Monday, 17 March 2014

What Home Education Looks Like - 17th March 2014

Tuesday was potato planting day so we looked out the big bins we used in previous years. The kit came with big bags for growing the potatoes in, but as we want to get as many as possible to eat we have cheated and used the trusty bins that have given us so many potatoes in the past! We'll probably use the bags for tomatoes. The kids planted a variety each and we labelled the lids.




We also planted the extra potato in a plastic bottle (with the top cut off) that sits on the windowsill with newspaper wrapped round for seven weeks. Once the newspaper is removed we should be able to see how potatoes grow.

As we were doing some planting I figured it was a good time to crack on with the rest of our seeds. We started off tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, carrots, beetroot, pumpkin, peas and sweetpea seeds in our seed trays and put them in the utility room where it's warm and bright.



Looking forward to seeing how they do. We have grown fruit and veg very successfully in previous years so hopeful.

Monday, 10 March 2014

What Home Education Looks Like - 10th March 2014

We headed back to a favourite place, The Royal Institution for the show "Exploding Custard".

We were late as there had been a person under a train (poor person!) and had to sneak into the lecture hall up the top. Gave us a great view for all the science experiments!





Unfortunately you can't quite get the scale for these giant bubbles, but believe me they were as big as a person!



I got a couple of videos, one of the rocket powered by water pressure....


....and one of the eponymous exploding custard!


Monday, 3 March 2014

What Home Education Looks Like - 3rd March 2014

We chitted our potatoes from the Potato council!



They send out growing packs to schools (and home educators!) around the country to promote and educate about potatoes. We'll plant them in two weeks time :)

Monday, 24 February 2014

What Home Education Looks Like - 24th February 2014

We went to this festival last year too and really enjoyed it. It's described as a festival run "BY children FOR children, as well as hosting the top names in children’s literature, dance, theatre and art.". There certainly was a lot going on, from interactive exhibits....





....walls you could colour in....


....dance and music sessions....



.....book and comic stands....



....and special presentations, including one from the Etherington Brothers; the famous comic book team!










....and that was all just in the morning! We went to Las Iguanas for a yummy lunch (we figured most other families would head to Giraffe ;)) and managed to time it perfectly so we were in warm and eating during the rain storm.




Then we went to the Queen Elizabeth Hall (gorgeous brutalist architecture!)  for the Out with the Family talks and "That Catherine Bennett" show.


Catherine Bennett is a manufactured pop star created and managed by a nine year old girl and her aunt (who plays Catherine Bennett) as an experiment in individuality and what can be achieved once you put your mind to something. The show was great with the girl and her aunt telling the story of how it happened and then performing some of the songs.







Our favourite was Animal Kingdom, which you can see below. To find out more about her visit her website - http://www.catherinebennett.so/


Afterwards we went out to the brilliant sculpture playground, which Papaya was delighted to see had been painted all pink!




Monday, 17 February 2014

What Home Education Looks Like - 17th February 2014

When you don't have to be up for school on Monday morning you can spend Sunday night having a camp out in the living room with popcorn, marshmallows and movies.


We watched Labyrinth......


....but I was also able to give an impromptu history of film with "Hugo", "The Artist" and "Haunted Honeymoon".

Povey dropped off first at around midnight...


... then Papaya about half an hour later....