A Simple Trick to Break the Monotony of Your Homeschool Routine

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Did you ever have the feeling that one homeschool day can seem to blur into the next?

I have. There have been many days I felt as if my children and I were the lead roles in a homeschool-version of Groundhog Day. Every day seemed exactly the same as the one before it.

If there’s one thing I know as a homeschool mom, if your learning time begins to lose its luster, your child’s interest will quickly follow. 

Today I’m going to share with you a simple trick that’s worked wonders in our house.

A Simple Trick to Spice Up Your Homeschool

I’m going to begin by pointing out that most kids seem to thrive with a bit of structure. They like to know what will happen, how it will happen, and when it will happen.

Unfortunately, though, I think it may be this knowledge that keeps homeschool parents doing the same ol’, same ol’ each and every day, but I’ve got a very simple solution:

Plan your homeschool for a 4-day week and spend the 5th day doing something completely different than the usual routine.

For example, here in our house, we do a basic routine each of the four days consisting of:

• Bible
• Read-Aloud (I read separately to my my Littles, Middles, and Teens)
• Notebooking and/or unit study activities
• Math
• Spelling
• Silent reading (or phonics/reading for the Littles)

Then on the fifth day, we shake things up with:

• Bible
• Read-Aloud with the Littles and Middles combined (usually a short story)
• Nature Study
• Nature journaling

Like I said, simple. But don’t let that fool you! After working hard all week long, the kids and I really look forward to the fresh air and peace that can only come with being out in God’s creation. There really is no better way for children to learn science than through the actual world itself.

Keep in mind, though, that this is simply how we spend our fifth day. If you and your children really aren’t the outdoor type, or if nature study wouldn’t be feasible for you, some other ideas are:

• weekly field trip
• movie day (tying this in with a topic being studied or a current read-aloud is one way to do it)
• crafting day
• visiting day (this could be visiting with friends, relatives, the elderly, etc.)
• park day
• science experiment day
• gameschooling
• baking day
• volunteering
• or anything else you can think of. 🙂

Just make sure to find an activity that not only appeals to your kids, but appeals to you, too.

As for what day to do this, again, it’s up to you. Some people may prefer to do these activities on a Friday as a TGIF celebration. Others may rather do this on a Monday to ease into the week. We tend to do this on our grocery shopping day (typically, Friday) since our nature study days don’t take as long as a normal homeschool day, and we need all the time we can get to shop for a dozen people!

Whatever you decide to do, always take advantage of the freedom that comes with homeschooling. Don’t let boredom take root in your daily routine. Find what works for you and your kids, and do it.

What about you? Do you have any tips for shaking things up? Leave a comment!

 

 

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