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How to Homeschool on the Go in Chicago

Curriculum· Family Life· Unschooling

16 Sep

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. At no additional cost to you, clicking in these links go to support our blog. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

We were recently a trip to Chicago.  My husband was doing some work there and we, as a married couple, have never spent a night apart.  This can present many challenges.  If he travels, merrily we roll along!   Considering that, it is incredibly fortunate that we homeschool and I work from home so, at least we don’t have to worry about that!  This trip left me traveling by myself with our 3 kids to meet back up with Daddy in Chicago.

Related:  Read more about Christina.

When Distraction Gets the Best of You…

Here’s the thing.  I am easily distracted and have a tendency to think I can accomplish more in a set time period than I really should…this can be problematic.  Lists and planners are my friend; most of the time.  The thing is, in order for a list to work, you have to remember to put things on it.  I’m sure you catch my drift here! Trench Mom Nichole uses the Blue Sky Monthly Planner and this is the one I’m buying now that mine is done.

I have taught all 3 of my kids about animal adaptations over the years in science.  One of my adaptations is to make plans for when I forget!  In other words, I run through all the things I absolutely must have and cannot go without FIRST.  Then I make a plan for what to do when I forget everything else; you know, give myself grace before grace is needed!  Prepare for being unprepared.  It’s a thing.

It all comes down to creative homeschooling on the go.  We use iPads and iPhones for some of the school we do, but the rest is done on the fly!  Its really because I  just don’t want to pack the books.  And to be honest, this time I just forgot to pack them.  They just didn’t make the list.  I did do a little research and found a great site with some bags that would be perfect for traveling with school stuff.  You can check them out here.  

We do a lot of our schooling in the unschool style.  I prefer to plan what we will learn about by looking into the place we’re going and seeing what’s there!  Most of the time I do this in advance, but it usually doesn’t go as planned.  This trip was no exception.

A City Makes a Fantastic Classroom

Don’t get me wrong.  We definitely use our travels to educate.  There’s plenty to learn in any location.  History, geography, science…we use these notebooks to journal and draw as well as take notes.  We use pamphlets, maps, whatever we can find for the area. We also reach out to visitors bureaus in advance and they will send us loads of great stuff we can go over before we go.

Another favorite activity is letting them use the maps to help us navigate.  The younger ones do the park maps and my oldest uses the maps in the city.  Of course, I must add the importance of double-checking lest you find yourself on the wrong side of town due to miscalculations!  Not that I have any experience with that. Bus numbers can be confusing! Just saying.

Homeschooling on the go in Chicago at the Chicago Bean

Homeschool on the Go in Chicago

We stayed just north of Chicago we had to take the train into the city.  Maps and train schedules came into play right away.

Once we arrived, we used the map to walk to our first stop; a tiny cafe bakery where we experienced the most amazing macrons.  My oldest has a huge pet peeve of macrons vs macaroons.  She can give you a dissertation on the baking differences. We discussed this with the bakers who seemed to love talking about it!

We made it to Millenium Park where we found our way to ice skating and got the chance to finally see Cloud Gate!  I have seen many pictures of this bean-shaped piece of art but it was magnificent in person giving us an opportunity for landmarks in geography.

Yes, You Can Use Food to Homeschool on the Go

We took the train and then had to navigate the bus system from there. Stay tuned for a post about traveling by public transportation!  You see, I had this initial plan of going to see all that there was there and using it for teachable moments.  But then, after the train and the buses, all we wanted to do was eat!  And Chicago has a lot of food to offer.

The next day, we took the train again and went to eat amazing food at the Navy Pier which is on Lake Michigan.  Naturally, we had a homeschool on the go lesson on the Great Lakes and frozen lakes which, being from Florida, was a sight for these kids.  We tried our hand at some more…cultural type food like falafel and baklava! That was an experience.

It wasn’t until later we realized this was a healthier version of falafel and probably nowhere near as good. I totally knew that and was trying to be a good mom and feed them healthy food. Totally.  We also did an enormous maze.  It was crazy fun and challenging for all of us.  We may have even screamed a little bit.

Museums and Hands-on Learning

From there, we took another bus and headed to the Field Museum. Here we were able to homeschool on the go with our Orlando Science Center membership to get in free. However, true to form for me, we got there less than two hours before closing.

We rushed through as much as we could! It is actually an incredible museum with so much to see. Upon entering, you are met with a Titanosaurus!  This is one of the largest known land animals to have ever lived.  It lives up to its expectations.

The exhibits are very interactive and with my very nerdy kids, they wanted to get the most out of each section. They had an incredible exhibit inside a pyramid with actual mummies which went along with a lot of previous lessons we’ve covered.

Totally planned that too. Totally.

There’s a great dinosaur exhibit with a T-Rex named Sue, but we never found her because we plain ran out of time and I didn’t plan out our visit very well.  However, we did see the sign.

On-the-Go Homeschooler

Navigating the city was actually pretty fun. I wish we had more time and, being totally honest, more energy.  Be sure to keep your eyes out for more of our adventures traveling and how to homeschool on the go through Chicago.

Will you be visiting Chicago?  Check these amazing places out.

 

If you enjoyed this post, check out How to Get Around Chicago with Kids…Solo.

Related Posts:

  • How to Get Around Chicago with Kids...Solo
    How to Get Around Chicago with Kids...Solo
  • How to get Homeschool Books for Cheap
    How to get Homeschool Books for Cheap
  • 17 Gifts for Moms who Homeschool
    17 Gifts for Moms who Homeschool
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About Christina

Christina Sawyer was born in New Jersey but moved to Florida when she was 2 years old.  She went to college at the University of Central Florida where she received a BS in Education.  She paid her way as an aerial acrobat in live shows in Orlando.  After teaching for a few years, it became clear performing was the life she wanted.  She met her husband performing in a stunt show together! At some point, amidst the performing, she began having kids and eventually left the performing world.  Now she works at home while homeschooling her 3 crazies and runs a crochet business. As an introverted extrovert, you might find her hiding in the corner of a busy room!

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Christina Sawyer
We had the most amazing day today kayaking, swimm We had the most amazing day today kayaking,  swimming, floating, playing volleyball, eating, and chilling with great friends. The weather was spot on! We closed the place down because we just couldn’t stop having fun. @dotraveler 
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New adventures abound! Have you ever been camping? New adventures abound! Have you ever been camping? After months of talking and planning, a few hundred camper tours, (and a little nudge from the good ole COVID), we bought our sweet Baby Salem! She’s our newest family member and our home away from home. We’ve had her since the beginning of September and have already taken 4 trips with 3 more planned including 2 trips to North Georgia! Look. I know Covid has ruined some plans and changed a lot of lives. It certainly has managed to touch every single person I know in some way. We needed to change our path if we didn’t want to sit at home for the next year. So when my husband came home one day and said, “Hey...what would you think about us buying a camper?” I LEAPT!! I’m not gonna lie. There is an enormous learning curve here. And big toys require big work. But it has been so worth it and I can’t wait to see where this new family member takes us! Are you a camper? Comment with some of your adventures and favorite places to visit! 
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Ridiculously Easy Halloween Costumes for Kids - Mo Ridiculously Easy Halloween Costumes for Kids - Moms in the Trenches⁠
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Have you found yourself homeschooling for the first time? Are you a veteran homeschooler? Schoolhouseteachers.com has a huge variety of curriculum from ready to go box to my favorite, the pick and choose. I have been using them since last year as supplemental but they are incredibly versatile and have all grade levels! Right now they are running a #sharkweek special where you can buy one year, get one year free!! But even better, I am running a #GIVEAWAY!!!! 
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True #TrenchMomMoment. I got this amazing new Medi True #TrenchMomMoment. I got this amazing new Mediterranean cookbook. I’ve been making these awesome recipes and they have been absolutely delicious. Today I decided to try falafel. Things didn’t go as planned. I have no idea what happened. What I do know, this is NOT what #falafel is supposed to look like. I even made the most amazing #tahini and lemon sauce to go with it. Please. Please I beg you to make me feel better and give me your best #cookingfail. I feel pretty defeated in the kitchen at the moment. Oh. And our faucet broke in the shower so my handy husband is repairing it which means we have no water and I can’t cook something else. #crying
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Does the thought of moving make you want to bury y Does the thought of moving make you want to bury yourself under a pile of clothes and never come out? Yeah, me too. It’s quite possibly why I’ve only ever moved about 5 times in my life. However, the last time I moved, I did hire a moving company.⁠
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It may sound like an added cost over doing it yourself. Yes, things may be done your way. But at what cost? Let’s take a look at why you should choose a moving company and how to make that decision. Plus, we have one more reason to choose a moving company below.⁠
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There are several reasons why you should choose a moving company. Even if you’re moving locally, a reputable moving company such as Infinite Moving Company does a lot of the work for you. Consider these things a moving company can do for you.⁠
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Providing boxes, pads and other packing materials⁠
Wrapping special items for you to ensure they’re secure⁠
Packing your entire household, deliver it, and unpack it⁠
Giving you organizing tips, checklists, and perform a final sweep for forgotten items⁠
Loading and unloading in a certain order according to your preferences⁠
Again, while you could do it yourself and watch a ton of YouTube videos about the best way to pack and move, a team of professionals does this every day. They’ve seen and done it all.⁠
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Moving is stressful as it is. There are a lot of logistics to consider. Take one thing off your plate and hire a moving company.
In this very strange time we’re living, sometime In this very strange time we’re living, sometimes adding a smile to someone’s face is as simple as a message. A #socialdistancingcard is a simple way to reach out and touch someone without touching! Get yours here and get creative with your #socialdistancing !  http://tidd.ly/10eca7de⁣
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We love our #Etsy products. We know we can trust t We love our #Etsy products. We know we can trust their name and their company.  They’re a go-to when I need to find something good and fast! And a lot of the businesses are offering #freeshipping✈  right now! #etsyaffiliate
In this very strange time we’re living, sometime In this very strange time we’re living, sometimes adding a smile to someone’s face is as simple as a message. A #socialdistancingcard is a simple way to reach out and touch someone without touching! Get yours here and get creative with your #socialdistancing !  http://tidd.ly/10eca7de
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PUT DATE NIGHT ON YOUR CALENDAR⁠ Dating your spo PUT DATE NIGHT ON YOUR CALENDAR⁠
Dating your spouse sometime has to be intentional.  Plan it.  Get it on the calendar.  Make it a habit.  Get alone time in and dig down deep.  Do it for each other and your marriage. Finding ways to date your spouse can be fun all on its own. Do whatever you need to get some time with your spouse.  Trade babysitting with friends or have a date night at home after the kids go to bed.  Set aside a few dollars and pick something free or cheap.  It is so important and so very worth it.  Take pictures and lots of them and don’t be sorry you did.  Encourage your friends to do the same.  Form a group that encourages each other and keeps you accountable.⁠
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Between the three of us, we have, 16, 15, 15, 14, Between the three of us, we have, 16, 15, 15, 14, 11, 11, 7, & 6. ⁠
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If you’ve never camped before, this could be one If you’ve never camped before, this could be one of the more daunting staycation ideas. However, it could also be the best one to bring you closer to the whole family.⁠
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Find a local county or state park and spend a night or two in the great outdoors. Even if you don’t have camping equipment or an RV, you can rent one through peer to peer sites such as Outdoorsy.⁠
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There might even be local camping events in your hometown. Recently, my hometown did a National Camp Out where about 50 families camped along the waterfront.⁠
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#travel #momswhotravel #kidswhotravel #travelmore #travelexperiences⁠ #staycation #springbreakideas #staycationideas⁠
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Are you adventurous? Take a kayak ride! Local pl Are you adventurous?  Take a kayak ride!  Local places rent them or maybe, if you’re really adventurous and plan to do this more often, find yourself one on Craig’s List or a local Facebook group.  There are some amazing nighttime bioluminescence tours which, when combined with dinner, make quite a romantic date night.⁠
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Do you live near nature trails or biking trails?  Find some local adventure.  Go on a hike, a bike ride, or walk to a lake or river.  Pack a picnic basket and make a day of it.  Fresh air and exercise can do amazing things to our brains and body not to mention our relationships.  The best part about this date is it is free!⁠
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This one is for all you athletic couples.  Find local climbing gyms and spend the day.  Being active together is a great way to have fun and stay connected and work together.  This one can tend to be a little more expensive but some gyms offer memberships if its something you may return to do more often.  Also, check Groupon for deals that you might be able to cash in on!⁠
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#date #dating #dateyourspoouse #marrieddating #datingadvice #datingtips  #relationshipsgoals #relationshipgoals #couplestuff #momlife #dadlife⁠
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 #momlifebelike #momlife #momlifehacks #momlifebalance⁠
Mine... I'll survive if only one more thing I woul Mine... I'll survive if only one more thing I would do to make sure that you can come over here and get it done.⁠
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Apparently I need your help! 😂⁠
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#questions #Questionoftheday #questiontime #askingforafriend #momsinthetrenches #momlife #momlifebelike #momlifehacks #momlifebalance
Need an idea for a Staycation?⁠
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SEE A SHOW!⁠
Many of the larger cities bring the Broadway Across America Tour series to their signature theater. This is an incredible and fun way to see Broadway-caliber shows, without going to New York. Make a night or weekend out of it and get dressed up, go out for a nice dinner, and see a show. There are over 30 cities in the US and more in Canda that offer these shows.⁠
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Even if you don’t go for the big names, check out your local youth theater. We often partner with Orlando Rep to see their extraordinary lineup of shows and they never disappoint. ⁠
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#travel #momswhotravel #kidswhotravel #travelmore #travelexperiences⁠ #staycation #springbreakideas #staycationideas⁠
#homeschoollife #momlife #kids #snacks #homeschoolmom #workathome #stayathome #homeschooling #homeschoolblog #homeschooldays #homeschoollifestyle #homeschoolersofinstagram  #momlifebelike #momlife #momlifehacks #momlifebalance⁠
MAKE IT A NIGHT IN⁠ Staying in can be more fun t MAKE IT A NIGHT IN⁠
Staying in can be more fun than going out! YouTube has a multitude of date night painting at home videos. Do a simple search and modify for what you are looking for.  Grab some sushi, a selection of cheeses from your local grocery store, or whatever easy finger foods you like, and top it off with a bottle of your favorite wine.  You can find all the supplies easily at a local craft store or in an all-in-one kit.  This is a date that will be full of laughs and fun in your own home with minimal expense.⁠
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#date #dating #dateyourspoouse #marrieddating #datingadvice #datingtips  #relationshipsgoals #relationshipgoals #couplestuff #momlife #dadlife⁠
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 #momlifebelike #momlife #momlifehacks #momlifebalance⁠
I would say, not to listen to anyone else but your I would say, not to listen to anyone else but your heart.⁠
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#questions #Questionoftheday #questiontime #askingforafriend #momsinthetrenches #momlife #momlifebelike #momlifehacks #momlifebalance
Here at Moms in the Trenches, we do a lot of “lo Here at Moms in the Trenches, we do a lot of “love where you live” activities and posts. With active families, it’s not always possible to get away for a long vacation. Plus, sometimes you need staycation ideas to vacation on a budget.⁠
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Sometimes the best vacations are the ones that happen at home or on a staycation. We often overlook all there is to do in our own backyards, taking for granted the affordable ways to experience something new. That is what travel is after all, right? Having new experiences. I’ve come up with a few ideas on how to be a tourist in your hometown.⁠
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https://momsinthetrenches.com/staycation-ideas-for-the-whole-family/
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