De-schooling Art Project! A Visualization for the Year to come.

I was recently listening to one of the Wild + Free Co Podcast episodes where a Mama spoke about starting the “school” year off with a Visualization project- She mentioned her family does a poster board collage at the end of the Summer, and she asks her children to create a picture, any way they want, to show what they envision the next year to look like- Well, I loved this idea….. I have had the picture in my head, but wasnt quite sure what Birdy and Bean saw for the upcoming months! Life had shifted so fast to throw us back into our homeschooling journey, that we need some time now for “De-Schooling” (another amazing bit of info Im learning about)

When I say De-schooling, Im not at all saying Im NOT going to be teaching the girls…. Its just removing the basis of what school was to them, and replacing it once again with the freedom and love of learning they were missing- This is never, ever, a knock on the teachers- they are awesome, and I enjoyed last year so much working with them and their students- But for us, we missed what school cant offer these days- one on one learning, freedom to explore subjects of interest, endless hours to read, ART, and time outside, both in nature and play. We found ourself last year in a major life hustle, and it didnt work well for any of us….

So this morning, we set some dough on the rise, turned on a good playlist, pulled out books and had a discussion…. I asked them what they wanted out of this year- A subject that we speak of often and in depth, and the response was all over the place! Haha Kids. They wanted to do so much, it was like saying “Hey, we are going to Disney, what do you want to see??” I told them about the project and just gave them a bunch of materials- Scrap paper to draft, pencils, pens, watercolor paints, glitter glue, etc.

Here is what they made.

Birdy blew me away with her concept- She didnt talk much about how last year was for her, in fact last year she wouldnt talk about school much at all. She loved her teacher, but there was just something off. I talked about it in my last Blog Post… When I saw the concept she was creating, well, it all clicked for me. She explains “its me, zooming through the vortex- leaving the classroom behind to enter back into wonder.”

Welp folks, that is my ‘why’, right there. For some children, they just need a space to thrive.

Story’s painting was all about Nature. She explained to me that she wants to study and read as much as she can about animals this year, and spend as much time as we can in the woods…

Ok, we can do that!

And for me? Well I just want to guide them along…. Watch their minds grow and flourish…. I feel this is the right decision so so deeply.

This year will be so full and beautiful. We have slowed way down to be intentional- spent a bit of everyday in the kitchen together, baking treats (like todays Cinnamon rolls!!! YUM!) reading into the night, and playing and playing and playing… We have spent time at the mountain and in the library as we wait patiently for a few bits of curriculum, more art supplies, and books to come in the mail… We are bringing this vision to life, and its still only August <3

Much Love to you all as you begin on this next school year, whatever that may hold for you! If nothing else, it has to be better then these last 2! xoxo