7 Tips to Homeschool Through the Holidays

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It took me a while to figure out how to homeschool through the holidays.

Many years ago, our very first year homeschooling, we first began homeschooling right before Thanksgiving.  I was determined to ‘do it right’ and we did a full traditional day of schoolwork every day that our local public school was open. 

We did schoolwork all day and fun holiday activities all evening.  That meant that I lesson-planned, shopped, wrapped gifts, and cleaned until the wee hours of the morning every single night. 

We also went on a last-minute trip out of town, hosted Christmas Eve for our families, and celebrated our wedding anniversary.

It was exhausting!

Stress levels were high all holiday season which honestly limited the amount of fun we had.

I was so concerned about screwing up my first attempt at being a homeschool mom that I didn’t take advantage of the biggest homeschool benefits – freedom and flexibility. 

Freedom to enjoy the holidays.  Flexibility to adapt our school day to whatever we need it to be. Even the freedom and flexibility to put the school work aside if that will work best.

Now I know that I shouldn’t have been so concerned about messing up my daughter’s education.  There is room in the season for schoolwork and holiday fun. We can homeschool through the holidays without causing massive amounts of burnout.

Every homeschool family handles their schedule differently, and I have learned over time that there is no single right way. 

Some families work best staying in their normal routine.  Other families take a long break with a month or so completely off of school.  You have the freedom to do what works for you!

After over a decade of homeschooling, this is how my family manages to homeschool through the holidays. It does look a little different now that my kids are both high school students, but I follow these tips as much as possible.

7 Tips to Homeschool Through the Holidays

7 tips to homeschool through the holidays written in front of a mug of hot cocoa
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1. Plan for Days Off

Take an honest look at your calendar and call off school on days that are super busy. It is also okay to plan for days off so you have more time for fun activities. Some families choose to do school 3 or 4 days a week during the month of December. 

We typically go out of town for a few days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I don’t plan any schoolwork for those days.  Instead, we focus on spending time as a family and making memories.

Homeschoolers certainly do not need to follow the local school schedules, but I always had grumpy kids if they were sitting around the dining room table working on grammar while our neighbors played together outside. 

When my kids were young we would start and stop our Christmas break with our public school.  The annual school calendar varies slightly but is always available on the district website.

Now that my daughter is taking dual enrollment classes at our local community college, we follow their schedule. This keeps our whole family on the same schedule.

Homeschooling through the holidays does NOT mean that you homeschool without breaks.

2. Read Holiday Books

Reading holiday books is an easy way to add a little holiday flair to the day.  Snuggle up with your kids and a sweet holiday book or two. 

If you have enough time, reserve a few holiday books from your local library.  Seasonal books go fast though. 

You can even arrange a simple book swap with friends and neighbors.

I have book lists to help you plan your library reservations:

3. Add Everything to Your Lesson Plan

Learning doesn’t just happen with a textbook. There are many excellent ways to learn while enjoying holiday celebrations.

  • Singing Christmas carols – music education
  • Baking Christmas cookies – math and reading comprehension
  • Chatting with older family members about their childhood Christmases – social studies
  • Measuring Christmas trees – math
  • Holiday crafts – art
  • Writing a Christmas letter – language arts
  • Addressing Christmas cards – handwriting
  • Cleaning and shopping for holiday guests – home economics

This free printable homeschool Christmas planner can make organizing all of your ideas a bit easier.

Homeschool through the holidays tips #homeschool #Christmas

4. Try Holiday Unit Studies

Holiday unit studies are a great way to tie core subjects with holiday festivities. They are a great option this time of year.

You can, of course, make your own unit study, but sometimes it is worth it to just purchase one or two. Here are a few options. They are all self-paced so you can make them work for your homeschool schedule.

5. Go On Field Trips

Field trips are a fun addition to holiday homeschooling. Many historical sites will offer special holiday events and exhibits that are not available at other times of the year.

Besides just being a fun way to learn, field trips offer another benefit. The whole family is out of the house, so it stays clean!

A local field trip might be a great way to spend the day before relatives arrive for the holidays. The house stays clean, the kids have fun, and the children have plenty to talk about when they are asked what they did in school.

Related Post: 30+ Homeschool-Friendly Field Trip Ideas

6. Keep Quick Activities On Hand

There will be times when you suddenly need a quick activity. You might need to take care of some holiday preparations, or you might just need a few quiet minutes. Being prepared for these moments can go a long way to preserving sanity.

My top 3 favorite quick activities are:

  1. Christmas movies
  2. Christmas-themed printable activity fun
  3. Christmas boredom-busting basket

Christmas Movies

There is absolutely nothing wrong with relying on a Christmas movie whenever you need a little time. I remember classroom teachers playing movies right before Christmas break, and you can do it too.

If it makes you feel better, turn on the subtitles, put the subtitles in a foreign language, or ask comprehension questions after, but none of that is required.

Christmas-themed Printable Activity Fun

Having a few printables printed and ready to use can grab you a few free minutes.

All About Learning offers a free Christmas pack with over 30 pages of language arts practice.

Teachers Pay Teachers is also full of holiday freebies.

Christmas Boredom Busting Basket

A Christmas boredom-busting basket is a basket full of simple crafts, activities, and toys that your child can use independently. Just set it out whenever you need young children to entertain themselves for a little bit.

I used this technique year-round when my kids were younger!

7. Give Yourself Grace

Even the best-laid plans don’t always go perfectly.  Give yourself grace. 

Somehow it is easier to deal with unexpected surprises if you are in the right frame of mind.  Embrace the mantra: people over perfect! 

People are far more important than accomplishing everything on your to-do list.  You count too! 

Holidays usually leave parents exhausted.  Some of that seems unavoidable, but don’t forget to do a little self-care too.  Eat well.  Exercise, sleep as much as is realistic, and do something to fill your own tank every once in a while.

Be realistic about what can be accomplished while still enjoying the magic of the season.

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Welcome! My name is Jennifer. I am a teacher at heart. Before my children were born I was a public school teacher. Now, I am a homeschooling mom of two.