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I am BIG on traditions in our family. For example, every Christmas morning we have bacon and monkey bread. That’s it. No eggs, no fruit. Just that bacon and monkey bread. It is something we look forward to every single year.
We also have a birthday tradition of mom and dad taking a photo with the birthday kid the night before their birthday. Their “last night as a ____ year old” photo is always a favorite one to look back on each year.
Here are our favorite homeschool traditions that we’ve created over the past six years of homeschooling!
10. Back to School/End of the Year Photos with signs
I’ve shared the signs I use before, but they are from Yellow Bliss Road. I love the simplicity of them and the pop of color.
9. Back to School/End of the Year Interviews (I use the same one each year, specific for their grade level)
These are also from Yellow Bliss Road. These interviews are usually visible to them throughout the year through their clear binders. I also use them in their larger grade level binders to store their entire year’s worth of school work examples.
8. Fun/New Supplies
I usually do not need to buy a ton of new school supplies each year. Because we homeschool, I can take advantage of buying a lot of the supplies in bulk and just using them as we need them. I skipped a year on needing to buy our Ticonderoga pencils, but did end up picking up this pack this year. At $11, it’s such a good deal!
I try to make sure each child has a fun new coloring supply such as scented markers or really nice colored pencils. It’s just fun, and they love getting surprises like this so much!
7. A New Book
My kids all have summer birthdays, and I typically get them a new book or two as a present. Those flow into our school year nicely and many times serve as one of their first personal reading books for the school year.
6. Choose SOME of the books they’ll read that year ahead
I just started creating visual book lists for each child. From that list, I’m going to encourage them to select the first few books they’ll start with for the school year. I want them to enjoy their reading time, and not be too frustrated with reading level.
5. Make a nice breakfast for the first/last day
Since we homeschool, I’m sure we probably have a few more days of a hearty breakfast than those that go to a school building. On the first and last days, especially, I really try to make it special maybe with some fun toppings for pancakes or a big batch of cinnamon rolls.
4. Seasonal activities/themed days (Pumpkin Patch in the fall, Apple Orchard, Strawberry Picking in the Spring)
We try to visit a fun pumpkin patch each year, mostly to take photos, feed farm animals, and have some hot cider. Last year we attended an actual guided visit at the pumpkin patch, and it was SO FUN and extremely informative. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to visit our local strawberry farm this year because of lock down restrictions.
3. Holiday parties with other homeschool friends (Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day)
We started this two years ago, and I wish we would have done it earlier! I rented a room at our local library, invited homeschool families from my local FB Homeschool group, and encouraged moms to sign up to bring a light snack or a fun craft to share.
At the Halloween party, the kids got to dress up, and “trick or treat” around the perimeter of the room from parent to parent.
At the Christmas party, everyone brought a $5 or less white elephant gift (think Target $ Spot items or books). The kids had a ball playing our pass left/right game and discovering their gift.
During the Valentine’s Day party, each child brought a cute decorated bag or box and a huge stack of Valentine’s to pass out.
Our Homeschool Holiday parties prove two things: homeschoolers know how to party and there is no concern for socialization amongst that group. We always had the BEST time at these sweet parties and make new friends nearly every single time.
2. “Drop the books and play” days.
Sometimes we just need to play hooky. On these days, mama calls another homeschool family and sees if they can meet us at the park or a fun place for the morning. It’s nice to just drop the responsibilities and do something fun sometimes!
1. Something for mom…a new school planner.
Each year I gift myself an Erin Condren Teacher Planner. And each year, I usually don’t have to pay out of pocket for it! HOW?! I save up my Ibotta app refunds (it’s a coupon app), and apply that total to my cart. So, if I want a new planner with zero regrets, I make sure to keep up with my Ibotta app throughout the year. (To earn some bonus points in your Ibotta app, use my referral code: xoebywu)
What are some of your homeschool back to school traditions? I’d love to have some new ideas!
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