We began this homeschool journey a few years ago. The first year, because of certain circumstances, we weren’t able to get out and find other homeschoolers. It was fine, but I knew I wanted that to change the next year.
I felt it was important for my kids to make connections with others that could relate to their life. It was also important for ME to find other moms to talk to about homeschooling. Let’s face it, not everyone is supportive of the homeschool thing. We all need encouragement, understanding, and guidance. Other homeschool moms get what our life is like and can best support one another.
So, where do you find other homeschool families?! I did some searching. I didn’t have to look too hard.
Talk to Others in Your Own Community
My husband has many contacts in his job, and he knew someone that had homeschooled their daughter. We got our kids together for a science festival one weekend, and I was able to get a wealth of information from her. She helped me discover the current model we use for homeschooling.
My kids stayed active in the town’s recreation department and swim lessons. Talking with other parents there, I found more families that were homeschooling in our own town. Then one day at swim lessons, I began talking to the mom beside me and found out they lived a few miles up the road from us, and they homeschooled. They pointed out one of the swim instructions was a homeschool graduate.
I was amazed at the number of families right in my own community. Our town has less than 4,000 people in it. Just by mentioning I was homeschooling my kids to others, I found people that knew of families that homeschooled or found families that homeschooled, too. Ask around and you may find people closer than you think.
State Organizations for Homeschoolers
When I first decided to homeschool, I hopped on the internet to find what was available for help in our state. We are very fortunate that, here in Maine, we have an organization that provides immense support for homeschool families in Maine. They are called HOME, Homeschoolers of Maine. They provide “Getting Started in Homeschool” workshops, consultation services, used curriculum sales, annual conference, and field trips for homeschool families. They are wonderful!
Look around and see if you can find groups that provide information for homeschoolers in your state.
Local Co-ops and Homeschool Groups
While searching for other homeschoolers in our area, I found groups that were homeschooler-based programs. One I found was a 4-H group that was for homeschoolers. I reached out to them, and we have been part of their group for a couple of years now. My kids love it.
Helping at the fair for 4-H. 
Wildlife biologist speaking to the group about black bears.
There are a lot of different co-ops that you can find, too. Some are Christian based, some focus on a particular homeschool method like Classical Education, and some provide a lot of academic support for kids. The internet and other moms are a great resource to help you find a group that may be right for you.
Local Businesses that Cater to Kids
I have found many businesses that are reaching out to homeschoolers. There are bowling alleys, trampoline parks, roller skating rinks, and YMCAs that provide a day each month in which they offer homeschool programs. They provide hours during the day at discounted rates for homeschool families.
Businesses that have School Group Programs
While looking into museums and theaters, I stumbled across businesses and organizations that have school-group programs that include homeschoolers, too.
Each year one of our local theaters has a school-group matinee. One year it was a radio program for It’s A Wonderful Life, another year it was Oliver. Homeschoolers can also attend these performances.
Our state museum
Our favorite place to go is the Challenger Learning Center. They provide missions, like astronauts complete, and science activities for school groups. They also do monthly or bi-monthly programs for homeschoolers.
Programming the robot to get through the maze. 
Ozobots.
There are so many businesses and organizations that are now including homeschoolers in with school-group field trips. It is well worth looking into.
We have found our homeschool community through all the things listed above. It is a great way for the kids to be around others similar to themselves and have fun. It has been a sanity saver for me to have other families to talk to about homeschooling.
The internet has opened the world to us. We can easily search for homeschoolers in our state or local communities. You can even make connections through online homeschool support groups. Once you start making connections with others, they can often share other opportunities you didn’t know about.
There is nothing like talking with others that share your life experiences.
How have you found other homeschool families to connect with?
