Thursday's Tip

It only took me until 7 p.m. to get a post up today (sarcasm). What can I say? Homeschool re-entry after Christmas break is kicking our tails this week. Teacher Mama is a little exhausted. But, persevere we must!

Speaking of homeschooling, here's my Thursday's Tip: look for ways to incorporate learning into your WDW vacation. This applies to any family with school-aged children, but certainly to those of us who home educate. Either in the days/weeks leading up to a WDW trip or those after, you can make connections with Disney attractions and what your child is currently studying. Here are some of the preparations we made before our last visit to help make our trip a genuine learning experience:

• We read about all the Presidents of the USA, and memorized facts about several of them. We read a bit of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address too, so my daughter was excited when she was able to hear the animatronic Lincoln recite this in the Hall of Presidents.


• We studied fables and fairytales, and especially the Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox stories. This made the calm parts of Splash Mountain even more entertaining.


• We discussed each of the countries featured in the World Showcase at Epcot, learning what language they speak, their form of government, foods that they grow or eat, and the design of their flags. This made strolling through the pavilions (something that, let's face it, doesn't always interest young children) a bit more appealing.


• Not only have we seen Peter Pan about a gazillion times (and probably ridden it nearly as many), but we've also listened to the original book on CD...hearing the lavish descriptions by J.M. Barrie.


• Before hopping on Kilimanjaro Safaris, we discussed some of the animals we would see at Animal Kingdom. We talked about different types of habitats and what sorts of animals live in different countries and continents.


• We did an entire unit on dinosaurs before our trip, so we were super excited to see Dino Sue on the way to Dinosaur. (Dinosaur, however, was NOT our favorite attraction--too scary!)

Besides our preparations before our trip, we also took the time to read more of the informational signage on this trip. Instead of just looking at the "fish" in the Seas with Nemo & Friends, we read about each of the sea creatures and listened to the Cast Members as they explained their habits. We strolled some paths we'd never strolled before and soaked up new information. We spent more time observing and less time rushing to the next attraction.

The possibilities for learning at WDW really are only limited by your imagination. From Animal Kingdom for science, the World Showcase in Epcot for social studies, Disney's Hollywood Studios for the fine arts, and the fairytale world of the Magic Kingdom for literature, there's no end to the things you can learn at Disney World!