Let's talk "not-back-to-school"!

[michelle1k]

Hi mamas,

I'm thinking ahead to the yearly "back-to-school" frenzy which seems to grip all the kiddos around here and am wondering what I can do with my new-to- homeschooling 6-year old to somehow honor this important passage from last year's kindergarten to this year's homeschool.

I have considered a modified version of the "rose ceremony" done in Waldorf schools (eighth graders hand over individual roses to first graders - very moving ceremony) for our family... perhaps daddy and I will do it for him...

Also have considered shopping for "school supplies" but this seems rather pedestrian to me since we're unschoolish in our approach and we already have everything we need stashed in bins all over the house. Would like to try and get a "not-back-to-school" picnic off the ground with the local homeschool group, but this is not always a sure thing.


Does anyone have any great ideas for me? Would be so grateful


Warmly,
Michelle

[boysrus]

Well, we love back to school sales. te prices are so cheap that you can really stock up and kids LOVE new supplies.

[Shellie]

We bought supplies and new binders (the nylon zipper kind with lots of pockets, LOL). Yeah, we already had tons of crayons and glue and colored pencils, but they like new stuff and it's so cheap on sale, so I replace older stuff even before we need to. My son, who's starting K this year (at home, of course!) was so very thrilled to choose his first binder. It was almost ceremonious even though it was *just* a binder.

I've known people who do a "back to school" outfit to wear on the first day of instruction.

[Blissful Bee]

Around here Six Flags does a huge Homeschooling Day on the first day of school. The kids LOVE it and tickets are 13.99 instead of 36.99!!! The whole place is ONLY homeschoolers and what fun to be going to six flags instead of school. This kicks off our year, and the kids just love it!! Plus the Six Flags here is insanly busy during the regular season, so this is the only way we go!! Look inot different places and see what is happening. You may be surprised.

[ekblad9]

Gosh, you ladies are so creative. I've never even thought about it. I have heard about the Six Flags thing but have never gone. Our homeschooling group does an "end of summer" pool party but that's not really "back to school". My older kids have always just seemed happy to avoid the whole back to school thing. We're starting our schooling pretty late this fall, anyway. I was really sick all summer with morning sickness and we didn't get to do much that was fun. So we'll be doing fun stuff when everyone else is back to school.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Thanks for the great ideas.

[root*children]

oh, that's so neat to get that day at Six Flags! I'm envious! WeLove2Farm has told me about a not-back-to-school party she had last year. It was really big, with families from 2 surrounding towns, and they had a bar-b-que, and other fun stuff. We are thinking of organinzing a camping trip with 5 or so families on the first weekend after school has started for a not-back-to-school celebration.

[Fieryfly]

I love this time of year. School in our district starts on Wednesday, which seems insanely early! It will be nice to have the crowds out of the way, but I will miss seeing familes out everywhere.

Last year and the year before I bought the kids new backpacks, lunch bags, and lots of school supplies. The backpacks are hardly used(mostly for camping and overnights!), but the lunchbags were hauled off to park days and field trips so we'll need new ones. I just can't resist the cheap price of all the school supplies, and it seems that you can never have enough!

The summer movie club($1 kid's movies) is showing their last movie on Wednesday, so that is where my kids will be rather than the classroom. One of my friend's son is going to a charter school that doesn't start for 3 weeks, so we're planning some fun outings to do since all the other schools in the area are starting within the next week and a half. I am also planning on taking my kids to get their picture taken. Our homeschool group will be taking advantage of the less crowded parks to have an informal Not Back to School picnic along with some early fall field trips.

Have fun!

[mama_kass]

Our local group will be having a pot luck breakfast in celebration of not going back to school.

Another lady had mentioned to me that she creates a portfolio and the children decorate it. Inside they paste a current picture of themselves and write things like how old they are, favorite subject, favorite food, how tall they are, and so on. I thought that was a good idea.

[mojomom]

This is our first year homeschooling. Our play group does and end of summer party ( I usually coordinate it) That is a sign for the school kids school is coming. I have not started any traditions yet, this year we are going to visit my family in Florida in September and point out to my dd that we get to go to Fl. now because she homeschools.

I am joinin a homeschhol group and they kick off the year witha big field trip. They are doing a unit study of the old west and will take a trip to a cowboy themed town and feed buffalos. So I quess that is how we will kick off our school year.

Great ideas