DIY Homeschooler

Home Occupations for Boys and Girls by Bertha Johnston is a free eBook that can help you keep your young people busy this summer.

A quote from the initial pages:

Teach him. He is naturally clever. From his earliest years, when he was a little fellow only so big, he would build mud houses, carve out boats, and make little wagons of leather, and frogs out of pomegranate rinds, you can’t think how cleverly.

Aristophanes, 421 B. C.

This book seeks to help mother answer the “woful plaint, ‘I don’t know what to do! Mama, what can I do now?’”  Using common, everyday items (though some were a bit more common in their day than ours — but substitute!), to make and keep little hands busy.

The section “Mother Nature’s Horn of Plenty” provides all types of crafts that can be made with seeds, feathers, leaves, shells, bark, pebbles, and other treasures gathered from nature walks.

Many outdoor games are also listed — moving games to keep the energy in check.

Finally, you also find craft ideas for the holidays, from New Year’s Day through Christmas.

And lest our occupations be all play and no work, young children can learn household duties such as making the bed, dusting, and cleaning the dishes.

When it is time to rest, choose a good book from the section, “The Children’s Library.”  Most of the books can be found in the public domain. Categroies include:

• Fairy tales,
• History.
• Nature
• Poetry.
• And more.

Home Occupations for Boys and Girls by Bertha Johnston is in the public domain.

Free eBook:

• Read online
• PDF
• Variety of formats