Do you take a break from the homeschool classroom altogether when the holidays roll around? Or do you just switch your activities to keep a more holiday mood in the homeschool classroom? This is a decision that most homeschool families need to make for themselves. However it is a good idea to avoid brain drain by keeping up at least some work in the classroom even when the holiday spirit threatens to take all focus from studies away. Here are some activities that keep the homeschool students using their brains even as they get into the festive mood.
Make Preparing for Christmas a Homeschool Project
There are so many things that need to be done to get ready for the festival. Get your children to help you with it all. Start with making out a budget for all the things that you will have to do – shopping for gifts, the cards, the dinner menu, the extra cookies and snacks, the tree and its decorations. Make heads for everything and have the children sort out the most appropriate budget for each head.
Now that the money has been allocated, take them shopping. Have them stick to the budget that was drawn up and approved by the full family. This is an important lesson in home economics and a good life lesson to learn. Now have them help with each individual activity. Write out and address the cards that need to be posted first. Then have them help with the gift wrapping.
You can help them to get creative in art class to make interesting decorations as well. Writing a letter to Santa may be a good way to get the younger ones to share their lists as well as get some writing done. Measuring things is a good mathematical activity when making cookies. Decorating the cookies is also a good family activity that improves hand to eye coordination.
The best part about homeschooling is that any activity that has them learning a new school can be added to the lesson plan for the day. And there is so much to learn when celebrating Christmas.
