Today I’d like to share how we are making homeschooling fun with themed days. Just like everything else, it’s easy to fall into a rut with our routines and the days can get long after a few months of the same thing over and over. Enter “Themed Days” to the rescue!
Themed Days give you an opportunity to break up the monotony of your schedule and add some fun and excitement to your homeschooling experience. I have found that this was the key for us in creating the rich atmosphere I wanted my kiddos to grow up in versus just doing “school at home”.
Making Homeschool Fun? Really?
Yes! If we aren’t making homeschooling fun, then what are we doing it for? Kids are naturally curious and having fun increases their love of learning, and that’s a major goal of mine for my children. I want them to love to learn. It’s why I chose a CM Approach for our educational journey. While I don’t believe we should run ourselves ragged trying to amuse our children 100 percent of the time, I do think that having a little fun on a consistent basis enhances the experience and helps us bond better with our kiddos.
Making homeschooling fun with Themed Days
Themed Days are the way that I accomplish this without overwhelming myself because let’s face it, mom life is busy and we don’t have a ton of time on our hands. But with a little thought and preparation, you can schedule some fun for every homeschool week and you and your kids will be happier and more fulfilled for it!
What is a themed day?
A themed day is very simple: it is merely a day in which you pick a theme to highlight through a learning-type activity. You can choose one theme day per week or several. Our household currently has two themed days per week: Make It Mondays and Science Wednesdays.
I plan out our themed days by school quarters- so in 12-week intervals. Here is an example of our Current Make It Monday Schedule:
Part of my plan is to choose seasonal activities, so you can see that this particular schedule is what we are doing through the Fall Season. I search Pinterest for fun things we can make together and that use different mediums or art styles. I try to include things I know my children would like to make and that will make them feel proud of their accomplishments.
Once I have 12 ideas, I make supply lists and order our supplies online so I have them on hand when it’s time to make them. Then I print out the poster and place it on the wall so all I have to do is glance at it on Monday, pull the supplies, and have some fun with my kids!
How it works
On Mondays, after our normal lessons, we gather at the table and work on our projects together. This is a time that I consider special and I show it by being fully present with the kids. This is not a “lay the supplies down and walk away to keep the kids’ busy activity”. I usually have a snack and drinks set out, put some fun music on and we hang out! MY kids LOVE this time together where they have my full, undivided attention. I love it because we are all having fun and making memories.
In the past, I’ve heard my children tell their friends that they are happy to be homeschooled because we have so much fun and get to do many types of things. That is seriously the best compliment ever!
Making homeschooling fun- your way
If a Make It Monday is not your style, you can choose other themes- some themes I’ve had in the past or have considered for the future are Gross Science Experiments (Popular with boys), Baking Day, Dolly Tea Party with classic books, Fitness Fun, Scavenger Hunts, Learning Board Games, Puppet Making and Theatre days, etc… Choose one that YOUR family will love!
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