Kids don’t necessarily look forward to the first day of school like parents often do. While homeschooling parents don’t look forward to sending our kids to school, we do get excited over using new books, new planners, and new curriculum.
Back to Homeschool Traditions and Fun
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We want our kids to be just as excited as we are to start the new year so we started some back to homeschool traditions, and to do things to make it more fun for both us and our kids.
I see a lot of back to school traditions on Pinterest, but not a lot of back to homeschool traditions, and us homeschoolers need to have fun and have traditions too. In fact, I think because homeschool is more individualized we can do a lot more.
Back to Homeschool Field Trip
We like to go to the Saskatchewan Science Centre on the first day of school, we have for the past two years (homeschooling for two years), and we’ll be heading there again this year. We only go about once through the summer due to the crowds, and that’s because their dad enjoys getting to go and seeing what new things they have added.
Having the place to ourselves on the first day of school is fun and gives us something to look forward to, the playground is another fun place to visit. Where could you go on the first day of school?
First Day Pictures
Each year we take a “back to school picture”. A piece of paper that says what grade they are starting, because we aren’t fancy. Sometimes we take them on the stairs, sometimes outside. It gives us a great picture to look back on at the end of the year.
Yes, this is something kids going into public school do too, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it too. I love these pictures.
Back to School Favorite Meals
Great thing about homeschooling is that you can have three favorite meals on the first day of school. For us that equals to each child picking out a favorite through the day. Breakfast, lunch, and supper.
Back to Homeschool Party
Throw a private party just you and your kids are invited. Have balloons, streamers, cake the whole thing! Have fun. This year we’re going to be having a themed day/party, our theme being Harry Potter. (I’ll share it once we’ve done it and link to it here.)
Or maybe you have a group of homeschooling friends and you make it a fun tradition that you all get together on the first day of school. Summers can be busy for everyone, and back to school time is the start of a slower pace of life as cooler weather sets in.
Back to Homeschool Theme
We had so much fun with making our first day of school a theme, it was Harry Potter! So fun. A trip to the dollar store for Harry Potter party supplies, white shirts from WalMart and leftover fabric paint to make my kids some simple shirts.
I also pre-planned this and ordered super cheap Harry Potter necklaces from Wish.
Make back to homeschool fun for you and your kids. We never jump right into all subjects on the first day of school, but instead ease into them over the first week. Use this time to set the tone for your school year, maybe you are doing Wizard’s and Wands curriculum and want to have a Harry Potter themed homeschool this year like we have.
Easing into School Work
This is something I see a lot. How do you start introducing school work back into your day after not doing anything for a couple months? Or even a couple week.
We ease into it. One subject, maybe two, on the first day. Two subjects on the second day. By the end of the first week we’ll have touched on each subject once for that week’s schedule.
Easing into a schoolwork routine will allow you all to adjust to a schedule again, it won’t be this big overwhelming task.
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