Schools went back in Scotland in August and everywhere seems quiet again! However, the weather has turned and it’s certainly feeling autumn’y’ here. Kind of missing that too hot t-shirt weather now, after all the complaining of how warm it was, ha ha!
August marks the third year of our eldest’s home education and potentially the first year of our youngest’s. Our youngest isn’t 5 until January, however in our area of Scotland most people defer January born children for another year, a
Here’s what the boys did in the last month of summer.
Table of Contents
Eldest
Art and Design
- Painting canvas shoes with fabric paints.
- Spent several days creating a very colourful pinata filled with sweets.
- Visited Jupiter Artland to marvel at the different sculptures and art work in the grounds.
- Drawing pictures and colouring in.
- Created a pond and grassland scene complete with pond and flying insects.
- Drew pictures in his summer journal.
Science
- Finding and observing ladybirds.
- Watched Minke whales and dolphins surfacing between mainland and Isle of Eigg.
- Investigating rock pools, anemone spotting.
- Mentos/diet coke experiment, making geysers.
- Watching caterpillars devour leaves.
- Exploring different smelling plants and making potions.
- Pond dipping at Loch Leven RSPB reserve.
- Engineering wooden railway tracks to go up stairs.
- Making ice cream in a bag with only 3 ingredients.
- Visited Edinburgh zoo and learnt about different animals habitats and ecology.
Amazed at how similar chimpanzees are to us, although were repulsed (hilariously!) to see them eat their own faeces and urine!
- Attempted to create catapults out of tin cans and wood to fire tea bags.
- Learning more about constellations.
Language
- Listened to his dad reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
- Creating mini shows with puppets and figures.
- Reading short words with no help.
- Practice writing words, mostly by copying, but also through my help of spelling them out.
Maths
- Using Mathseeds with some assistance on reading.
- Practising doubling numbers.
- Practising adding and subtracting larger numbers using colour by sum pictures we created together.
- Telling the time.
- Playing board games.
History
- Visiting Tantallon castle with Natalie and family.
- Learning about the Birdman, John Damian who jumped off Stirling castle with wings made of feathers attempting to fly. Miraculously he only broke his leg.
Culture
- Attending the Bridge of Allan Highland Games, especially enjoying listening to the bagpipes.
- Watched the Jacobite Express cross the Glenfinnan viaduct.
- Watched Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone after reading the book, discussing witches and wizards.
Geography
- Visited the Isle of Eigg.
- Practised fitting foam map pieces into a magnetic map of Europe. Recognising many of the larger or more distinct countries such as Turkey and Norway.
- Easily finding Scotland on a map or globe.
Social Groups
- Picking blaeberries with friends to make crumble.
- Making new friends with Natalie’s girls and children at the campsite near Arisaig.
- Friend’s birthday parties.
- Home education group each week.
- Playing with friends after science group each week.
- Meeting up with friends for play dates.
Exercise
- Riding bikes with family and friends along tracks and bike paths.
- Playing with friends in the woods and moors.
- Playing on Scottish beaches, running in the sea and climbing rocks.
- Playing at various parks.
- Climbing trees.
- Continued 1-to-1 swimming lessons.
- Began multi sports classes again.
- Explored Almond Valley Heritage Centre.
- Beginning Beavers again after the holidays.
Youngest (4 year old)
Art & Design
- Created own shoes with fabric paint and white canvas shoes.
- Coloured insect silhouettes.Visited Jupiter Artland
- Drew pictures on paper plates and in his summer journal.
- Created a pinata full of sweeties.
Exercise
- Began swimming lessons, happily gets in the water, but needs to work on getting his face/head wet.
- Riding his bike for several miles at a time to get to nearby villages, parks etc.
- Playing with friends in the woods and moors.
- Playing on Scottish beaches, running in the sea and climbing rocks.
- Playing at various parks.
- Began multi sports classes again.
- Explored Almond Valley Heritage Centre.
- Continued gymnastics class.
Maths
- Using Mathseeds from the beginning.
- Discussing shapes and diagonals etc.
- Adding small numbers together using food items as examples (mostly talking about cake…)
Language
- Reading stories together.
- Recognising more letters of the alphabet and always recognises his own first letter.
- Creating shows with mini figures and puppets.
History
- Visiting Tantallon castle with Natalie and family.
- Learning about the Birdman, John Damian who jumped off Stirling castle with wings made of feathers attempting to fly. Miraculously he only broke his leg.
Science
- Finding and observing ladybirds.
- Watched Minke whales and dolphins surfacing between mainland and Isle of Eigg.
- Investigating rock pools, anemone spotting.
- Mentos/diet coke experiment, making geysers.
- Watching caterpillars devour leaves.
- Exploring different smelling plants and making potions.
- Pond dipping at Loch Leven RSPB reserve.
- Making ice cream in a bag with only 3 ingredients.
- Visited Edinburgh zoo and learnt about different animals habitats and ecology. Amazed at how similar chimpanzees are to us, although were repulsed (hilariously!) to see them eat their own faeces and urine!
- Attempted to create catapults out of tin cans and wood to fire tea bags.
Geography
- Visited the Isle of Eigg.
- Practised fitting foam map pieces into a magnetic map of Europe. Enjoying spotting different flags.
Social Groups
- Picking blaeberries with friends to make crumble.
- Making new friends with Natalie’s girls and children at the campsite near Arisaig.
- Friend’s birthday parties.
- Home education group each week.
- Playing with friends after science group each week.
- Meeting up with friends for play dates most days.
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