Are you studying pioneer life in your homeschool this year? If your kids are anything like mine, they love learning about what life was like for the early settlers when they first arrived in North America. And I loved it right alongside them! That’s why I decided to create this free “Homestead Where You Are” Family Challenge Calendar.
As we read through the Little House on the Prairies series and the In Grandma’s Attic books, we’ve been fascinated by the description of hands-on activities that brought families together to work and build their homestead.
With a new year – not to mention a new decade right around the corner, now’s the time our family rolled up our sleeves to learn more homesteading skills.
You Don’t Need to Live in the Country to Homestead
The great thing about learning homesteading skills is you don’t have to raise your kids on a farm to get started. There are plenty of things you and your children can do together to get a taste of homesteading. These include:
- Churning butter in a jar
- Baking bread
- Whittling or woodworking
Learning Skills To Build Self-Reliance in Kids
I truly believe that part of the appeal of kids’ “pioneer days” books is how self-reliant those children are. They chop wood, haul water, look after horses and cows and cook meals for the family.
When your child sews a straight seam, holds up a mason jar of homemade jam, or shows you something he or she handcrafted, they’re learning they can make useful things themselves.
Homesteading Skills Can Help You Save Money
Homesteaders of days gone by relied on their own hard work to feed, clothe, and shelter their families. They didn’t usually have the option of paying someone else to provide for themselves and their loved ones.
Today, most of us can buy most of what we need. Learning to become more self-reliant and make rather than buy what your family needs can make you feel proud that you learned a new skill. Even better? It helps you save money.
So are you ready to jump in and spend a couple of weeks learning a few easy homesteading skills alongside your kids?
If so, head over to An Off Grid Life to grab your free “Homestead Where You Are” Family Challenge Calendar.
Homesteading Books You Might Want to Explore:
Urban Homesteading: Heirloom Skills for Sustainable LivingThe Weekend Homesteader: A Twelve-Month Guide to Self-SufficiencyThe Backyard Homestead: Produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre!The Simple Life Guide To Decluttering Your Life: The How-To Book of Doing More with Less and Focusing on the Things That MatterThe Urban Homesteading Cookbook: Forage, Farm, Ferment and Feast for a Better World
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Sarita Harbour is a busy mom/step-mom, and grandmother blessed with seven kids ranging from age 32 down to seven. She lives off the grid with her family in a lakefront chalet in the beautiful wilderness of Canada’s far north. She spends her days teaching, writing, and learning the ropes of homesteading off the grid. Visit her site, Off Grid Life, for free printables and resources on homesteading, homeschooling, and self-reliance for the whole family.
