Fred Rogers once said, 'Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.'

Ben and Learning through Play

The other day, after listening to the endless preteen drones of boredom, my wife relented and took our 12-year-old son fishing at the creek near our house. Before she could reiterate the usual motherly commandments—thou shalt not get thy good shoes muddy, thou shalt not get thy clothing wet, etc.—Ben was already diving into the waist-high brackish water. Up from the bottom of the creek, he pulled out a whopping 20-pound snapping turtle he had caught by the tail. “Look, Mom!” he exclaimed with delight. Half-panicked, but not wanting to smother, my wife nervously snapped a photo of Ben and his prize and gave a hearty thumbs-up, before he released his catch into the creek again. By noon, the news of Ben’s monster catch had already spread far and wide between family and friends, and Ben gleamed with all the pride of a professional angler.

By now, you might be wondering about Ben’s overall safety and our questionable parenting practices. We get that a lot from people. What most people don’t know is that Ben is already a highly-skilled, self-taught fisherman with many years of experience handling a wide variety of fish, reptiles, turtles, non-venomous snakes, and other odd creatures. He respects nature, knows how to handle the more dangerous critters, and always uses great caution in his approach and care of God’s creatures.

Learning is an Adventure

I share this story as a great example of the many adventures a previously home schooled, classically-educated kid can have, as all of life and the great outdoors become an interactive laboratory where knowledge never ceases and the world is open for discovery. Classical education emphasizes a comprehensive and holistic approach to learning, with consideration of a child’s personality, temperament, learning style, abilities, and even growth-areas—and plenty of fun and adventure (and sometimes danger!) built in. One of my favorite aspects of classical education is that learning doesn’t begin with the first day of school, and adventure doesn’t end with the last day of summer.

Savor the Last Playful Memories of Summer

It is exciting seeing our kids grow in wisdom and stature when we let off the brakes a bit and allow them (within reason, of course) to experience for themselves an intriguing world at their fingertips, and the wondrous God who made it all. With just a few weeks left of summertime, be sure to savor the remaining moments with your kids in the wild and encourage their innate sense of adventure throughout the year—whether at the creek, the ocean, or your own backyard.