Holiday time is the perfect time to breathe new life into your homeschool. Just at the point in the year when things may begin to feel monotonous and motivation may start to dwindle, it’s time to incorporate crafting and baking and making merry!
Here are seven simple ideas to add a bit of magic to your homeschool through the holiday season.
Gratitude Practice
The lead-up to Thanksgiving is the perfect time to encourage a focus on gratitude. Whether you create an elaborate project to display all the things your family members are thankful for, or you simply make a habit of naming what you’re grateful for before dinner or bed—basking in the appreciation of your family’s many blessings is a truly lovely way to kick off the holiday season.Homemade Treats
The holidays beckon us into the kitchen to conjure up the traditional treats we love to share with family and friends. Cooking lends itself perfectly to homeschooling—incorporating lessons in self-sufficiency, math, chemistry, art, and more. Make your cooking and baking this time of year part of the lesson plan.Writing Cards
Replace some of the regular language arts lessons with the act of writing Christmas cards. Whether you’ve got a stack of envelopes that need to be addressed or you want to encourage your children to put time and thought into writing heartfelt holiday greetings to their loved ones, there are plenty of formative lessons to be learned in these meaningful writing exercises.Decorating
Decorating your home for the holidays calls for an abundance of creativity. Enlist the whole family in the activity and encourage the creation of new, handmade decorative touches. Art projects abound when it comes to holiday decor.Homemade Gifts
Similarly, incorporate artistic endeavor with character development as you inspire your children to make gifts to give to loved ones. A plethora of skills might be employed—from painting to baking to woodworking to photography to sewing to whatever your individual children are inclined to do.Pajama Day
There are very few things that schools typically do that are worth replicating in your homeschool, but pajama day is one of them. Encourage everyone to get cozy in their favorite Christmas pajamas, make hot chocolate with candy cane stirrers, put on a Christmas movie classic, and enjoy a celebratory “school” day that can become an annual tradition.Christmas Read-Alouds
Of course, no holiday season is complete without enjoying as a family the traditional stories that make their way off the shelf every year. Display them prominently, read aloud each day, and enjoy seasonal audiobooks as well.Give yourself permission to lighten the workload this time of year and delve into the holiday traditions that your family treasures. The learning will happen, the joy will be plenty, your family connections will deepen, and your Christmas will be merry.
