Going outside before the school day starts...Will this work?

[jkl]

We are starting our school year in 3 weeks, and I am still struggling with what I want our day to look like. My newest bright idea is to take everyone outside right when we get up (about 7am) and spend a few hours out there before it gets too hot (we're in Florida), then come in and do baths and the morning basket. Add in working a bit with my 4 year old and meeting the needs of my 1 year old, and my 6 year old would be doing most of his work in the afternoon. I'm not sure if this will work, but I really love the idea of lots of outside time and lots of reading aloud, so I'd be prioritizing those. Anyone go outside first thing????

Edited July 24, 2012 by jkl

[redsquirrel]

I think it sounds fabulous. My kids often go out back to run around and play while I eat my breakfast etc. it takes the edge off and helps them concentrate when we start lessons. My older kid doesn't really want to do it any more, so my younger son does it on his own.

[Amy Jo]

Us too. Right now they just go out to play, I'm thinking about adding a nature walk back in though. We did that this spring and it was a lot of fun. It got my sleepy-heads woke up as well.

[Shelsi]

We tried it a few years ago and it was an epic fail for us.

 

What I've learned with 8 yr old is that school needs to start by 8 a.m to have a good productive day. On days we're delayed we do okay as long as we start by 10 a.m. If we start any time after 10 a.m. it's a total loss. His attention is completely gone.

[Embassy]

Last school year we started at 10 so the kids had a couple hours free before the start of school. This coming year I'm thinking I will start with PE because of my husband's schedule.

[tots2teens]

I'm in Florida also and this is what we do. I've found that it works best for all of us. The greatest thing that I have found about this plan is that the baby will be all worn out from playing in the morning that he'll sleep in the afternoon!

[Aspasia]

I think this sounds like a great idea! I may try it since we live in Virginia and I consider most summer days to be completely miserable (though my Florida friend who now lives in Virginia tells me this is nothing--hey, I'm from Utah and this humidity is horrible!)

[Sahamamama]

I think with the ages of your children -- and your location in Florida -- it will work well. In fact, the morning outside time + warm bath + snuggly read aloud would be enough to put most toddlers to sleep. Ah... I remember those days, just a few years ago, when my toddler twins would fall asleep on my lap while I was reading, and the preschooler snuggled next to me. In the middle of The Three Little Pigs, we'd hear zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, and realize it was probably time to put some piglets to bed. LOL.

 

I read somewhere :001_huh: a long time ago :D that morning sunshine is the best thing in the world for all people everywhere (something like that). Morning sunshine is supposed to reset your internal "clock" and make happy brain chemicals and improve your eyesight and all sorts of good things. How about:

 

7 am--10 am Outdoor Play Time

10 am--11 am Baths & Snack

11 am--12 pm Read Aloud

12 pm--1 pm Preschool (4 yo)/Lunch

1 pm--3 pm Nap/Quiet Time* for 1 yo & 4 yo + School Time for 6 yo

3 pm--4 pm Quiet Time for 6 yo (play in room?) while you attend to other things & people

5 pm+ Evening Routine, more reading, early bedtimes for everyone, including Mommy :D

 

*FWIW, my three still take a nap nearly every day, which is why I am still semi-functional. Enjoy your year!

[stripe]

I am always hoping I'll be motivated enough to get up early and do it.

[besroma]

We also do this, but the older children take schoolwork outside with them.

 

The little ones play while the others get started. Because they are outside, they don't mind not playing right away. They take a break and play some, then come back to the deck to work on school again.

 

I also do a lot of our read alouds outside during that time.

[momaof3]

It sounds good to me. I might try that with my three this year. We are in SC so I understand the heat you have. My outside time will just be shorter, since my boys are older we need to start earlier.

[Hilltop]

I am thinking of trying a similar schedule until it gets too cold here. My dds are early birds, so I think we can get through breakfast, am chores, and about 45 minutes of outside time and then start school around 9:00.

[josie6504]

I love this idea! I wish we could do this too, but my kids are NOT early risers. :( i used to wake them up by 7:30/8 each day, but my oldest will not go to bed early (he just lays there), so we just end up with a cranky kid for the last few hours of the day since he didn't g get enough sleep the night before. Mine are 1, 3, and 5.

[sewingmama]

We did that last summer because otherwise the kids got no outside play because it's too hot.

 

We did not get up at 7am though :D We were usually out 8.30-10.

 

It works ok if you don't have kids that function best in the morning. My 6yo is a night owl and works best in the afternoon/evening so it worked for us.

[Holly]

This is my goal for this year! We have a herding dog who needs lots of exercise! I'm hoping to take him for a walk with the kids in the morning and a walk/jog with just the dog and me in the evening.

 

My plan is to go for a walk at 8:30 (after breakfast and everyone is dressed for the day) and then start school at 9:00. I'm not sure how well this will work in the winter though...maybe we'll move it to after lunch when it's too cold?

[MusicMama]

I've been thinking about doing the same thing! We will have to try it to see how it goes! :) I'm pregnant and in GA in the summertime, and DH is wiped after work and doesn't care for the sticky heat still present 4-6pm. The kids, especially Bean NEEDS run and play time or he starts ramming into people. :001_huh: We have to drop DH off at work at 7:30, so we will be stopping by the park on the way home, maybe for an hour? Then circle time will hopefully be a lot more peaceful. Now all I need to do is figure out how to get everyone up, dressed, and fed by 7:15. *sigh* Summer is over for us on Wednesday, DH goes back to work! I thought about having playtime in the afternoon in winter (Dec-Feb, lol), but that still leaves wriggly kids in the morning. No ideas there.

[AsgardCA]

This was my plan as well. I figured if the kids eat breakfast at 6:30-7 we can get outside for 1-1.5 hours before school. I was trying to avoid the heat and too much sun exposure, too, but we're in Ontario so I'm guessing your heat is worse. :)

 

I have this separate from their PE time, I'm not sure why, but we'll see how it goes.

[~Anna~]

This is in my plans as well. I think we'll get up at 7:30, have a light breakfast, and then go on a walk or bike ride. Come back and get showers and be ready to start school by 10:00 at the latest. Any later than that and I think my DD will lose motivation.

 

I don't know if we will do this every day though. On co-op day it definitely won't work.

[Murrayshire]

We tried to do this last year but my youngest (he's a boy) wanted to stay out and finish exploring before starting his lessons. It was a bit of a challenge to reel him back in. So, what we do instead is eat breakfast outside on the deck, I read our read alouds, then we head inside to do morning duties before starting our lessons at 8am.

 

It's been working out better for us. We usually eat our 10ish am snack outside, too. We are finished primarily with core subjects by 12pm.......!

 

I love morning discovery time in our yard for breakfast. We almost always see the wild bunnies, lots of birds, and occasionally the deer!

Top of the Mornin' to you!

[NotSoObvious]

Yes! If you have the space for it. It would not have worked in our old neighborhood but it works here! My dd does better if she can run around before focusing.

[Harriet Vane]

Of course it will work. Establish the routine and go for it. Every time you do it, it becomes more a habit..

[LAR]

We are also in Florida, and typically get in some PE first thing. Ride bike, scooter, hike. On days we have co-op or field trips we don't but on a regular school day, the early morning exercise has worked for all of us. It is most beneficial for our 7 year old who needs to get out some energy before focusing on school work.

[thegirlwhopaintedtrees]

We tried it a few years ago and it was an epic fail for us.

 

What I've learned with 8 yr old is that school needs to start by 8 a.m to have a good productive day. On days we're delayed we do okay as long as we start by 10 a.m. If we start any time after 10 a.m. it's a total loss. His attention is completely gone.

 

Although I would love to go outside first thing in the morning, I have found this to be true for us as well. If our school day hasn't started by 8 or 8:30, the focus and intent isn't there. I think my son would benefit from going outside first thing, but not my daughter.

[...................]

In my climate we have the same weather, and yes, it works! We go to the pool from 8:00-10:00 and then do school afterwards. We do this from June-September.

 

The rest of the year we school in the morning becSuse the kids do work better in the morning.

 

However, in the summer, I am not willing to trade my children's exercise and outdoor time for that.

 

I have some homeschool friends who let their kids sit inside virtually all summer long. I have others who faithfully take their kids for bikes and walks in the evening after 6:30 pm,(and their husbands hang out outside too) but my dh would feel robbed if he didn't get his cuddle time with his kids after work.

 

So...those are basically the 3 options, and going to the pool in the morning is the one that works for us. Even going to the pool in the afternoon doesn't work because that's when the thunderstorms always roll in! And when the temp outside is 90 and the pool temp is 80, the pool doesn't cool us off anyway. A

[momacacia]

It sounds wonderful. I have thought of doing this for at least 2 years now---for me even more than the kids. I think it could possibly be distracting for them, but I feel I really need the sunshine and outside air just to wake up!!

 

This has motivated me to find a little patio couch set on our front porch (I hate shopping) so I can go out there in the mornings, could even do read-alouds there, and sip tea. Ahhh . . . .:D

 

(Of course, tea, unless it's iced, at 103 degrees doesn't sound so great, but I just KNOW fall will come!!)

[cmp3400]

We tried it a few years ago and it was an epic fail for us.

 

What I've learned with 8 yr old is that school needs to start by 8 a.m to have a good productive day. On days we're delayed we do okay as long as we start by 10 a.m. If we start any time after 10 a.m. it's a total loss. His attention is completely gone.

 

This is how it works at our house too! School has to start first thing in the morning for our day to go well!

[TKDmom]

I like the idea of that, but as a fellow Floridian...I hate walking around in the soaking-wet dewey grass first thing in the morning. And breathing in all that water floating around in the air...I need to move back to Arizona...:lol:

[LittleIzumi]

I love walks/outside time in the morning, but we also need to get started early or the day is lost.

[Farrar]

I am always hoping I'll be motivated enough to get up early and do it.

 

Ditto. And yet I keep failing. When I manage it, it's good though. And we have more flexibility with the weather so going out later is usually an option.

[Quiver0f10]

We are in Arkansas and it got hot pretty early this spring. I started a routine where we went outside right after breakfast, then we came in and did our Bible and read aloud. The kids had a snack and then we started school. It worked so well that I plan to continue that this fall.

[garddwr]

We are starting our school year in 3 weeks, and I am still struggling with what I want our day to look like. My newest bright idea is to take everyone outside right when we get up (about 7am) and spend a few hours out there before it gets too hot (we're in Florida), then come in and do baths and the morning basket. Add in working a bit with my 4 year old and meeting the needs of my 1 year old, and my 6 year old would be doing most of his work in the afternoon. I'm not sure if this will work, but I really love the idea of lots of outside time and lots of reading aloud, so I'd be prioritizing those. Anyone go outside first thing????

 

We do when it is hot (i.e., when it will be too hot to get out later in the day). I personally think getting out and getting some physical activity is the best possible way to start your school day. Get the blood moving and the body and brain active!

[nrself]

We're in NM. Last spring we were starting our day outside with Read Alouds. I let the boys play in the sandbox while I read. This summer (we're not schooling) I've even been trying to get up and waking up my boys at 5 am, just because its the only cool time outside. When its NM hot by 8 am, you have to work with the weather. So just try it and when it gets colder change it around. They'll adjust. :)

[boscopup]

When we started up school at the end of June, I had a long flower bed (goes halfway around the house) that needed to be weeded. It was dreadfully hot every day, with heat advisories everyday one week. So we would eat breakfast, then around 7:15 or 7:30, we'd go outside and weed the flower bed for 15 minutes. Then we'd come in and put away a load of laundry (that I'd washed the night before), do some Bible study, then start our school day. This has worked fabulously! The physical work got some energy out without completely losing them as in the below quote:

 

 

What I've learned with 8 yr old is that school needs to start by 8 a.m to have a good productive day. On days we're delayed we do okay as long as we start by 10 a.m. If we start any time after 10 a.m. it's a total loss. His attention is completely gone.

 

This is my 8 year old also! :D I cannot let him "go play" before starting school. In fact, our worst day this year so far was the day that I didn't get around to starting his school until after 10am (I was working with the younger kids), and he ended up finishing his work in the van on the way home from getting DH's car from the shop, close to dinner time, and it was only under threat of, "If your work isn't done, you're not getting pancakes for dinner!" Every other day has gone so much better than that! I now kickstart him so he can work while I'm working with the little ones. He can finish before lunch if he starts his work early, but if he starts late, he'll be working all... day... long. :tongue_smilie:

 

Anyway, the above physical work has been fine for him. We start school around 9am this way, but he's able to focus and do what needs to be done, probably because he was focused on "working" with the weeding and laundry (he does much of the folding).

[jkl]

OK!!!!! I'm going to give it a try!!!!!!!

[MusicMama]

Update:

 

We have officially started school since my DH has started preplanning for the school year. For the past two day, we hit the park from 8:00-9:00 after dropping DH off at work. Then we got home, kids and I did chores for 30 min (well, 15 for the kiddos and 30 for me). During circle time, my 3yo DS who normally impersonates a bulldozer all day, laid down on his blanket and LISTENED. Quietly. For an hour. Bink stayed in the room without any reminders. They were allowed one quiet toy to keep their hands busy. We went over scripture memory, poetry recitations, sang songs, and read about five books including a chapter from their chapter book read-aloud. We colored pictures and no crayon wars broke out. It's a Festivus Miracle!!!

 

(I'm not trying to make my kids sound as if they are typically animals. They are just 2 and 3 year old boys with a desire to constantly move. Things break a lot around here! The 5yo is Miss Manners herself most of the time, though.)

 

We didn't start circle time until 10:00, immediately had lunch at 11:30, watched a Spanish video, put Bink down for a nap, and did some more quiet work together on reading and math for Babs and Bean. Nap followed for Bean at 1:30, and presto, we're done! I don't have older ones who need a more rigorous schedule, but this works for Kindergarten!

[sewingmama]

Sounds like it is working great.

 

It's winter here and freezing and pouring rain everyday - I wish we could go outside -my kids are going bonkers and fighting like crazy -too much inside together time:glare:

[Mommy22alyns]

It may work for some kids, but it wouldn't fly here. Basically, it's an almost 100% guaranteed fail if we go and do anything before schoolwork. We have to wake up, eat, and start working or I "lose" the girls and focus is hard to regain.

[justLisa]

Well, since often DS feels going for a walk or something like that outside is torture, if he found out I planned that as FUN before school, he would be mad and rather stay in and do school first. I would have to have something really cool planned, and I'm just able to do that first thing in the morning. If they choose to go play I'm fine, but I really need to start by a certain time or everyone is done for the day brain wise.