Playing Kick-Ball

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The children have begun playing kick-ball with a group of Catholic homeschoolers and they are having the best time! We think this arrangement is just about ideal for homeschooling families:

1. The group meets for one hour twice per week at a local park and kids can come or not come, as they desire. No requirements to be there.

2. It is free. Equipment is merely the set of bases and a few balls, all of which the hosting family already owns.

3. There is a religious component: The game starts with prayer and ends with prayer. Also, before playing, the saint(s) of the day is discussed. Last Thursday, one of the saints was a martyr so the mother-in-charge asked, "Does anyone know what 'beheading' means?" Our little five-year-old son was the one who shot up his hand and correctly answered the question, which made me laugh.

4. The group is open to all ages, so I think the ages range from toddlers to a strapping 15-year-old boy who helps lead the group. A homeschool mother can bring her entire brood to the sport--because where is she going to leave everybody else anyway? And then everybody can play! If there are enough distinct age groups, we can divide into two groups. Meanwhile, the older teenagers are accustomed to working patiently with little children because they have many younger siblings--and that is a beautiful thing to witness! We like playing a sport that keeps our family together instead of splitting us apart as one parent hauls some children here there and everywhere while another parent has to haul the other children to Timbuctu.

John and Mary are having a blast playing kick-ball so far. (I don't have pictures because it's not so polite to post pictures of groups of other people's children.)