Ignite An Interest In Your Homeschooler

Is your child not showing an interest in anything except the computer or TV?

You may need to expose them to a variety of adventures to see where their interests will lead them.  They may need many different types of exposures before they grab on to anything that sparks their interest.

Just like reading, some kids may read a lot of different types of books before any one catches their attention and turns them into a book lover.

After you have set up a few adventures, your child will be able to join you in suggesting places and planning.  You can set a limit of money to be spent and miles away to drive as they start searching.  Strong willed kids enjoy taking charge and planning.

Going on several types of adventures are sure ways to spark an interest in your child. 

• Look for places that tie in to anything you are studying now, in the past, or near future. 

My younger son and I had been learning about pioneers when he was younger. 

A nearby town had a festival related to pioneer times complete with period clothes, firing cannons, blacksmith shop, farm animals, and cooking over camp fires. 

The reenactors stayed in tents with supplies from that time period, rope making, mercantile with period crafts and other supplies, period cabin with barn, and more. 

My son enjoyed it and asked if we were going back the next year to the “olden days.”  Look up nearby towns to check for events being held or destinations relating to your topic.

• Any type of children’s museum is a great day of various activities.

Plan ahead and spend the day slowly going through the exhibits.

Take the time to interact with the display.  Have fun and take pictures to remember the day.

Take the advice from this introvert, don’t worry about what others might think, you will probably never see them again, take that picture of your child in the hurricane room smiling from ear to ear!

Take time after your visit to talk about the different experiences, have them ask questions, look up the answers together, and see if they found something they want to explore further.

• Tourist stops such as trails, caverns, and scenic views should not be overlooked.

These experiences are usually not an everyday experience and can lead to deeper dives in learning.

Even if a historical site turns out to be a time of nature study as they find a small pond with tadpoles, it is definitely a win.

When kids experience something in the real world they comprehend it so much better than just a book. By visiting a river, pond, lake and ocean they understand the difference much better.

• A variety of classes online are available to expose kids to many different opportunities.

The price rage varies greatly, along with the experience levels.

When you do not live close to a large city, online classes allow you the opportunity to have many choices.

• Strewing.

This is when you leave out items in your home to see if something gets their attention. 

Items can include books and magazines on various topics, games, camera, binoculars, telescope, butterfly net, stamp collection, recipes, or a science kit catalog.

Write down any ideas you think would work. 

Get ready to have a blast with your child and unlock an interest in them. 

Who knows, it could be the spark that ignites an interest that could become their career that they love.