February had whizzed past and we are in mid March already! We started swimming sessions with coaching by Amrita and Samanta, who were in competitive swimming in their younger days. It is so good to see them working with the young kids on getting the basics of swimming. And it is so wonderful to see how happy the kids are, learning their kicking, breathing and stroking in the water!

Ice-skating is another passion that Amrita likes to share with the kids. She has taught countless little kids (as well as adults) to skate on ice with love and confidence. And seeing the joy on their faces and happiness in their hearts doing what they love and loving what they do, is enough reason for every single mom there to willingly endure the bitter cold and long hours at the ice-skating rink (up to 10 hours!). This is the kind of commitment parents and their children are giving to their chosen sport!

The other new activity that the children have recently embarked on is gamelan class, taught by a wonderfully patient and lovely teacher named Lorna. The kids love her and the gamelan classes. Learning to play the traditional instruments together adds to the meaningful process of understanding our local cultures and traditions.

Oh, and last but not least, our video/film-making sessions are coming along pretty well with the kids having so much fun doing short videos on their own by experimenting with different free Apps on their various devices. Who knows, they might one day come up with some really amazing short films!

Besides these activities the kids also do piano, singing and dancing, aikido, gardening, knitting & sewing, reading, writing & drawing, and not forgetting the “important” subjects – math & science!

So who says unschooling is lonely and boring, and lacking in socialization? It certainly doesn’t seem so! When kids are happy, they are motivated to learn, and are eager to do what it takes to enrich their minds and to support one another in the learning process. This kind of learning is what the world needs for the 21st century. And these kids will grow up to be leaders and innovators in their fields! Mark our words!

Coming activity: Cardboard game day. Date: March 25, 2014 (Tue) venue: DesaPark City. Time: 10am – 3pm. All are welcome!
Email beyond.schooling@gmail.com