Are you ready to jump back into homeschooling? Summer is fun and relaxing, but for busy little minds it can eventually become boring. Your kids are probably eager to hold their new textbooks in their hands and start on new projects. Here are some ways to feed that excitement and make good memories on your first day of homeschool.
1. A Special Breakfast
On the first morning of the homeschool year, you’ll have a lot of things to do, but make time to eat a nutritious breakfast together. Whether you add extra bacon to the plate, indulge in doughnuts or cinnamon rolls alongside the scrambled eggs, or whip up some pancakes in unique shapes, the breakfast becomes special and memorable. You could even make a breakfast casserole the previous evening and warm it up in the oven that morning.
2. Annual Photos
Many families take a few pictures before the first day of school begins, and you can do the same thing with your kids on the first day of your homeschool. Gather everyone on the doorstep, in front of a big tree, or in the driveway, and snap a photo. If you take your “back-to-school” photos in the same spot annually, you’ll be able to look back at the pictures someday and see your kids’ growth from year to year.
3. Journal Entries and Surveys
Are your kids involved in journaling? Have them write an entry about their interests, expectations, and dreams for the year. Save the entries in a special envelope or notebook and read last year’s entry at the beginning of each new homeschool year. Another way to do this is to have the children take the same survey every year and record their answers.
4. Surprises and Gifts
Is there something useful or educational that your children want? Maybe you can give it to them on the first day of homeschool. The surprise gift could be as simple as binders with their favorite characters on them, or as complex as a science kit or an art set.
5. Games, Crafts, and Scavenger Hunts
Remember that the kids are transitioning from a summer of outside learning fun. You can keep the workload a bit lighter on the first day by including an exciting craft or an educational game or two. A “back-to-school” scavenger hunt for their supplies or their new textbooks is another way to keep the summer spirit alive as everyone eases back into the homeschool routine.
Share some of the traditions that your family enjoys on the first day of your homeschool!
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Rebecca is a work-at-home freelance writer, novelist, wife, and the mom of two bright-eyed little ones. She credits her success in writing and her love of books to her own mom, who homeschooled three kids from pre-K through high school.