We spent our morning doing a little spring spruce up on our church campus. It’s impossible not to have fun while working with this crew!
@m.e.g.h.a.n.w @harris_adrian19 @gabyz99 @tonyakwolfe @riverbluffchs
We spent an absolutely gorgeous day with our homeschool friends for our SC Coastal Zone field trip this week! We visited the Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve (known by locals as simply “the Morris Island lighthouse”). This off-the-beaten-path secluded beach area gives sweeping views of all kinds of Charleston icons. On a clear day like today, we could see all the way to the Charleston Light - the lighthouse on Sullivan’s Island that replaced the Morris Island lighthouse in 1962.
The original Morris Island Lighthouse was built in 1767. This is the third lighthouse to stand in this location, and it is the tallest lighthouse in South Carolina. In 1889, jetties were constructed to protect the shipping lanes into the Charleston Harbor. These jetties actually altered the ocean current, which led to rapid erosion, and as you can see, the complete disappearance of the island (at low tide you can still reach it by boat!)
There is so much more fascinating history surrounding this lighthouse, from who commissioned it, to its status during the Civil War, so definitely check it out to find out more!
#hereisourhomeschool #homeschoolersofinstagram #homeschoollife #howwehomeschool #unitstudyhomeschool #unistudyhomeschoolers #runplayexplore #southcarolinahomeschoolers #schomeschool #lowcountryhomeschoolers #scdaytrip #itsagreatdayinsouthcarolina #southcarolinaadventures #southcarolinafieldtrip #homeschooladventures #homeschoolfieldtrip #homeschoolfieldtrips #homeschooltravel #wildandfreechildren #wildandfreemama #morrisislandlighthouse #follybeach #follybeachsc #discoversc #discoversouthcarolina
We hiked the Sewee Shell Ring Trail today with our homeschooling besties! Beautiful, sweeping marsh views combined with ancient history and educational signage made the perfect field trip for our Native American week of our Passport to South Carolina curriculum!
Special thanks to @diydarlinmom for teaching us lots about the marsh & Spanish moss!
The trail is an easy one mile loop and you’ll get to enjoy the forest, marsh, and views of the intercoastal waterway! The trail markings are a bit confusing, so you might want to download a map before you visit!
#seweeshellringtrail #francismarionnationalforest #seweeindians #hereisourhomeschool #homeschoolersofinstagram #homeschoollife #howwehomeschool #unitstudyhomeschool #unistudyhomeschoolers #runplayexplore #southcarolinahomeschoolers #schomeschool #lowcountryhomeschoolers #scdaytrip #itsagreatdayinsouthcarolina #southcarolinaadventures #southcarolinafieldtrip #homeschooladventures #homeschoolfieldtrip #homeschoolfieldtrips #homeschooltravel #wildandfreechildren #wildandfreemama #passporttosouthcarolina
Hiking with kids doesn’t require special equipment, driving for hours, or need to last all day. As a matter of fact, the less stress you put on yourself to get it “just right”, the more you’ll probably enjoy your experience and want to do it again.
Hikes can be great for family bonding, but there are lots of other reasons to start hiking with your kids, too. Here are just three of them.
1. Outdoor activity is beneficial for health in general, but spending time in natural outdoor spaces also allows kids to work on balance, agility, and gross motor skills as they scramble over boulders, tree roots, and cross streams or puddles.
2. Interacting with new places and the natural world can boost cognitive abilities as kids use their critical thinking and problem solving skills to navigate, give the task their undivided attention, and discover new plants, animals, and their habitats for themselves.
3. It can set them up for mental health success into adulthood! We know that time spent in nature can lower stress levels, but new studies are showing that there is a correlation between time spent as nature as children and improved mental health as adults!
While much of the country is covered in snow this week, we are just finally getting out of the too-hot-mosquito-infested-trail time in our area. So if you’d like to see where we hike next, follow along!
#hereisourhomeschool #homeschoolersofinstagram #homeschoollife #howwehomeschool #unitstudyhomeschool #unistudyhomeschoolers #runplayexplore #southcarolinahomeschoolers #schomeschool #lowcountryhomeschoolers #scdaytrip #itsagreatdayinsouthcarolina #southcarolinaadventures #southcarolinafieldtrip #homeschooladventures #homeschoolfieldtrip #homeschoolfieldtrips #homeschooltravel #wildandfreechildren #wildandfreemama #hikingadventures #hikingwithkids #southcarolinahiking #kidsmentalhealth #familytogetherness #familytime #familyadventures
We spent the day exploring some of the Santee National Wildlife Refuge in Summerton, SC. This 13,000 acre preserve is made up of several “units” with unique features. Some of the natural elements you’ll find here:
🌿 Carolina Bays
🌿 Forested Wetlands
🌿 Carnivorous Plants
🌿 Grassland Fields
🌿 Hardwood + Pine Forest
🌿 Freshwater Marshes
🌿 Open Water
Observe nearly 300 different bird species, alligators, deer, wild turkey, and many other fascinating native South Carolina animals!
Different times of year will offer opportunities for viewing different plants and animals, and certain areas are closed seasonally.
The visitors center is packed full of interesting displays of taxidermied wildlife and facts about the area. There’s a massive touch table for children with all sorts of interesting specimens to observe. There is also a small display about the Santee Indians who first called this area home over 1,000 years ago.
On today’s trip, we drove through the Cuddo Unit and saw white-tailed deer, wading birds, ducks, and many smaller birds. We then headed to the visitors center located in the Bluff Unit. We visited the Santee Indian Mound and hiked the Wrights Bluff Nature Trail in the Bluff Unit as well.
Even spending all morning and into afternoon here, we never made it to the Dingle Pond or Pine Island Units, so those will be adventures for another day!
#hereisourhomeschool #homeschoolersofinstagram #homeschoollife #howwehomeschool #unitstudyhomeschool #unistudyhomeschoolers #runplayexplore #southcarolinahomeschoolers #schomeschool #lowcountryhomeschoolers #scdaytrip #itsagreatdayinsouthcarolina #southcarolinaadventures #southcarolinafieldtrip #homeschooladventures #homeschoolfieldtrip #homeschoolfieldtrips #homeschooltravel #wildandfreechildren #wildandfreemama #santeenationalwildliferefuge #visitsantee #summertonsc #santeesc
Weekly field trips are my jam and definitely one of my top reasons to homeschool. Learning from real things around us takes everything to the next level!
#homeschooling #homeschool #homeschoolmom #homeschoolcollective #homeschoolfieldtrip #homeschoolfamily #homeschoolperk #homeschooltravel #homeschoolteacher
I’m counting down our favorite things about homeschooling for the 12 days of Christmas this year! And day 2…it’s all about outside! We love enjoying the great outdoors, whether it’s in our small backyard or one of our great nearby county or state parks!
Homeschooling means we don’t have to wait until “recess” time to go out and play! We can bring our lessons outdoors with us, enjoy meals on the back porch when the weather is nice, and even shift our schedule around to enjoy nature whenever we want!
Our three year old had a spider crawl on her over the summer, and was terrified of playing in the yard for MONTHS after that. Thankfully, she’s given it another shot and the three of them are playing on our playset together almost every morning after breakfast! I’m so glad I can let them enjoy this time together without stressing about getting ready to go places or fitting everything in…it will get done when they come inside…or…tomorrow!
#tcb12daychallenge #homeschooling #outdoorhomeschool #wildandfreechildren #homeschoollife #unitstudyhomeschool
@legolandflorida now has a Peppa Pig Theme Park right next door! This was a a great way to spend a half day while we visited.
The highlight was getting to go on Daddy Pig’s Roller Coaster all together, which was the first roller coaster for all three of our kids! It’s a pretty gentle coaster, and built their confidence for some more extreme rides at Legoland the next day!
The awareness/accommodation for sensory needs at this park is like nothing I’ve seen, so it’s a great place to check out if anyone in your family gets really overwhelmed in a typical theme park environment.
I would say for the under-six crowd, this is a must visit while you’re at Legoland, but even older siblings will find something to enjoy!
#legolandflorida #peppapigthemepark #travellinghomeschoolers #unitstudyhomeschool #homeschoolpreschool #homeschoolkindergarten #southcarolinahomeschool #homeschoolfieldtrip #legoland
Passport to South Carolina is a complete South Carolina history and geography curriculum with 36 weeks of exciting projects, interesting facts, and a look at the historical context of events that took place in our state. Designed for families to complete together, you’ll absolutely love digging deep into state history as you explore off-the-beaten-path locations and hike beautiful places you may have never heard of. South Carolina has a fascinating history that’s waiting to be uncovered. We can’t wait for you to start exploring it with us!
#hereisourhomeschool #homeschoolersofinstagram #homeschoollife #howwehomeschool #unitstudyhomeschool #unistudyhomeschoolers #runplayexplore #southcarolinahomeschoolers #schomeschool #lowcountryhomeschoolers #scdaytrip #itsagreatdayinsouthcarolina #southcarolinaadventures #southcarolinafieldtrip #homeschooladventures #homeschoolfieldtrip #homeschoolfieldtrips #homeschooltravel #wildandfreechildren #wildandfreemama #schistory #southcarolinahistory #southcarolinahistoricalsites #visitsouthcarolina #exploresouthcarolina #scnature #passporttosouthcarolina
Museums sometimes have the reputation of being old, stuffy, and boring. But it doesn’t have to be that way!
Our seven year old says museums are the best places in the world! Maybe you could argue he’s never been anywhere fun, but the child had been to Disney World 4 times when he was 3, so that’s definitely not it!
Here are three things we did to introduce museums to our kids, and how they can help your kids love museums, too!
1️⃣ Make sure the first few museums you visit have plenty of hands-on exhibits and things to touch! Allowing kids to explore with multiple senses engages them in what they’re seeing and learning. And who wants to go anywhere and get constantly told “don’t touch that!”?
2️⃣ Try to tie museum experiences to other fun activities nearby. If you can visit locations that have small museums or interpretive centers in addition to things like nature trails and playgrounds, the museum becomes part of a really fun experience and gets associated with happy memories!
3️⃣ Try to visit at off-peak times so that you don’t have to stand and wait to get up close to the exhibits, and you don’t feel rushed to move out of the way for the people behind you. For homeschoolers, we have found that just after lunch time when the school field trips head back to school are great times to explore our local places.
*BONUS* 4️⃣ One more tip! Don’t underestimate the power that your enthusiasm can have to get your kids interested in what they’re looking at! Share a personal connection or an anecdote about the things you’re looking at that will interest your children.
If you have children who look forward to museum visits, what tips would you add?
#homeschoolfieldtrip #homeschoolmuseumtrip #homeschoolhistory #unitstudyhomeschool #unitstudy #familyhomeschool #daytripswithkids #museumsarecool #runplayexplore #happyhomeschool #roadschooling #learningthroughplay #fieldtrip #familyfieldtrip
We loved learning about Día de Los Muertos a little early yesterday!
We watched some educational YouTube videos to learn first, then we visited @elmolino_supermarket to see the huge altar they’ve created. We found Pan de Muerto there, as well as papel picado, both of which we had learned about, so we had to bring some home! We watched Coco on Disney+ and made sugar skull cookies to enjoy with dinner.
If you’re in Charleston, make sure to stop into El Molino on Rivers Ave before the altar is gone! It was such a unique experience that really helped my kids understand this sweet celebration of loved ones!
#charlestonhomeschool #southcarolinahomeschool #unitstudyhomeschoolers #diadelosmuertos #homeschoolfieldtrip #iteachtoo #homeschoolersofinstagram #secondgradehomeschool #kindergartenhomeschool #homeschoolpreschool #homeschooltogether #lowcountryhomeschoolers
There are all kinds of skills to practice while navigating the corn maze this fall! Hand your kids the map, then ask them questions to see if they can figure out which way they need to go.
Ask questions like “what will happen if we turn right”? And “what’s at the end of this path” to get them thinking a step or two ahead.
Other important skills to highlight:
🤲 left vs. right
🗺️ holding and reading a map
📍 following directions
🤝 teamwork
We had a great time exploring the small corn maze @westfarm_cornmaze today!
#fallhomeschoolactivities #cornmaze #westfarmcornmaze #monckscornersc #homeschoolhalloween #unschoolingfamily #southcarolinaoutdoors #southcarolinahomeschool #southcarolinaagritourism #scpumpkinpatch #unitstudyhomeschoolers #iteachtoo #homeschoolersofinstagram #homeschoolkindergarten #homeschoolsecondgrade #homeschoolpreschool
We spent a ✨MAGICAL✨ morning at the Columbia Marionette Theatre today. On every third Monday of the month, you can watch the current show and do a Q&A with the director & puppeteers. They also offer a $5 puppet making lab afterward.
The current show is Hansel & Gretel, and the way they adapted this was so cool! It’s done in the style of old black & white cartoons, and it is truly mesmerizing. In addition to their Marionette Mondays once a month, they have weekend shows as well- every Saturday at 11 & 3!
My kids (and I) were absolutely enthralled the entire time. If you’re in South Carolina, run, don’t walk, to catch this show before it closes! For my SC homeschooling friends, they’ll have another Marionette Monday for this show on October 13 and November 20.
Thank you so much to the puppeteers & other staff who made this such a fun experience for us. We will be back!
#schomeschoolers #southcarolinahomeschool #homeschoolersofsc #lowcountryhomeschoolers #columbiamarionettetheatre #columbiaarts #columbiascevents #discoversc #discoversouthcarolina #unitstudyhomeschoolers #marionettentheater #homeschoolersofinstagram #secondgradehomeschool #kindergartenhomeschool #homeschoolpreschool #homeschoolfieldtrip #thisishomeschooling #charlestondaytrip
We love having a membership to Riverbanks Zoo, and it includes membership to the Botanical Gardens across the River. You can ride between them on a tram, or park at either location.
Last week, we stopped here to stretch our legs and run around a bit on our way to Greenville. The kids LOVED the giant treehouse and dinosaur playground.
During the summer months, they also have a fun splash park here to enjoy!
#homeschoolersofsc #homeschoolfieldtrip #homeschoolfieldtrips #unitstudy #unitstudyhomeschool #riverbankszoo #scdaytrip #discoversc #scexploring
A quick stop at Paris Mountain State Park rounded out our epic Friday field trip in Greenville. The kids loved all the stone steps and, of course, the playground!
I think we will definitely be back here soon to explore more!
#ultimateoutsider #ultimateoutsiderchallenge #homeschoolfieldtrip #scstateparks #parismountainstatepark #homeschoolersofsc #lowcountryhomeschoolers #homeschoolsecondgrade #homeschoolkindergarten #homeschoolpreschool
