Tot Schooling With Tyrion

As Tyrion is only 2, we are not doing any formal homeschooling with him yet, it is mostly free play. We have begun being more intentional about making sure he has a wide variety of learning opportunities though.

We visit several libraries in the area but the one we consider our home library is the Haverhill Public Library, we spend a lot of time there because they have an great selection of books, a variety of programs for both kids, and an amazing staff.

The Haverhill library has two different programs for Tyrion's age group on alternating Mondays. One week they do a lapsit story time with books, songs and some fun additions to keep the kids moving and interested. The opposite week they do a program called Little Explorers which is Tyrion's favorite. This program is always something different but it's all based on sensory play. They've done playdoh, textured balls, a variety of car tracks, wrapped things in aluminum foil for the kids to unwrap, water play and many other things.

Playing with boats made from pool noodles. 

The Little Explorers program is one of my favorite things because it's an opportunity for Tyrion to try new things without Matt and I having to spend money on supplies or do a lot of prep work just to find that he's uninterested or dislikes whatever the activity is. I often find myself wanting to recreate the activities at home but there are times when something I think he would love is just not interesting to him.

Something else we love to do at any library we visit is try out their collection of puzzles. We have some at home but it's great to try out new ones, it keeps him from getting bored with what we have and saves us from spending a lot of money on things he will soon outgrow.

Playing outside at a soccer field. 

In addition to visiting the libraries, we love to spend time outdoors whether in our own backyard or hiking on some of the local trails. This gives us all some exercise and provides an opportunity for Tyrion (and Davis) to pick up, look at, touch, smell and occasionally even taste if we're not quick enough various plants, rocks etc.

Exploring in the woods. 

We've seen some really cool animals like Bald Eagles, chipmunks, rabbits, deer, turkeys and ducks in out explorations and I think it's really important for both boys to see as many animals as possible in their natural habitats.



Playgrounds are another outdoor space we spend a lot of time at. This provides both physical activity and interaction with other kids.

The slides are one of his favorite things. 

Since we can't spend all of our time outside of the house, I try to plan some fun activities
at home too. We have a lot of toys and books available for him to play with but he sometimes gets bored with them so we'll rotate them, putting some away and bringing them out again when he's bored with what's out.

A book and a toy in one!

We sometimes try out the activities we've done at the library programs or come up with our own fun things to do.  He enjoys coloring, painting, playdoh, puzzles, reading, singing and playing.

Painting pictures. 

Tyrion also gets to tag along on lots of Davis' homeschooling adventures.  While he's obviously not learning the things Davis is, he's still absorbing a lot and just enjoying being included. 

In the future, I'll be writing about some more of the specific activities we do with Tyrion as part of his learning at home adventures.