A Trendsetting Magazine & Online Community For The Trendsetting Child + Parent
Photographed and Styled by Elizabeth Pettey
Credits // Sweater, skirt and leggings by Molo | Dress and Jacket by Beru Kids | Overalls, jeans and shorts by Guess? | Necklaces by Gunner & Lux : Little Lux | Suspenders from Klade Children’s Boutique | Hair accessories by Fourth+Pierce
Models: East Coast Talent Location: Tannehill Historical State Park
If you’ve been anywhere — anywhere! — in the last several years, you know nature exploration is a thing. Nature walks and nature journaling have exploded in popularity, and at every corner you can find watercolor studies of leaves, plants, and insects. But this fascination is nothing new. People once crowed by the hundreds into drafty lecture halls, to listen in awe while explorers of old captivated them with tales of just-discovered wonders. Curiosity cabinets, those aptly named display cases of time gone by, were filled with insect specimens, unusual rocks, pressed botany, and yes, even preserved taxidermy. We as humans have always been enraptured by the unknown, the adventure that’s just beyond the horizon.
Today, especially in #schoolkins circles, there’s such an emphasis put on letting your children out into the wild open, and letting them splash through creeks, dig for worms, and forge their own trail through the underbrush. But if you live in an urban setting or an apartment building, like we do, this kind of exploration likely isn’t a natural extension of your day. There are occasional bursts of nature in the city, yes, but the open prairies come alive by reading Sarah, Plain and Tall rather than stepping outside our front door, and the only tree-houses we’re likely to encounter are those in Swiss Family Robinson.
And I know we’re definitely not the only family making our home in a multi-family building, rather than a mountainside cabin. That’s why I am happy to share this little fossil clay project with you today. It’s a nature project, but everything you need can be gleaned from your windowsill plants or collected from the sidewalks that wind their way through your not-so-wild landscape. We just miiight have foraged a little bit of faux-nature — stay with me here! — from the toy box, too.
To create your own fossils, you’ll first need to mix up some sedimentary rock. You can find fossil clay recipes in a number of places around the internet as well as in several books, but here’s how we did it. Make either a single or double batch, depending on how many fossils you wish to create. (Be sure to measure carefully, or your clay won’t be usable.)
1 c. baking soda // or 2. c. baking soda
1/2 c. corn starch // or 1 c. corn starch
1/2 c. cold water // or 1 c. cold water
Whisk together dry ingredients and water, and pour in to a saucepan. With a sturdy spoon, stir mixture over medium heat for just under 4 minutes, until it thickens into a consistency that’s a little less stiff than playdough. Pour the lump of clay onto a glass plate, and let cool for a couple of minutes, then knead until smooth.
Roll the dough into little spheres, then flatten into discs. Place the discs onto a non-stick surface, like a cutting board covered in wax paper or a Teflon-coated baking sheet. Your sedimentary rock is now ready to take the shape of the items you press into it! Before we made our fossil clay, we snipped rosemary clippings from our urban container “garden”, gathered leaves from houseplants, collected twigs and gravel from the sidewalks and the area around the downspouts, and even dove into the toy storage for some little creatures.
After you’ve imprinted all sorts of creative patterns — there are so many different options! — allow your sedimentary rock to dry. In a dry climate, leaving the fossils out uncovered overnight might be sufficient; you live in a humid climate, like we do, it make take a little longer for the discs to fully dry out. (You might also need to gently place the discs on a wire rack once the tops have dried, so the underneath can dry as well.)
Your littles now have a whole treasure trove of fossils, each one as unique and individual as their imaginations — and each one is as wild and wonderful as the place you call home, whether that’s in a secluded village or many stories into the city sky.
If you live in an urban area, what have you done lately to encourage exploration?
I always mourn the end of summer a bit. The warm days swimming, the lack of agenda, the bounty of summer produce, but there’s something beautiful about the beginning of a new season, that first cool blast of air, the cozy holidays on the horizon, and of course the beginning of school. I’m a sucker for new school supplies. Blank paper. New pencils and paints. Books.
In the coming weeks, thousands of students and parents will shop in preparation for the new academic year. They’ll purchase clothing and books and new school supplies. Naturally, this process looks a little different for the homeschooler. We don’t need uniforms or fresh clothing (although my own children enjoy them), and depending on our style of education, we may not even need binders or spirals. Some families will purchase new, packaged curriculum while others will search for gently-used copies or simply use the internet or local library. As such, every parent’s supply list will look a little different, but this is only one part of how we prepare. Here’s a few ways I gear up for our academic season.
kid-free day (or two)
Each August, I set aside a day or two without my children for planning/preparing for the year with them. By this point in the summer, I’ve been mulling over new ideas for the year, during these preparation days I try to get them in order and make final cuts. I prefer peaceful and productive days, so if you’re the same, make your favorite morning beverage, turn on music, and get to work.
take inventory
Before you begin assessing what you need, inventory what you already have. Look at everything from your math manipulatives to your colored pencils and books. Toss, give away, or sell what you no longer need, and make note for later of what you do need.
organize your learning space
Find a proper place for everything. This makes tidying easier for the children and helps maintain a peaceful environment. Start by finding a home for your learning tools and supplies. If you have homeless objects, consider their value to your family and plans.
mark the calendar
Once our routine starts, it seems harder to remember important trips or excursions I wanted to take with the children. Find and mark them on your calendar now. Find out what exhibits will be passing through various museums and theaters and when local seasonal events open. If you have the tendency to back-out of plans, purchase tickets or make reservations ahead of time, if possible. Invite other families to join you, too. You’ll be grateful for your own forethought.
schedule a few days for you
While the calendar’s out, plan a few random days just for you. You don’t have to know how or why right now, you’ll know how to use those days when they arrive. These days can provide a little breathing room, probably just when you’ll need it.
For parents who are interested in homeschooling or are even already on the journey, the amount of resources surrounding education can feel large and overwhelming. Each style and method has its own roots and research. Depending on the parent’s learning background, one might find it difficult to begin at all. Of course, friends and local groups are the best resource for this, as you can interact, ask questions, and observe. Beyond your local resources, reading and researching online is the next resort. This is where the parent begins modeling (even for the youngest children), we never stop learning. Even as adults, we forge our own paths and research in decision-making. Although this is not a finite list, here are a few of the reads that have impacted me the most during our seven years of homeschooling.
The Homeschooling Option by Lisa Rivero
When people tell me they are considering homeschooling, I always suggest this book first. Rivero, a homeschooling mother and engineering professor, offers a broad look at homeschooling, from styles and methods to specific resources and common questions. Her writing is engaging and easy to follow and the layout is equally simple and neatly divided for reference or quick browsing. She offers a variety of content, covering more common concerns of socialization, sports, and prom to quieter conversations on homeschooling children with special needs or knowing your state’s laws. At the back, she includes a list of advocacy groups and websites divided by state.
The Well-Trained Mindby Susan Wise Bauer (co-authored with Jessie Wise)
Susan Wise Bauer is a strong voice in the classical niche of homeschooling. She is a mother/homeschooler of four, writer of several books and curriculum, and also a professor at the College of William and Mary. For parents looking for an academically rigorous education for their children, this book is for you. In it, Wise gives a background to classical education and then offers a guided outline to follow pre-K through 12th grade. She has divided the book into loose age groups based on classical learning–grammar, logic, and rhetoric–and offers several of her favorite curriculum choices with descriptions all along the way. Parents who prefer more structure and want educational thoroughness will adore this guide.
How Children Fail and/or How Children Learn by John Holt
John Holt is often considered a forerunner in the “unschooling” movement. Written in the 1960s, these complimentary books are separate and distinct in content. The titles are almost self-explanatory–one focused more on his observation of childhood learning, the other more focused on the situations that caused failure (think of failure more as disengagement, not grades). Although they are both slow at points, Holt’s writing is more intrinsic than practical HOW-TOs. I read these books at the very beginning of our homeschooling journey, and although I would not consider myself an unschooler, they have shaped how I observe my children and how we learn together.
Weapons of Mass-Instructionby John Taylor Gatto
Gatto is a former New York public school teacher, who resigned 30 years of teaching (the same year he received Teacher of the Year for the state) in the op-ed section of the Wall Street Journal. He currently travels and speaks, advocating for school reform. As one might guess from the title, his writing is witty and zealous. He writes from experience and research, detailing the history and purpose of public ed or “compulsory schooling”–a shocking revelation for me. His writing is at times a bit eccentric and rife with controversy, but you will never be bored with this read. It will stir you to think of education in a new manner, and most importantly, you’ll feel empowered as a parent, regardless of your educational choice.
Teaching Montessori in the Home: Preschool Years by Elizabeth Hainstock
While we have never solely followed the Montessori approach, I appreciate the use of manipulatives and the emphasis on independence, ingenuity, and connection to environment of her theses. Hainstock, certified in Montessori pedagogy, offers practical and accessible activities for little ones in this book. I used it often in my children’s early years, applying the activities to all areas of our learning. I also adapted what Montessori refers to as the “prepared environment” in our home: open shelves and containers and specific age-appropriate pots that were more accessible for independent learning. For families of older children, consider the book Montessori Today by Paula Polk Lillard.
Understanding Waldorf Education by Jack Petrash
I am currently reading this book, a telling sign that a homeschooling parent never stops learning and recreating their homeschool. I’ve always gravitated toward reading and writing in our curriculum, but over the years have noticed the gap of incorporating art and hand-work into the same subjects. I love the way Waldorf holistically approaches this, and this read is a simple and easy-to-follow introduction to this style of learning. I can already tell it will certainly impact our homeschool.
My children go to school one day a week with other homeschoolers. On this day, they take Spanish, Theatre, American Girl (yes, they have a class for that!), and Geography. It’s a great way to still give them opportunities to socialize with other children, and also learn about other subjects. The other days of the week, we stick to a pretty routine schedule at home. This is what our typical homeschool day looks like…
8:15-9:00am Piano practice and their Spanish homework
9:00-9:30am Spelling and Latin (Latin takes about 10 minutes)
9:30-10:30am Math
10:30-12:00pm Writing, grammar, and reading
12:00-2:00pm Lunch/play
2:00-3:00pm History/science (we alternate the days)
3:00-4:30pm Spanish
While it may seem intense, there’s so much flexibility in homeschooling that we really get the opportunity to be creative with subjects and take learning outside of the book. Many times, the girls stay on task, so they finish early. Sometimes, lessons plans get completed earlier in the week, and Friday ends up being a light day and we go on outings or just play (they play, I catch up on housework).
The older two children have much more intense work to do than my preschooler. During lessons for the older girls, my preschooler is usually working on some simple alphabet or counting activities, and the baby is napping during our school time. My baby, Glow, is 3 years old and still naps twice a day! It’s the strangest thing to us, but we’ll gladly take it. She naps between 9-12pm and 2-4pm. She’s been the best at napping, and if she doesn’t get her nap, she’ll start complaining that she’s tired. We are pretty amazed at her napping abilities. When I go to get her from nap, most times, she’s still sleeping! If not, she’s quietly playing by herself. I’ll gladly take it for as long as possible because it allows us to get our schooling done during this time.
I’m very organized with my day, so that helps the flow of things. Things do get out of sorts from time to time, but we usually can make up for it the next day. Every month, I set up monthly learning plans and goals, and that really helps keep me focused.
We mostly follow Classical Education, and while it really emphasizes facts, memorization, and language-based learning, especially in the early grades, I tweak and change it to what fits my kids best, and I give them plenty of opportunities for creativity. The structure of Classical Education is something we do well with, and I believe the learning of facts as a base is very important, but we always extend beyond the lessons to include creative projects. My children are visual learners, so I accommodate for that in our lessons.