As homeschool parents prepare for another school year ahead, much of their focus tends to center on academics and curriculum. But as you make your plans and gather your materials, don’t forget to add in fun. Whether you’re a veteran homeschooling parent or a newbie embarking on your very first year, adding extra fun touches throughout the year can keep spirits up and momentum growing. Here are a few easy ways to make this homeschool year even more fun.

Music Playlists

Music can enhance every homeschool day. Prepared music playlists can be powerful tools in your homeschool and make each day more fun, whether it’s calming music that helps students focus, a themed playlist that enhances a particular lesson or subject, seasonal music that adds a festive flavor to the day, or simply fun tunes that everybody loves that boost the mood.

Fresh Flowers

The beauty of our spaces plays a huge role in the experience of our homeschool. Incorporate different decorative elements such as flowers, pictures, candles, holiday decor, or other items that can lend beauty to your space for all to enjoy.

Scents

As you homeschool, you’re creating precious family memories that will last a lifetime. Scent can play a role in enhancing those memories—essential oils, candles, or even freshly baked cookies can add a wonderful aroma to the atmosphere and delight to your homeschool day.

Celebrations Big and Small

A 100 on a spelling test, birthdays, Presidents Day, National Ice Cream Day, the completion of a long novel—these are all delightful occasions worthy of celebration. Make a habit of marking and celebrating all of the wins and joys of your homeschool, big and small.

Movie Lessons

Television in your homeschool isn’t always a bad idea. You can use documentaries, educational YouTube channels, and even movies. Consider films that are adaptations of novels that you’ve read or reenactments of historical events. Other types of video content, such as how-to videos or full-on courses, can be enjoyed as both lessons and entertainment. Pop some popcorn and enjoy the show. You’ll hardly realize that you’re learning.

Field Trips

When you homeschool, the world is your classroom. Don’t hesitate to enhance your lessons with fun field trips, whether they be to museums, historical sites, the theater, the library, the park, or simply out in nature. The world is truly your oyster. Enjoy all that it has to offer, and delight in it with your family.

Surprises

From time to time, shake things up with a surprise. One day, decide that you’re tossing all of the lessons aside and doing nothing but arts and crafts all day. Another day, give your children $100 and tell them that they’re in charge of buying groceries this week. You might have ice cream for breakfast, wear your pajamas all day, or take off on a surprise daycation. Embrace the freedom that you have in homeschooling.

Stickers

Of course, fun doesn’t need to come in the form of elaborate trips or over-the-top celebrations. Sometimes, a new pack of fun stickers or a new book in the library is all it takes to make things fun.

Prizes

Mark milestones in your homeschool with a prize system. This can be a motivating tool that gamifies academics and keeps things interesting and fun. Rewards could be given for every grade of 100 percent, every book read, or any other predefined accomplishment.

Games

Speaking of games, play games! You can supplement just about every subject with a well-chosen game that you play together as a family.

Choose Your Own Adventure

Make sure that you’re empowering your children to make choices in their homeschool. Rather than dictate every detail, perhaps allow them to choose the next book for a book report, the next science topic, or the next field trip you’ll go on. They’ll love taking ownership of their own educational journey in whatever way they’re allowed to.

Incorporate Food

When in doubt, serve snacks. Always have some fun treats on hand to serve when math lessons get frustrating or the reading lesson is a bit too long. Beyond that, though, you can get creative with pairing fun food with your homeschool endeavors. M&Ms make great math manipulatives, and I don’t need to tell you what to serve when reading “Green Eggs and Ham.” If you’re studying a particular culture, dive into its cuisine and enjoy cooking together.

Try Unit Studies

Every homeschool family approaches academics differently, but if it’s not already part of your repertoire, try unit studies for variety and fun. Set aside the regular curriculum for a while and dive deep into a specific subject through which you touch on each broad academic area. For example, if you’re studying marine biology, you might visit an aquarium, read books on the subject, watch documentaries, study the geographic regions and habitats of different species, write about the subject, plot populations on a chart, paint pictures of marine life, and put together a model of a fish. Any subject that captures the interest of your children is fair game for a unit study and is so much fun.

Write With Purpose

Rather than relying on predefined writing assignments, encourage your children to flex their writing skills toward real-life ends. Write letters to loved ones (and mail them!), write a poem, or even write a book and have it published. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Write in personal journals. Encourage your children to write for the fun of it.