The annual SCOPE family picnic was held August 24th at Fair Oaks Park. Coming from Sacramento’s surrounding neighborhoods – South Sacramento, Arden, Grass Valley, North Highlands, and many more – families gathered to share food, fun, and fellowship. A couple of families were new to SCOPE, and to homeschooling, and joined us for the first time.
The afternoon began with casual introductions and fellowship, then the members dined on potluck deliciousness. Parents sat at tables shaded by ancient oak trees, children played on the grassy hill nearby. Conversation during dinner allowed families to get to know each other, to continue long acquaintances or to make new homeschool friends.
Next came the Summer Reading Awards. Local libraries, and the SCOPE library, were kept busy this summer by SCOPE families. Many children, and a few adults, participated in our first SCOPE Summer Reading program. We had 23 participants and a total of 79 “bingo” cards completed. Certificates were issued to all participants and prizes were awarded by drawing names from a basket.
A Chat Group Challenge followed. Teams were formed by dividing adults and children alike into four groups. The teams listed ten homeschool field trip ideas and then acted them out while the other teams guessed the field trip. This game brought lots of laughter. And a bonus was the sharing of field trip ideas amongst the members.
After this, watermelon eating took the stage. Children plunged their faces into slices of sweetness and raced. Red juice dripped from chins and flowed across the table. First and second place eaters were awarded prizes from three different age groups.
The Great Marshmallow Battle came next. Everyone moved to an open space of level grass and formed teams on either side of a dividing line. White globules zipped across the field striking legs, arms, and torsos of opposing players. Team members were injured, or dead, until helped by the “medic”. The white orbs soared back and forth, becoming sticky and losing their shape, until one team was declared the victor. Several battles played out through the afternoon among various age groups. The teens battled the adults, beating them 2 out of 3. The adults felt the sting of losing to their children and felt the soreness in their muscles for several days afterward.
Afternoon traveled into the evening and families headed for home. A few families lingered together in the darkness, parents lost in conversation while children played. The day was a success, the SCOPE Family Picnic was a winner.
One lady, not involved in SCOPE, was heard saying, “I didn’t know homeschoolers did things like this.” Yes, as incredible as it seems, homeschoolers spend much of their time away from home. SCOPE offers many opportunities to meet up with other like-minded homeschoolers throughout the year, the annual picnic is one such opportunity. Look for it on the SCOPE calendar and join us next year.