Avoid Homeschool Burnout

There are days where you just need to kick back and have some fun.  Throw aside the lesson plans....and that can be very hard to do, and take a breather.  

Here are some suggestions....

1. Take a field trip to a local business.  Call ahead and see if there is a less busy time for them and arrange to have your children talk to the business owner.  Suggestions could be jewelry store, bakery, clothing boutique, music/book store, bowling alley, or even an ice cream shop.

2.  Have a reading marathon.  See how long you can lay around and read.  Track the number of pages each person reads.  Offer a prize for the person who reads the most and can tell about the books that they read.

3.  Read aloud a book based on a movie and then make some popcorn and watch the movie.

4.  Have a world theme day.  Spend the day learning about a country and cook easy recipes from that country.  You can visit the library and check out books or just use internet resources.  Make a map of that country or even put together their traditional dress.  You could also memorize a poem from there or build a national landmark from out of Legos or some other type of building material.

5.  Maybe you aren't feeling international, pick a region of the United States.  Do a virtual field trip.  Make some cuisine.

6.  Take a walk in your local community and learn about the history of it.  Visit the library and check out any local history books.  Compare the pictures in the book with the way the streets look now.  How much has changed through the years?  (We live in a really small town...so we can see massive changes.)

7.  Pick an artist and learn about their life.  Try to re-create a piece of their artwork not using traditional materials.  Use jelly beans or candy...recycled materials....melted crayons instead of paint.  The options are endless.

8.  Snowed in....Take a virtual field trip.  There are thousands of options online.  You can visit Mount Vernon without leaving your living room.  Spend the day learning about George Washington and his famous home.  Simple Google the term, "Virtual Fieldtrip" and see what comes up.  Take your choice for that day!

9.  Binge watch Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego.  This is a great cartoon that helps reinforce geography, science, history, and problem solving skills.  Have a world map handy so you can mark on the map where you have visited.  Print some coloring sheets from these areas of the landmarks and color as you watch.

10.  Go on a bike ride or nature walk and just get out together.  Enjoy the day.  Stop for ice cream.  Make the day special and memorable.

Have you checked out the Schoolhouse Review Crew on the 5 Days of Tips for Homeschool Parents Blog Hop.....Take some time to see what they have learned on their homeschooling journeys!

Here are some of the Members that are taking part this week....

Annette @ A Net In Time
Brandy @ Kingdom Academy Homeschool
Brenda @ Counting Pinecones
Carol @ Home Sweet Life
Cassandra @ A Glimpse of Normal
Chareen @ Every Bed of Roses
Cristi @ Through the Calm and Through the Storm
Crystal @ Crystal Starr
DaLynn @ Biblical Womanhood
Danielle @ Sensible Whimsy
Dawn @ Double O Farms
Dawn @ Guiding Light Homeschool
Debbie @ Debbie's Homeschool Corner
Desiree @ Our Homeschool Notebook
Diana @ Busy Homeschool Days
Diana @ Homeschool Review
Elyse @ Oiralinde: Eternal Song
Emilee @ Pea of Sweetness
Erin @ For Him and My Family
Jen @ Chestnut Grove Academy
Jeniffer @ Thou Shall Not Whine
Jennifer @ A Peace of Mind
Jennifer @ Faithful Homestead
Joelle @ homeschooling for His Glory
Joesette @ Learning Curve
Kari @ Random Acts of Boyhood
Katie @ Katie's Daily Life
Kemi @ Homemaking Organized
Kim @ Homestead Acres
Kylie @ Our Worldwide Classroom
Kym @ Homeschool Coffee Break
Latonya @ Joy in the Ordinary
Laura @ Day by Day in Our World
Leah @ As We Walk Along the Road
Lisa @ Farm Fresh Adventures
Lori @ At Home: where life happens
Meg @ Adventures with Jude
Megan @ My Full Heart
Melanie (Wren) @ finchnwren
Melissa @ Mom's Plans
Melissa @ Grace Christian School
Michele @ Family, Faith and Fridays
Missica @ Through the Open Window
Monique @ Mountain of Grace Homeschooling
Rebekah @ There Will Be A $5 Charge For Whining
Renita @ Krazy Kuehner Days
Sarah @ Renaissance Mama
Sasha @ Such a Time as This
Tawnee @ Adventures in Homeschooling
Tiffany @ The Crafty Home
Tina @ Desperate Homeschoolers