I love the beach. I love the sand, the smell, the vastness, and all that you find on the beach. Some of my best memories are walking up and down a long stretch of beach looking for shells, treasures, and sea life. I love watching my kids battle the surf, dig in the sand, and giggle with delight as they race around in circles, overwhelmed by the size and openness. There's just so much to learn and experience at the beach. It's like a schoolroom in itself.

The only problem is that I live in Indiana . . . and that's about as far from the ocean as you can be. Oh, there are some big lakes around us (even one Great Lake), but it just doesn't feel the same as the ocean.

So here is my thought about learning about sea creatures: go to the beach. You might live real close but it's been a while since you've let your kids explore . . . so go to the beach. Maybe you live in a place like land-locked Indiana, my advice? Go to the beach anyway. Get a map out and see how close you are to the ocean.

I'm just a short day's (12 hours) drive to a big chunk of the East Coast. I bet you can reach some salt water in about the same amount of time. That's not too bad . . . not for one of the greatest learning experiences God has to offer. Do a little map research, a little planning, and do it.

Which brings me to a sore point . . . what is the deal with schools starting back up at the beginning of August (some in JULY!!!)? Don't get sucked into that EVIL line of thinking. Stick to your summer guns and enjoy summer. You homeschool; so you decide what you want to do. Do not let some academic, summer-hating, goofball trick you into giving up your summer!!! Go to the beach.

Be real,

Todd

P.S. Our friend, Sarah Mally, author of Before You Meet Prince Charming, and the Bright Lights staff will be running conferences forgirls and parents in Pataskala, Ohio (near Columbus) and  Bloomfield Hills, Michigan (near Detroit) the 2^nd and 3^rd week of August. In each location, they will be running two conferences: The "Strong in the Lord Conference" for girls ages 8-14, and the "Radiant Purity Conference" for girls ages 12+. These conferences are designed to encourage girls to be walking closely with the Lord in the years of their youth. Moms and Dads are encouraged to come with their daughters. 

Once we were walking along the beach and saw a small purple shell sticking up out of the sand. One of the boys grabbed it, but it didn't come up immediately. He pulled and pulled until a giant conch shell came up--complete with the creature inside behind his door! We took it up to the house and looked it up in our shell guide. Eventually, we dissected it. The guys have never forgotten their wonder.  

When it comes to teaching boys about anything, and especially creation, it helps to get them outside. If you live near the beach, take a walk at low tide. Tidal pools are a great place to find crabs, sand dollars, and coquinas (tiny little rainbow-colored clams). Watch the edge of the surf and you may see coquinas washed up that turn on end and dig themselves into the sand in a little dance. It's amazing, but such a tiny spectacle that you'll never see it if you aren't looking. In the dry area of the beach, look for the little holes that sand fleas run into. (Sand fleas are little crab-like creatures, not like regular fleas). Walking on the beach at dusk with a flashlight will show you all kinds of wildlife you won't see during the day. Don't swim in the ocean at dusk, though, that's when the sharks come in to the coast. Be sure to look at the bushes and trees near the shore, too, to see if you see shells in them. That's right; you might find a hermit crab, who has borrowed someone else's discarded shell to make a home in.

But, what if you don't live near the beach? You might have an aquarium or zoo nearby. It's worth a trip. In fact, we're headed to the zoo today! Even if you don't visit often, an annual membership can save you money. Usually being a member will get you into zoos and aquariums all over the country. And no matter where you live, you can adopt a hermit crab from the pet store and watch him grow and molt.

Now we've gotten all excited about going to the beach again! It's been awhile, so maybe we'll head over there after Labor Day when there isn't so much human wildlife. Sounds like fun!

Yours in the battle,

Hal & Melanie

And sometimes it is a battle! Our six boys started getting moody long before the physical changes of puberty. Some days they turned into green rage-monsters! You aren't alone! Learn how to make the teen years great at our popular live, interactive webinar series, Boot Camp 9-12 for parents of 9 to 12 year old boys, starting soon. Click here to find out more!