Lessons Outside the Classroom

Today I was hard on myself. As I evil-eyed a pile of second-grade workbooks, most of them unfinished, I chastised myself for not making my son get through them this summer.

 

Oh, we started out strong in June with two or more pages out of each book plus an online lesson on ABC Mouse every weekday. I had a good schedule going for my 3-year-old with preschool books, too. I even had my own “pages for prizes” program with fun dollar-store rewards for the boys after they completed enough pages.

 

Within the first month, though, we’d all run out of steam. Fights were had, prizes got boring, brains were fried (mostly Mommy’s), viruses hit that threw us all off schedule, and basic survival with three kids (one being a baby) took precedence over pencil, paper  and books. Basically, life happened.

 

Now, with the oldest heading back to school soon, I started to get grumpy because I feel like I failed at this getting-ahead education thing.

 

Hold up … get over yourself, woman!

 

I have to remind myself that just because my kids didn’t sit and “study” every day doesn’t mean they weren’t learning. They were just learning differently, maybe even better.

 

So what did they do all summer and why does it matter?

 

THEY SPENT TIME OUTDOORS.

This is the simplest and easiest way for kids to learn all kinds of stuff. You can only do so much sitting at a desk staring at pages. Stepping outside leads to a whole new world of real, experiential learning.

 

They chased butterflies, kept beetles in bug jars, dug for worms to feed our chickens, played with caterpillars and had a blast catching lightning bugs (apparently, my 3-year-old is more coordinated than I am). They dug in the dirt and played in the mud (and learned to follow Mommy’s rules for such messy activities — well, almost). I even heard the oldest teaching his brother how to count with rocks (before they started throwing them, which ended in tears, a bit of blood and more learning about following rules).

 

Many of us will recall spending lots of time outside during childhood, but are our own kids getting their daily dose of nature? The sad truth is, these days, most are lacking in outdoor playtime, turning instead to too much screen time. This has led to an increase in behavioral and attention disorders, not to mention obesity and health problems.

 

“Nature-deficit disorder” is a fitting term for this situation. Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, explains that this “leads to diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, and higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses.”

 

It’s easy to see that the simple act of getting outside has a huge positive impact on physical, mental and emotional development — not to mention the bonus of kids actively learning about the world around them. Science class reinvented!

 

I feel extremely blessed to have a good amount of land for my kids to explore, but even if you don’t have much space, there are plenty of adventures to be had in a backyard, park, public school field or on vacation. You can go for walks around town or on trails or simply hang out on the porch for some fresh air. If your kid went to summer camp, you’re gold — with social skill-building added in for the win!

 

THEY WERE ACTIVE.

Those little bodies need to move — a lot! 

 

All that outside time brought active water play with slip ’n’ slides, water balloons, kiddie pools and squirt guns. The older one learned to ride his bike without training wheels (something he put off for a long time) and finally loves it. We went for walks, sometimes with running involved, which was good for all of us. They burned off energy, had a ton of fun on the trampoline (believe me, that is a real workout!) and climbed trees. (Mom was not too excited about this one — enter more rules about not climbing too high).

 

We all know that exercise is important for physical growth, fitness and health, but it’s a major brain-booster as well. Research shows that there is a positive correlation between physical activity and better grades. The more active they are, the better they do in school. This is really not surprising when you consider that exercise is proven to create changes in brain structure and function, which increase cognitive ability, boost mood, clear brain fog and improve memory. And it doesn’t have to be a structured workout. They get in plenty of cardiovascular and strengthening moves with all the hopping, running, squatting, stooping, bending, pushing and lifting that kids naturally do.

 

THEY GOT BORED.

Yes, this is a good thing. Boredom is not the enemy. Today’s helicopter-parent tendency is to immediately come to the rescue with ready-made crafts, activities, games and iPads when kids whine the dreaded, “I’m bored!” Those two little words don’t make me cringe, because it’s an opportunity for them to learn something on their own.

 

I just tell them, “OK, you can help me clean … or go find something to do.” Believe me, they will find something to do! Besides, amusing themselves is an important skill they will need for the rest of their lives.

(Side note: Depending on age and maturity, you’ll need to enforce boundaries. We are still working on understanding that there is no taking things without permission, destroying anything or fighting. More rules, oh my!)

 

Boredom has some bonafide benefits. It fosters creativity, boosts motivation and promotes independence. Bonus: It helps parents to not constantly feel obligated
to entertain. 

 

You know what surprised me the most? By the end of the summer, my anti-book son started reading on his own. For fun. Because I wasn’t “making” him.

 

Rest assured, there’s no reason to feel guilty about an academically “wasted” summer. The kids learn so much more than we realize. And when next summer comes around, I learned to just relax — and let learning happen!