Please, just for a moment, put aside the vision of a room full of books and desks in a school building as being the best or the only place where learning occurs. Now, after you do this, think about other places where some learning could possibly go on. Take, for instance, your own home. For sure there are places right there in your own home that have some really good learning opportunities to offer.
THINK PLACES THAT HAVE LOTS OF ENERGY OR MAYBE SOME SURPRISES —
- Is there a jumbled stack of “stuff” somewhere, on a table, thrown on a chair or trying to hide in a corner?
- A drawer that has remained unopened for quite a while?
- The top shelf of a closet?
- Maybe a chair that people rarely sit on?
- How about some long-ago-forgotten books just waiting for company.
Are you getting the idea?!
NOW ADD IN AN INVITATION TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN EACH OF THESE LOCATIONS –
- Is there a jumbled stack of “stuff” somewhere, on a table, thrown on a chair or trying to hide in a corner? Well, put everything in ABC order or sort by size.
- How about having a timed “folding contest” (with a really fun prize) of all the clothing found on that top shelf?
- In that opened drawer, identify everything by feel only — eyes closed, no peeking!
- Create a rhyme related to each object.
- Guess what each item will look like in the future.
- Turn every item discovered on that top shelf into a story, with props of course!
- Figure out how that chair that people rarely sit on was made.
- Discuss the people who owned the chair before you did.
- Re-design the chair to be ready for the future.
- How about some long-ago-forgotten books just waiting for company.
- Choose one of the books and read the last few pages out loud. Then have everyone guess what the story was actually about.
- Choose a book and design a new cover for it just based on the current cover.
