Unschooling

It would be hard to equate any single picture here to represent unschooling. Yet each one is representative of a learning journey. The children have time, resources, and encouragement to explore,learn, and create on their own terms.
I know that it is popular to say that time is more valuably spent in quality rather than quantity, but I don't buy that for a second. It takes TIME to learn... to wonder, to absorb, to experiment, and observe. It takes hours of interacting with the world to truly know about the things in life that we say adds up to an education. And I don't mean filling in workbooks!

Each picture here is a culmination of the learning journey that the children have taken, moment to moment, in safe space and ample time....

Little Brother experiments with cooking- an avocado, turkey, provolone sandwich on croissant

Ginkgo leaves- the kids love the ginkgo tree because it, along with several other plants,  were around in 'dinosaur times'

Little Brother could not resist turning the pile of leaves into a sorting game

A recent read of the Seven Tasks of Hercules inspired some mythological story telling with figs

Big Sister has a passion for puzzles, completing 750 piecers with regularity

My sister spent several years in Haiti providing medical care, and brought back to us the colorful culture of the people. 

Not a week goes by when we don't end up at a creek or pond or river... and then things come home with us...

More history, weaponry, battle strategy, and the occasional Beanie dragon...

More castles and medieval buildings.... A new favorite game is Carcassonne.

Found this at a garage sale, and the kids have enjoyed researching its origins

Big Sister journals constantly. Her writing skills improve because she is allowed to write without critique. After a certain time, she seeks out critiquing and can handle it because she is ready for it.

Truly, I don't remember what this had to do with unschooling, but I am sure it was something!

Beside the making of lemon-lime-aid, the kids spend many hours planning out how to start a business- a lemon-aid stand with great ambitions.

This ramen  dish represents an entire weekend of falling in love with Japanese culture at a Mitsuwa Marketplace in Chicago. 

Big Sister has explored many musical venues, but has found her niche in voice.

Google Maps Earth has been a primary source of geographical exploration for the kids. They can spend all the time they want exploring here!

Big Sister's inspired re-art

Testing her hand at handicrafts- sewing.

Big Sister experimenting with different watercolor techniques

wove, beaded ring handicrafts

Baubles of Big Sister's favorite images

An obsession with creative nail painting!

Part of a play Big Sister wrote and directed with friends

Just the dog. She has eyeballs in real life.

Big Sister learning to direct her own education in preparation for college

Learning to make rosaries

Little Brother's recycling art projects

More history 

Meaningful collections of Little Brother on his trip to the Asian market

Little Brother's treasures from a French Explorer Rendezvous- homemade rope, and a slingshot

Little Brother's collection of holy cards

...and World War II cards. History fascinates him.

A booklet of the planets

Examining electronic items and how they might work

Little Brother's love affair with the Hubble telescope produced this re-model

Big Sister is fascinated with architecture, especially Frank Lloyd Wright

A mature gift Big Sister bought herself in the Asian market

Legos continue to provide a creative outlet for the kids to process and explore

Big Sister wanted to learn to draw the human figure and researched to find out how to use this manequin

A collection of beach from the river

Big Sister's interest in drama gave her the gumption to ask for autographs at a recent Shakespeare play

A duct tape Tardis....use your imagination!

Curiosity in how the door bell works...

Delighting in the magical and tiny world of the hummingbird!