While math pages, writing assignments, and spelling lessons all have their place in the homeschool, the lessons remembered best are often those that take place outside of class time. The homeschooling parent is blessed with the ability to take full advantage of a child’s natural desire to learn. A parent can establish learning as a natural, lifelong process by creating a learning environment within the home. How can you establish a home overflowing with opportunities for real-life learning? While the options are limitless, the following will inspire ideas for your family:

• Create cozy reading corners throughout the house. A reading corner can be anything from a cozy armchair, a pile of floor pillows in front of the fireplace, or a corner filled with stuffed animals. Stock the areas with high quality books, perhaps related to current studies or interests. Add poetry, biographies, works by great authors, picture books, and more. Be sure your child has time each day to sit and savor the adventures and beauty that great books have to offer.

• Encourage experimentation. Whether in the kitchen, garage, or outdoors, nurture your child’s natural curiosity. Rather than confining your child’s learning to a textbook, let his natural deductive abilities stretch their limits. Let him try out new recipes, build or sew, or dismantle that old CD player. Part of creating a learning environment is providing opportunities and then standing back and letting the child learn. You’ll be amazed at the results.

• Leave time for play. A child needs time to develop through unstructured play. This will exercise the imagination and creative facilities. Be sure your child has quality toys, such as Legos, blocks, baby dolls, and similar items that require the child to actively participate, not simply be entertained. A homeschool environment is perfect for such free play.

• Turn off screens. While television offers some excellent educational opportunities that would require expensive airfare to match, the box, as a general rule, is best left off. Screen-watching is a passive activity that does not stimulate your child’s hands-on skills and deductive reasoning. The same applies to excessive use of computers and video games. A homeschool family must be disciplined in monitoring screen time.

• Get to know nature. Give your child plenty of outdoor time in nature, whether hiking, gardening, bird-watching, or simply savoring the marvels of Creation. Arm your child with a nature journal in which to sketch his findings. Not only will taking the time to truly study the intricacies of a bug, flower, or leaf increase his understanding of nature and sharpen his observation skills, but sketching his finds will also improve his drawing skills. Keep nature guides handy to identify the little (and big) treasures, and don’t forget to check pockets before washing your little explorer’s jeans.

• Expose your child to the greats. Fill your home with beautiful music and lovely art. A child who can listen with enthusiasm to Beethoven and recognize with delight a Monet will have made the artist and musician his friends. He will encounter those friends throughout his life. Allow the child to imitate the greats. Imitation is a great form of learning. The great masters can serve as excellent homeschool teachers, and they don’t charge tutor fees.

• Encourage artistic tendencies. Fill your home with assorted art supplies and paper. Give the child free rein to create in whatever way inspires him. Read books about drawing, painting, and sculpting. Show your child what you’ve learned and encourage him to artistic pursuits. Better yet, pursue art alongside your child in a positive, non-critical atmosphere.

• Look it up. Load your home with dictionaries, maps, atlases, nature guides and reference books. When a questions arises, go with your child to look up the answer. Not only will the child learn the facts, but he will gain the ability to self-educate, one of the greatest benefits of creating a learning environment.

• Never stop learning. By showing your child that you, too, are a life-long learner, your child will never think of learning as something confined to a schoolroom. Let him see you reading high quality literature. Discuss big ideas. Take an interest in new activities and include your child. Let him see your zeal for learning, and he will share that excitement.

Begin creating a learning environment for your homeschool family today. A lifetime of learning awaits! Go get it!

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