We're not exactly psychic, but we can predict that your children will complain that they are bored and bicker with their siblings (if they have some) at least ten times during the summer. So we are here to highlight the amazing work that is taking place behind these annoying scenes. 

Long summer days can offer so many wonderful opportunities for family time and activities that we forget to honour the downtime. Children hardly get unstructured time these days. When they do, it can be met with complaints and loud, uncomfortable noises. As parents, our first inclination is to stop that noise however we can. When we remember that boredom is the doorway to creativity, we give ourselves permission to sit back and wait for the magic to happen.

Things that can come out of boredom...​

Hey Parents! After you have been a super hero and guided your child through the Daily Wonder morning lesson, maybe you want to take a step back, maybe you have to attend to your regular job, or maybe you need a coffee break.  Whatever the reason, learning does not have to stop. In fact, learning is an ongoing process, and Daily Wonder will show you how easy it is to connect regular homeschool activities like free-play and everyday life experiences with worldwide learning standards!

Daily Wonder recommends that you take time to conduct a baseline assessment when you begin teaching your child each school year. Then, by observing them in everyday activities, you can track their development and become aware of areas that may need extra attention. Below, you will find specific areas to assess, ways to observe your child, and suggested activities to help strengthen particular areas of need. 

Content warning.  This post, which addresses the painful history of residential schools, may be distressing to some readers.

In Canada, September 30th is recognized as National Day for Truth & Reconciliation, fulfilling the Truth & Reconciliation Commission's call to action #80. This call to action means that the federal government, in collaboration with Indigenous peoples, established this statutory holiday to honour survivors, their families, and communities and ensure that the history and legacy of residential schools are never forgotten.

This day has created another opportunity to find meaningful ways to connect to this important part of Canada's history.​ Below we share some ideas for how you can honour this day.

Rosh Hashanah translates to mean 'head of the year' and is the Jewish New Year.  This year Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset on September 6th and is celebrated with sweet symbolic food like apples and honey.  This 2 day festival marks the anniversary of human creation and the special relationship between humans and the Creator.  The Jewish calendar differs from today's Gregorian calendar.  The Jewish calendar is based on the cycles of the moon and this Rosh Hashanah is celebrating the year 5782.

Here is a traditional Rosh Hashanah verse or song to share with your children as you enjoy a sweet snack of apples and honey.

A good year
A year of peace
May happiness
And joy increase.

Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the Hebrews' liberation from slavery by the great prophet Moses. Moses would not have survived to free his people, had it not been for the cleverness of his sister Miriam. She set him in a basket on the river Nile, and watched over him until the Pharaoh's daughter found him and took him home to be her own son. 

In this way, Moses survived the dangerous times in Egypt, and grew up with a deep compassion for the Jewish people. In his adult years, he fulfilled his destiny to guide the Jewish people out of slavery in Egypt, to form a covenant with God through the Ten Commandments. 

Miriam, perhaps the only woman in the bible, who is not referred to as someone's mother or daughter, has, in more recent times, taken a place of honour at the Passover Seder. As Jewish celebrations and rituals become modernized to fit our new levels of awareness, we turn to the women of the Bible stories, choosing to elevate them to places of importance. In modern Jewish rituals, when the Seder, or religious dinner ritual takes place, many families choose to include Miriam as one of the sacred guests. A cup is filled with water, in her honour, and songs and stories are shared to celebrate her strengths. 

What a wonderful time we live in, where we can honour the importance of the feminine, and include it in a ritual that was formed thousands of years ago. 

Here are some ways you can learn more about Miriam and celebrate her as well.

Sing Miriam's Song
A beautiful song depicting the spirit of women now and in ancient days.  Here are the lyrics so you can sing along:​