Even though Charlie has graduated we love exploring our town and finding new and unique places to visit. Before we start exploring Riverside, Richland Hills, North Richland Hills, Haltom City, Grapevine and all the other communities around us, I think we need to get one thing ready.

Which for #Homeschool Families could be called a Homeschool Exploration Box. But it is a box anyone can use. Because one of the biggest ideas behind our new Homeschooling Close to Home series is that exploring your community doesn’t have to be expensive. Which is a Godsend for my family when exploring our Town one City at a time.

When planning your adventures you don’t have to buy lunch at every destination. You don’t need an expensive backpack full of specialty homeschool supplies. And you certainly don’t need to have everything perfectly organized before you walk out the door.

You can start with things you already have. A backpack. Nothing expensive just something that holds the items you need. A lunchbox or anything that will hold food and snacks for the day for your family.

A tote bag and include a plastic bag for any trash you accumulate and a folder for any paperwork you collect. A notebook and pen for any notes you want to take. A disposable camera so everyone can take photos.

Some pencils and Map Colors for unexpected art work. A library card. Check into a Library Card that works at several Libraires so your not tied into one or having to carry a bunch of cards around.

A card holder for any cards you need to bring including library cards and also a place to keep business cards you pick up. Several bottles of water for quick water breaks. And a little curiosity. That’s enough to begin.

I know you might be asking what Is a Homeschool Exploration Box? I wanted to let you know you should think of it as a small portable classroom. It can be a backpack, lunchbox, tote or whatever works for your family.

Inside, you’ll keep the simple things your children might need when you’re exploring a park, mural, library, historic building, museum, neighborhood or another local destination. You can keep adding to it as you go.

Start With the Basics a notebook or sketchbook for everyone your teaching is one of the first things I would put inside. Children can draw something they see, write down questions, record observations, sketch a building, describe a flower or simply write about something that caught their attention.

Then add pencils, pens, crayons and colored pencils and include enough for everyone so there is no, arguing over I wanted that color. Markers can be useful, too. And don’t worry about losing one. That’s why I like keeping extras in the car.

Children lose pencils. Crayons break. Pens disappear. Sometimes somebody leaves the whole pencil pouch somewhere. It happens. That’s why we’re creating a system that doesn’t require everything to be perfect.

A simple clipboard gives a child a hard surface for writing or drawing when you’re sitting outside, standing at a mural or exploring a park. You can also put printed scavenger hunts, observation sheets or our free exploration checklist on it.

Don’t Forget the Library Card This might be one of the most important things in the entire kit. Because our field trip doesn’t have to end when we leave the location. Maybe you see a flower you’ve never identified. Go to the library.

Maybe your child becomes fascinated by an old building. Go to the library. Maybe you discover Japanese food and want to learn more about Japan. Go to the library and find a cookbook or children’s book about Japanese culture.

Maybe you see a mural and want to learn about the artist. Research it. The library can turn one little discovery into an entire homeschool unit. Plus it is a cool free place to cool down and take a free break that doesn’t cost anything.

One of my favorite parts of this idea is that families don’t have to spend a lot of money eating out every time they explore. Pack a lunch. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich is perfectly fine. So is a turkey sandwich, cheese and crackers, fruit, vegetables or whatever your family normally packs.

Bring water. Bring your own drinks. And if you want a fun homemade snack, make a batch of simple Chex Mix before you leave. Which the whole family can make just ask them what one item they would like to have in the Chex Mix and you have a batch made in the wink of an eye.

You don’t even have to make everything from scratch. The point is simply to have something ready so hunger doesn’t automatically turn your inexpensive field trip into an expensive restaurant visit. If you have room in your vehicle, a small cooler can stay in the back with extra drinks and cold snacks.

Before You purchase anything ask around which might be my favorite part of putting together an exploration kit because you don’t have to automatically go shopping. Ask your friends. Ask your family. Ask your neighbors. Check free groups.

You never know what someone has sitting in a closet, garage or kitchen drawer that they aren’t using anymore. Someone may have an extra clipboard. Someone else may have a stack of notebooks.

A neighbor might have colored pencils their children have outgrown. Someone may have a small cooler, backpack, tote, magnifying glass or ruler sitting around collecting dust. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

And that is especially true when you’re building something like this. Before spending money, see what you can borrow, trade, repurpose or receive from someone who no longer needs it.

Then, when you do need something, check places like the dollar store, Goodwill, thrift stores, resale shops, garage sales and other secondhand stores. You don’t have to buy everything brand new. In fact, part of the fun can be finding inexpensive things that can be given a new purpose when you think outside the box.

As your family explores, you may discover that a few inexpensive tools come in handy. A magnifying glass can turn a walk through a park into a science investigation. A ruler can help with measuring leaves, rocks, artwork or objects.

A small measuring tape can make architecture and building exploration more interesting. You might eventually add binoculars, a compass or other simple tools. But don’t feel like you need to buy them all. Use what you have. Add what you need as time goes on.

Then Build a Car Exploration Kit This is the part I really want families to think about. Instead of putting everything into the backpack, keep a second collection of supplies in the car. Think of it as your Car Exploration Kit.

This is where you keep the things that are useful when you’re away from home but don’t necessarily need to carry around all day. When building the kit include change for parking and extra money for unexpected things that may happen.

You might include:

• Cleaning wipes we like Clorox Wipes for messes but also hand wipes for messy hands.
• Napkins for lunch
• Tissues for messy noses
• Paper towels which works in the place of plates
• Hand sanitizer for dirty hands
• plastic tablecloths to sit on and for dirty tables
• Small trash bags for trash you accumulate
• Flashlight and extra batteries because you may need them
• Extra pencils and pens and let everyone pick out there favorite from the Dollar Tree
• Extra paper including art paper
• Extra crayons and colored pencils because things happen
• Markers and try and get washable markers
• A few small books to keep kid distracted in the car while driving
• A couple of small toys like Fidget Spinners
• A blanket because places can get cold and it gives you somewhere to sit
• Sunglasses for everyone and extra’s pairs are good because they can get broken or lost
• Sunscreen for when the Sun is out
• Bug spray because we are in Texas and Mosquito’s may be out
• Extra water because someone will always be thirsty
• Extra snacks because just like with the water someone will be hungry
• A small cooler with Ice Packs to keep food and drinks cold
• An extra shirt for everyone for unexpected messes
• light weight jackets for places that may be cold
• Extra shorts or pants as appropriate
• Extra socks because socks can get wet and dirty and stinky
• A plastic bag for wet or dirty clothes because things happen
• A small towel to sit one when seats are hot
• Rain Poncho’s for unexpected Showers

And yes, an extra shirt for everybody is a really good idea. You never know when you’ll find a splash pad, water feature or unexpected rainstorm. Or maybe somebody spills their entire drink on themselves five minutes into the outing. It happens.

Having a clean shirt waiting in the car can turn a potential disaster into, “No big deal. We’ve got one.” The same thing goes for art supplies. Pencils disappear. Markers dry out. Crayons break. Paper gets left behind. That’s why the car kit is your backup.

Don’t forget a emergency kit and any medicine you need. Include a list of emergency numbers and Medicine everyone takes incase something happens and no, one can speak for themselves. Keep at least one phone unlocked and have your emergency number clearly marked and make sure it’s someone who isn’t with you.

This doesn’t have to become a giant collection of stuff taking over your vehicle. A small tote, plastic container or reusable bag can work. The goal is simply to have backup supplies when something gets forgotten, lost, broken or left behind.

And remember to check the kit occasionally. Replace things that have been used. Rotate snacks. Check sunscreen and other supplies periodically. Make sure clothing still fits the children.

It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just needs to be useful. Every family will create its own version. One child may need more art supplies. Another may want books. A younger child might need small toys for the car. An older child may want a camera, journal or more advanced research tools.

You may discover that your family spends more time outside and needs extra sunscreen and bug spray. Another family may spend more time visiting museums and libraries. That’s the beauty of homeschooling. You get to build what works for your children.

And Here’s the Most Important Part: Don’t wait until the box is perfect. You don’t need a brand-new backpack. You don’t need matching containers. You don’t need expensive supplies.

You don’t need a fancy curriculum. Grab what you already have. Ask a friend. Check with a neighbor. Visit a thrift store. Look at the dollar store. Repurpose something. Put a notebook in a bag.

Add some pencils. Fill a water bottle. Make a sandwich. Take your library card. And go see what you can find. Because the purpose of our Homeschooling Close to Home series isn’t to convince families to spend more money. It’s to help families discover that learning is already happening all around them.

The mural is a art project. The flower can led to a garden project. The old building teaches architecture. The cemetery teaches genealogy. The park can be a PE Class. The library can be a place to rest.

The restaurant and the food you have can become a cooking class as you prepare the food you had. The museum is another art class and reading class and even a place to rest where its cool.The strange little thing you’ve driven past a hundred times and never stopped to investigate. Those can all become lessons.

How to Use This Checklist

Start with what you already have at home. Check with friends, family, and neighbors before buying anything. Visit thrift stores, resale shops, Goodwill, garage sales, and your local dollar store for inexpensive supplies.

Choose a backpack, lunchbox, tote, or small container for your Homeschool Exploration Box. Keep the larger backup supplies in your car’s Exploration Kit. Check items off as you gather them, and add things that work specifically for your family.

You don’t have to buy everything at once. Build your kit a little at a time and remember: one person’s unused item can become another family’s homeschool treasure!

So let’s get our exploration boxes ready.

The next adventure might be right outside our own door.

Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates