Love ’em or hate ’em those days labeled the “1st day of homeschool year” can feel like you’re going on a first date. There’s so much anticipation, but there’s also a bundle of nerves because you feel like you have to get it just right?
Regardless of whether you’re new to homeschooling or this is another in a long line of successful homeschool years, the first day can definitely be a little bit of both excitement and nerves.
You might have a new curriculum to contend with. You definitely have new grade levels with new goals to meet. Maybe you have new enrichment schedules to work around, or co-ops to work into your schedule.
It can be even more stressful if you have a full-time job you’re balancing. But it doesn’t have to be. You can intentionally create a calm transition back into a routine full of fun ideas that help everyone thrive.
Creating a Succesful First Day of Homeschool
With a little planning and preparation, you can make sure that the first day goes smoothly. While you most likely completed your homeschool year planning back in the summer, you can let your kids have their break without any academic focus.
Then, create a fun transition into homeschool by intentionally scheduling creative activities rather than learning. You’ll find it’s actually building some anticipation. Here are a few tips to help you get started:
Create Fun 1st Day of Homeschool Year Traditions
Both for yourself as a homeschool mom and for your children.
The transition out of summer is a big adjustment, and it will take some time to get into a routine. Don’t expect everything to go perfectly on the first day.
Take time for fun traditions and excitement by creating some fun first day of homeschool traditions each year at the start of school. They might not have new classmates to get to know, but ensure that they get time to celebrate this transition to a new chapter of their lives.
- Take the first day of school picture.
- Have a fun back-to-school-craft.
- Eat a special lunch.
- Eat a special breakfast.
- Tour the new school supplies so they can get excited about new resources.
- Explore the new curriculum.
- Have a special treat.
- Use a scavenger hunt to discover new and fun things they’ll be learning and using.
- Create a time capsule to open on the last day of school.
- Finish out the day with a dance party and some ice cream.
Devote some time to Pinterest to discover some fun first day of homeschool ideas. We have an entire board dedicated to free first day of homeschool printables to inspire you.
Anything to ensure that their homeschool day is so much fun!
Have a Flexible Plan
The back-to-school season is always a busy time, but it can be especially challenging for homeschooling families. In addition to the usual tasks of shopping for supplies and getting organized, homeschooling parents also have to create a new schedule and routine for the upcoming year.
And while it’s normal to feel a bit anxious about the transition, there’s no need to put pressure on yourself to make everything perfect for the first day or week. Instead, focus on taking things one day at a time.
Create a flexible schedule for your first few days that allow for some trial and error. And most importantly, don’t forget to give yourself and your family some grace as you all adjust to the new homeschooling year.
Consider adding in your subjects one at a time with a goal of being up to speed by the end of the following week, perhaps.
Set Expectations
Take the time to explain your expectations and rules to your children.
You might have chosen to homeschool so that you can tailor your child’s education to their individual needs and interests. However, it’s important to set some ground rules from the start of the year.
Discuss your routine and ask them to help you find ways that you might be able to improve it. Ask them questions like what they’re most excited about and which ones they’re not so keen on.
Highlight an upcoming field trip that you have planned and any unit studies that they might be particularly eager for.
Talk about what they need to accomplish each day in order to be finished and free to play. We’ve found that the more they know about their schedules, the easier it is to get school finished for the day.
You might be surprised at their insight if you ask them about what they thought didn’t go well last year and what were some of their favorite things.
Schedule Short Weeks to Start On
Avoid Starting on a Monday. Instead, ease into the new homeschooling year by starting on a Wednesday or Thursday. And do your best to make sure they are fun days.
This way, you can avoid the Monday morning rush and give yourself time to get organized and familiar with the new curriculum before tackling an entire school week.
If you start on a Monday, you might find yourself feeling frazzled and stressed by lunchtime. By starting in the middle of the week, you can avoid this and give yourself time to get settled into the new homeschooling routine.
And no one has to go from summer fun to a full five days of focus. You might even consider scheduling some fun activities for the whole family for the following Monday to ensure that’s a manageable week as well. Make a big deal out it by going to an amusement park or doing a day of simple fun things.
Let Your Kids Decorate
If you use unit studies or monthly themes this might be a fun way to get some excitement revving. Have a fun craft that ties in ready to go and have the kids help decorate your space with the theme.
Even without a craft, if you have something as simple as new word banks or theme decor, let them help decide where they should be displayed.
Sure, they might not hang perfectly straight, but you might be surprised at how much more buy-in they have when they’re given ownership over something. Speaking of which, consider getting them a new backpack each year along with your other new supplies.
While it might not be the first thing that comes to mind for school shopping, we’ve found that along with new notebooks and new books in general, it helps build excitement. You can donate your old ones at the end of the year if that helps cut down on the clutter.
Not only that, but it helps to create easy transportation for days that you decide to homeschool at the park or the library.
Set Your Homeschool Up For Success
With these tips, you’ll have a fun start to the new year and the first week of school. Just remember to take things one step at a time and you’ll be sure to have a successful homeschool year. Do you have any specific “first day of homeschool year” fun traditions in your family? Share them below!
