It’s the summer break and public schools have all taken their foot off the gas. Despite wanting to slow down and enjoy the summer, you’re dreading the inevitable knowledge regression come September if you do nothing at all.
The beauty of home-school is we have the flexibility to make our learning fit whatever circumstance we are in. Home-schooling without major breaks can help the year flow seamlessly, prevent lengthy review periods and allow you to take a slower, more relaxed approach.
Now, no one is demanding you work for hours on end every day or even stick to your normal routine. However, incorporating just a few learning opportunities into your regular schedule may just solve some of your problems. We have a ‘bare minimum’ that we strive to complete virtually year round, with the exception of shorter breaks of 1-2 weeks max. It’s a ‘slow down not stop’ kind of mentality.
So, what are some of the things you can do to summer-ify your home-school, make the load a little lighter, without losing the flow?
Morning basket:
Summer is the PERFECT time to start your morning basket routine or if you already have one, take the chance to give it a revamp for the holidays. If you’re not familiar with the term ‘morning basket’, check out this blog post on what they are and how to implement one into your home-school. But essentially, a morning basket is a thoughtful selection of learning materials designed to bring the whole family together.
With younger kids, I always say, if we get our morning basket done and nothing else, it’s still a win. I include a small collection of books and games or crafts plus a little reading, writing and maths practice. If you want a lighter summer routine, a morning basket is a great way to achieve this, include just the bare minimum of anything you want them to practice or that they need extra support with.
Location:
Contrary to popular belief, education doesn’t have to take place sat at a desk. Add a sense of awe to your home-school by taking your materials outside with you. Whether you are visiting the park, beach or even just stepping outside onto the patio, it can make home-school feel different and inspiring for your kids.
Timing:
Depending on the weather and how your days tend to be structured during the summer, you can schedule ‘school’ hours to fit your routine. A short period following breakfast in the morning or an hour over lunch time if the weather gets too hot to manage may be all that’s needed. Then you have the flexibility to fit in all the fun summery activities the rest of the day.
Summer reading:
Personally, I find summer to be a gorgeous time of year to enjoy reading, either independently, or aloud as a family. We take books outside to read on the picnic blanket at the park, lay on the trampoline or the hammock or whilst travelling. Books make for a natural (and super simple) way to integrate educational material into the everyday flow. See my blog post of Enchanting Read Alouds – The Best Chapter Books For Children for some summer book inspiration.
Set your children a fun reading challenge to complete a certain number of books throughout the summer. Similarly, ask them to complete a book review or a novel study on whatever they are reading to sprinkle some in language arts. I actually have a bundle of printable colour-in reading challenge trackers, book review templates and novel study worksheets available here:
Summer nature study:
You’ll often hear me bang on about nature study or nature journaling, but it’s for good reason! Nature journaling is an incredible way to practice language, art, science (and much more) effortlessly. Your kids won’t even consider it ‘school’. Still unsure? I even have a whole blog post on the benefits. Furthermore, we tend to spend more time outside during the summer, so discussing pollination, photosynthesis, animal life-cycles etc.. feels very apt.
Nature journaling is incredibly simple. All you need is a notebook and some drawing/writing materials and you’re good to go. If you are in need of more guidance, there are tonnes of printables on the market with prompts and inspiration to get you started. Here is our nature journal.
Seasonal unit studies:
Seasonally inspired thematic studies can make learning feel less like ‘school’ and more just a natural extension of the season you’re experiencing. Unit studies allow you to incorporate several subjects like geography, science, language and history all whilst delving into one overarching topic. Summer unit study options may include themes like:
- The ocean and seashore
- Rainforests
- Safari animals
- Country or location studies (especially for places you’ll be visiting)
- Botany
- Gardening and pollinators
Country studies:
Are you lucky enough to be jetting off somewhere exotic this summer, or even taking a road trip somewhere new? Then grasp the chance to take home-school on the road with you. Complete a country (or city) study on wherever you’ll be visiting. Explore landmarks, history, local cuisine, culture and anything else that intrigues you. Use your persuasive writing skills to create a travel brochure or get creative and imagine what a day in the life would look like for a child who lives there. Even if you aren’t travelling this year, there is never a bad time to study other countries and explore new cultures if only in books and videos.
All these activities and more can be found in our Country Research and Travel journal Pack.
Project based learning:
We love journals in our home-school. The summer is an amazing time to set your children the task of some independent study. What are they interested in? Assign a research project based upon their interests and allow them the time to fill out a research journal, prepare a presentation or poster based upon their findings. Below are some of our journals, for some simple, no prep printable options.
- Plants Research Journal
- Animals Research Journal
- Human Body Research Journal
- Country Research project
- Planets of the Solar System Research pack
Alternatively, our research journals are available as a full bundle below:
