Back to School Homeschool Style

by Jessica Watson on August 20th, 2024 | 5 Comments »

If you homeschool like I do, your kids may notice their friends' back to school routines and want to do the same. Over the years we've developed a few fun ways to celebrate back to school with a bit of homeschool style and you can too.

Creating Back-to-School Memories When You Homeschool

Try a few of these fun ways to introduce your homeschooler to the new school year so they can compare notes with their friends who attend a nearby school and have plenty to talk about.

Creating back-to-school homeschool memories

Back to School Pictures for Homeschoolers

Just because you aren't sending them off to hop on a bus doesn't mean you can't do the traditional beginning and end of school year photos. In fact, if you are like us, you've got a chalkboard or whiteboard close at hand to use for your photos.

First day of homeschool photos - create your own yearly tradition!

Classroom Decor to Make School Special

Your "classroom" might move from one room of your house to another with frequent stops at the local library, but on the first day of school pick a favorite room to decorate. Hang streamers from the doorway, make a welcome sign or these fun back to school pencil holders filled with treats. Make a big deal about the kids entering their class for the first time this fall, they will love it!

Let homeschool kids pick out school supplies as part of the back to school process.

School Shopping With Homeschool Kids

A huge perk of homeschooling is the fact that you get to avoid that LONG back to school supply list every teacher hands out. But if your kids want to join their friends in the hunt for notebooks and pencils there's no reason they can't help you shop for your homeschool supplies. Make a list of what you need for the year, divide it amongst your children and head out to the stores before the crowds get there.

Personalized Supplies for Homeschoolers

My kids love getting new things but we don't necessarily need new backpacks, pencil boxes, lunch boxes and water bottles so I pick what we will actually use and let them shop. As elementary schoolers, lunch boxes seem to be a big deal around here and they are helpful to have for our days with local homeschool groups so each of the kids pick out a lunchbox and water bottle. Let each child choose their own design or color to make it special.

Family photo for Back-to-School

I've seen all kinds of photos over the years of moms jumping for joy at the bus stop or raising a coffee mug as the bus pulls away. I have to say, as a homeschooling mom, I like my kids close. I enjoy the beginning of the school year because it brings structure to our day but sometimes I feel like I'm in the minority because I'm glad I don't have to send them off to school each morning. This year we will commemorate our first day with a pajama picture because I'm perfectly content to have made the decision to teach them at home and enjoy our days together.

Do you homeschool? How do you celebrate the beginning of the school year?

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Jessica Watson

Jessica Watson is the mom to five, four in her arms and one in her heart. When she's not doing the minivan shuffle she's homeschooling her kiddos and cooking things they won't eat. She blogs with her heart on her sleeve at Four Plus an Angel, co-directs Listen To Your Mother Metro Detroit and writes for sites such as Huffington Post, Mamalode and SheKnows.