Pandora's Box By Lilianna Maxwell
Every summer I run a History through the Creative Arts camp for homeschoolers in my area. It started as a way to do history with my own children that was based on something other than war and politics. I find it easier to relate periods of history to what the classical composers were doing at the time, and figured maybe my children were the same way.
To make my children more excited, I invited their friends to join us for a week exploring a period in history listening to music, eating food, making clothing, looking at art, etc. I like to get historic materials for crafts and realized I needed to ask the parents for supply money. Over the years, this became tuition, and eventually I started a business on learning through the creative arts.
Although I started it for my kids, it also gives me the fun of exploring a time period. I like research and getting into a subject, but it’s hard to dedicate my time to something unless it’s related to my main job: homeschooling my kids. That’s why these camps are so much fun for me. I decide the time period a year ahead of time and get to research for months on a topic. I can become obsessed and nerdy, and blame it on my kids!
[To read about the rest of Rebecca Angel’s ascent into nerdy history projects, go over to GeekMom!]
