Field Trip Foto Friday: Six Flags Homeschool Day

Six Flags over Texas in Arlington is a fun place (even if you aren’t a homeschooler). It is even more fun for us with over four thousand homeschool kids and their families there. The photos in this post are from “Six Flags Homeschool Day” and were taken in May of 2006. We were living in Arkansas at the time and drove over five hours to meet up with friends from all over Texas. We also attended the Arlington Homeschool Book Fair on the day afterwards (Friday). It just so happens that Six Flags has its homeschool day (every year) on the day BEFORE the Book Fair starts. They know how to show homeschoolers a royal welcome and a good time!

The kids did NOT want to pose for this picture.

“This is for babies, mom.”

I’m glad I made them do it, though. Sometimes a camera-happy mom has got to put her foot down. My kids know that it will go much easier for them if they just smile and get it over with.

I think this photo of Morgan’s buddy is the one that really sums up what the kids thought of the field trip. We homeschool moms like to cram all those educational field trips in all year, but once in a while, the kids just need to HAVE SOME MINDLESS FUN! They had roller coasters, 40$ pizza and friends to get sunburned with all day! There’s no better way to spend a school day in May.

This is Kaden in a kiddie ride. He’s my roller-coaster chicken. My little girl (then 7) rode on the TITAN (which nearly made me pee my pants when I rode with her). She was just a hair big enough to ride it in the first place… and I just knew she was going to fly off on that fist drop. The whole ride I was trying keep both of our hind ends on the seat while not getting a fractured neck. She wanted to go again, but I made up some excuse like “Ummm, I don’t think the other kids want to do the same ride twice. We should try all of them, right?” She bought it; thankfully for me.

One thing I love about homeschool kids is their ability to get along with any age group. I mentioned before when I wrote my “about me” post that I began homeschooling after meeting some amazingly warm and friendly homeschooled teens. I was astonished at their social skills. That is one reason I find it so funny that one of the biggest mainstream arguments against homeschooling is “socialization”. The superior socialization skills displayed by homeschool teens we met were one of the biggest factors in my decision to homeschool in the beginning. After all, why have kids if you won’t like them when they get old enough to drive your car?

The tickets for six flags are more affordable at homeschool day, but they MUST be purchased in advance because it is a private event. The park is closed to the public for homeschoolers on the day before the homeschool book fair. In 2008, you can check the Six Flags over Texas – Arlington events calendar and find out for sure if May 8th will be set aside for another homeschool day. I’m sure that you can find out more about ticket prices there as well. I can’t remember, but I think we paid about 20$ a ticket.

If you do plan to go, make sure you book a hotel early if you don’t live within driving distance for a day trip. The hotels book up like crazy during the homeschool book fair. Next year (2008), the book fair will be on May 9 and 10 from 8:30am to 5:30pm on both days. It usually falls on Mother’s Day weekend. That is good and bad… depending on how you spend your Mother’s Days. It is a nice treat for mom to have a few moments to herself while she browses book vendor and curriculum tables and hears “pep rallies” to encourage her heart. If you attend the Six Flags Homeschool Day on Thursday, and the Book Fair only on Friday, you can still drive home Saturday and get back in time to see YOUR mom. Or, maybe your mom might enjoy going with you for the weekend and having grandma time with your kids while you do the book fair?

There are plenty of places to take photos at Six Flags. This shot is at the “Alamo” replica. I was having too much fun to tarry long, though. Hope you enjoyed a little snapshot of our very memorable day. Maybe next year we will go again.

The year before this trip was taken I went with a group of homeschool moms (without kids). That was a blast, too! We rode every ride and enjoyed being kids at Six Flags, stayed in a hotel together (had a slumber party), and enjoyed fun times at the book fair together the next day. So whether you go with your family and let dad watch the kids while you enjoy the book fair, or go with your friends and have a mom’s weekend out… I’m sure you will be blessed by the trip!

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