5 Ideas to Kick-Start Your New Homeschool Year By Including Others

I value traditions when it comes to kicking off our homeschool year. Plenty of photos and quirky poses at the beginning of our new school year are a must in my home.

However,  the boys have enjoyed our year more when we included others and socialize (gasp ..can you believe we do). Sure, I have made special breakfasts and bought new homeschool supplies which I love, but there is something about being with other homeschoolers as we start off our year that keeps us stoked the whole year.

The feeling of excitement is contagious when the kids see each other again. Not only does it excite our kids, but as moms we enjoy the camaraderie also. Too, maybe it’s the feeling that you know you are not alone as so many others have decided that not only are we doing this another year, but this is our way of life. It’s the warm feeling of security deep down knowing I won’t have to kiss my sons good-bye and send them off. Maybe it’s the mother in me and not the teacher when we start our school year, but it gets harder to separate the two each year.

Look at this list of 5 Ways to Include Other Homeschoolers in Your New Year.

1. From a simple idea of starting our year off with others at a museum when the children were little to including way more homeschoolers, we have always preferred being with others to celebrate.

(Mr. Senior 2013 in the back left, Mr. Awesome in the middle and Tiny in the front at the beginning of our fledgling group and idea to be with a few others.)

2. Then years later, we had a true Texas hoedown and started off our school year a few years back by square dancing. We pulled out all the stops, kicked up our heels and had Texas Bar B Q (or you could have Memphis style Bar B Q or Kansas style Bar B Q, or …..okay okay) complete with all the trimmings.

There was no shortage of great food and great cooks among our homeschool moms which I find is the case in many events I have hosted. I love the generosity.

We hired a “true” caller and his “gang” to teach us how to square dance and this is what we “learned” on our 1st day of school.

We invited the whole family, grandma and grandpa to celebrate the start of our new year with us. Kelley, Cynthia and I coordinated one of our most memorable back to school parties with our group.

Pssssst……..this is a good way to include those in your circle of family and friends that may not be up on your decision to homeschool. Include them in your fun at the beginning of the year. That way you really set the standard for how your year will start and then they will know right from the beginning you are a rebel…..tee hee hee

3. Actually, according to the kids it was a tossup between the square dancing one year and ice skating in August another year.

See if you can rent out the ice skating rink just for your back to school party and ask for a more reduced rate even if they don’t advertise. Remember, most businesses welcome customers in the morning or early afternoon when public school is back in session and their business is slower.

{Tiny ambushed one of our Seniors that year.}

Of course playing in the snow in August outside was the icing on the day for us that year!

4. Rendezvous at the Reef was another big hit with the group. Start off the new year by somebody else teaching a class and learning about the ocean. We headed to Galveston, which is by the coast/ocean to have a class about ocean life and life at the reef.

My kind of instructor who includes hands-on things for both older and younger children to hold and learn about as she teaches.

Things like watching the penguins being fed and watching all the sea life and not in our home class room gets us so excited about the new year.

5. The Not Back to School Geography Quest was also another big hit with our group.

We had hands on items from the country the kids chose, experiments to watch and even tasted some food from other countries.

 

One of the moms getting ready to serve home made salsa after the kids presented information on Mexico.

Young or old, anybody can join in this kind of party and everybody learned something.

Though we have had many years that we have spent with others, I wished we would have done something every year. It has meant the difference between a mediocre start to our year with the kids tolerating all my pictures and poses and a memorable one.

Don’t just set aside a day or two, take a week or more to get in all those back to school pictures and plan a special event or party even if you just include one more family.  What is one week in a 52 week year year if you school year around?  I have never regretted the work in coordinating all the events, but I have regretted not planning more.

Studying our square dance moves, gliding on ice and playing in snow in August, rendezvousing at the reef or ocean and “jet- setting” through countries mark years that we won’t easily forget.

How will you start your first day or first week of school?

Hugs and love ya,