“Stop daydreaming and get to work!”
How many of us heard this?
The traditional form of school that most of us grew up didn’t leave time for dreaming.
Everything was very scheduled.
A bell rang to call us to class.
Another bell rang to tell us when we were late.
Bells rang to tell us when it was time to eat and when to go home.
Government schools are scheduled because government regulations require that instruction must be given in specific subjects for a certain number of minutes.
Unfortunately, some very important higher-level thinking skills like creativity can’t be taught on a schedule.
Creativity does not develop quickly.
Each of us needs time to think, to dream, to imagine.
That’s what childhood is for!
It’s so easy to get caught up in the scheduled portions of homeschooling, especially if your state has mandates for how many hours you must spend on educational pursuits.
I would submit, though, that a certain amount of down-time IS an educational pursuit.
Students need time to internalize what they’ve learn, explore their own thoughts about their subjects, make connections, and experiment with ideas.
Whenever possible, schedule some free time to focus on creative activities.
This is NOT goof-off time, chore time, video or gaming time.
This IS time to reflect, try out new ideas, or develop skills.
If you must log this time, I believe it would be legitimate to count it toward the subject being pursued or as personal development.
In the truest sense, that’s exactly what it is!