BJU Press Blog

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Time to Refresh Your Homeschool?

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use computer to refresh your homeschool
The holidays have just finished, and you’re probably about to get back into the same old same old. But how did it go those last few days of homeschooling before the holiday break? If you left off feeling worn out and tired, you may not be so eager to dive back in. If that’s the case, now may be the perfect time to refresh your homeschool. Here are a few ideas for adding excitement and energy into your routine.

Add in Field Trips

If you weren’t able to include many field trips last year, take a few moments to plan out some places you might like to visit this year. Or you can leave room for some spontaneous field trips. Field trips are great opportunities to solidify what your children have learned, but they also present new learning opportunities as well. If you visit a zoo, your children may be able to see live examples of different habitats and how animals live together, but they will also get to see many other aspects of life science that may not be covered in their textbooks.

For example, I recently had an opportunity to visit the South Carolina Aquarium, located in Charleston Harbor. In addition to its wide range of aquatic habitats, the South Carolina Aquarium is also home to the Sea Turtle Care Center, which gives visitors an up close and personal look into the veterinary care of sea turtles. They even had some of their instruments on display. History museums, science museums, art galleries, zoos, and aquariums are all full of opportunities to get your children excited about learning!

Focus on Hands-on Activities

Sometimes, it’s easy to let hands-on activities go by the wayside. You don’t always have all the supplies, and maybe your children already have a good grasp of the material. But hands-on activities have a way of bringing even the most ordinary lessons to life. Many of the activities suggested in BJU Press textbooks straddle the line between play and learning. Your children may be learning about the moon and how its surface was formed, but they’re also getting to make their own play dough and getting to shape the dough themselves. And hands-on activities aren’t just limited to science and art. There are many ways to incorporate hands-on experiences into history and math. Such activities are also great for getting kinesthetic and visual learners engaged in learning.

Reorganize

Nothing says “fresh start” like a newly cleaned space. Before the books start flying again, take a moment to assess your homeschool space, clean it, and maybe reorganize it. If you have a spare room, you could set up your own dedicated homeschool space. Or, if you’ve been using a dedicated homeschool space for a while and it’s starting to feel too much like a brick and mortar school, you can relocate your lessons to the kitchen table instead. Regardless of your set up, you can learn from some of the tips other homeschool moms have found useful. Feeling more adventurous? Here are some other ideas on how to add life to your homeschool space!

We hope your new year of homeschooling goes well! Do you have any ideas for refreshing your homeschool this year? Please share yours in the comments!

Picnics with Friends at the Park

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food for picnics
Need an idea for a good summer activity with other homeschool families? Plan a picnic! Picnics are fun, inexpensive, simple to organize, and provide a great opportunity to fellowship with other homeschool families. Whether it’s just two families getting together or several, you can make a picnic as structured or laid back as you want. And what better place to have it than at a local park? With play areas and plenty of green space, it’s the perfect spot to let kids burn off energy while parents get a chance to chat.

First Things First

Now for the planning part, which is the most important in order to have a successful picnic. After you and the other families decide where and when to meet, make a list of possible activities that everyone can enjoy. For example, older children can participate in a scavenger hunt. Ask some of the parents to think of different objects to hide around the park, and then either write down clues or draw a map for the kids to follow. Younger children can play games such as kickball, freeze tag, blind man’s bluff, dodgeball, and so on. They could also have a three-legged race or a water balloon toss. If the adults want, they can bring cornhole, croquet, bocce ball, horseshoes, or other simple games. Some familes can volunteer to bring the necessary items for these different activities.

Getting the Word Out

Social media, email, and texts are great ways to communicate and coordinate more efficiently. There should be at least one “point person” the group can contact with information and questions. This will help avoid confusion and ensure that all the details are taken care of. Whichever method you use to communicate, send out a simple list of what each family is bringing.

Chow Time

Of course, there’s another very important part of the picnic—the food! It may be easiest to have each family bring their own food and drinks; but if people choose to, they can sign up to bring their favorite dishes to share with everyone else. Again, send out a list of what each family is contributing. And remind families to bring their own plates, cups, plasticware, and napkins.

Go with the Flow

Now all that’s left is to come and enjoy a good time with other families at your well-planned summer picnic! Be willing to be flexible; you may find that some of the children would rather stay on the playground than join in organized activities, or that the adults prefer to eat and talk instead of playing games. That’s OK; remember, the goal is to fellowship and have fun with local homeschoolers, and having a picnic is one of the best ways to do just that.

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Jennifer is a pastor’s wife and mom of two young girls and loves homeschooling them. During her own twelve years of being homeschooled, Jennifer developed a passion for reading and writing. She earned a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and relishes writing during her free time.