5 Epic First Day of Homeschool Ideas

Getting ready to start homeschooling this fall? Why not start your year off with a BANG!?

Kids LOVE pomp and circumstance {who doesn't}, and in this blog post, I share 5 fun, memorable ways to kick off your school year - in celebratory fashion!

1. Pancake Buffet

We LOVE a good pancake bar, and with this idea you can fold in all kinds of learning.

Begin by reading Pancakes, Pancakes! by Eric Carle. Ask your child to retell the story, and map out the ingredients needed to make pancakes. They can even “write” their recipe in their Idea Book. {check out this post for more information on how to use an Idea Book}

Next, invite them to brainstorm a list of fun, inventive toppings. Let them make a list in their Idea Books, or brainstorm one together. 

Make the pancakes, add all the toppings to bowls and enjoy your fully-loaded pancakes! (a little 9am  ice cream never hurt anyone right?)

2. Park Tour and Picnic

When the rest of the world is in school, parks are wide open for play! Make a list of some “new-to-you” parks around the city, and plan to visit two or three. Incorporate some mapping skills for Social Studies, and invite your child to sketch a bird's eye view of each park in their Idea Books.

Pack a picnic lunch and enjoy!

3. Beach Day

While the weather is still good, why not enjoy a day of learning at the beach? Bring some Beach-themed  books, some paper or a journal and special writing tools,  and incorporate some observational drawings. Have your child draw and label 5 things that can be found at the beach. You can even bring watercolours, paintbrushes and a. bucket and have a rock-painting session by the water.

4. School Supply Scavenger Hunt

One of my favorite things about starting a new year is the abundance of freshly stocked supplies. Generate excitement, enthusiasm and even responsibility for these items with a scavenger hunt around the house.

• New paintbrushes
• Pastels
• Paints
• Pencils, erasers
• Markers
• New Idea Books
• Duotangs (expandable notebooks()
• Writing notebooks
• Dry Erase markers
• Chalk
• Post-It Notes
• Plasticine

Just a few of my favorite supplies to have on hand. Want access to a quick-start supply list? Grab my Homeschool Start-Up Kit, including planners, supply lists, invitations to play and even a sample of my all-in-one curriculum, Artful Teaching. Joyful Learning.

5. Homeschool Vision Board

I love creating vision boards with kids. They have amazing insights and ideas, and when documented visually, serve as a great reminder of hopes, dreams, aspirations and goals they have.

Grab a bunch of old magazines and invite your child to make a collage of their dream homeschool year. What kinds of experiences do they wish to have? What kind of learning to they want to explore? Document it all! If you can’t find it in a magazine, use Canva (free design tool) to find images to print and paste. Invite your child to write or type words to enhance their vision board. Have them sign and date it, and keep it as a piece of homeschool memorabilia.

Whatever you decide for your first day celebration, keeping it fun and hands on is a sure way to create a memorable experience for your kids, and a beautiful way to start a new tradition.. What other ideas would you add?