In August, I am full of fun homeschool ideas and biting at the bit to introduce the kids to all of my exciting plans. This excitement carries us through the fall and then we have Thanksgiving and Christmas and we are full of activities. Next, winter hits and the cold here is long. My enthusiasm fades and so does that of the kids.
Once March begins we are bored of snow, grammar, and everything else school-related. The kids grumble and I invite distractions.
Anyone else?
How Can I Make Homeschooling More Fun?
So what can we do when we hit the homeschool doldrums?
We get creative! If you are struggling to find fun homeschool ideas this post is for you!
General Ways to Add Creativity and Fun to Your Homeschool Schedule
What are some general ways to add creativity and fun in order to pull you out of your slump? Try a few of these ideas.
- Theme days- From National Clean Your Desk Day to National Bagel Day, you will find fun days to please even the crankiest child! Check out National Day Calendar for monthly lists.
- Change locations- Go to the library for school or outside. Sometimes just a change of scenery will help motivate.
- Embrace the Arts- Do your kids enjoy music or art or poetry? Pull back from the core subjects for a week or two and allow them to spend time on their hobbies and interests. Check out Cassie Stephens for fun art projects!
- Youtube- There are so many learning videos on Youtube. It has become my go-to for rough days.
- Celebrate Biblical Feasts or those from other countries. Check out these posts! How to Celebrate Purim with Your Family and How to Celebrate Rosh Hashanah with Your Family
Fun Homeschool Ideas for Math
I will be honest, math is not my favorite subject so any fun homeschool ideas for math are welcomed with open arms in my house! If your child is having trouble with math or simply hating it, try some of these ideas.
Gaming is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of fun homeschool ideas for math. The number of math games out there is endless! You can choose online games, card games, or board games.
Board games are my favorite! From multiplication war to Prime Climb, you can find a board game for every age and skill level. Here is a short list of what is available.
- Prime Climb
- Qwirkle (my personal favorite)
- Sequence Numbers
- Pizza Fraction Fun
- Yahtzee
- Money Bags
- Ticket to Ride
- Equate: The Equation Thinking Game
- Dino Math Tracks
The good thing about card games is you can play them anywhere. In the car, while waiting at the doctor’s office or around the dining room table. Check out these math card games as a fun homeschool idea to change up your routine!
Snap it Up and Math Stacks are two card games worth looking into. Math stacks has different levels such as place value and algebra.
You can also play dozens of math games with your every day deck of cards. Check out these websites for ideas and directions.
16 Card Games that will Turn Your Students into Math Aces by We Are Teachers
Discover 6 of the Best Math Card Games for Kids by Top Notch Teaching
5 Math Games Every Classroom Needs to Play by Laura Candler’s Teaching Resources
Online math games are also a great option. Kids learn when they are having fun and many of these games are designed so that kids don’t even realize they are learning.
A few fun math websites are:
Fun Homeschool Ideas for Science
There is no lack of fun homeschool ideas for science because science is full of hands-on activities. Seriously, I didn’t like science when I was growing up. As a homeschool mom, it is one of my favorite classes!
If you are looking for engaging science curriculum full of fun homeschool ideas check out these posts.
Homeschool Science Anatomy Review
Apologia Botany: A Curriculum Review
In the Beginning Science: Perfect for Early Elementary
But you really aren’t here looking for curriculum. You are here looking for ideas to make homeschooling fun. So, how do we make science fun? Games, videos, and experiments!
Games again, right?! Here are some cool science games you might enjoy checking out!
- Mr. Microbe
- Totally Gross Science
- Gravity Maze
- Science Ninjas Valance Card Game
- Constellations
- Compounded
- Lazer Maze
- Snaptricity
- Smart Circuits
- Hacker
Honestly, as far as science videos go, we’ve been watching a lot of Youtube. Nat Geo, Wild Kratts, and pretty much any other topic you can think of. I usually search the “__________ for kids” because many of the videos are above our grade level.
Our latest fascination was Betelguese, the giant red star, and every night since we watched videos on it, one of the kids points it out in the night sky!
Lastly, or really should be first in my opinion, is science experiments. I believe science should be as hands on as possible! Check out these websites and posts for great ideas! You can also browse my Homeschool Science Pinterest Board because I spend a lot of time pinning fun homeschool ideas!
Sun and Solar STEM Experiments for Kids (A big thanks to the STEMettes that sent this one to me!)
63 Easy Science Experiments for Kids Using Household Stuff by Mommy Poppins
8 Simple Fall Science Experiments for Kids of All Ages
Ideas to Make Homeschool History Fun
History has always been one of my favorite subjects. From Biblical history to European Dark Ages to the American Civil War, if given the choice, I will read history.
Unfortunately, not one of my children have followed in my footsteps BUT they all love to read so biographies are a huge part of our history lessons. Other history books that have a lot of detailed pictures reel the kids in as well. Here are a few of our favorite series.
- Christian Heroes Then and Now by YWAM Publishing
- Childhood of Famous Americans
- I Survived Series by Lauren Tarshis
- DK Eyewitness
- Little House on the Prairie Series
Sometimes history feels more relatable when they can see and hear the events. Enter videos again! Nest Learning has great quality dvds with biographies for Bible characters as well as many historical figures.
And, once again, I have to give a shout out for Youtube. We’ve been known to use Youtube to fill in some of the gaps in our curriculum as well as for more information when writing reports. I tend to be a bit fussy on them because I don’t know that I trust all Youtube videos to be accurate LOL (you know I’m right!) but they are certainly available if your child learns best this way or to just mix things up.
More fun ideas for teaching history are:
- Plays and puppet shows. These don’t have to be elaborate. We once reenacted Joshua and the Battle of Jericho with Legos!
- Build castles, forts, and other building out of sticks outside or blanket inside.
- Board Games (can you tell I love games?) such as Professor Noggins, 10 Days In Series, Innovation, and 7 Wonders.
- School History is a website with several online history games. Common Sense Media also has a list of games for Nintendo, Mac, ipads etc.
- Prepare food according to period of time or country. One of our favorite treats in the winter is fresh snow with pure maple syrup. We learned this from “Little House in the Big Woods.”
- Draw and research. We recently watched a “How to Draw Pizza” video on Youtube. I had my 12 year research the history of pizza. We both learned a lot! You will be surprised at how much information you will come away with from a fun topic like pizza.
Even at the End of the Year, Homeschool Doesn’t have to be Boring!
Are you with me? Isn’t spring a tough season to homeschool? Who wants to sit and have formal school when the weather is warm and nature is in full bloom?
I often reserve these end of the school year days for field trips, nature walks, museums, zoos etc. Get those kids outside and active and learning in a less restricted environment.
Even at the end of the year, homeschooling doesn’t have to be boring. We can beat those homeschool doldrums and finish the year strong 🙂
What do you do when you feel as if you are stuck in a homeschool rut? I’d love for you to share your insight in the comments below!
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