These fun ideas for homeschool activities will allow for many unique learning experiences. Have you been thrown into a homeschool situation and aren’t sure what to do or how to best support your children? Many things you do every day at home can count for homeschool activities. Cooking and chores, for example, are great for a home economics class. You may, however, want to add a little adventure to your child’s curriculum. Kids of all ages benefit when parents put in the extra effort. Electives can help young kids explore new interests and help teens meet graduation requirements. If you aren’t afraid of making messes, bringing home animals, or getting hands-on, try these fun alternatives to traditional electives.
Ideas for Homeschool Activities
Home Maintenance and Improvement
One thing many public-school students fail to learn is how to take care of a home. Many young adults are completely unaware of how to handle household emergencies or how to fix minor things. Simply call your child into the room the next time your toilet overflows or the sink gets clogged. You might be surprised how much your child enjoys seeing the inside of the toilet! Kids should be able to find these important things around the house, as well.
- Breaker box
- Water cut-off valves
- Sewer cap
- Natural gas cutoff valve
- Switched to turn off your dishwasher and disposal
You can also get your kids involved in major projects, such as tiling the floor or painting walls. Teens can learn to handle power tools, while young kids can use things like sandpaper or hand tools. You can have kids plan a building project
Small Animal Management
This is a class taught in some high schools. It is a popular choice for students in the Future Farmers of America (FFA) program. You can simply use your family pets for a homeschool class, however. Work with a few other homeschool families to allow kids access to a greater variety of animals. Teach kids about daily care for each animal and about vet care.
Take your kids to volunteer at an animal shelter or wildlife center. Shelter pets often need foster families to care for them until adoption. Talk to a shelter or animal rescue group about taking a dog or cat home as a foster family. Rescue organizations need people to bottle feed orphaned dogs, to care mother dogs with puppies, and care for senior animals. Kids learn empathy, compassion, and responsibility.
Destruction Zone
If you have a kid that is always taking things apart, this is the class for you. Save your broken appliances, such as coffee makers and toaster ovens. Get out the tools and help your kids take apart the broken appliance to see how it works. Always supervise these activities, as most appliances have electric plugs. You can find plenty of videos online about fixing items, as well. You may end up saving some of your items! If you don’t plan to fix the item, let your kids recycle the pieces into an art project. You can also take this opportunity to teach them about proper recycling and disposal of electrical components.
Automobile Maintenance
Do you remember your first flat tire or a time when your car overheated? You don’t have to be a master mechanic to handle these things. Work one-on-one or get a group of teens together (when you’re able) to teach them proper car maintenance. This pairs perfectly with a driver’s education course. Get some old tires and teach kids to remove nails and patch the tire. Make sure they know how to check the fluids on the car and add water if the car overheats. Changing a tire, pumping gas, and troubleshooting problems can all be a part of the class.
Sustainable Living
If you are big into environmentally friendly life choices, this elective can prepare your kids to take care of the planet. You can make homemade cleaning supplies, bath products, and plant a garden. Classwork can also include researching the dangers of popular products, such as plastics and chemicals in household products. Let them look up ingredients of store-bought laundry detergent and then make your own, for example. Get messy making body scrubs and bath bombs.
Try these fun ideas for homeschool activities or make up your own. When it is time to do a transcript for teens, check electives at your local high school and replicate the class at home with your own flair. Homeschool kids have a big advantage, as they learn a lot more about home life and responsibilities. Young kids often follow their parents around as much as possible. By simply involving them in the household duties, you can raise a competent child while also meeting school requirements.