Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Mike Smith:
“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt,” wrote Canadian author Margaret Atwood. This spring why don’t you let your children get their hands dirty as they learn about the world?

Do you have a spring unit study planned? Try one! A natural place to start is with botany or physical science.

What is the biggest crop your region produces? If you’re not sure, now is a great time to find out!

If you live in an agricultural community, you can visit a local farm or dairy. Many farms let visitors pay to pick a bucket of fresh produce, and even young children can pick berries! And don’t stop there—include your children in preparing the food you’ve picked, on whatever level they’re able. They will experience the satisfaction of taking a project from start to finish, enjoy providing nourishment to their family, and begin to understand the time and effort that goes into producing the food we eat.

And if you don’t live near a farm or dairy, you can still enjoy spring and growth and dirt too. Grow a plant together! A garden is a great place to learn. Let your children be responsible for a plot of ground or a row of vegetables. No space for a garden? A row of potted plants on a balcony or window ledge can be a great learning tool.

Next time, we’ll use spring explore the world! And until then, I’m Mike Smith.