Yes, it is that time! Homeschooling and the holidays can be a joyous occasion, and with some quick tips, you can truly balance both. In this episode, Felice shares what worked for her family of very different children. And best of all, you can still include those events planned during the holiday season.

Thanks to our birthday sponsors! We have some wonderful sponsors for our 10th Birthday party, and along with that, we have a freebie just for you. If you go to the Media Angels website, you can download our Homeschooling Matters eBook. This book is for new as well as veteran homeschoolers. It has a place to journal your ideas with writing prompts.

Streamline Your Homeschool 

Streamline Your Homeschool Take Two

Best Homeschool Scheduling Advice

Scheduling Your Highschool Year

Thanksgiving Crafts

Great Gifts Kids Can Make

Here we go, the most wonderful time of the year. Right? So, what do you do to balance out your homeschooling and your holiday traditions and parties?

1. Pray: The first thing I typically do is pray. I need that peace that surpasses all understanding before I can tackle the day-to-day craziness that the holidays seem to bring. As I record, Thanksgiving is about three weeks away, and Christmas is after that.
   
2. Look at my homeschooling schedule. What can I cut out? Or, can you cut back on lessons? I have several podcasts that can help. The best advice is to plan for the holidays when you plan your new school year. (Unit on composers shared on air)
   
3. Look at my household schedule. What can I do to make meals simpler yet nutritious, without resorting to box meals or eating out, but free up some time?
   
4. Look at my calendar for upcoming events. Are they on my schedule? Did I forget anything?
   
5. Add Ons:
   
   • Crafts
     
   • Parties
     
   • Baking
     
   • Activities
     
   
   

Next, I look at ways to do dual activities. These are the best! They are learning but doing something fun—for example, crafts and reading.

Crafts: I love to decorate my home with fall leaves; living in the south, we don’t get the seasons, so I bring them indoors around September. Decorations are fun, and you can enlist the kids to help. Many times, I did dual activities when they were younger. Practicing cutting skills helps your children to have hand strength. Pasting and making crafts is a good way to improve hand coordination in little ones. Using their efforts in fall decorations is a plus, with bright paper chains that take little effort. I had the children do a simple craft while I read them a book. This is an excellent way to get a literature lesson or go over math facts orally.

Here is a link for Thanksgiving Kids Crafts. You can do this at Christmas time as well, with decorations, ornaments, or even gift-giving. Here is a link to a podcast, Great Gifts Kids Can Make.

Learning Games – again, another way to allow the children to “play” while teaching them skills. I did this as my children were older as well. They loved educational games. This was a purchase I budgeted for each new school year. I would add one or two games.

Baking: This is an excellent skill while teaching the children science (chemical reactions), math (measuring), safety (hot oven, mixer, and using the food processor and other tools safely), fine motor skills (cutting out the dough, rolling the dough into balls, carefully adding ingredients, etc.)

Activities: Such as visiting the nursing home. This teaches the children acts of kindness and helps them to empathize with those in need. Many of these residents have few people, if any, left in their lives to visit. Adopt a grandparent. We did this for some time, and my children enjoyed the visit. We went weekly after church.

If you have older children, do not discount doing fun activities like puzzles or crafts. They may not have the same enthusiasm but it builds up your family and makes memories. I am so blessed that all of my children will be home for Thanksgiving this year, and I did not think that would happen. It is truly a gift. So, enjoy your children! (I know you are told the years go fast — but when you are in the middle of it, it is hard to appreciate what you have!)

The post Homeschooling and The Holidays appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.