95 Activities to Overcome Loneliness for Single-Child Homeschoolers

by Leslie Fobbs

Last week we talked about the challenges and advantages of homeschooling for only-child families.  Homeschooling any amount of children is never easy, but for parents of single children it can be intimidating to realize you are all they have during 'school time.'  That does not have to be the case though.  You don't have to become hermit crabs and spend all day at home alone.

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I’ve searched through many threads of support groups for parents homeschooling an only-child.  It was heartbreaking to see so many other moms, like myself, worried over the loneliness of their children.  On the bright side, these threads generated lots of ideas for how to keep these children learning/entertained/occupied/socialized, or whatever the goal may be.  I have also added a ton of my own ideas.  Some of them involve other children in group activities, some are just for the two of you to get out of the house, and others are fun activities to do at home.  I have compiled all of them here in the categories mentioned above.

Please note that clicking/purchasing items using links in this post may result in compensation for the writer.  

Group Activities for Meeting Other People:
1.   Enroll in a Free School (An alternative school driven by a free-thinking community of unschoolers.)
2.   Join a homeschool hybrid program (partial time is spent at a school building)
3.   Find a part-time drop-off program for homeschoolers
4.   Join a homeschooling co-op or field trip group
5.   Join a PE Class for homeschoolers
6.   Visit a community farm that welcomes volunteers
7.   Go to the park/playground
8.   Enjoy the spray ground in warmer months
9.   Sign-up for library events in the evening
10.  Participate in your church youth program
11.   Join a Minecraft server or local meet up group
12.  Take a martial arts class
13.  Join a kids book club
14.  Join a poetry club
15.   Join a language learning group
16.  Join a culture club
17.  Take a group arts class
18.  Go to a ceramics painting session
19.  Join a summer day camp
20.  Join an overnight camp
21.  Join a tech camp
22.  Play outside when school kids are out
23.  Join a youth sports league in your area
24.  Volunteer with United Way during Day of Caring
25.  Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity
26.  Volunteer at a soup kitchen
27.  Form a movie or comic book fan club (like Marvel)
28.  Have movie nights and invite other kids
29.  Take a cruise with a homeschooling group
30.  Join a 4-H Club
31.  Join Boy/Girl Scouts
32.  Take group music/dance lessons 
33.  Find playdates (I know the elusive playdate is so hard to obtain because homeschoolers can be awfully flaky.  Keep trying!)
34.  Learn horseback riding
35.  Go to indoor playgrounds/trampoline parks
36.  Volunteer in a community garden 
37.  Join a kids drama class
38.  Form a make-believe group for kids (like Dungeons and Dragons)
39.  Form a Pokemon meet up
40.  Get a group of homeschoolers together for laser tag
41.  Take swimming lessons
42.  Join a community swim team
43.  Take a carpentry class at a DIY lab
44.  Go to an iD Tech Camp (located on 150 college campuses nationwide)
45.  Start a playgroup for other only-kids

Exploration for Two:
45.  Visit an art/history museum
46.  Window shop in a high-retail area
47.  Visit family in a different city and explore
48.  Take a road trip across several state.  
49.  Go on a nature walk or hike
50.  Go to the library
51.  Visit a small business and talk to the owner
52.  Go to a gaming cafe
53.  Take pictures of nature
54.  Bake homemade goodies for snacks
55.  Cook dinner together
56.  Go to a family gym
57.  Start a dog walking service in your neighborhood
58.  Deliver groceries for the elderly
59.  Visit the elderly in a nursing home
60.  Volunteer at the animal shelter or zoo
61.  Learn a language from a tutor
62.  Go to a tech conference and meet like-minded people
63.  Go for a run/bike ride together
64.  Go to a book fair
65.  Go to local festivals
66.  Join a travel group and go abroad
67.  Have school in a coffee shop or the library
68.  Learn archery/shooting
69.  Visit a nature center
70.  Visit the local farmers/flea market 
71.  Go treasure hunting at garage and estate sales
72.  Go geocaching
73.  Go to a rock climbing gym
74.  Take on a paper route
75.  Run errands together
76.  Start a lawn mowing business
77.  Take a sewing class
78.  Take a cake decorating class

Fun Activities At Home:
79.  Read books aloud together
80.  Play Minecraft together

• My son and I have enjoyed working through this neat Minecraft lab book:

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Unofficial Minecraft Lab for Kids: Family-Friendly Projects for Exploring and Teaching Math, Science, History, and Culture Through Creative Building (Hands-On Family)

 
​81.  Play games with friends through Steam (be sure to set up Steam Family View for safety)
82.  Play board games 
83.  Birdwatch

• Here is the perfect project book and kid-proof binoculars to get started:

Bird Watching for Kids: Bite-sized Learning & Backyard Projects

BESPIN Binoculars for Kids 8x21 Bird Watching , High-Resolution Real Optics for Wildlife Watching

84.  Learn how to code
85.  Play/design video games
86.  Start a YouTube channel and interact with other kid YouTubers 
87.  Start a podcast
88.  Start a blog
89.  Start an e-commerce store
89.  Start a digital or print magazine
90.  Write and illustrate a children’s book
91.  Learn a craft and sell on Etsy
92.  Tinker with robotics or other building crafts (watch YouYube for ideas)
93.  Grow a garden in the backyard
94.  Learn fancy lettering, like Calligraphy
95.  Pen pal with other kids around the world

Still feeling overwhelmed?  Here are some quick tips to keep the both of you sane.

• Is it a down period in your location where there’s not a lot going on (like the winter season)?  Consider that you may just have to wait it out.  This lonely period is just that,  a period of time that will pass.  Summer is always approaching!
• Journaling is a good activity for documenting your day-to-day movement.  It will also get you through the lull, and help you figure out what works for the two of you.  
• If you live in an area that has absolutely nothing going on, I feel your pain.  You are going to have to be more creative, resourceful, and proactive.  That means if you don't see what you want, create it for yourself and invite others along.  Also, consider that life is school too.  Run errands together and have them help you around the house.  All kinds of learning can take place in what we think of as the smallest of tasks.  
• Once you do get going with lots to participate in, don’t overdo it.  Find ways to automate your life (like shopping for groceries online and picking them up), so that you have more time for fun activities.  Alternate busy and slow days throughout the week to give yourself time to rest and allow your child a chance to be bored.

That brings me to my last tip...

• Remember that your child won’t die of boredom (although they may drive you insane).  That’s when they figure out how to be creative and to dream up their own learning opportunities.  

There.  I’ve given you ninety-five different things to keep both you and your child very busy.  Homeschooling is always what you make it.  If you make it fun, it will be!

Did I miss anything from my list?  What activities do you and your child participate in to stay active?  

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