5 Uncommon Ways to Spice Up Your Homeschool Days

We've all been there: when the lively and highly ambitious days at the start of a new school season begin to wither and wilt about 5 months in. Pinterest regains its leading position in your life, and you launch the search for something, anything that can help bring back the joy you once felt (a few months ago) for what was supposed to be the best year ever. As the months grow colder and the field trips become sparse, you settle into the comfort of home and lose the desire for doing "all the things."

One summer afternoon, when my kiddos were splashing in the pool, I took the opportunity to search for our next curriculum. I'm an intelligent woman, so I've learned that curriculum shopping is a vicious cycle, as described in the last paragraph. At some point, lessons take on the identity of a running motor, and there's no more rev. Idle is good, but it's also boring - like waiting in the car for your mom to come out of her hair appointment. So I got the harebrained idea to be a little crazy with lesson planning - except it turned out not to be so mad after all, it was extraordinary.

5 Uncommon Ways to Spice Up Your Homeschool Days

Being diagnosed with anxiety and PTSD, I've had to learn ways of pulling myself out of the rut. I thought, why not apply a similar methodology to our school year? When things get blah, I just need to push the boundaries a bit. But, I also know that one of the best ways for me to recover is by being proactive, and I can do that by planning ahead for those less-than-desirable days.

So, here are my 5 uncommon ways to spice up your homeschool days when you're feeling a little drab. Grab your notes, because this is good stuff! 👍

Lesson 1: Plan The Blah

You can probably recall the times when your school year tends to get off track. For us, it's the holiday season, mid-winter, and late spring. Around the holidays, we just want the fun stuff, by February, we're tired of being stuck in the house, and come mid-May, we are ready for school to wrap up.

I mapped out my year and put a note over November-December: "hands-on, field trips, family." For January-February I made a note that said, "indoor field trips, unique stuff at home." Finally, for May and June, I wrote, "review games/relays, outside activities"

When I cross-reference my curriculum with my yearly calendar, I can see what lessons line up with these times of year. I then use this information to plan additional activities that match my notes. For example, I see what lessons will most likely fall in November, hop on Pinterest to make a list of 5-7 activities we can do, a short list of movies, field trips, and other family-focused activities. Now, when November comes around, I'm geared up. This plan works great for the other times of year too.

Lesson 2: The Fun Jar

I love a fun jar! Let me explain. Jot down 20+ "things-to-do" for your fun jar category, tear them into strips, and place them into the jar. Shake it up, draw a paper, and do the activity. The categories are nearly endless.

For example, dreary mornings in February can be resolved with a "Morning Wake-Up" fun jar. Add things to do like: Dance party with everyone's favorite songs, run outside for three minutes in your pajamas (brrrr), make a big breakfast, play a funny board game, etc.

I also love "Mommy's Fun Jar." This jar reminds me to get out of my shell. Some of my favorites are: Out of the Books - Head to Your Favorite Learning Spot, Morning at the Park with Lessons and a Picnic, Be Silly! Get on Theme and Go Wild, and Do Something Unexpected Today.

Lesson 3: Set A Theme

I obsess over a good theme. I will decorate an entire room based on a book theme or school-year theme. The easiest way is with a themed curriculum like Luminara School of Wonder, but you could also plan your own.

Does your child have a favorite book series, subject or topic? Start with that! With Luminara's Harry Potter curriculum, all of our subjects align with those from the book for example: astronomy, herbology, chemistry (potions), physics (magical devices), etc. There are several. Then the vocabulary, art, projects, and fun all follow the Harry Potter theme. We decorate our homeschool room, have themed parties, and epic movie nights.

Themes are a masterful way to ensure the entire school year is lively and full of unexpected adventures. Our post "The Magic of Theme School: Where Education Comes To Life" explains more about theme schools.

Lesson 4: Role Playing

Who says Halloween has to be the only time a parent or child can dress up and be someone else? We love bringing lessons to life with a little role-play. Make a fun jar for character charades and pull a name! That day, everyone gets to play the role of the character they drew from the jar.

Sometimes I will surprise the kids and dress up as a character without them knowing. They always laugh, and usually join me by dressing up too. Depending on my mood, I may use face paint or a full wardrobe. Call on your acting skills when you don't have the energy to costume. One of my favorite role-playing adventures was being Voldemort for a day. I just dressed in a black cape and lurked around, speaking in gibberish and laughing - I laughed a lot, we all did.

I look for opportunities to dress up with the kids throughout our curriculum. For example, in Luminara's Holmes Takes America Curriculum, the week students learn about the Boston Tea Party, we use our investigative journalism skills to interview Paul Revere. One of my daughters chose to be the reporter and Paul Revere, splicing together videos for a full back-and-forth effect. It was awesome, and hilarious-- she came out with marker eyebrows and a full costume.

Lesson 5: Wacky Days

One afternoon while working, we had a student walk into our dojang wearing the most incredibly mismatched outfit with "Whoville" style braids standing straight up off the top of her head. I admired her and enjoyed learning that she had "spirit week" at school. It inspired me to do something similar at home!

The idea of creating a mini-theme within our theme seemed intriguing-- clearly, I have an obsession. Thankfully, the work was already done for me. With our curriculum layout, there is a natural progression of topics, which means there are often coincidental weekly themes. Opportunities like this inspire me to really bring on the magic. One example is a week of Western vibes during the Holmes Takes America Oregon Trail study!

Spice Level Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

What I love most about these spicy ideas is that they are practically effortless. Whether I'm mumbling like Voldemort or shaking a fun jar, these small gestures make a world of difference in mixing up what can become a rather monotonous routine of daily lessons.

Homeschool needs to be fun for me, too, because at the end of the day, my energy and involvement make it enjoyable for the kids.

When I decided to author a curriculum, I wanted to incorporate the strategies that I use to keep the magic alive. Luminara School of Wonder brings learning to life for parents and students alike, and all of these spicy little nuggets are added into each week of learning so that your school year never becomes dull.