Core Four in a Bag Success!

About a week ago, I had the opportunity to test out our Core Four in a Bag somewhere besides our front lawn.  I am happy to report:  It is a success!

After Jack's E.I. appointment that morning, we piled into the van for a doctor appointment for Luke.  Before we did, I grabbed our Core Four Bag and a quick picnic lunch. With these in the van, I felt free to go wherever the day took us without worrying about breaking the habit of lesson time we have been slowly building again as summer draws to a close.

So, where did it take us?

After the doctor's appointment, since it was beautiful out, we stopped at one of the kids' favorite local playgrounds for a bite to eat and some nourishment for the soul.  I read aloud from one of our Catholic Children's Treasure Box books as we enjoyed eating al fresco in the warmth and sunshine.  Then, it was time free play time for phys. ed. and socialization.

Physical education halted when Luke spied a family launching air rockets.  Before long, he called Nina over and the two of them sat entranced for quite some time while I played with Jack on a nearby roundabout.

When the family stopped shooting off their rockets, Luke and Nina joined Jack and me for some roundabout fun and, then, Luke and I found our way to the shade under a tree for a lesson from Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.

Jack asked for "my turn" when Luke was done reading, so we did some speech work using pictures in our Catholic Children's Treasure Box book.  Then, Nina came over for her brief reading lesson while Luke went off on a Math Challenge around the playground, counting up different types of playground equipment and writing notes in his notebook about it.

After Luke reported back to me with his math notebook, we all enjoyed a bit more outdoor play before walking over to a nearby library to play in the children's room, color an pick out audiobooks and CD's, which we listened to on our way home.

"Formal" Faith, Reading and Math lessons.  Informal P.E., social skills, library skills and music lessons.  Not bad for a day when a relatively last-minute appointment took us away from the house.

Our Core Four in a Bag is a keeper!

What tools help you offer flexibility yet key lessons and routines to your children?