.  You can also check out our outdoor clock wall and our bird feeders.

Peace
This is one of our family values.  You can read more about how we came up with our family values here.

Quiet Table Time
When my boys have their supper, they often sit at the table and read books.  I LOVE that.  We also do workbooks and activity books.  (For a workbook review, try NAPLAN: Buy This, Not That!)

Reading
Don't you love it when your child wants to snuggle with you and read books?  Except it always seems to be when I'm hanging washing... or making lunches... or... you get the picture.  I need to remind myself that the time they'll want to read with me won't last forever.  (See Maths Books Plus Pi Pie! for some of our favourite books.)

STEM
You can tour our STEM Playroom here.

Toy Rotation
I try to keep a few thrifted educational games squirrelled away so that I can bring something out as a fun surprise.  If they haven't played with something in a while, I pack it away and bring it out again months later, when they treat it like brand new.  I also rotate some Creation Stations.

Unsung Heroes
The teachers at my boys' school.

Virtual Learning
So much great stuff online!  You should try my boys' current favourite App, RunThatTown by the Bureau of Statistics.  You can manage a real town in Australia using data from the Census.

Word Treasure Hunts
Roo loved these when he was smaller!  I must make him another one... I use The Complete Phonic Handbook and my kids' own writing to inform the selection of words.

Xenophilia
Exploring the unknown... Here's S-Man trying a new cuisine on his night to cook.  You can learn more about some foreign calendars here (printable game), or try making Aboriginal-inspired shell necklaces.

Yet
By 'yet' I mean "I can't do it... yet."  Having a growth mindset.  The Power of Yet is a fantastic song all about this concept.

Ziplocks
We keep a bunch of these with little educational or craft activities inside so that we can grab one when we're going out.

So that's my A-Z of Afterschooling.  If you want to know more about any of these, ask away in the comments, I'd be delighted!

As always, thanks for dropping by.  If you like these ideas, you might like our Cactus Invitation to Play or Animal Features: Who Are You Calling A Troglodyte?