Spencer, Minecraft, and Monty Python

Spencer played Minecraft for hours today-- as he often does when he's not playing with friends.  He even took it with him in the car on our way to buy lunch.  I drove along wondering whether I was making a mistake allowing him so much time to play a video game.  I knew he was getting his homeschool work done, but still . . . Shouldn't he be reading more?  Or doing math flashcards?  Was he learning anything?  All I could see was his blond head bent over his Kindle.  Before I panicked, I decided to learn more about what he was doing.

Spencer, Shaw, and Denver pose for a photo
wearing new mustaches.

"What are you doing on Minecraft now?" I asked. 

"Oh!  I'm building a new kind of castle.  It's my own design, but it's circular like they began building in the late middle ages when they discovered that seige weapons were less effective against a curved wall."

"Oh.  Okay."  My worries began to melt.  It looked and sounded like wonderfully creative learning to me. 

As I drove, Spencer showed me a bit of his design and explained the different things he was planning to add.  I was amazed at all the things he knew about various castle designs.  He reminded me that in addition to the books he's read, he also watched some very good documentaries about castles; all of which he seemed to remember and wanted to share in great detail.  

Spencer, Alex, and Denver share a jumpy
waterslide with a girl.

Later that afternoon, we sat with his brothers and one of their friends, laughing and watching Monty Python's The Holy Grail. This wasn't part of a planned unit on castles, but it complemented Spencer's interests beautifully.  They all knew a great deal about the middle ages and the legends of King Arthur, but they had never before been exposed to the outrageous humor of Monty Python.  They laughed hysterically at the English comedy.  We ate brownies and had a splendid afternoon.  Like a lot of our lives, it was a day of learning that simply looked (and felt) like play.

Checking off his Homeschool To Do List.

Having fun at Game Time.