10 Quick Ways To Homeschool your Kids Through The Holidays

I love the holiday season, it is so much fun and our homeschool is more relaxed. There is no daily agenda or work to be done per se, but I still sneak in a few ways for them to learn.  My kids just do not know it….yet.

At our home we take off the entire month of December.  I don’t do a 6 week on, or 6 week off schedule. My homeschool schedule is planned without a fall break, or spring break. That keeps us pretty much on schedule with our state requirements.  If we have a field trip I consider that more of a break in the day to day learning but we still make it educational.

When I plan activities they are usually something that will take 30 min. or less.  I’m not a huge crafter and the children do not want to sit for a long time.  So our craft or activity needs to be quick.

Yesterday we were working on our many names of Jesus advent activitiy. This includes a daily journal page for each child to complete with his thoughts on the the name for Jesus. I noticed about 10 min. into the journal page and explanation they were losing steam…quick. So I spruced it up a bit and googled one of the answers. Instead of doing all of the questions I chose the top 3, googled them, and we discussed them.

If I would have kept going I’m not sure how the page would have turned out. We did end up with something appropriate for a 7 year old and 4 year old and a tired mommy!

But, we still review, and learn on our break. Here’s how:

1. Watch a movie on one of the topics that you have been working on.
2. Make a Christmas craft that includes a coloring page connected to a unit study.  We are studying the names of Jesus and making ornaments. This activity also includes a daily Bible verse and journal page.
3. Make Christmas cookies. Use the measurements as Math. See if you can make a fun song or skit to help you remember the ingredient amounts.
4. Go to the library and rent some books on Christmas and how Santa Claus was started.
5. Have the kids read some Christmas books.
6. Sing some Christmas carols and have the kids make their own instruments. Be creative.
7. Have the kids write a Christmas song then sing it.
8. Visit an elderly neighbor and take some cookies.  Ask her if she would mind telling you some stories of how her Christmas’ were growing up. (history)
9. Make Christmas cards for grandparents and let the kids write a note in them. Have them also draw a picture.
10. Construct a gingerbread house from scratch.  This will cover many subjects and enhance their critical thinking.

Just because school in not “in session” does not meaning that learning stops. Knowledge is power. Give them the power of creativity, self-reliance and independent learning. Learning doesn’t have to take a long time….it can be quick and easy. Kids will still learn.

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Cheers,

Michelle