Sometimes we just need to take a moment to celebrate. Or a week. Homeschool Spirit Week can be a time to remember why you learn this way. What amazing options you have while learning at home. A time to remember that learning is not restricted to the academic realm.
So this year I created a Homeschool Spirit Week to celebrate these things with my kids.
We started the week by watching some stories
Monday was movie day. We decided on a trifecta. We would watch a tragedy, a romance, and a comedy. We would stick with classic titles the kids had not seen before. Our final selections were Gladiator, West Side Story, and Pink Panther. We carefully chose to watch them in that order so we could end the day laughing. After those first two movies, we really needed a pick-me-up!
We also made Monday pajama day. Now some people think all homeschoolers do is hang out in pajamas and watch movies. That couldn’t be farther from the truth, but it was fun to do for a day. I wouldn’t want to do it every day.
Time for art
Tuesday was art and crazy hair day. Crazy hair was optional. We didn’t get much art made. But we went somewhere and looked at art, so it’s all good.
Culinary culture
Wednesday was cooking around the world day. Now, this day required a bit of advanced planning. A few weeks prior every child drew a continent out of a hat. (Excluding Antarctica.) They could pick any country on the continent they drew, and any traditional food from that country to cook or bake. They also had to look up the colors of the flag for the country and wear those colors.
We woke up, had a quick breakfast and started cooking. Everything was done by 1:00 pm and we sat down to a delicious meal. I was exhausted, but I was also done for the day, YAY!
Board games, card games, and puzzle-games, oh, my!
Thursday was game day. We just played games all day. Every kid had a turn to pick a game. We all played together unless a game was limited to a few players. Sometimes two games were going at the same time. And yes, the teens were sure they could keep up with playing two games at once, and I let them try.
Time to get creative
Friday was make-it day. Every child was free to work on any creative project of their choice. The older boys worked on a complex board/RPG/battle game they created. Others chose to do a craft or art project. My culinary artist got creative in the kitchen and made up a new recipe. It was also crazy clothes day for the kids who are still young enough to enjoy the silliness.
I encourage you to take the time to enjoy a week like this. You don’t have to copy my schedule. Just think about the kinds of things you wish you had a little more time for right now. Or the things your kids do in their free time. Or the things your kids often want to do with you, but maybe you often turn them down after a busy school day because you are exhausted and need a break.
Carve out the time to do those things. It will feed your soul, your kid’s hearts, and create a connection both between you and them, and any siblings in the house. And if you count school days, don’t forget that this week counts. It is not a vacation. Everyone will work hard on some days. Other days may be more relaxed. But your kids will be learning the whole time.
I encourage you to make sure you have a mix of days that will be easy to plan and implement with only one or two days that may take more work and energy than a typical day.
Think about it like parent-teacher conference day reimagined for your homeschool. It is a different kind of school day but it serves an important purpose. These days help everyone, teachers, students, and parents, to step outside of the day-to-day and look at the bigger picture. Homeschoolers need those days too.
