How a Surprise Backyard Pond in Bali Became Our Favorite Homeschool Classroom

June 13, 2025

One of the most unexpected and educational things to come out of our time in Bali? Our very own little backyard ecosystem 🌱🐠🐢 What started with a fishpond that came with the house has turned into a full-blown biology experiment — and the kids have learned so much! We've got 10 beautiful koi, 3 giant goldfish (they were here before us), lotus and lily pads, a couple of sucker fish to help control algae as the weather shifts, and of course... Chips the turtle, who is basically family now. 🐢💛 We’ve watched the pond go through all kinds of changes as we hit the dry season, and every shift sparks new curiosity. Why is the water greener? What do sucker fish actually eat? Do koi sleep? Why are lotus flowers so magical? We’ve had Google sessions, sketched pond life in homeschool notebooks, and talked a lot about ecosystems, algae, oxygen levels, and balance in nature. To be honest… this is definitely Chad’s thing, not mine. 😂 I love seeing the lotus bloom and the fish are cool, but that's about where it ends for me. Meanwhile Chad? He’s out there every morning, mostly in his boxers (classic Dad move), feeding the fish and turtle before he even makes his coffee. 🥹 Watching the kids light up as they connect with nature in this way has been such a gift. It's messy and chaotic and sometimes hilarious, but also grounding and beautiful — a little reminder that learning doesn’t always come from books or classrooms, sometimes it happens right at your feet (or in a fishpond). 🐟🌸💦 #BackyardEcosystem #KoiLife #PondChronicles #ChipsTheTurtle #IslandLearning #HomeschoolLife #BaliWithKids #ChadAndMia #NatureIsTheBestTeacher #BaliFamilyFinds #FishPondFailsAndWins #HandsOnLearning #EcoKids

When we moved to Bali, we never expected our favorite homeschool classroom would be... the backyard fishpond. 🌱🐟 What started as a pretty water feature included with the house quickly turned into a full-blown biology lab for our kids—and a daily ritual for Dad (cue Chad in his boxers, feeding fish before coffee ☕🐢). This unexpected ecosystem is home to 10 colorful koi, 3 (very resilient) goldfish, a couple of hardworking sucker fish, and the queen of the pond herself—Chips the turtle. 🐢💛 Between the lotus blooms and lily pads, our little aquatic world has become a source of endless curiosity. Every season brings new questions: Why is the water greener this week? What do sucker fish even eat? Do koi sleep? Why do lotus flowers close at night? A simple backyard pond in Bali has sparked everything from sketchbook sessions to deep-dives (literally and figuratively) into food chains, oxygen levels, and the balance of ecosystems. Sure, I’m more into the lotus flowers than the science behind the algae, but seeing our kids engage with nature so fully—asking, observing, learning—has been a beautiful surprise. It’s messy, it’s real, and it beats any worksheet we’ve brought along. If you're traveling to Bali with kids, don’t overlook the magic in the smaller moments. Whether it’s a backyard pond or a rice field walk, there’s something deeply grounding about letting nature lead the lesson plan. 🌸🐠💦 #BackyardEcosystem #IslandLearning #NatureIsTheBestTeacher #BaliWithKids #HomeschoolLife #ChipsTheTurtle #KoiLife

#BackyardEcosystem#KoiLife#PondChronicles#ChipsTheTurtle#IslandLearning#HomeschoolLife#BaliWithKids#ChadAndMia#NatureIsTheBestTeacher#BaliFamilyFinds#FishPondFailsAndWins#HandsOnLearning#EcoKids