Bus Stop Observations

With my youngest son, we are trying out a new homeschool preschool routine. It's pretty basic, easy, and flexible given his age, my experience, and the overall craziness of our days outside of the morning routine.

By the time we start school in the morning, we've already been outside at the bus stop getting big brothers off to public school.  I use this time outside to squeeze in a little education activity if I can and encourage all three of my boys to make simple observations about the weather and nature.  What a beautiful way to begin the day!

• As we get ready to head outside, we talk about what the weather may be like.  Is it cold?  We put on jackets.  Is it rainy?  We put on rain boots.
• Outside, we take a second look at the weather.  Were our predictions right?  Is it windy?  Or foggy?
• On our front porch, we always pause to look for wildlife.  Our most common encounters are a neighborhood cat that sprints out of the bushes as soon as we step outside.  Deer are often in our neighbors yard across the street munching on the tall grasses.  Spider webs crop up in our front lawn and in the bushes.  We've also enjoyed trying to spy birds nests this winter in the bare trees.
• As we wait for the bus in our driveway, I 'll ask my youngest son to call out the colors of cars as they drive past.  The older boys look for patterns.
• If dump trucks, police cars, or taxis drive by, we'll talk about who might be driving those vehicles and where they might be going.
• Finally, although my youngest will not leave home to attend Kindergarten for a few more years, he learns about bus stop expectations and how following those rules is necessary for safety.  We get outside several minutes before the bus comes and the boys are allowed to walk down to the road to wait, but must stay a safe distance from traffic.  The boys all keep watch for the bus and call out when they see her turn onto our road.  At that point, they all line up at the end of our driveway and wait single file.  The older boys don't cross the street until the bus has stopped and extended the stop signals.  My little man and I wait in the driveway and wave to the bus driver as she drives away.

I truly believe that every experience can be educational if I take the time to guide my kids in every experience.

How do you start your day with your little ones?