Christmas lessons

I was over a Dy's blog and remarking that we too have ditched most of our lessons for the week while we decorate, bake, and clean.

But then I realized...we're still schooling. We're Christmas Unschoolers.
In fact I know I did similar activities when I was a paid government nanny Middle School Teacher so I'm not just making this stuff up.

Today's lessons at the Zoo

1. Writing addresses
Capitalization rules
penmanship
creative writing
More commonly known as "Preparing Christmas Cards."

2. How fuses work
electrical current and how it travels
the visible spectrum
estimating length
ladder safety
explanation of wind chill
fine/gross motor exercises
problem solving
planning and implementing a plan
More commonly known as "Hanging the outside lights."

We also covered various life skills including but not limited too: fluffing Christmas tree branches, how to drape garland, the importance of packing things carefully, placing extension cords so as not to overload outlets and what happens when outlets are overloaded.
I'm trying to raise 4 men that know how to help decorate for the holidays. I think four women will be pleased to have them.

We studied how size can affect sound with various bells. (I used this same lesson when covering sound so I know this one is legit.)
We measured and cooked. (The school calls this Home Economics and they get graded on it.)

We organized, created, and placed items as aesthetically as possible. We critiqued each other's artistic placement and learned how to handle that criticism.

Boys colored, cut and pasted.
And learned that hot glue guns while not glue or guns...are definitely hot.

That's a valuable lesson right there.

edited to add: Boys still dig formal grammar, Singapore Math, and a hour of reading. They consider that "just the basics." They do those without any prompting at all.