Unschooling in Alice Springs

As many of you know, I have over the past many years either helped with or outright ran support groups for unschoolers and homeschoolers in the various places we have lived. My speciality is the park day. This time-honored tradition of homeschooling folks has been the backbone of our unschooling experience. It is more than just a chance for the kids to get out and play.

Park day is the day of the week we most look forward to, when we have good friends to be with and time to develop those relationships. The kids have fun and learn from one another and the other adults, as well. We establish a true community of people, who are there for each other for homeschooling help and help with life in general. Some of my best friends are the people I have met at our park days. The kids can say the same!

As we get settled into our new lives here in Alice, I have found a local homeschooling group (alas little to no unschoolers to be found) that has been open to my help getting a park day going. The Downunderhomeschoolers have a small group of people so far and I would like to see that increase. Since when you google "unschooling in Alice Springs" or "homeschooling in Alice Springs" my blog is one of the first that pops up in the search, I thought I would put out a post that would set me on top and give all the folks looking to find a support group the info they need. I am planning to get some flyers up at the library and even on the newsletter for the facility C works at to attract the American homeschoolers here. Hopefully, we can nurture and grow us a great group here to support us in our unschooling and have a lot of fun with as well!

A few years ago I wrote this on the email list of one of the groups that was just getting a park day going: "I wanted to say something about these park days. In my experience, as a group gets up and running, you will have lots of people interested, but not able to attend. Classes, other plans, etc. get in the way. Ideally, what will begin to happen is that everyone will set the day aside as “sacred” for our Park Days. You will come to see the time spent together forming relationships and playing will trump anything else you could possibly plan for that day! Well, that is my vision, anyway. ;-) No pressure, btw. This will happen naturally and I am prepared to be patient as it does. If you all wonder why Miranda and her girls are ALWAYS at park day, now you know what we are committed and waiting for."

Now, that said, where are all the unschoolers!? In such a hippy alternative lifestyle place like Alice, there has got to be some natural learners around! Come on out and play. Click that link above and join us!