30 Ways to Celebrate Your Homeschooling Days Together

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School is about to start.

Some families will be shifting educational gears and bring learning home. In that transition, children may be pondering (and even disappointed by) the special days they will miss; days or events they were looking forward to or older sibling had a chance to experience. Navigating this transition can be difficult; however, there are ways to celebrate the new and different—creating new favorites which may become annual traditions. Though our family has been a homeschooling family for over 26 years, we have looked for ways to make our days together, special, something to anticipate and look forward to. Homeschoolers do not have to miss out on celebrations—the festivities may just look different.

Special days can still be special and memories can still be made.

Consider

  • purchasing new school supplies together; each child choosing his or her colors for notebooks or special pencils

  • purchasing new glue bottles

  • restocking art supplies—or creating a new art space—and allow each child to choose a new supply or medium he or she would like to experience

  • choosing a new backpack or lunch box if attending a co-op

  • purchasing new sneakers or outfits for the year

  • taking pictures throughout the year of special events, friends, milestones, adventures, and memories to make a yearbook at the end of the year

  • creating a special workspace

  • taking a mid-day nature scavenger hunt

  • having a game day (playing educational games listed here)

  • allowing each child to purchase some new picture or non-fiction books of interest

  • renewing your family library card and go to lunch afterwards

  • taking back-to-school, first day pictures and do the same on the last day

  • celebrating the 100th day of school-at-home (schools celebrate the 100th day of school) which requires counting the days beginning with the first—great for counting and calendar skills

  • planning a field trip once a week or twice a month

  • enjoying a picnic lunch out under a tree or by a lake

  • surprising a child with an individual date with mom to do math at Chik Fil A (one of our favs)

  • planning a family get-away after the first eight week, first semester, or at the end of the year

  • doing science experiments with another family

  • taking learning outside for the day (everything is outside—we love doing this the first sign of cooler weather)

  • baking a cake for Dad just-because-we-can day

  • allowing your child to make the schedule for the day

  • preparing a special meal day—all purple meal, circle meal, square snacks, for example

  • watching a family movie once a week

  • inviting another family (or two) to do a park day or field trip

  • participating in Pizza Hut Book-It

  • visiting a nature walk area or preserve (picnic lunches are amazing in these venues—don’t forget a small brown back to collect treasures)

  • making a treat-a-week; for example, Wednesday is baking day

  • taking grandma to lunch or invite her over for a tea (good for everyone involved!)

  • making mailboxes for each family member so that other members can send fun or encouraging messages or leave a small treat (another of our favorites, especially at Valentine’s)

  • working with grandpa in his shop

  • visiting a local U-pick farm

  • declaring a clay day