India and the United States currently have the most homeschooled students in the world. Many of these students score much higher on tests than students in traditional school systems.
But for homeschooling to work, parents need creative homeschool ideas. Are you struggling to come up with homeschool activities to keep your child engaged?
The following guide will explore 7 amazing activities for homeschoolers. Read on to discover which ideas seem like a good fit for your child.
Cooking Class
Not only is cooking fun, but it also teaches your child a valuable life skill. You can also schedule it for mid-day so that your child can enjoy their homemade dish during lunch!
The class should teach them basic culinary skills that vary depending on their age. Teach them things like prepping food with a knife, peeling vegetables, and how to measure out different ingredients.
A cooking class can also help with math and science skills. For instance, measuring out yeast for bread-making covers a lot of skills all at once.
Let them pick a recipe from the internet or cookbooks and teach them how to make it for a lesson. You can even find step-by-step videos on YouTube if your child is more of a visual learner.
Go to the Library
Consider visiting your local library each week and reading with your child for 30 minutes to an hour. They should read each day at home, but venturing out to the library helps switch things up.
It’s also a good place to focus and study for tests and quizzes away from any distractions at home. You can check out Quizgecko for an example of how to easily make quizzes and tests for your child.
Have them check out a book and challenge them to finish it before the return date. You can also have them write a summary of what they read to make sure they comprehended it.
You might even run into other homeschoolers and parents while you’re at the Library. Consider syncing your schedules so that your child has a chance to make a friend and reading buddy.
Music Class
Make music a part of your homeschooler’s schedule to give them new skills and improve existing skills. That might include things like learning instruments, singing songs, and learning about music history.
Like with cooking, learning an instrument might help them enhance some math skills, too. You can even merge music into other activities by playing songs by historical artists they’re learning about.
You don’t have to limit learning music to the classroom either. Listen to and discuss music in the car for learning on the go. Consider visiting different museums that feature artists like jazz musicians.
You might even consider going to a concert for a field trip. Or, you could go to a musical at a theater and show them what that experience is like.
Take a Hike
You’ll want to incorporate a physical activity into each day and a hike has many benefits. The biggest benefit is getting outside and into the fresh air!
Consider jogging different portions of your hike along with other exercises like push-ups. Try going to different parks and trails each week to keep things exciting and engaging.
It’s also a great opportunity to teach science lessons and learn about nature. For example, you could make a scavenger hunt for plants in your area and see how many your child can find during the hike.
You can bring a ball or frisbee to play catch as you hike to help develop hand-eye coordination. For younger kids, play a game of I Spy to work on their focusing skills.
Use a Park For Recess
Using a local park for recess each day gives your homeschooler a chance to socialize and play with other children. Like hiking, it also serves as a way to get more physical activity.
Not to mention, recess gives parents a break as well as their students! Afterward, you’ll both feel recharged and ready to learn back at home.
You could even hike to the park for added exercise and pack a lunch if the scheduling works out. You might run into the parents of other homeschoolers and pick up a few tips while you’re there, too.
Art Class
Schedule an art class and let your homeschooler’s creativity blossom. Find a spot where they can make a mess and let them work with paints, pens, paper, and canvases.
If it’s a nice day, take an art class outside for a little extra nature and inspiration. If they want, let them choose their own music to listen to while they create their artwork. Maybe they’ll even find things like flowers, leaves, or twigs to work into their masterpieces!
Incorporate cooking and science into your art class with activities like making rock candy. You can also work math into your art class by having your child draw or paint geometric patterns.
A creative arts lesson plan is not just a roadmap for teaching; it’s a blueprint for inspiring a lifelong love affair with creativity and self-expression.
Join a Recreational Sports Team
There are many benefits to having your child participate in team sports. For starters, it’s a great way to get exercise, socialization, and learn how to take direction.
Sports like soccer, baseball, and basketball teach teamwork and problem-solving skills. It can also build self-esteem and reduce stress on your child so that they can focus on their academics.
They receive mentorship from fellow teammates and coaches. It’s also a good way for them to gain leadership experience.
Join a team sport adds more exercise to their routine and lowers their chances of becoming sick. It can also help them develop fitness habits that they hold onto their whole life.
Using Different Homeschooling Ideas
Now you have several homeschooling ideas that range from cooking lunch to hiking through the woods on a scavenger hunt. Remember this guide and feel free to mix and match ideas to keep things exciting and fresh for your homeschooler.
A lot of the activities on this list will be so fun that they won’t even realize how much they’re learning! Check out our blog’s education section for more ways to enhance your child’s learning.
