Fair time aproaching...

ONE THING I THINK homeschoolers miss is the opportunity to "show off" what they've been working on. In public school students have "Open Houses" and various ways for students to display things they've been working on. But how do we as homeschoolers give our kids these kinds of opportunities? There are always science fairs and if you are lucky enough to live near a Homeschool Conference location there are sometimes opportunities there. But what if your kid's thing isn't science? Have you considered your local fair?

Fairs are a great way to exhibit projects you've worked on throughout the year. We discovered this by participating in 4H, however all fairs offer "Open Class" exhibits that anyone can enter. If you contact your local fair office they can get you an exhibitors program that will give you the vast list of things that can be exhibited. Also, check local granges. They may also have a smaller fair you can participate in. They are usually hungry for exhibitors.

Many people think fair and they think animals, home-canned goods, pie bake offs, etc. But my oldest showed his carnivorous plants at his first fair and really gave his interest a boost through all the positive feedback he received for his knowledge and care of his plants. He's shown veggies we've grown, flowers, Lego models, robots he and his team created, he's competed with those robots, and participated in archery all at the fair.
We just had such a great experience with fairs that every time it's that time of year I just have to give them a plug. It's a really wonderful opportunity to give your child a place to shine.