The world is our classroom!

If I didn't already homeschool my kiddos,

this photo just might push me right over 

that teetering edge of "Should I - Shouldn't I"!

My heart smiles as I look at this ~

WHY?

Well,

this is what I can offer to my children 

EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!

No I can't take them EVERYWHERE 

in the world...

BUT

I can help them to FEEL LIKE THEY ARE THERE!

I can help to bring things to life for them...

I can help them to dream and to believe...

I can help them see 

the beauty, majesty and wonder of the vast creations of this world...

Yes, 

we have a FABULOUS

classroom

in our home...

filled with all the "Things" 

you would expect to find in a classroom.

But 

it is NEVER

limited to just that room!

If we feel like 

digging in to all that the study of ocean life holds

we can!

AND THEN

if we really wish to,

we'll just climb in the car

and head to the nearest ocean 

to soak it up first hand;

and if that seems out of our reach ~ 

well we'll settle for a trip to an aquarium.

Same goes with anything put before us...

Lewis and Clark Expedition???

You bet...

let's hit the road 

with a cooler in hand filled with all the sandwich fixin's necessary 

and go check it out...

WHEN we go out and see and touch and visit these places

my kids feel it,

they know it,

it becomes REAL to them...

It's FANTASTIC to read about it

or to see it on a screen.

BUT 

to REALLY see it...

THAT is using the world as your classroom!

To take the time to learn the ins and outs of Spelunking is great!

But let me tell you when I pose the question to my kids,

"How would you all like to try your hand at being a speleologist?" 

I have them!!!

Their interest is piqued...

It becomes an adventure in the making!

Memories are made when we 

go out and explore those caves...

when, with flashlights in hand,

we journey inside to check out the vastness 

or get down on all fours to crawl through the tiniest of places...

The lessons learned are innumerable...

Why are there puddles in this part of the cave and rocks in another part?

Why is it so cold?

Do bats live in here?

Did people ever live here?

Who found this cave?

How long has it been here?

Are there other caves that haven't been found?

Why do some caves have those hangy-down things and others don't?

Why are some filled with ice?

Can we explore a water cave?

How many different kinds of caves are there?

Just HOW did these caves become caves?

What made it happen and when did it happen?

Are new caves being formed or is this it, are we done with cave making?

Just by taking our kids on these mini-adventures,

we've opened a whole new world for them...

They are filled with questions and thoughts.

They have the opportunity to learn all that they may desire

and I will help to feed and fuel that desire in any way possible.

 I love that I have this room to educate our children in!  

I am grateful for our tables and chairs and white boards and screens

and the many, many items that make homeschooling

a snap to do each day...

But the moments I am 

most grateful for

are the times that we

use the world as our classroom and leave all else behind!