Cait Sumner
Cait Sumner is an editor for Mommy Poppins and the owner and photographer of Apiary Photography. Along with homeschooling their kids, Cait enjoys playing soccer with the Philly Falcons. Always on the lookout for fun, unique family activities, Cait loves bringing those ideas to life through Mommy Poppins.
Latest posts by Cait
Oh, those two wonderful words: no homework. The rare days when those words are uttered, children can play outside, and adults can plan satisfying family time. Wouldn't it be great if our kids' schools supported that sort of routine every day? If evenings could be spent reading together, playing games as a family, or even taking advantage of free museum nights instead of hovering over a pile of worksheets due tomorrow?
That’s where The Country School comes in— a progressive, project-based school in Valley Village that prioritizes the whole child and his or her creativity, compassion, and emotional intelligence. The mission of the school is to provide kids from preschool through eighth grade with a warm environment where they can approach learning in their own way. Instead of focusing on pop quizzes and worksheets, kids might be planting trees, making their own movies, creating maps, or learning to play instruments. The idea is that kids should be excited to tell their parents what they did at school that day.
It's true that homeschooling creates a really unique and wonderful bond with your kids, but, sometimes, it's really hard. When you consider the fact that you're responsible for teaching your child everything, getting some socialization time in with other kids, and making sure they're healthy and physically active- well, it's just too much. That's why we started this monthly series of articles, to help homeschool parents, new and vets alike, find all the resources you need to make it a completely enjoyable experience. Which means, taking some responsibilities off of your plate. There are a lot of great classes out there, specifically for homeschool kids. Maybe there's a subject you don't feel comfortable teaching your child, or maybe you just don't know how to keep them active, or (real talk), maybe you need a break. We've found a lot of great phys ed, gym, and sport options to enroll the kids in to keep them healthy and strong.
If you're thinking about homeschooling, your first concern is probably how your kid will ever see other kids. It's normal to worry about feeling isolated and not knowing what to do or where to go, but don't. Your kid will be socialized, I promise. I was homeschooled from 5th grade all the way through high school, and I struggle more with maintaining adult relationships now than I ever did with friendships then, and trust me, it has nothing to do with the fact that I was homeschooled. Homeschooling has changed so much in the 10 years since I was homeschooled. While the resources are still a bit lacking, there are definitely more families homeschooling now for more of a variety of reasons. Whatever your reason may be, whether your jumping in for preschool or high school, starting out can be daunting and hard. The first thing you'll want to do is find a good group, which may offer classes, get togethers, and field trips.
Mommy Poppins hopes to become a great resource for homeschool families, so stay tuned for our series of articles on different homeschooling topics.
Working out is hard. It's ten times harder if you've got kids climbing all over you, or whining for snacks and screen time, or just plain crying. Let's be honest, we could all use a little time for ourselves anyway. For your health, and your sanity, check out one of these great gyms in the city that offer childcare. Drop your kids off for a morning of fun and play, while you sweat it out.
More and more studies are showing how important the role of play is in early childhood learning. Kids develop important social and cognitive skills from play, and become more self-confident and emotionally mature when allowed to learn by playing. Finding a daycare that goes beyond simply watching your kid, and fosters this independence and imporant early learning skill isn't always easy. We've rounded up a few great daycares (some of which also have preschools) where your child will love to learn while they play.
If there's one thing we love in my family, it's dinosaurs! If you're anything like us, the idea of life-size animatronic dinosaurs, probably sounds pretty amazing. Dinosaurs Unearthed at the Academy of Natural Sciences features more than a dozen of these massive creatures, and you can see them before you've even walked through the door. Running through January 16, 2017, this exhibit is perfect for the dino lovers in your family.
School is out and, for some, summer boredom may have already set in. Volunteering and giving back to the local community is a rewarding and enriching way to keep teens busy and fulfilled all summer. Community service keeps kids active, and it's always free. It also looks great on a college application. Summer is a perfect time for kids to log some great community service hours instead of lounging around on the couch. And, of course, volunteering isn't limited to summertime; many of these opportunities are available during the school year on weekends and evenings as well. We've compiled a list of a few great opportunities in the area.
It's that time of year again, Kidchella is back at Smith Memorial Playground! A kiddie play on Coachella, this 3 night concert series is fun for the whole family. Featuring live music from 2 bands each night in the lovely Smith Memorial Playground, kids will enjoy the music and will love to run and play. The weather is beautiful, so get out there and dance.
Pages
