52 Artist’s Dates for Your Homeschool ~
Written by Debbie Douse of An Adventurous Education

A wise friend of mine, knowing my desire to increase my creative flair, bought me an excellent book called The Artist’s Way. (afflink)

Fundamentally, this book encourages you to let go of what no longer serves you and instead make space for art in whichever forms call most to you. One of its key tenets is the concept of the artist date.

This is a permission slip to spend a couple of hours each week allowing your ‘inner artist’ to simply play.

The time should be spent alone, doing something that inspires you – fills your creative bucket so to speak – with no set outcome. Joyful, right?

I started adding this to my weekly planner. I’d bravely take myself out alone to the theatre to watch beautiful dancers or just ringfence time in my garden. My children’s interest was piqued.

I bought myself a stack of magazines to cut up into an inspiration board, and Rosie excitedly picked up what was left to make her own. Harry, noticing me book an oil painting class, asked if we could make it a mother-son date day instead. For months, I’d left a stack of photo frames hanging around ready to make a display of our travels.

It was an artist’s date destined not to happen… until Rosie decided she’d waited long enough and asked me with pleading eyes if she could please do some of them! Clearly the priority I was gifting my own creativity was motivating them to do the same.

So I brainstormed a list of 52 artist’s dates for your homeschool to stimulate all our imaginations.

The ardent Artist’s Way followers would insist these be done individually, and often, that works best.

But there’s also value to be gained doing them beside your loved ones, connecting through playful creation. And in a homeschool setting, it’s ideal for both bonding and interesting coursework that you might otherwise not have time for!

52 Artist’s Dates for Your Homeschool This Year:

1. Print out uplifting quotes and make a collage
2. Book a cookery course, design your own dinner party menu or forage for ingredients to use in a new recipe
3. Redecorate your bedroom and paint a mural on the wall
4. Attend a poetry recital or design your own with friends
5. Have a go at the potter’s wheel
6. Research Andy Goldsworthy’s art and create your own outdoor sculpture
7. Have a seasonal photography competition amongst family members – who can take the best winter or spring photograph?
8. Experience a new kind of theater, such as slapstick, mime or street theater
9. Design a mood board of pictures for a story/scene you’re writing
10. Try a new dance style, such as Irish or Flamenco
11. Draw your favorite building in your local town
12. Go wild swimming
13. Introduce yourself to a new style of music and find a favorite song in this genre
14. Pick some flowers from the garden to make a bouquet
15. Plan a road trip
16. People watch and create stories about each character
17. Make a photo-book of your holidays
18. Peruse a food market and taste foods you’ve never tried before
19. Research and try a new craft technique, like macramé, book folding art or wire figure sculpting
20. Go on a barefoot or night walk
21. Create a collection of beautiful objects
22. Visit an art gallery or museum
23. Write a song
24. Plant part of the garden as a beautiful sanctuary for you
25. Design a comic strip
26. Kayak or canoe down a river
27. Draw the floor plan of your ideal home
28. Bravely book a guided ghost walk
29. Go to a comedy club or write a comedy sketch
30. Make a ‘creative bucket list’
31. Attend a writing class
32. Make your own photo frame out of driftwood
33. Learn to knit
34. Explore unique shops with no agenda
35. Survey the sunset or sunrise, or stargaze
36. Watch an inspirational speaker
37. Start a nature journal
38. Enjoy a music festival or concert
39. Try workshops to learn new skills, such as juggling, leather working or soap making
40. Create a Pinterest board for a hobby or passion
41. Bake a new type of cake or pastry
42. Add hygge to your home
43. Plan, save and buy a new outfit
44. Make a Christmas wreath
45. Start a sewing project, such as new curtains, a patchwork quilt or new skirt
46. Enjoy a coloring or doodle book
47. Try a new type of painting class, like oil, Batik or watercolors
48. Start a blog, Substack or YouTube channel
49. Sit by the river and write a poem
50. Venture into previously unexplored areas of an art/stationery shop
51. Make a photo display
52. Write 10 things you’d love to be brave enough to do; chose one and do it!

Having experienced my own artist’s date last night – a talk from the intrepid explorer Simon Reeve – I can attest to the uplifting impact on your imagination.

Here’s to building a creative 2025!

* Find more of Debbie’s inspirational writing on Simple Homeschool here.

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your type needs most!

Toe-Dipping into Homeschooling ~
Written by Lusi Austin of That Homeschool Life

Imagine it’s a hot, summer’s day here in Australia. There is no place I’d rather be than near the ocean or our local river, dipping my toes into the cool water.

Sometimes, just dipping my toe in is enough and other times, it is the starting point for a full on deep-dive!

And that has had me thinking – offering our kiddos a myriad of learning opportunities and experiences is like toe-dipping: our kids dip their toes into the learning waters.

Sometimes they have ‘just enough’ exposure to certain activities and ideas that it gives them a chance to really feel like they have tried that subject or theme. At other times, that little toe-dip actually leads them into a deep-dive on a topic that they’d once never even thought of.

This has happened with most of my kids over the years. Instead of fighting the urge to insist that we all approach the water in the same way, I now actively encourage toe-dipping into homeschooling interests (even if it doesn’t lead to a deep-dive experience).

Let me share a few examples and just how far one small dip into the waters has led to an immersive experience for three of our kids.

Toe-Dipping into Homeschooling

A Dip into Tech

A few years ago, my youngest son (now 13 years old), seemed to be interested in building, making and creating with Legos. I saw that his interest moved more into the Lego Technic pieces (afflinks). He worked on click-style circuit kits but completed these very quickly.

A friend had mentioned a special electronics style kit that she had found called Spintronics. Although this was a little beyond him in some areas, he kept at it. I saw that it was stimulating his mind in way that other kits had not.

Now at 13, this little toe-dip which began playing with Legos, has led to him into new tech areas.

He has purchased two 3D printers and using his own designs, he has begun selling 3D printed earrings and fidget toys. He has joined a homeschool coding club. His love of tech and engineering principles continues.

A Dip into Cooking

From the time our kids could stir a bowl, I have had them in the kitchen making a mess  participating. They kept their own recipe books, writing out recipes we had made together. When one of our sons took a job at a local nursing home in the kitchen, he already had some skills he had practiced at home.

He was then offered an apprenticeship in commercial cookery. He has now graduated from his tertiary education certificate course. Last week, he cooked for his housemates!

Who knew a toe-dip into cooking during our homeschool years might come in handy in his future?

A Dip into Sewing

Another example of toe-dipping in our home has been my youngest daughter and sewing. I gave a toe-dipping experience to all five of our children in this area.

But she was the only one who REALLY went all in with the deep-dive! You can read more about where this dipping led her in this post.

When Toe-Dipping Doesn’t Lead Anywhere

What if NOTHING happens after you offer an activity or a learning experience to your kiddo? As parents, sometimes we feel disappointed that our kids don’t go all-in with an activity. Breathe and know that it is okay.

We all have likes and dislikes. It may not be something your kid picks up again EVER. Or you may have given them an introduction to something that they can explore for themselves in another season of their life.

Sometimes, the best place is watching from the sand. They may be observing and taking things in. It may be that later down the track they ask more questions or their interest piques.

Rest in the knowledge that you have given your child rich learning opportunities and experiences. There is value in toe-dipping, in deep-diving, and in standing on the sand too.

* Find more inspiration in Lusi’s writing on Simple Homeschool!

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your type needs most!

Tailoring Your Homeschool Curriculum: A Child-Focused Approach to Thriving ~
Written by Colleen Kessler of Raising Lifelong Learners

Whether you’re using an all-in-one program, mixing and matching from various providers, or DIY-ing it with online resources, the key to ensuring your curriculum choices fit your family’s vision is to shape it around your child’s unique needs.

Here’s how to implement a child-focused approach with confidence and flexibility.

Think of Curriculum as a Framework, Not a Script

One of the greatest benefits of homeschooling is the freedom it gives you to customize learning. While curriculums often come with guidelines and structured lesson plans, they’re not set in stone. Think of your curriculum as a framework that supports your child’s learning rather than a strict script to follow.

Your child’s academic, social, and emotional needs should guide your teaching journey. If your kiddo is a hands-on learner who thrives when building and experimenting, incorporate lots of project-based learning. Science experiments, art projects, and even cooking can make subjects more engaging.

Got a kid who loves structure? They might do well with a set schedule that allows them to anticipate what’s coming next. This mindset shift can reduce the pressure to “do it all” and allow you to focus on what truly benefits your child.

Adapt for Strengths and Challenges

Every child has their strengths and areas that need extra support. A one-size-fits-all curriculum won’t work, and that’s okay. Use your homeschool as an opportunity to lean into their strengths and find creative ways to address their challenges.

For the math whiz , but reluctant reader, look for cross-curricular activities that integrate their interests.  If they love baking, turn cooking time into a math and reading lesson by having them follow a recipe.

They’ll be practicing math skills with measurements and reading comprehension without even realizing it.

For the artistic child, seek out options that include creative projects. Let them illustrate science journals, create history timelines as comic strips, or build dioramas of scenes from the books they’re reading. These activities allow them to express creativity while still covering essential learning goals.

For the child who needs extra support in certain areas, customizing your curriculum can make a world of difference.

If reading is a challenge, consider using audiobooks or read-aloud sessions to build their comprehension skills without the stress of decoding words. On the other hand, if they excel in a particular subject, don’t be afraid to accelerate the pace or dive deeper into topics that fascinate them.

Incorporate Life Skills and Interests

Homeschooling isn’t just about academics; it’s about raising lifelong learners who are prepared for the world. Use your curriculum to teach life skills and cater to their interests. Does your child love animals? Take that passion and run with it!

Explore biology through animal studies, incorporate animal-themed books into reading time, and use nature walks as an opportunity for science lessons. Not only will this make learning more enjoyable, but it will also help them see how subjects connect to the real world.

Life skills are equally important. Cooking, budgeting, gardening, or even basic home repairs can be turned into valuable learning experiences. This hands-on approach not only teaches practical skills but also reinforces concepts like math, science, and problem-solving in a real-world context.

Embrace Flexibility and Adjust as Needed

Flexibility is one of the greatest gifts you can give both yourself and your child. Some days, the curriculum might need to take a back seat because your child is having an off day, and that’s okay. Consider it an opportunity to pivot and do something different. 

If you find that a particular curriculum or approach isn’t working, don’t be afraid to change. Try breaking subjects into shorter, more manageable chunks if long lessons cause burnout. Or take a day to dive deep into a hands-on project if your child seems disengaged. 

Connect with Your Community for Ideas and Support

Don’t forget that you’re not alone in this journey! Join local homeschool groups, co-ops, or online forums where you can exchange curriculum tips, resources, and advice. Sometimes hearing what works (and doesn’t) for others can spark new ideas for customizing your child’s learning path.

Celebrate Progress, Not Perfection

It’s easy to get caught up in meeting academic benchmarks, but don’t forget to celebrate small wins. Did your child finally master a tricky concept or show interest in a new topic? That’s worth celebrating!

By focusing on progress rather than perfection, you’re fostering a love for learning and building your child’s confidence.

Ready to Dive Deeper?

This child-focused approach not only enhances learning but also nurtures a lifelong love of education. By embracing flexibility and meeting your child where they are, you’re raising learners who are engaged, motivated, and ready to tackle whatever comes their way.

Want to explore more ways to customize your homeschooling experience?

*****

A note from Jamie: The ideas in this post are just a tiny fraction of those Colleen shares in her new book, The Homeschool Advantage: A Child-Focused Approach to Raising Lifelong Learners.

I got a sneak peek, and here’s what I wrote afterwards:

“Colleen Kessler shares from the depth of her experience as a long-term homeschool parent, a mother of differently-wired kids, and a recognized authority on gifted studies.

In The Homeschool Advantage, she strengthens our resolve and self-trust as homeschooling parents, reminding us that home education is not just one alternative for our kids’ learning, but that it may in fact be the best option of all!” 

If you need a boost of confidence for your homeschool journey, snag a copy of The Homeschool Advantage today!

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your type needs most!

Where Can An Interest Lead? ~
Written by Lusi Austin of That Homeschool Life

My beautiful 15-year-old daughter recently made this dress to wear to Sydney, Australia’s production of Hamilton, the musical. She made it from a $10 piece of fabric she found in a local second-hand store (in Australia we call them ‘op shops’ short for opportunity shops!)

I can’t sew to save myself! Well, that’s not entirely true: I bought my first sewing machine when I was 25 years old and, using YouTube videos, taught myself how to thread the machine and how to sew a straight line!  I can sew a straight line, but can’t sew anything like the things my daughter makes.

Where Can an Interest Lead?

How to encourage an interest your child has that you don’t share:

So, if I am not into sewing, how did my daughter develop her skills?

Well, let me just say up front that of my five kiddos, Zippi is the only one who has really LOVED sewing. I’m so glad that I gave her time and space to develop her love.

How did I know she loved it? I observed her. Over time, I could see that she was excited about learning new skills.

I made suggestions and provided her with tools. I could see her eyes light up when she made something. There was a spark, and so I tried my best to fan the flame of interest.

We started small to test the waters. At the age of 7, she was sewing a felt puppet using a step by step kit. Then slowly, we stepped it up.

A few years later, she tried the sewing machine for the first time. I think a purposeful project is helpful in sparking an interest. So I helped her make some simple curtains for her bedroom.

Then she asked me how to thread the bobbin onto the spool (which I’d always done for her). I showed her how to do it and from then on, she did it herself. We incorporated her learning outcomes into her passion.

I found a few sewing bee shows for her that I thought might fit this interest, bought some second hand sewing books and some vintage patterns.

Then I outsourced. She joined a local craft and sewing group. She would troubleshoot problems there or at home with me (with us looking online together) as well as Zippi’s Nan helped her when she came for visits.

As the years went on, so did her interest in sewing and fashion. Her skill level increased as she kept practicing. She made masks and scrunchies and I encouraged her to participate in a local market to sell some.

Her market was a success and led to her being able to sell them in a friend’s café. This incentivized her further! And again, she upped her skill level.

She started tackling more complex techniques in her work – bell sleeves, darts, shirring, zippers, overlocking, using patterns (and creating her own patterns from scratch). I found a croquis (form drawing) class for Zippi to take online.

Again, this skill took time to develop.

I scaffolded supports for her in this area: she began with a pre-made template, graduated to using plastic templates and then took the online croquis class. Her form and perspective skills improved.

Another lovely homeschooler sent us fabric and another sent us old workbooks from a fashion course she’d previously undertaken.

And so, with skills, resources and my old friend ‘time-and-space’, the little girl with a passion for fashion continues to create.

I don’t know if there is a career in fashion ahead for my daughter or not. But what I do know is this: she has developed skills across so many subjects of learning, by spending her time doing something that she really loves!

And in our home, that is a worthwhile and wise investment. 

* Read more of Lusi’s inspirational posts on Simple Homeschool here!

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your type needs most!

Interest-Led Learning When Your Child Only Likes Video Games ~
Written by Shawna Wingert of Different by Design Learning

I was on the phone with another homeschooling mom last week.

She was trying to work through how to best teach her twelve-year-old son without the resistance that was a daily struggle last year. “Have you tried an interest-led approach to learning?” I gently asked.

Frustrated and discouraged, she replied, “How can I take an interest-led approach when his only interest is video games?”

I understand her concern.

We tend to view video games as a sort of enemy of education and learning, especially in the homeschool community. I used to feel the same way.

But over the course of the past few years, as my boys have matured into teens and I have had to find new ways to connect with them, I have come to see video games not as a threat, but a tool that we can use to help our kids learn.

Interest-Led Learning When Your Child Only Likes Video Games

The more I have learned about my sons’ interest in gaming, the more convinced I have become that we are missing real edcuational opportunities with our kids.  Here’s why –

Not All Games Are Created Equal

I think the fear is that our children will be locked up inside a dark room all day playing violent, degrading games. While some of those types of games exist, there are many more that actually provide very real educational learning opportunities for our children.

For example, Minecraft has been a mainstay in our homeschool since I learned that signs can be created throughout the game. We use these signs to practice sight words with my struggling reader.

Another example in our home is Battlefield One. In this war game, my son has learned more about WWI than any textbook was ever able to teach him.

Video Games Provide Opportunities To connect With Our Children On Their Level

Just as our kids love to show us their latest art project or trick on the skateboard, they also enjoy showing us their skills in a virtual world. Knowing what they are playing, asking why they enjoy it, and providing positive reinforcement creates an environment of mutual respect. This respect is the foundation of interest-led learning.

We respect our kids’ interests and allow them to drive our approach to their education. Video games can absolutely be as valuable in interest-led learning as my youngest son’s interest in animals. We just have to take the time to learn about them, with our child as the guide.

Video Games Can Help Lead To Strength Based Learning

I have shared before how passionate I am about using our children’s strengths to drive their learning.

What has surprised me is how video games have actually revealed some of my boys’ natural gifts and strengths. For example, my youngest is a wizard at three dimensional thinking and building. It serves him well in video games, but I am also learning ways to incorporate this strength into our learning away from the screen.

The relationship between interests and strengths is quite significant. In fact, the combination of the two is what allows me to create strength based learning plans for my sons and for other families.

I have created a worksheet to help parents get started with this type of approach. It is available for free to Simple Homeschool readers HERE.

How To Use Video Games In Interest Led Learning

I want to leave you with some practical examples of how to incorporate video games into your homeschool.

Get Involved

My first recommendation is to participate in as much conversation and game play as possible. I don’t ever actually play games, but I do sit with my boys while they play. I ask them why they enjoy it and have them show me all their skills.

Use As A Starting point For Lessons

Last week, my son mentioned Russia was a location in the game he was playing. We got the map out and found it. We did a google search together to learn more about it. And then, we went back to the game and compared what we learned to what we saw on the screen. Was it an accurate depiction? Why not?

Another example in our homeschool is how we use mobile games. There is a Harry Potter mobile game that my son loves to play. He wanders the neighborhood, looking for magical creatures in the game. He gets a little exercise and fresh air and then we come home and practice reading aloud using the Harry Potter book series.

Use As A Check For Understanding

Some of the more creative video games, like Minecraft, easily serve as a kind of quiz to see how your child is retaining the information he’s learning. For example, my son created a Medieval Village in Minecraft to reflect what he had learned as part of our Medieval History unit study. It worked beautifully, almost like an online version of our old shoe box dioramas.

Overall, I have found video games to be a very useful part of our learning. The more I learn about the games my children play, the easier it is to find ways to incorporate this interest into our homeschool.

* Find more of Shawna’s inspiring posts on Simple Homeschool!

Do your kids play video games? Have you used them as part of your homeschool?

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your type needs most!

Next year will possibly be my daughter’s last year of homeschooling. Wow, just writing those words causes a squeeze on my heart and a tear in my eye! There are plans afoot for her to attend school for her last two years, to sit higher-level exams.

So, this last year homeschooling feels especially poignant.

As I look back over the years, the thing I am so unbelievably grateful for on this homeschooling journey of ours is the deep connection I have developed with my two children through the medium of shared learning.

It’s in all the hours spent snuggled up reading about the endeavours of Scott in the Antarctic or those excited moments of “Oooh, I get it now,” as they grasp a new science concept. It’s in the deep conversations about human behaviour or which political party to vote for, or the light dinner time chats where we tease out a mathematical conundrum.

This bond through shared scholarship over the last nine years has been a real privilege. It’s reminded me to set in place some key traditions for continuing this connection for the upcoming year and hopefully even once they’ve flown the nest.

Creating Traditions for Shared Lifelong Learning

Literary Picnics

Yesterday Rosie and I had the first of what we’re calling, ‘literary picnics.’ We laid out a blanket and delicious picnic alongside a whole range of books. Over the following hour, we cuddled and:

• Recited and discussed our favourite poems.
• Chose selections to read from various books meaningful to us in some way, such as John Green’s book Paper Towns or Speeches of Note by Shaun Usher.
• Read to each other pieces from our own current writing projects.

This all felt so very Anne of Green Gables (our joint favourite literary character) and was honestly such a joy. So much so that we’ve decided to make it a bi-weekly feature of our upcoming school term.

Throughout the winter, we’ll move them in front of a log fire, but the aim will be the same: connecting through a shared passion for words.

This year, she’s studying for exams in English language and literature, as well as a drama qualification. The literary picnic sessions will be an opportunity for her to embed her learning as she updates me on the books and poems she’s studying, the monologues she’s preparing and the dissertation she’s writing.

It will also offer the chance for us to read together a whole range of writing styles from articles to diaries, to letters to interviews, helping her prepare for her English language exam.

Finally, we can vulnerably share our own writing in this forum (e.g. Rosie’s currently writing a screenplay), bouncing ideas off one another and offering honest and loving advice for improvement.

We are both so excited for these sessions and I pray that it’s a tradition we’ll continue to do for many years to come!

Adventures

Since they were small, our family have always connected through adventures, big and small. Together, we’ve walked a marathon, made brass bowls in Marrakech’s medina, climbed inside an Egyptian pyramid, volunteered at an animal sanctuary in Costa Rica, wild camped, tracked the Northern Lights, fat biked through the dunes of South Africa and made our own hammock.

Learning through the world, these adventures teach us fundamental life skills, such as facing our fears, strengthening self-belief, connecting deeply with others, whilst also filling our creative buckets.  Adventure has and always will be a way of life for our family, a place where I know we’ll continue to connect and grow side-by-side long into the future.

Spanish Hour

All three of us are hispanophiles: lovers of all things Spanish! Since we have this joint passion, I thought it would be fun to spend an hour a week learning more about Spanish arts, sports, music and culture, from a smorgasbord of options, e.g.:

• Make a traditional Spanish recipe
• Select a famous Spanish painting, such as Guernica by Picasso, to discuss together
• Watch different Spanish dances, such as Flamenco or the Argentine Tango
• Listen to traditional Spanish songs
• Read an article together about Spanish culture or history
• Watch a movie in Spanish
• Visit the Tate Modern to view works of art by Mexican artists Frida Kahlo or Diego Rivera
• Go to the Cervantes Theatre in London to watch a Spanish play
• Research the life of famous Spanish sporting heroes
• Pick a Spanish-speaking country or part of Spain and research its famous sites

The aim of these traditions is purely to nurture our shared interests in a joyful and non-pressured way, with the hope that we’ll continue to connect like this long after their school is finished. These traditions will hopefully inspire shared lifelong learning in all of our lives!

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!

Our Family Learning Diary – Recording Our Homeschool Journey
Written by Lusi Austin from That Homeschool Life

Even before we began homeschooling, I started keeping a learning record. A collection of loose papers with notes on them. I can’t tell you why, but I know I did it because I came across the papers in a box in my shed recently.

My eldest (now 22) was 3 at the time and on this piece of paper, it says that we did an ‘underwater themed art activity’ . I wrote the song that we sang together and we played a magnetic fish game too. I think somehow I knew that homeschooling would be part of our life’s path.

This is our sixteenth year of homeschooling our children. I made a commitment back when I first started, that I would write in my diary each day. Well that lasted maybe two days!

The following year, I made a commitment to write it in a couple of times a week but the same thing happened. I just couldn’t keep up with it.

I used to get frustrated with myself and my ‘lack of self discipline’ until I lightened up and realised that I was imposing something on myself that I didn’t need to.

Instead, I decided to work with my neurodivergent ADHD brain and do it the way that came most naturally to me.

How I keep a family learning diary

The only way I can remember what we have done is by looking at photos. I am a visual person so a single photo can jog my mind and remind me of the learning that took place.

I group the learning photos into months in private Facebook albums.

I give the album the title: Learning From Life, then add in the month and year. This makes it easier to find later on.

After adding all the photos into the monthly album, I go to a café, order breakfast and coffee and have a learning diary date!

I look at my photos and under a month headline, I write down learning activities. I use subject subheadings which I then highlight and color-code.

Purchasing a lined notebook that does not have ANY dates or months in it, has been even more liberating for my brain.

What I Include

I like to think of our learning diary as a bit of a family record.

I try to include things that I’ll want to be reminded about in years to come. Examples of this are events we attended, people we caught up with, overcoming challenging seasons.

I also include learning activities, books we have read, recipes we’ve cooked together, etc.

Instead of just writing down something like, ‘we did a maths lesson’, I think about recording a child’s attitude. I might write, ‘X found the lesson on fractions challenging. There were some tears. So we put the bookwork aside, ordered a pizza and tried to tackle fractions in a different way!’

Excerpts from our learning diary entries of our homeschool journey:

July 2009 “Brett took E to hospital – croup. Kids and I had a relaxed day at home. We watched ‘The Zoo’, ‘Scrap Heap Challenge’ and ‘The Plague’ episode of Little House on the Prairie. Kids did some craft, drawing, imaginary play. S finished writing her fettucine recipe in her recipe book. I read the book ‘Jonah and the Fish’ to S & E. S was tested on her spelling list words. S’s friend M dropped over to show a bonnet she had. S showed her the one I made her for dress ups.”

March 2011 “Reading/Computer: L finished another 2 lessons on ABC Reading Eggs. He read 3 short books to Brett. Confusion with ‘this/is’ but kept trying. PDHPE: Running races. The kids were all good sports. E started getting upset when he didn’t keep up with the others. Still trying to work on that kind of attitude with him and talked again about being a good sport. S continued to read the Secret Garden and is up to chapter 18. L & E used cardboard to make themselves a mobile phone.”

August 2014 “History/Geography: The boys have requested we study WWI. We started by learning about ‘Old Europe’ and the causes of WWI. Identified Great Britain, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary & Italy on the globe. Read about the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance and who they were between. Discussed colonies, empires and then the main causes for WWI: M (militarism), A (alliances) I (imperialism) N (nationalism). Kids coloured in a map of Europe at that time.”

These are just a few examples from over the years. Even now, reading them brings warmth to my heart and reassures me that I really have given my children a rich life.

Why I bother keeping a family learning diary

In my state, I have to show learning samples to my regulatory body. I do this in many ways, but I have grown to really LOVE our learning diary! It is something even my kids look back on as the years pass.

It also helps me remember. Life has been so full and busy for so many years and it’s easy to forget!

The diaries remind me of how nuanced our life throughout our homeschool journey and I’m grateful for that.

How do you record your homeschool journey? I’d love to hear! ~ Lusi x

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your type needs most!

Homeschooling Without Textbooks: How We Make It Work ~
Written by Jessica Waldock of The Waldock Way

I think homeschooling without textbooks sounds amazing. Teaching without textbooks isn’t just possible, it’s how we homeschool and we love it! 

If you’re interested in following an interest-led homeschooling approach, you’ll definitely want to keep reading to see how we make this work in our homeschool.

I’ve got tons of resources to help you get started and show you how it works for us. Plus, I’ll share how we keep track of progress and homeschooling records while following our child’s interests, passions, and natural curiosity.

Homeschooling Without Textbooks Really Works

You can homeschool math, language arts, science, and even history without following a textbook. 

When we first began our homeschooling journey, choosing curriculum felt overwhelming. There’s so much to choose from and that made it difficult to make a decision. While looking for homeschool curriculum, I realized that what’s perfect for one homeschool family did not meet our unique homeschool.

Thankfully, I realized it’s possible to homeschool without a fancy boxed curriculum.

Gameschooling, field trips, strewing, and morning baskets are all fun methods you can use in your homeschool to cultivate a love of learning and build a strong connection without the workbooks.

Gameschooling

Gameschooling is all about using games in an intentional way in your homeschool lessons and culture. Once you begin to explore incorporating games into your learning, you’ll see the amazing benefits of gameschooling.

Get my Guide to Gameschooling for tips on how you can use games to teach anything. Practicing math skills, grammar skills, and even learning about art history with games is a lot of fun! Plus, it’s a great way to increase retention.

Strewing in Your Homeschool

Strewing is the act of exposing our kids to opportunities for learning by inviting them to engage with a variety of items and resources. Strewing is about placing carefully chosen items in the path of your child for them to discover, explore, and spark their interests and passions.

To practice strewing, you’ll place things around your home that encourage your children to interact with and learn from them.

Typically people choose items like blocks, magnets, rocks, and seashells to strew. Strewing is perfect for encouraging independent learning, imagination, and curiosity in your homeschooler.

Learn Everything You Need To Know To Get Started Strewing In Your Homeschool with my guide to strewing! 

Using Technology for Learning

We love integrating technology into our homeschool lessons. Technology can provide many educational benefits worth exploring in a homeschool setting. Integrating screens can be an engaging multisensory learning experience for the whole family.

Check out How We Use Screens In Our Homeschool and why you shouldn’t be afraid to embrace podcasts, documentaries, and learning apps with your kiddo this year.

Keeping Track Of Progress In Our Homeschool Without Using Textbooks

Finding a way to keep track of your progress when you’re not following a traditional linear method of homeschooling can be a bit challenging at first. If you’re not following the checklist in the book, how will you be able to track your progress? I like using flexible homeschool planners to help me get the job done.

Book logs, game logs, and tracking our time outside are some of the ways I keep track of our progress throughout the homeschool year. When you’re not using textbooks, you need your system to be flexible too.

My homeschool planners help keep me organized and make it easy to track our progress as interest-led homeschoolers. They’re adaptable because life is messy and sometimes homeschooling gets messy too.

In my Homeschool Planners you’ll get lots of different options for record keeping that are customizable for your unique homeschool. Plus, you’ll get the resource logs I use to track books we’re reading, field trips, and games we play. I’ve also included my goals checklist page.

Having goals to check off as we meet them is much more flexible for interest-led homeschooling. I’m not tied to a particular lesson or activity, instead I can check off that we met the goal for our records and then write any of the ways we worked on that goal in my flexible planning pages.

Jump outside the box and pursue real-world learning through games, great books, and lots of adventure with my Guide to Homeschooling Without a Curriculum,which includes easy to implement ideas for homeschooling every subject without using curriculum.

If you’re looking for a change in your homeschool, I hope this helps you homeschooling without textbooks, too!

Are you a GOOD or BAD homeschool mom? Take Jamie’s NEW LOL QUIZ now to find out!

Letting Go In Our Homeschool ~
Written by Jessica Waldock

As homeschooling parents, we’re used to being in control. We put lots of time and effort into choosing the right curriculum, planning lessons and field trips, and hours teaching our homeschoolers.

But what if we just let go of the reins?

What if we adopted an interest-led learning approach and let our homeschoolers take the lead? Would it really be so bad? What if we had the courage to let go in our homeschool and something amazing happened?

I’ve been letting go in our homeschool and it’s been amazing!

Keep reading to discover how we homeschooled during the early years, what I learned, and why I’m letting go in our homeschool these days.  

Homeschooling In The Early Years

We had so much fun homeschooling during the preschool years! I realized early on that Emily learned best through play and adopted a play-based approach that led to hours of learning fun and connection for both of us.

I’ll never regret those early years when we focused on learning through playing together and real-world experiences.

As we began our kindergarten year, I changed my approach. I got serious about academics and was mesmerized by all the formal curriculum options. I regret all the bookwork, worksheets, and general “seriousness” of that year. 

When I realized neither of us was enjoying the experience and Emily wasn’t really learning as much as I thought she would, I decided to go back to some of the things that worked for us in the beginning.

If I could give you one bit of advice about homeschooling in the early years, it would be to just let them be little.

Learning About How My Child Learns

After figuring out what didn’t work and discovering how well learning through play worked for us, I began to learn more about how Emily actually learned the best. Discovering how your child learns is a really important part of homeschooling.

Once you know what kind of learner your child is, you can tailor your homeschool lessons and resources to meet their needs.

For example, we discovered that Emily is an auditory learner. Reading books aloud to her really helps her comprehend the information and retain lessons better than she might if I just gave her a paper to read.

We also discovered that our daughter learns best when we can let go and let her lead. Encouraging her to follow her interests and passions always leads to more learning for the whole family. Plus, it’s an important part of fostering the kind of connection we want to have as a family too.

Following her passion for art and science experiments has led to hours of fun lessons and activities for her and Kevin. They have learned so much by creating and exploring together!

Following Emily’s interest in sharks led us to Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium where we saw manatees and dolphins up close on an amazing eco-boat tour we’ll never forget!That trip led us to spend an entire summer diving deep into an amazing ocean unit study too!

Letting Go In Your Homeschool

Letting go of the reins in your homeschool can be really difficult. In fact, I still question myself a lot! Sometimes I go out and buy a curriculum even when I know it won’t really work for us.

However, as time goes on, I’m learning that I really can let Emily guide our homeschool.

As Emily grows and we get further along in our homeschooling journey, I’m discovering that I can trust her more and more to lead the way. I can lean into her interests, passions, and curiosity. When I do let go, I’m always pleased with how it turns out. 

We learn so much together as a family about topics and concepts that I never would have thought to explore. Plus, she’s discovering that learning is a lifelong endeavor and something she can have ownership of throughout her life.

Now that’s a valuable lesson!

If I could encourage you to take one step in your homeschool, it would be to give yourself permission to let go.

Let your student have the reins and see what happens. I promise they’ll surprise you.

Do you have a story of something positive that happened when you began to let go in your homeschool? We’d love to hear it!

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!

Learning to Follow My Child’s Lead in Our Homeschool ~
Written by Jessica Waldock of The Waldock Way

What does child-led learning look like in our homeschool?

Child-led learning is all about following your child’s lead. It’s also commonly called interest-led learning or delight-directed homeschooling. But following a child-led learning approach doesn’t have to mean your child has complete control over their education. 

Once we discovered the benefits of following our child’s lead, we knew it was the right choice for our family. Taking an interest-led approach to our daughter’s learning led to creating unique and creative products we can use together as a family.

Our daughter, Emily’s interests determine what we will learn about and I can always weave together her latest curiosity or passion into a unit study that encompasses lots of different subjects such as art, history, music, science, and geography. 

A common misconception about following a child-led approach is that it will spoil your children. Giving them the reins in something as important as their education will surely cause them to be spoiled, right?

No, child-led learning won’t spoil your children. Spoiled kids are kids with behavior problems due to over indulgence. Giving our homeschooler a say in what she’s learning isn’t a form of over indulgence.

Learning to Follow My Child’s Lead in Our Homeschool 

Here are a few examples of how we incorporate interest-led learning into our homeschool:

Games

Did you know there’s a game for pretty much every subject and concept you can think of in your homeschool? Plus, you can play a whole lot of different games with just a deck of playing cards! When you’re gameschooling, there’s no limit to what your kids can learn.

Plus, it’s a fun and easy way to incorporate Emily’s love of games into any lesson she might find challenging or “boring.” For example, our love of family game night is how Emily finally memorized her math facts! Yahtzee helped her remember all kinds of addition and multiplication facts quickly while having fun too.

You can discover more about how we use games for interest-led learning in our homeschool and why we think games are an essential part of interest-led learning. 

Morning Baskets

Morning baskets aren’t necessarily a child-led learning tool, but we have turned them into one. In our homeschool, we theme our morning baskets to match Emily’s interests and line up with what we’re currently studying. Before we started theming our morning baskets, Emily would lead us down a rabbit trail about one poem, story, or picture in the morning basket and we would never make it back to the other items.

Now, Emily not only chooses the theme for our morning basket, but she picks all the books, games, resources, and activities that go in our morning baskets too. She’s learning how to budget, choose items wisely, and learning more about all the topics that interest her too.

Unit Studies

Unit studies have become the most important way that we incorporate child-led learning in our homeschool journey. We began a child-led approach early in our homeschool when Emily expressed an interest in “doing school with Jack and Annie,” characters in The Magic Treehouse book series.

I ran with her newfound interest and created a whole curriculum focused around learning history, geography, science, art, and music while traveling through time with Jack and Annie. Our Passports to Adventure unit study would only be the beginning of all sorts of fun learning adventures!

This year we are on a brand new adventure, discovering the human body with our  Human Body Unit Study – covering all kinds of important topics with hands on experiments, games, books, films, and fun resources.

The hardest part of child-led learning in our homeschool

Letting go and leaning into homeschooling as a lifestyle was the hardest part of child-led learning for me. It was hard to break free from the traditional school mindset and envision something new and different.

Our biggest reasons for homeschooling have always been fostering a deeper connection and relationship with our daughter and ensuring that she understands learning is a life-long journey. Child-led learning has helped us do that in incredible ways.

I’ll admit it, I sometimes have nagging doubts and wonder if we are doing enough, but they quickly pass. Using my grade level checklists before you begin a brand new child-led learning adventure can help if the doubts are creeping in on you too.

Remember that there is no such thing as ‘behind’ in homeschooling. Give yourself lots of grace. You can do this.

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!