Crafting a Book of Shadows: a teaching opportunity

My eldest son has decided to make a Book of Shadows. Granted, that's not what he's calling it (he doesn't know such a term, it's not something that we use...) but that is essentially what it is. He's decided he needs to write down everything he knows about magick. He did something similar this past Summer, though he was quite clear that that particular book was a book to teach people how to do magick. That's right, at four he wrote his first how-to magick book; I wonder if Llewellyn would be interested...

But, his Magick Book, as he's calling it, is much different and working on it is proving to be a great addition to our homeschooling curriculum. He's getting great practice working on his letters, learning to read, and following directions. Plus, he's adamant that his Magick Book be fully illustrated, so he's getting even more practice with his fine motor skills and having to figure out the best way to draw what it is he's trying to explain (like the drawing of a person casting a Circle, this proved a little complicated, but he managed.)

This has also been a great opportunity for us to talk about magick and our spiritual beliefs, as he has to figure out what exactly it is he wants to write for each entry (he's doing the book encyclopedia style.) Right now, we've just started the section on the Elements, so where as we've focused primarily on the physical properties of the Elements in the past, we're now talking about them metaphorically, as well. And, at 5 year old, he's understanding the concept of the Elements being symbolic really well. We've introduced the Element of Spirit now, too, since he can grasp the symbolism and abstractness. 

This wasn't an activity that I had thought to start with either of the boys any time soon (if ever) but it is proving to be a great teaching aid, both magickally and mundanely.