Our First In-School Homeschool Field Trip

It's a little silly to be doing so much homeschool stuff while the girls are still, you know, in SCHOOL, but I do like figuring out some workable strategies and activities ahead of time, and I like that we're meeting other homeschooling families and getting the community vibe ahead of time, and the daily digest from the homeschooling group that we joined is always stocked with a TON of awesome stuff that we want to do! I've already had to miss out on a farm tour and two ski trips, so I was NOT going to miss out on this morning field trip to the IU Art Museum.

It's a great space, because the galleries are small and, in the mornings, at least, not very crowded--VERY important to kid-friendliness, because huge expanses seem to invite running in a way that smaller rooms do not, and it's much more relaxing to be able to hold a conversation without using your whisper voices. We enjoyed mosaics--
--and masks--

--and the guards here, unlike the guards in the Indianapolis Art Museum, for instance, were very friendly and approachable. I did get chastised, AGAIN, for taking a photograph (when will I learn about temporary exhibits?), but a couple of guards chatted with the girls, and one even came over to point out to Willow that, in her rambling little monologue about a sculpture she was examining, she had actually guessed its title--it was very Montessori-like, perhaps is why.

We did meet several other homeschoolers and their moms, but--and perhaps this is very homeschool-like?--as soon as we all entered the first gallery we scattered and I didn't see most of them again, at least on that trip. The organizer also handed us some pretty awesome scavenger hunt stuff, but--and perhaps this is very homeschool-like of us?--we basically just did our own thing with sketchbooks and photographs and wandering, and didn't do the hunt, at least that time.

But we did do the gift shop, of COURSE. One postcard for each person and, as an extra treat, an IU Art Museum coloring book--how cool is that?

I assure you, Sydney's representation of the museum is dead-on.