The general wariness of social interaction has taken a long time to wear off – even deep into 2021 a lot of people were still quite socially starved owing to the woes of COVID. As physical activities resumed across the board, homeschoolers decided to roll out an onsite event. Cue the Midpoint Picnic: when the summer met winter and where the twin cities meet, a picnic on the 7th of November in the splendid Jasmine Garden where homeschooling families met to rejuvenate old bonds and kindle new ones.
To add a special feature to this long-awaited gathering, the BL team decided to introduce ‘Show & Tell’ to provide the youngsters an opportunity to showcase their talent, art and products. About fifteen mats were set up, displaying a variety of interests: from acrylic paintings, handmade soaps, worksheets and poems to handmade jewelry, as well as feats of carpentry, calligraphy and hand-lettering. An older homeschooling graduate was painting en plain air which attracted several curious young artists. The stalls were visited by the both young and old, and the presenter on each stall explained what they had made and how. There were also some lovely performances by younger ones who recited Ahadith, Surahs and poems to an intent audience. This was a brilliant show of talent Ma Sha Allah and it left everyone inspired!
A good number of families were attending a homeschoolers’ gathering for the first time, and the picnic provided them the chance to find friends within the community for themselves and their children. After the round of introductions, as usual both ladies and gents enjoyed a general discussion within their circles, while the younger ones were free to play. The Jasmine Garden offered plenty of shade alongside well-maintained expanses of grass dotted by its signature flora. The venue proved to be a great one Alhamdulillah!
At midday everyone set upon the generous contributions of snacks from nearly every family, and the gents offered Zuhr prayer in a masjid just across the lane from the park. Alhamdulillah, this event provided much needed connection building for the newbies, many of whom had started homeschooling during the COVID period. Some old friends from the two sides of the twin cities got to meet each other after a long time too. The BL team looks forward to organizing many more events in the coming year, in sha Allah that will pave the way for those who have decided to go down the road less travelled.