Conversation:

A couple of years ago, I ran a session on the solar system for my kids and a few others (all home educated).

We had the lights and the fruit, but the best bit was to get the children to be heavenly bodies. The sun's part was a bit boring - we went all GCSE-limited and said she should stay where she was - but the earth-child wandered slowly round in his orbit while the moon struggled to run round him.

Accurate it wasn't. Useful it was.

Now that sounds like the way to educate children. None of this Citizenship or end of key stage assessment stuff ......

We also made a slide projector out of magnifying glasses, a table light and a couple of laboratory clamps I inherited from my Dad. The projector was nearly two metres long, but it worked!

But there can be less inspiring days as well, I have to say....

Mund

So what did you project? Please don't say it was just your fingers making spiders or butterflies

BBS

Nearly as boring, but it was a slide projector, not just a shadow system. We had a box of photographic slides - mostly wildlife - and look: there was an orang-utan on the side of the white wine box at the other end of the table.