If my boys planned their own curriculum

Today I had a fun conversation with my boys (they are 7 and 5) about what they are interested in learning in the upcoming school year. I asked them two questions - what do you want to learn about this year and what do you want to learn to do this year? They thought for a bit and came up with some fun ideas. A few were silly, some sweet and insightful, but I plan to find a way to incorporate as many as we can (legally... see Grayson's #7).


David, age 7

1. How to bake a cake
2. Learn about different types of metal
3. How engines work
4. How computers work
5. Do new dinosaur art projects that are life-like
6. How to build things with wood and real tools
7. How to be patient and read a whole chapter book
8. How to cook
9. How to sew
10. Photography - how to take nice pictures
11. How to play piano
12. Do parachute experiments (this was after he suggested "learn how to jump out of an airplane, which I had to say no to)
13. Learn about the human body
14. Learn how people make things sharp
15. Learn about moss on trees
16. Learn about all kinds of bugs
17. Learn about cats, especially why they have big ears and why our cat chews on grass
18. Learn how hair grows

Grayson, age 5

1. Art projects using paper towel rolls
2. How to build new lego sets (I think he was just hoping for new toys with this one)
3. How to get money and have a job
4. How to play basketball
5. How to put fossils together
6. How to make cupcakes
7. How to drive a car
8. How to build real toys with wood like a toy car
9. How to use a real camera
10. How leaves fall off of trees and all about trees
11. How pencils are made
12. How to write and read books
13. How to count to 100
14. How to make firewood and build a fire
15. Art project with clay bricks (he had some elaborate ideas with this one, so I think I'll just ask him what supplies he thinks he'll need and let him go to town - I wasn't sure where he was going with it, lol)

I'm so glad I asked for their input. I told them we won't be doing all those things the first day, but I'm going to make a solid effort to refer back to these lists and come up with activities for them. I may revisit this idea again during the school year and see if they have new ideas as well. Granted, we still have our basics to cover, but this just struck me as so sweet and I'm excited about the concept of getting them involved in planning their education, laying the groundwork for a more collaborative effort in the future.