Activities

‘Schools…are mainly institutions of control. Education is quite different and has little place in school.’

Winston Churchill

Anna Dusseau | Top 10 Podcasts for Switched on Kids |3rd March 2020

We hear it all the time. Kids have too much screen time and are too dependent on Google and YouTube videos for their sources of information. It’s so true and such an easy pattern to fall into, especially when homeschooling, as curious kids naturally want to explore their interests independently. All kudos to you if your kids fall into this category. Continue reading..

Anna Dusseau | Top Pick of Board Games for Family Downtime | 12th March 2020

It’s a rainy Thursday afternoon and there’s nothing much to do. The morning was a caffeine-fulled adventure into papier mache death masks and rescuing a family of toads from the end of the garden where they seemed intent on seeking the afterlife themselves upon the grave driveway beyond. And yes, we washed our hands after. Continue reading..

Anna Dusseau | Gettin’ Jiggy with It: Fresh Air and Exercise Homeschool Style | 23rd March 2020

Happy Monday, guys! How’s everyone doing? Today marks the start of the official UK school closure and I hope you’re all coping okay. Believe me, even experienced homeschool families are struggling here, with cabin fever causing parents and children alike to resort to foot-stamping temper tantrums, like Big Brother housemates in a bid to boost ratings. Continue reading..

Anna Dusseau | Going Nowhere: Why a Global Mindset is More Important Than Ever Right Now | 25th March 2020

I am, like you, stuck at home. We are doing our best to keep spirits up and minds focused, but it’s not easy. Not when you allow yourself a glimpse of what’s going on across the world. I absolutely understand the struggle for parents to homeschool their children right now, because nobody’s mind is in the right headspace for thinking about algebra. Continue reading..

Anna Dusseau | Homeschool Rules #1: 101 Ideas for Homeschooling this Week | 30th March 2020

1.Play pirates! Turn the sofa or duvet into a pirate ship, dress up, pack for your voyage, use the globe to locate where you’re going in the world and finish with a treasure map or the secret diary of a stowaway!

2. Cloud spotting. Lie on your backs in the garden, on the balcony or an open space and look at the sky. What shapes do you see in the clouds? Get the paintbox out and turn this into artwork, or check out a geography book or documentary to learn more about cloud formation. Continue reading..

Anna Dusseau | The No-Brainer Guide to an Insta-Perfect Monday | 6th April 2020

Okay, okay! I’ll do it, but only because I like you. And hey, consider yourself extra special as anyone following my blog will know that I’m not big into timetabling. Oh sure, I can do it. You don’t do teaching and private exam tutoring for nearly a decade and not know how to knock up a decent schedule, but actually one of the very first lessons I learnt when entering the world of homeschooling was to stop planning and allow the day to become more child-led. Continue reading..

Anna Dusseau | Music is the Remedy: Show Me What You’ve Got | 10th April 2020

We are a musical family. I dance in the kitchen for the vast majority of the time (it really pisses the kids off) and teenwolf is only very reluctantly doing a ‘real’ job having failed to make it as the next David Guetta during his 20s (I mean this in the nicest way possible). So big speakers, turntables, oh-my-god-don’t-bend-the-record-like-that; we’re all over it. Continue reading..

Anna Dusseau | 50 Homeschooling Resources You Need in Your Life, Like NOW! | 15th April 2020

  1. Google Earth
  2. Maths? No Problem!
  3. Encyclopaedia
  4. Top Trumps
  5. Story of the World
  6. Recorders
  7. Story Cubes Continue reading..

Anna Dusseau | Get Ready to Rumble: Safe Rules for Serious Play Fights | 28th April 2020

Play fighting is a daily occurrence in our house. Daily? Perhaps I should say hourly. I think that’s why my kids are so happy. You see, play fighting – also known as roughhousing – releases a chemical called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) which stimulates neuron growth within the cortex and hippocampus regions of the brain; areas responsible for memory, learning, language, and logic. You want smart kids? Start with a pillow fight. Continue reading..

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