Monday, October 5, 2009

Homeschool Groups

This year for homeschool I decided to find a homeschool group for my son to participate in.  I was afraid that I would not be able to find a group with enough middleschoolers or activities that would interest him.  I searched the internet for groups in my area & found one that looked really interesting.   They are a small group with about 20 families but with a large percentage of middleschool age children.   They also have classes that are either free or just charge a nominal fee & supply costs.

Saturday before last we went to visit the group for the first time.  It was the first day of their Lego Robotics Club which will meet on a monthly basis.  It is held at the homeschool groups leader's home. When we arrived the kids in the group met us halfway down the driveway (in the rain) & made us feel very welcomed.   The boy who lived there asked Noah if he wanted to go see his room, so all the kids went off to play.

Everyone was very friendly & what I noticed immediately was the participation of the dads.  There were more fathers there than mothers which I found very refreshing.  My husband would have been there if he wasn't working so it was nice to see the same commitment from the men in this group.

Today we went to the first day of classes that will be held every other Monday.  They start at 10:00am & go to 3:00pm.   The first class was art, then they had a "Think It" class where they are given items & then have to construct something from those items.  We had a lunch break & then continued with "Mystery Powders" (chemistry), Science Fair projects, & chess club to finish off the day.  They will also have a book club the next Monday we go.

My son wasn't sure if he wanted to go to the classes, but I could tell while we were there that he was having a great time.  As we were leaving he said, "That was a lot of fun.  When is the next class time?"  We will also be going on a field trip next week to a corn maze with the group, so it will be fun. 

So if you homeschool but have never participated in a homeschool group, check out groups in your area online to see what activities they have.  The cost is usually minimal to join (mine was $20.00 for the year) & with most homeschooled families being one income families, they understand the need for low cost field trips & activities as well.

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