Summer Homeschool Curriculum
How I Homeschool during the summer
Today I am sharing 5 homeschool games you can work into your summer homeschool curriculum. My children are now 11, 9 and 7 years old. They are at the age where they can play kids board games. Yes I homeschool them in what is essentially one classroom.
I have developed methods of how to homeschool them all together for at least one lesson or one activity. I use a basic homeschool curriculum for the main part of the school year but I also use a summer homeschool curriculum.
For their summer homeschool curriculum I try to offer a more advanced set of lessons for things they have already learned over the school year. This means that our lessons are shorter but will also be less than a full school year. For example, in reading we will look at the play version or movie version of the book and compare them.
More field trips to provide hands-on experiences for science lessons or history lessons that we have done is also a great idea I have come to do yearly. They always love this! Making summer school about experiences allows me to extend the school year. It also allows me to add to our “vacation”. I totally think we need a trip to Hawaii now. WWII lesson right?
Overall I have learned to teach the children as a group. Even with varying grade levels.
One way of teaching the children in a group is incorporating homeschool games. It gives the children and myself a break from the day to day which can also be used as learning tools.
How did I start homeschooling all of my children at one time? How did I start homeschooling them in a group?
If you’re like many parents you have been completely blindsided by homeschool. Maybe you didn’t not plan to homeschool. Maybe you had no idea what homeschool was.
We did not ask for this! Well…I actually did so I am going to share a lot of things that I have learned and will do as we all take this on. Read about how to homeschool in North Carolina.
I began homeschooling my 8 year old a bit before the stay at home orders during the pandemic. Once we had been home a good month and a half I decided to withdraw my then 6 year old out of school as well.
Nearly 3 months after living under stay at home orders things changed. I had been charged with the task of not only homeschooling 2 children but entertaining and homeschooling all three. So that is how it all happened.
It was not easy. I had to think of things that children of all ages could learn together. I came up with some pretty cool lessons. Check out some of them on Teachers Pay Teachers for free.
We are now in a place where the children scarcely remember any other way of life. It is amazing to think that my now 7 year old has NEVER been to American school. Only some Japanese preschool.
Homeschool is new for many families
You don’t have to hide under the covers. None of what I offer, suggest or share is judgment or a hard and fast rule. We all have different lifestyles. Just the basic difference of living in an apartment vs living in a house will change how you parent and homeschool.
None of us were able to do it all during the pandemic. If you feel that your children are behind in some way for what you think they should know, pace yourself. Allow summer homeschool to be summer homeschool, not a mad dash to being a perfect 3rd grader.
Sadly children all over the world have had to learn a new way of life. Using homeschool games in between lessons or on certain days can really break the tension.
None of us were able to homeschool, stockpile and manage our household finances for 2 years all at one time. My kids sat in front of apps and shows just like yours did. Shout out to Scary Mommy. No guilt, no fear!
So with that in mind, I want to share 5 homeschool games that you can work into your weeks this summer. Board games for kids are nothing new but we don’t often consider them as learning tools. They are definitely learning games yet fun. I always have a lot of laughs when I am playing these with the kids.
Sometimes there will be crying and arguing. THAT IS NORMAL! The games teach the children how to take turns and how to lose. These are all important for their development. Kids board games are meant to be fun but also teach other behaviors. If your 8 year old kicks over the scrabble game don’t get upset. They have to learn over time to have more patience.
PRO TIP: You want to buy these games now. New or used before the other parents catch on. I predict tons of games and books to be sold out as we figure out how to navigate this summer.
Temperatures are soaring already. We are expected to get 107 degree weather here in North Carolina.
When all of this stay at home stuff started there is no way the children were able to learn the same. Most of us are a good few weeks behind in lessons. No worries!
Here are 5 homeschool games to play this summer:
- Scrabble. LOVE!! This game needs little rules and instruction. Free form it and just allow the children to take turns making words. Your 9 year old might be able to spell Catastrophe. Help your 5 year old along with spelling C.A.T. so that they can play along.
- Qwirkle. Very few rules, a self explanatory game that allows you to work with shapes. Any child can play this game and enjoy it even if they are challenged with their vision.
- Jenga. What a cult classic! This has to be a kids board games top 10. A fantastic way for children to practice balance. It’s a great sensory game and can easily be made epic by getting the oversized version.
- Perfection. Another fav from my childhood. All of the children can practice fine motor skills and scarcely need to be reminded of the rules.
- Guess Who. The children get some really good practice with adjectives. Even older children can elevate the game with more complex descriptors…“Does your person have a sinister grin?”
If you have a suggestion for a game that would be great for multiple grade levels please comment below.
Eighty Mph Mom says
I also love doing puzzles with the kids. It’s more important than ever to teach ethics and patience for long-term tasks. L