Are you looking for a free homeschool resource where your kids can interact with other kids their age, virtually? As a COVID homeschooling mom, I've seen so many moms looking for such activities on the local boards. In fact, I've posted myself looking for such interaction for my five- and seven-year-olds. There seem to be an abundance of paid classes, and a few non-interactive free events, but so far I've not found what my kids really want -- which is basically a chance to have show-and-tell or otherwise interact with other kids in a way they've not since last March. Many times I've thought I found something, only to find out that the program is not interactive.
That's why I was so excited to come across the Homeschool Friends program hosted by the Nashville Public Library.
The program occurs every Thursday at 2:00pm Central. The first meeting for the Spring 2021 semester is January 7, 2021. If you'd like to be included, send an email to Katie Hall, the Children's Associate in the Children's Division of the Nashville Public Library, for a Zoom invitation and additional information.
According to the Facebook event post, "[n]ew and relevant topics are explored every week through a variety of fun games, books, and activities." The programming is intended for ages 5-10, but the Ms. Hall notes that the entire family is welcome to attend.
Ms. Hall provided me with a bit of background on Homeschool Friends, which started as a virtual program back in March 2020. It typically takes place from September to November, and then from January to April.
Ms. Hall went on to explain that the program "has evolved since we began, as probably has most virtual programming. We start off the first day of the month with fun and games so the kiddos can get to know one another, which makes it the perfect time for new families to feel it out and see if it is the right fit."
She noted that "Occasionally, we have guest speakers, depending who I can wrangle up. In the past, we had the Lane Motor Museum talk about their rare car collection and Percy Priest Yacht Club talk about sailing and give a tour of a sailboat. We also had a yoga instructor lead a mini-session, which was really fun, too. The kiddos really seemed to enjoy that, so I hope to incorporate more guest speakers."
There may also be a monthly gown-up program for parents to connect and share information.
Also coming up this Spring at Nashville Public Library are a tweens' Creative Writing Workshop led by Southern Word set for February, and also several online story times (Babies and Books and Once Upon a Dream). Ms. Hall noted that "All of the programming is free and open to anyone, inside or outside Davidson County."
It's a fabulous set of virtual options brought to you by the Nashville Public Library! We can't wait to (virtually) see you there!
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