It is almost time for back-to-homeschool for many people. We homeschool year-round, but we start our full schedule after Labor Day. It is a fun time for new supplies and new curriculum. Even my kids get excited about the new curriculum. Crazy, huh?! It also means time for back-to-homeschool traditions.
It is time to celebrate another year on your homeschooling journey together as a family. We are all so lucky to have this time together as a family.
Therefore, I try to make it a fun time for us. It is time to celebrate a new, exciting year ahead.
So here are a few back-to-homeschool traditions we have developed over the years to make it special.
Take a look, and see if there are some that would be great for your family!
Back-to-Homeschool Tradition #1: Field Trip
This first tradition doesn’t take place on our first day of school but on the first day of school for the kids in our school district. It is our NOT-Back-to-School Tradition.
While their public school friends drag themselves out of bed and head off to school, all dressed up for their first day of school, we do something fun.
One year, we went to the lake and spent the day swimming. To our surprise, a fellow 4-H family we knew had the same idea.
The kids were able to spend a few hours playing in the water with their friends.
Unfortunately, they all ended up with swimmers’ itch. Not so much fun, but certainly memorable. This year we may explore a different state park.
The key is to find something the family can enjoy together. It is your opportunity to celebrate being together and not needing to be separated from one another all day.
Back-to-Homeschool Tradition #2: Breakfast
On the first day of school, the kids choose what they want for breakfast. I have two kids, so I am able to play short-order cook for the day.
They can have bacon and eggs, or I will spend half an hour cooking up crepes. I want them to start the day on a positive note and feel like it is a special day ahead.
Now, if you have a larger family, it may be a challenge to make EVERYONE’S favorite breakfast. You could take vote and make the meal with the most votes.
Or, you could spread it out over the first week. You could choose one child’s favorite breakfast each day of the week. That way everyone has a day to celebrate.
Back-to-Homeschool Tradition #3: Pictures
I do the picture thing even though we officially start our new school year in July. I use it to mark the beginning of our “full” schedule that we start in September.
Plus, it would look weird to take an end-of-year picture in June and the first-day-of-school picture in July.
I found a site that had printable signs to mark the first and last days of school here. Sometimes I change the borders to fit their interests.
I don’t know about you, but I am not very good at keeping photo albums or even labeling digital pictures on my computer.
I like using the signs because, if I didn’t, I would forget what pictures
Back-to-Homeschool Tradition #4: Interviews
I love to do an interview on the first day of school. It is fun looking back at previous years to see how their interests change and how they mature. I found this great idea on Positively Splendid.
I began using this when we first started homeschooling and still use it today. There is also an end-of-year interview that I use, too.
My kids are now teens, and love seeing what they wrote when they were younger.
As a mom, it is a fun way to remember different phases your kids went through (Minecraft phase, anyone???). It will bring a smile to your face to look back on these memories.
{You may also be interested in Back-to-School Worksheets for Elementary Kids.}
Back-to-HomeschoolTradition #5: Picnic Lunch
We start the day with a free-choice breakfast and later have a picnic lunch. We have been fortunate that it hasn’t rained on our first day yet.
One year, we set up a canopy under the trees for us to eat lunch in. It is always interesting eating outside with our free-range chickens milling about.
This year I am thinking about doing some cooking over a campfire or, maybe, in a solar oven. We’ll see what the kids feel up to this year.
{Related Topic: How to Start Your Homeschool Year Off Right}
Kids love traditions, the things they can count on each year. It builds memories they will carry with them always. I love making new back-to-homeschool traditions with my kids. As they age, I can see things changing. We will find some new ways to celebrate this time of year.
What back-to-school traditions do you have?
**Some content updated in July 2023**
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