Free and Low Cost “Whole”istic Learning Opportunities: Social Studies

We believe in a “whole”istic approach to learning (which is generally free and low cost). So what does that mean to us for the social studies? Well...it is like this...

~Going to library and stock pile books on a child’s favorite topic.
~Volunteering at historical villages/museums (some have a free day once a year or once a month or you could buy a family pass for a year and get free admission to several places throughout your state-we also buy our pass discounted locally and then go to the more expensive museums with it).
~Go to see replicas, historic places (houses, boats, battlefields).
~Interviewing people in the field that interests the child or someone that lived at a certain time in history.
~Joining hobby groups that are in your interest and go to reenactments.
~Visiting local interesting places: factory, radio or tv station, newspaper office, airport, vet office, pet store, animal shelter, utility company, florist, and grocery store to name a few.
~Visiting local official offices: police department, fire department, squad, surveryor’s office, judge or lawyer, city committee meeting, state capital, post office, and a trustee meeting.
~Making maps of places visited, vacation spots, battlefields, places in books
~Studying your local topography.
~Researching the history of a vacation destination.
~Working on genealogy projects at libraries, old cemeteries, church records, and court houses. Creating family archive of recorded history.
~Putting ancestors on timeline in place of other historical events that you are studying.
~Looking up news for the day you were born.
~Using historic places, landmarks, monuments, or battlefields to learn about a time in history.
~Using online historic documents or primary source documents.
~Participating in cultural events or festivals.
~Asking about free education materials when visiting places.
~Studying maps and atlases.
~Going letterboxing or geocaching.
~Building character by discussing negative and positive behavior of the parent, child and others. Share literature that focuses on a trait and the consequences negative and positive.

What kind of "whole"istic learning have you enjoyed? Check out the rest of our Whole"-istic Learning Series!

Wishing you homeschool blessings,