a day at the park
Our park day offering is going well. Yesterday was the third meeting of the four I committed us too, and it was the biggest one yet, with at least 14 families. The playground certainly felt filled up! Besides lots of free play and climbing, there was also some dodge ball, races, tug-of-war, and jump-roping. And for the most part, it was all kid-organized, with the parents free to relax and chat (and mind the babies, as applicable). I did step in a little bit to organize the tug-of-war and also joined in with a small group who were wishing their pirate game could have more participants. I only had to walk the plank three or four times before some of the big kids saw the appeal of the idea and joined in (and I could make my escape!). Parks Days are good. To quote an email from Advocates for Homeschool Education in Massachusetts (AHEM):
Park days are a melting pot. Homeschooling in Massachusetts attracts a pretty diverse group of people, and the families at our local park day have come from all different backgrounds and perspectives. I have seen the same scene countless times — kids of different genders and ages running around together. And not just running but playing organized games without any adult input. If you have doubts that homeschoolers can be properly “socialized,” this is the place to go to put those doubts to rest.
socialization in action