We went on a long-awaited vacation to visit some friends in Texas for about 3 weeks. While we were there, we tried to have a few "educational trips" for the kids.
Some people may say that a "vacation" isn't necessarily educational but I say....it can be!! I love the fact that you can be having fun and learning at the same time!!
Since I was alone in Texas with all four kids (without my husband), I did chose to keep it pretty low-key but we still managed to have a few outings. If my husband would have been with me, I'm sure we would have added a couple more.
Our first educational outing....The Woodland's Children Museum! I had been there a few years ago when they were located in The Woodland's Mall. The new location is in a strip mall and it was only about 1/5 of the size it used to be. I was really bummed but the kids still seemed to have a good time.
Gabe chillin' in his "Fireman" outfit. He loves to dress up...especially when he gets to pretend he's putting out a fire!
This was a fun little place to play. The whole pit was filled with cut up tire material. Gabe was in heaven with all the trucks!
The twinners liked playing in them as well. It took them a little while to get used to the feel of the pieces but they ended up having lots of fun!
The Children's Museum was definitely not for Hannah's age group but she was a good sport about it. Her and I had a fun game of Giant Checkers, which she liked. She also liked seeing the babies toddle around the "toddlers" area. She's such a wonderful big sister and an amazing young woman!
In the "toddler" area, there were some really nifty toys available, as you can see, even Hannah was trying them out. I really liked these magnet boards! I did some research when I got back to my friend's house and found the website. The site was AMAZING!!! I've already ordered several things off of it. I posted the link just prior to this post.
Our next outing....The USS Texas!! This was my little 5yr old boys DREAM field trip!! He got to sit by several HUGE guns and pretend he was shooting them. We don't have toy guns in our home so I had to explain that these guns were real. That they were used in both WWI & WWII. Even though my little guy was entranced by them, I wanted to educate him on what they were designed for(killing/defending) and how important they are to have to maintain our freedoms that we have in this country!
The USS Texas!! It was HUGE!!! And it got HOT...we were in Houston!!!
It has a lot of history to offer to those who are willing to take the time and learn.
My little gunner...I had mixed feelings about him sitting up there BUT I know he has a huge interest in the military so I allowed him hands-on. He was able to turn the base around,while riding on it, which he thought was so cook, and then raise or lower the gun to aim wherever he was pretending to shoot.
Here's Hannah on a similar gun. She liked it, as well, but not nearly as much as Gabe!
I loved how they had many plaques around the ship with information on them. It was like a real life history book!! I loved reading them to the children. I was hoping they'd have a great book to purchase for our "Learners Book Shelf" but they didn't. I think I may go on Amazon and see if there's one out there. The stories of this battleship are amazing and I'd love to continue revisiting it's history.
They also had a great film that the kids really enjoyed, but once again, they didn't offer it
in their gift shop!! A major bummer!!
Hannah had a wonderful opportunity to learn how to sew while in Texas. She went to a church meeting with my friend's daughter, and thus had the opportunity to sew her own apron. My friend helped her with it (because she wanted it to be a surprise for me) and I have to say, Hannah did a terrific job!! She's such an amazing example to me!!
Hannah showin' off her apron! She's definitely got some talent in the sewing department...unlike her mother! I try to sew at least twice a year, just to keep my basic skills still intact but I have to admit, it's not my cup of tea. I find it stressful (my unpicking tool becomes my best friend) until it's all finished....then it all seems worth it, when I see the finished project.
Our last outing was to the Houston Zoo...always a educational field trip!! Houston has an AMAZING zoo. When we move back there (keeping my fingers crossed), I'm sure we'll become members so we can return multiple times because it's just so huge, it's almost impossible to see it all in one visit.
Here's Hannah with her new friend...they seemed to have an instant bond!
When I found out they allowed people to feed the giraffes, I jumped at the opportunity! The kids thought it was great and I'd never been so close to giraffes before. It was awesome!!
I absolutely LOVED how this Zoo had plaques all over the place with educational information on them. And what I liked even more, was that I kept noticing Hannah stopping to read them. I can see that she's beginning to understand that it's not about just coming and "seeing" the animals, it's also about coming and "learning" about the animals. I felt more than willing to see less animals, if it meant to stop and allow her to read about the one we were presently seeing. I can definitely see how a TJEd education is changing her in the most wonderful way!
So there you have it...our "educational outings" in a nutshell. I'm so grateful for my understanding that an education usually isn't gained from work books but from life experiences, mentors, and classics!!! I see the growth in my children and in myself...and I'm LOVING it!!
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