From The Community: Tips For Making Homeschooling Fun

Have you ever wondered how other homeschooling parents keep their children motivated and excited about learning?

We asked our community of 235,000 homeschoolers, both new and seasoned, to share their best strategies for making homeschooling fun and effective. You’re going to love the insightful advice they provided, and we can't wait for you to explore some of our favorite tips! A heartfelt thank you to everyone who chimed in!

Check out some of our top picks, and a huge thank you to all who contributed!

Tips For  FunSchooling

Let Them Teach

My favorite tip is have my daughter teach her younger sister the material we covered the previous week! She gets a review and has fun teaching her sister school too!~ Jennifer Lynn

Make It Interest-Based

Interest-Based Learning is the key to having fun and getting productivity from your child. We also integrate crafts, daily living skills (cooking, baking, cleaning, financial literacy, etc.), and critical thinking skills.

Forget the "school" rules and have fun! Homeschooling is about letting them be involved in their education. Having structure is important, but following a rule book is not. Teaching them about things that are NOT taught in public school that are sometimes more important than academics. ~ Tina McNelis Arozena

Make It A Game

The boys practice spelling by throwing a huge squishmallow back and forth for each letter ~ Jenn Richardson

Use Life Skills To Learn

My boys get their mandatory items finished first, and then we use what we learn in cooking, exercising, and house projects. There's nothing better than using math to double or even triple a cookie recipe. And then sharing your creations with a nursing home or fire station. ~ Amy Long

Flexiblity Is Key

Keep a flexible routine rather than a schedule. If something is not working take a break and revisit task later. It's okay to change the game plan. ~ D Priscilla Morales

Math & Spelling Scavenger Hunt

We play scavenger hunts with math cards and spelling words. I hide them around the house; the kids race around finding them then bring one by one to me and have to solve or spell if correct then goes in their pile. If wrong, their sibling gets a chance at it. If they get it wrong, it's discarded. The one with the most cards at the end wins. They constantly ask to play even during the weekend. ~ Holly Lynn Lueders

Add Some Spontaneity 

Change up where you do school, we have done math on the trampoline, grammar in the comfy chair, go to the coffee shop for  literature, to the park for science. ~ Holly Joy Falleri

Add Some Gameschooling

We do a ton of games. The kids are learning, and it doesn't feel like "school". We all enjoy it...even my 3 high school kiddos. ~ Rene Knievel

Child-Led Learning

Forget what you are "supposed" to do. or think you have to teach because of public school and grade level. Teach how your child wants to learn and needs to learn. Don't think because your child does not know specific things by a certain age he/she is behind. As long as they are learning and having fun that is all that matters. Lots of hands-on learning if needed. Not all children are book work children. ~ Crystal Burke

Spelling Baseball

We do games like Spelling baseball (each correctly spelled word means you get to go to the next base). ~ Taci Phaup

Use Daily Life To Teach

Include them in daily things. Invite them into spaces like the kitchen and garden and let them learn with you. We get messy. ALOT. They have a mud kitchen & built their own fort out of pallets. We also go to many meetup events with other homeschoolers and spend a lot of time hiking and learning outside together. This eases the stress or pressure of book work and encourages high brain function/creativity . ~ Julianne Bothell

Do A Fancy Friday

On Friday the kids do their lessons in any dress up costume, PJs, or outfit of their choice. We call it “Fancy Fridays”. ~ Jennifer Osborne

Question Hide & Seek

When we do our book work, in between questions we play hide and seek, when I find her she answers a question then I hide and she finds me! We pretend we are stuck in mud and she needs to get the question right to get unstuck! ~ Bridgette Jordin

Play School

My daughter loves to “play school” so we literally have random school lessons whenever she asks to “play school”. It’s a game to her, but I take advantage of it for sure ~ Sierra Wright

Ask Questions

Counting toys while playing, asking them to give me (insert number) blocks/cars, etc. Narrating the play bringing attention to how many, what color, any patterns, any adding or taking away, etc. Asking what sound they hear at the beginning or end of a word (such as “look at this dinosaur, what sound do you hear at the beginning of dinosaur?”) Asking them questions about what they are doing and why when playing pretend, offering further explanation to help them verbalize what they are trying to get to which helps build vocabulary. ~ Mollie Lord

Playdoh Studying

Playdoh - use it to make whatever we are studying (volcanoes, animals, tornadoes, etc), Kinetic Sand, stamps and creating pictures that we can write a letter with and mail to a friend or family. My son loves doing this. And many will write him back so he loves getting mail.  ~ Jennie Marucci Harrison

Educational Hop Scotch

Putting vocabulary words and math problems in hop scotch, using a clock without batteries to practice time. ~ Cacea Henry

A Twist On Reading Aloud

While reading aloud, I'll make a ridiculous, off-base prediction and ask if my kids agree. They'll jump RIGHT in with all their evidence and opinions to show how I'm wrong. Very fun! ~ Melissa Muir

A Fun Money Learning Tip

Pull out their toy cash register and a few of their toys and books, give them some fake money, and play store. Make them figure out coinage, change, etc. ~ Rebecca Miller

Make It Your Own

Don’t try to do the same thing the schools are doing. It’s ok to take your time on subjects and switch things up if it’s not working. ~ Carrie Hancock Sexton

Education Is Not A Competition

“Education is not a competition” I live by this. We work at our own pace and focus on what gives my kids their spark. It’s what makes them excel and it gives them confidence! ~ Saym Wheatley

Enjoy The Present

Stay present. I find myself thinking too far down the line instead of enjoying the time that I have with my son (soon to be 13). Yes, we can do a lot of stuff as homeschool families but that doesn't mean we have to do it all. By staying present I can think clearly and make decisions that fit what my son wants not what I think he wants. ~ Mayda Muniz

Fun, Silly & Playful

Make it fun, make it silly, make it playful, and they will learn. ~ Lisi Miller

Teach Life

You are preparing your kids to succeed in life not to pass a test. ~ Rielly Varney

Take Time To Plan

I've seen a HUGE difference in my our stress levels since I started to lesson plan ahead of time. It's our first year homeschooling and typically would just read the day's lesson on the day of before we start. I've noticed we get done faster AND it's been more fun all around. ~ Ale Wilson

Embrace Your Homeschool Style

Don't try to copy other people's homeschool. Be your own, because you are not them. You are different. Embrace that difference. ~ Chrystal Gallihugh