One of my favorite parts of our reading challenge is it can be done anywhere including inside or outside. Today we’re heading outside, pitching or pretend tent we can make using balmkets, and looking up at the stars with Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night.
Join my family for today’s 30 Minute Reading Challenge, as we join Henry and his dog Mudge on a family camping trip. Henry, Mudge, and Henry’s parents head into the outdoors for a day filled with hiking, nature, good food, family stories, and plenty of time together.
They see deer, raccoons, waterfalls, and rainbows. Henry’s mother cooks camp food, his father sings those wonderfully embarrassing old songs that dads sometimes sing, and at the end of the day the family lies back and looks at the stars.
Well, everyone except Mudge. Mudge has his own idea of a perfect evening—chewing on a log! Which is what Sandy would do if Charlie and I brought her to camp out with us. While Pheobie and Bear sleep under the stars.
And that’s part of what makes this story so sweet. It’s not about an expensive vacation or an elaborate family adventure. It’s about getting away together, slowing down, and making memories.
One of the things I love about our reading challenge is that a book doesn’t have to end when we close the cover. More times to not the story can lead to learning not just for #Homeschool families but for anyone who wants to learn something new.
Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night can become the beginning of a whole conversation about the night sky. This book could lead into lessons about astronomy, constellations, the moon, planets, nighttime animals, camping, weather, and nature observation.
You could take a blanket outside after dark and see what you can find in the sky. Keep a simple notebook and let your child draw the moon or record the stars they notice. Look for constellations. Talk about why some animals are awake at night while others sleep.
You don’t need an expensive telescope or a house full of science equipment to make it a learning experience. Sometimes learning begins with simply looking up. Which Charlie and I still do just as much as when we was homeschooling.
You don’t have to spend a fortune which is another reason I think this book makes such a wonderful family read. A camping adventure doesn’t have to mean an expensive campground, expensive equipment, or a week-long vacation.
You can start right at home. Have a backyard campout. Put sleeping bags on the porch. Make simple camp food. Tell stories. Turn off the lights and watch the sky. Even a family walk after sunset can become an adventure when everyone slows down enough to notice what’s around them.
And if your children become fascinated by the stars, there are inexpensive ways to encourage that interest. A book about constellations, a star chart, binoculars, a nature journal, or another simple learning tool can turn curiosity into exploration.
This is where books like this become especially useful for our Greatful Moments gift guides. A child who loves looking at the stars doesn’t necessarily need another toy that will be forgotten in a few weeks.
You could build a little stargazer gift basket with a children’s astronomy book, a notebook, pencils, a star chart, binoculars, or another age-appropriate learning tool. That idea could work for Christmas, birthdays, summer gifts, or even a back-to-school learning gift.
And Halloween doesn’t always have to mean candy and plastic trinkets either. Imagine giving a child something connected to space, stars, planets, or science instead. A gift can be fun and educational at the same time.
That’s what I hope we’re teaching through our 30 Minutes Reading Challenge. We’re not simply saying, “Read for 30 minutes.” We’re saying: Read the book. Get curious. Ask questions. Follow the adventure.
One story can lead to another book. One question can lead to a science lesson. One camping story can lead to looking at the stars together. And one simple evening outside can become a family memory your children remember for years.
Today we wrap up our Henry and Mudge reading series and we will be moving on to something new. And I have a feeling our next series may give the girls a chance to take center stage.
Until then, grab a book, find a comfortable spot, and give yourself 30 minutes to read, imagine, learn, and perhaps discover something new together. Happy Reading! Remember the books we share with you aren’t the books you have to read pick something you have in your home.
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Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates