What do a 13th year old birthday party and authentic learning have in common?
A lot when you stumble up on an idea and develop it to capture all your passions and interests to form a fun celebration of turning 13. Which is exactly what my daughter did recently.
Today, I want to explore all the authentic learning that took place with the creation of this one event for 2 reasons. First, because I love dissecting learning. Second, in the past couple of months I have experienced many inquiries into unschooling and what that looks like in the day to day. While as I have said several times, there is no average day, I believe a glimpse into how diving into one fantastical idea reveals how unschooling works for us.
Excitement filled our house when she uncovered a murder mystery party packet with an Alice in Wonderland theme. GM loves fairytales (real not Disney) and stories so this was a perfect fit as it was designed for 14 and up participants. Once this was purchased the wheels began turning. She spent an entire weekend downloading and printing all the pieces she needed from the packet. Hand scripting the printed invitations, addressing envelopes correctly, texting friends a month in advance to check availability, then communicating with friends to secure their choice of character about a month out from the day of the event. Pause here to look at the learning taking place: research, budgeting, communication, handwriting, spelling, planning, computer skills.
The next weekend, we spent time finding her outfit as this was a costume party. Trying on at least 50 dresses, she finally settled on one that was perfect although we were unsure of its fit since this particular store did not allow the fitting room to be open. (Thanks C-19). More budgeting was factored in as we bought the dress and began to gather supplies for the party. Another aspect of learning that took place is navigating as I had her locate and create directions to the stores we visited.
The next week, we met for coffee where we mind-mapped the parts to the party. This included the things that had been covered and those that still needed to be addressed. Here she was able to set goals and express desires for things like a 12 cup tea set as well as menu adjustments.
Down to the last week before the party, she had 2 guests back out from attending. Facing a set back she rose to the challenge as I helped her problem solve what course of action to take next. She ended up inviting 3 friends she had met over the past month and accommodating for an extra player. Scrambling to get the invitations to them, have them choose their characters, as well as gather the food and last minute supplies, she worked well under a deadline. Pause again to visit the learning: communication, goal setting, problem solving, budgeting, navigation, time management, writing.
Now the day of the event was stressful. With the menu set, she began cooking the 4 course meal that would be served. Doubling and tripling the recipes to accommodate for the number of guests she would serve was an easy feat as GM has been baking for years and years. She researched to find proper way to set the table for the meal and tea. Then created the table and set up the decorations for the event.
As guests arrived, she introduced them to each other as these were friends who may or may not have met before. Everyone was pleasant and excited to participate in the party. Reading through the rules and "acting" out the scenes kept everyone engaged. All the girls (ages 12-15) were surprised when the 3 hour party and mystery came to an end. An amazing time was had by everyone.
Last time pause to look at the learning: social communication, attention to detail, engagement, knowledge of event, math, reading, research. The best was GM found a way to tie her love of event planning, fairy tale stories, formal dress up, cooking, baking, and creating together for her friends and herself. The awareness she possesses of herself and her preferences is beyond her 13 years.
