Summer Strewing Inspiration to Spark Curiosity and Have Fun

If you’re taking a break in your homeschool routine, summer strewing is the perfect way to keep the kids curious.

Also if you’re just starting to dip your toes in the strewing water, summer gives you the time and space to give it a try without the added stress of outside.

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Serendipitous Summer Strewing

We just had a very, large tree removed from a precarious position near our cars and house. But why would I mention this in a post about strewing? Because it kicked off a series of unintentional, yet successful, strewing.

They arrived early that morning to begin the removal and we were able to watch the acrobatics from an upstairs window.  We noticed where he positioned himself before falling a limb, how he would gauge the distance to the house and would drop those larger limbs differently, and how they would tie a rope to the larger limbs and then wrap that rope around a nearby tree to slow its descent.

We learned it was a red oak tree and discussed with the younger ones how to count the rings to find the tree’s age.

We’re still playing with this tree days later, which is serendipitous strewing at it’s best but strewing doesn’t always happen so effortlessly.

However, summer is the perfect time to give strewing a try. Hopefully, the commitments are fewer with more time for exploration

Summer Strewing Inspiration | Travels

Do you have any travels planned this summer? Draw upon those plans to find ideas for strewing. Whether your plans are far-flung or close to home,  planning an outing is an opportunity to explore limitless topics.

• Maps and route planning
• National and State parks in the area
• Museums and other points of interest
• Budgeting
• HIstory of an area

We’re planning a road trip for this summer and it has prompted me to pull out books we haven’t read in some time. We’ve also looked at images online of different places we want to visit to see which looks the most appealing.

Summer Strewing Inspiration | Science and Nature

We live where it is quite hot in the summer, so it isn’t our favorite time to be outside. Spring and autumn are better for our nature studies, but I know those of you farther north will be soaking up the sunny days while you have them.

What can you strew to draw your children outdoors?

• A child-sized garden tool set
• Seed and pot grow kits (I’ve found these at Target or Five Below for less than $5)
• House for garden pollinators
• Flower press
• Make your own seedling pots
• Nature Journaling books

Those will help you get the kids outdoors and in nature, but what about those days when it’s just too hot? I’m thinking of jumping into some Chemistry next year, so these would give a great introduction.

• Elements: A Visual Exploration – I’ve been wanting this book for a while and just made the purchase.
• Magnetic Molecular Modeling Set would go nicely with the book.
• Periodic Table Coloring Book
• Try a 3-month subscription to Science Expeditions – It’s my favorite science subscription box so far

Summer Strewing Inspiration | Art

Diving into art appreciation takes time and is often put on the back burner when you have activities and appointments to attend. However, summer hopefully gives us a more time to create.

I find the most successful method of strewing art is to first start my own project. As soon as the paints are out, they come running and want to join the fun.

So what do I have in mind for this summer?

• • Creating our own travel and nature journals
  • Working on some projects from the Celebrate Summer Mixed Media Course (and for an even better deal, check out Masterpiece Society Studio)
  • We have plans to visit art museums on our travels, so an art coloring book would probably get some use on the long drives
  • Sun prints on fabric – I didn’t know this was possible, but it looks beautiful and I’m sure my girls would love this. Here’s is a pre-treated fabric sheet that would be easier.

Summer Strewing Inspiration | History

Finally, is there a better season to strew some American History?

Summer is when I love to strew through experiences, whether it be a national park, historic site, or just the diverse landscape of America. We’ve seen the Santa Fe trail, battlefields, and petroglyphs.

Seeing these things in person makes them come to life in a way a book never can.

While I’m excited to head to Philadelphia and Washington D.C. for some intense American History strewing, you don’t have to travel far to connect with history.

• Visit your local historical site or museum
• Find roadside historical markers in your area
• Tour  historical sites online
• Use the Field Trip app, now we know what all the historical markers around us say

Summer Strewing and Enjoyment

We all want to enjoy our summers and take a break from the normal routine of everyday life. Strewing allows you to pull out those things and take those side trips you often put aside in favor of piano lessons and soccer games.

The world is an interesting place and our children are learning all the time, so be take a moment to think about ways to intentionally spark their curiosity.

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