How to Teach at Home |
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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. ![]()
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
81. Play games with friends through Steam (be sure to set up Steam Family View for safety) 82. Play board games 83. Birdwatch
![]() 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.
That brings me to my last tip...
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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