The Dad Hatter

August 17, 2017August 17, 2017

A Boy and His Favorite Color

Most people seem to have favorite colors. And for some reason a lot of people have strong ideas about what constitutes an acceptable favorite color for a boy or a girl. G doesn’t hold with much of that. His favorite color is pink.

An aquarium is an endless source of interest. He often spends time sitting amd watching them swim.

We’re thinking of starting our own competitive league. Now that I think of it, we probably already have enough players in the house.

Bridges have been a topic since of serious interest in our home lately. Luckily they have the materials to build their own!

He caught two grasshoppers and immediately borrowed my phone to look up what they eat so he can make them comfy in their new home. They may not last long, but he’ll learn from the experience.

Sometimes you just need to play a game.

She’s having trouble adjusting to her new diet, but it’ll be worth it eventually.

He loves his Ricky Ricotta books.

August 12, 2017

The Unschooled Lens – Week 32

It’s been kind of a strange week. Mrs. Hatter is back at work now that summer break has ended, and it’s been raining almost every day. As a result we’ve been homebound most of the week, though naturally that hasn’t stopped the kids from learning. Here’s a glimpse at some of what we did.

August 9, 2017

Seven Picture Books for Unschoolers

Originally posted on The Dad Hatter:
Picture books are one of the great joys of life for both children and parents. In just a few illustrated pages they tell compelling stories that resonate with a wide range of audiences. Reading them is fun, but the sparkle of imagination and love of story in a child’s…

He loves his setup, and his gradually discovering how to use it.

We hiked up to Nymph Lake in RMNP today. Little T loved it, though I ended up carrying her most of the way. She especially liked the chipmunks that we saw.

He liked building spaceships out of DUPLO blocks, and he’s always very proud of his creations. As he should be!

I’ve been trying to bake macarons lately, but I can’t seem to get the shells quite right. They’re hollow and the feet protrude. Maybe I’ll try again today.

At the zoo today, we happened to see the lions chewing on some bones first thing in the morning. The kds were fascinated!

Apparently T thinks she’s ready to study for a doctorate along with Mrs. Hatter.

August 5, 2017August 5, 2017

The Unschooled Lens – Week 31

Week 31 of my 365 photo project exploring our Unschooling life.

August 4, 2017August 4, 2017

What About Math?

“But how will they learn math? Don’t you worry about math?” Those are the most common questions people ask when they discover that we’re Unschoolers. To answer simply, they will learn math by living. And no, I don’t worry about it.

Roads go ever ever on,

Over rock and under tree,

By caves where never sun has shone,

By streams that never find the sea;

Over snow by winter sown,

And through the merry flowers of June,

Over grass and over stone,

And under mountains in the moon.

Roads go ever ever on

Under cloud and under star,

Yet feet that wandering have gone

Turn at last to home afar.

Eyes that fire and sword have seen

And horror in the halls of stone

Look at last on meadows green

And trees and hills they long have known.

– The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien

Oh no! You’ve ruined my plan! Wait, if I take that trade, then there’s a small chance that my plan may yet prevail! Haha!

A, age 8, during an exciting game of chess

Re-reading a favorite book.

N has begun learning German with DuoLingo, and he loves it!

I got to head to the coffee shop by myself for a while this morning, it was a nice treat.

She loves spending time with her big siblings’ toys.

After a drive in the mountains we went for a short hike at Settler’s Park in Boulder.

The bigger kids spent time at the museum with Mrs. Hatter, so I took the little two to their favorite playground. M has taken to calling it his “own personal playground.”