Even though our homeschool co-op is small (only four families and a total of 12 children), we still try to do lots of fun activities and field trips. Last year, we were able to visit museums and zoos as well as go on many tours of different facilities. With so many new changes because of Covid, we are not able to do most of these things this year. But, that isn’t stopping us from moving forward with meeting and having fun together.
We have made a few changes this year. The first one being, we will no longer be meeting at our church once a month. We did this to give the children a chance to play basketball or other indoor sports in our activities building. We also cleaned the church as a service to them for allowing us to meet there. Since the pandemic, our church has hired professional cleaners to clean each week. They are specially trained to disinfect and sanitize. There are also other restrictions that don’t allow us to meet at church anymore.
Instead, we are planning to meet at one of the family’s homes during the winter months to do crafts, bake cookies, and learn some new art. Our group is small enough and pretty close-knit so we can do this without breaking any rules. This family has a home and a large plot of land that can accommodate our group without being too squished in on each other.
Another change we have made is all of our field trips are outside and in the open air. We go to local and state parks all over our area. We go for long hikes, play on the playground, feed the ducks, and visit. We also explore the park as we walk and look at the different things in nature we find. It’s been a lot of fun so far.
Although our co-op looks a little different and we have lost one of our families because of the restrictions, we are still trying to be somewhere normal for the children. We are keeping our group on the smaller side so we don’t break any rules and we are allowing those who want to be selective in what they attend to do so without any repercussions.
We are being careful and taking precautions but we also know that we have to live and not be fearful. Our outdoor field trips have allowed us to feel a little bit normal in all the chaos. My children have enjoyed being able to see other kids and play with them. It’s been such a joy to see the smiles on their faces as they walk and talk and enjoy nature with others.
