An unschooler’s desk

You’ll find that every unschooler is different; every homeschooler is too, when you think about it, but unschoolers really vary greatly. I have shared a post before about a day in the life of an unschooler; here is a quick portrait of an unschooler’s desk.

On the left side (above), there’s our Glow Fish aquarium. Wood Sprite actually uses a laser light and the fish chase it like the cats do. The pile of books in front of her aquarium is her latest purchase from the bookstore—she’s got a LEGO Chima book, a book about the Titanic and a Lion King Golden Book. Her favorite book, the Corpse Bride companion, is also in the pile, and on top of it all is a toy whisk (not sure why) and her Littlest Pet Shop magnet set.

The two 3-D rooms in the back with clay furniture are projects she made at the St. Louis Art Museum during one of our bi-monthly visits there. You’ll also see some of her sculptures spread between them in addition to an old Strawberry Shortcake figurine and a mirror from Japan. The art next to her desk that you can sort-of see is her version of Starry Night.

On the right side of her desk, you will see a big homemade envelope, the box of tissues she uses for projects (making clothes, ghosts, etc.) the crown she made at the library, the pirate she made, her Pokeball, more sculptures and a painted Jack-o-lantern rock she made. That blank stack of paper is for tomorrow; every night after she’s asleep (or in the morning if we’re up late, or forgot) I add some because she goes through it like crazy. In the two shelves below the top of the desk, she’s got a bunch of encyclopedia-like books about art, culture, science, etc. There is also an animal fact file book, several art journals she draws in, one of our microscope sets and a couple of art kits.

This just gives you a glimpse into the varied interests and explorations of an unschooler and it’s by no means representative of any group. In fact, it’s only one of Wood Sprite’s desks; she has several others! A table in the living room keeps her Geosafari and a few supplies she uses for crafts; a large card table in my office has her markers, pencils, a rock tumbler and a bunch of art projects across it; a classroom-like desk with a Harry Potter game and a Crayola color dome on top of it (filled with various projects inside of it); and a round table I bought when she was two, which now has a bunch of furniture made from clay, recycled materials and felt that we are making for a future miniature house.

Photos courtesy of Sara S. and Wood Sprite