The Layers of Learning Podcast with Karen and Michelle is here to help you get your whole family learning together in your homeschool. We are the sisters behind Layers of Learning. We love getting together to chat about homeschooling and this podcast is just a series of our chats. We’re inviting you to listen in on our conversations.

We both have big families, but we teach almost all of our school subjects to everyone at once. We want to help you find the joy in that too, so we talk a lot about family homeschooling. To see all of our episodes, visit our Layers of Learning Podcast Page. Join us as we explore how to have a happy, hands-on, family-style homeschool.

Think back to your own childhood. What are the things you remember most poignantly? Often, instead of the events that happened once or twice, the things we take with us are the traditions that we experienced over and over again. Do you remember the camping trip you took every summer? Do you still cherish the special date you went on with Mom or Dad? What special Christmas traditions do you think of each time December rolls around? Traditions are the stuff families are made of. Infusing your homeschool with some fun traditions will bring it to life and give your kids amazing memories as they look back on these homeschool years. Thinking of just a few traditions to incorporate into your year can bring a celebratory feel to your home and homeschool.

Homeschool traditions are a simple way to sprinkle a bit of fun into your homeschool. The best traditions are often the simplest. Those are the ones that will bring your bits of joy without overworking or overwhelming you or your kids. Besides, one of the big perks of a tradition is that you have already made the plans and done the prep work the first time and can then just pull it out each time it circles around again.

Ideas for homeschool traditions:

• gift bags of school supplies
  
  
• back to school photos
  
  
• annual self-portraits drawn by the kids at the beginning of each year
  
  
• back-to-school breakfast
  
  
• Dad and the kids campout in the yard
  
  
• start-of-term feasts
  
  
• read aloud time
  
  
• Red-Red-Read Day
  
  
• road trips
  
  
• campfires
  

Ideas for holiday traditions in homeschool:

• holiday worksheets and learning
  
  
• holiday morning times
  
  
• advent calendars with one activity per day
  
  
• holiday countdowns
  
  
• crafts
  
  
• scavenger hunts
  
  
• mystery feasts
  
  
• co-op parties
  
  
• potlucks
  

In addition, check out our holiday page and the Layers of Learning holiday Pinterest board for lots more fun ideas.