At a time when getting to meet people and socialize is difficult, it is important to nurture connections. Since we are all a product of nature, it makes sense to establish a connection with the Earth for your homeschool students. There are a number of activities that you can still do that allow your children to nurture their connection with the natural rhythm of the Earth.
Bird Feeder and Water Bowl
Take a simple bowl and place some bird seed in it. You can place another bowl with fresh water next to it. The beauty of this system is that it can be placed on a window ledge in an urban setting or in the backyard if you have one. Make the homeschool student in charge of measuring out a spoonfull of bird seed each morning into the bowl. Also make them refresh the water at the same time. Teach them about the differnt types of birds and what bird seed is likely to attract them. Experiment with different bird seed over the weeks.
Plant a Herb Garden
If you have a garden space that can be used, have them plant three different edible herbs there. In case you don’t have a garden space, use small pots. These can be used with a premix soil and planted with individual plants, as children may not have the patience to germinate them from seed. Also it’s ready to trim with a scissors and add to the food as soon as you have it available. Watering and fertilizing is the homeschool student’s job. The harvesting can be a special weekly feature for them.
Build a Terrarium
A terrarium is a fully self supporting micro environment that sustains itself within a glass container. You can use anything from a fish bowl to a milk jar to start a basic terrarium. Study up on the plants that will do well in the environment and create your own ecological system with. Have your homeschool students monitor the growth of differnt plants as well as the schedule for watering it. It’s a beautiful way to bring nature into the house in a sustainable manner.
