OUTSIDE THE BOX Homeschooling | 20 Ways To Make Learning FUN!

Do you ever feel like there could be something more in your homeschool? Maybe you're bored with your curriculum, stuck in a rut, or your kids are dragging their feet when it's time for school? Today, I'm sharing 20 ideas for outside the box homeschooling that we've done over the years to re-ignite that love for learning and bring a little more fun into our days!
I’d love to hear what you would add! Please comment below!
LINKS:
Campfire Curriculums: campfirecurriculums.com
Gather Round Homeschool: gatherroundhomeschool.com
Science Max: / @sciencemax
🌟 Establish a purpose-driven plan designed to help your unique family thrive using our Homeschool Vision Planning Guide! www.theeclectichomeschool.com...
🌟 Download your FREE Homeschool Assessment Guide Here: www.theeclectichomeschool.com...
🌟 OUR FAVORITE CURRICULUM & RESOURCES!!
📕 A Gentle Feast: agentlefeast.com/?ref=314
📘 All About Spelling: www.allaboutlearningpress.net...
🌍 World Watch News: WorldWatch.News/friends/erin-d
🛠️ Tinker Crate: www.jdoqocy.com/click-1005156...
🎨 Knowledge Crates: www.knowledgecrates.com/eclectichomeschooler
📦 Books We Love on Amazon: www.amazon.com/shop/theeclect...
____________________________
Hi friends! I’m Erin. I’m a homeschooling mom to 4 kids and we’re in our 8th year of this homeschool lifestyle. I love to share videos with tips about things we’ve learned along the way that have helped me out, as well as curriculum reviews and some heartfelt homeschool inspiration. I hope you leave here feeling encouraged that YOU CAN DO THIS!
Thanks for checking out my channel!
If you enjoyed this video, you may like these as well:
🎥 How I Homeschool 4 Kids | Our Homeschool Routine
• How I Homeschool 4 Kid...
🎥 5 Things I DON'T Do In Our Homeschool (It May Shock You)
• 5 Things I DON'T Do In...
🎥 REVERSE PLANNING Record Keeping
• REVERSE PLANNING Recor...
🎥 LIFE-CHANGING Homeschool Routine
• LIFE-CHANGING Homescho...
Morning Time LOOP SCHEDULE | Creating A Homeschool Loop Schedule
• Morning Time LOOP SCHE...
ORGANIZING Your HOMESCHOOL For Beginners
• ORGANIZING Your HOMESC...
Small Space HOMESCHOOL ORGANIZATION
• Small Space HOMESCHOOL...
I Wish I Knew THIS Before I Started Homeschooling
• I Wish I Knew THIS Bef...
Email for Business/Collabs:
[e-mail]
THIS VIDEO IS NOT INTENDED FOR CHILDREN, IT IS DIRECTED AT ADULTS.
* MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS, which means I make a small commission on products ordered through them. Thanks for supporting my channel!*

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Thanks for watching!! 🥰 What other things do you do to bring a little more excitement to your homeschool days?

[@etzel4159]

Go to supermarket, farm or restaurant to Lear about a culture and their food. Also when you are studying jobs, interview a person. When want to go the fire station to Lear about them, my kids are 7, 5 and 3

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

@@etzel4159 Great ideas! Thanks for sharing!

[@samposampo9432]

Go to an art museum and take an art class there. We have a very good museum in our area that offers creative classes on a different theme every month. The classes are always about a particular artist whose artwork is on display there. So you always learn something about the artist and then you can create a great piece of art using a technique that the artist used.

[@samposampo9432]

@@TheEclecticHomeschooler We found that museums often have on their website informations for school-visits and there you can find documents to prepare or to work on after your visit.

[@samposampo9432]

@@TheEclecticHomeschooler To study different religions, you can visit a religious building such as a sinagogue or a Hindu temple. Find out beforehand about appropriate behavior and convenient times to visit. Sometimes in larger cities there is a "House of Religions" where different religions each have a room with their specific symbols and objects and are happy to explain all about it.

[@susanlance8179]

Great ideas, We homeschooled all of our 5 children. We did some homeschooling with the first grandkids and now we have another batch to start. I found that I do better throwing the traditional ways out. My grandkids learn hands on through Art, science experiments and games we get messy and have fun. I know the bench marks of what they need to learn that year and how we get there is up to us. We go year around with our homeschooling, but have a more relaxed approach. This summer some of our subjects are gardening, worm farm, bees and egg to chicken, Cooking, edible wild plants and how to identify them, learning how to do basic chores, quilting, nature walks.....and so on I think there are 12 subjects in all. Through those subjects we learn all of are needed curriculum, it is fun and playful. It works our this family.

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Love that!! This sounds perfect! ❤️

[@brewerfamily1062]

We have gotten together with friends and done things like dissections, holiday parties, and even themed meals where we all dress up in the historical period and eat themed food and the kids present something fun they have learned. We did a medieval feast and set up our tables in a U shape and elected a king and queen to sit at the head table and all the children showcased their talents by entertaining us. We all ate the food with our hands and listened to medieval music and danced! It was an absolute blast! These ideas that you shared really make learning come to life! Thanks so much!

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

That sounds so amazing!! What a great idea!

[@grace9624]

LOVE this!! I was substitute teacher for my local public school special education department and 95% of our learning approach was kinesthetic. One thing I learned quickly was a majority of children love and gravitate to the hands on learning (even our little introverts). I now homeschool my 4 boys and this is my main approach to our homeschooling day. My boys beg for us to do school on the weekends, are happy to share new topics they want us to do a unit study on, etc. This is our testimony that this approach is a breath of life into our school day. As always though, respect the learning style your child learns best with. :)

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Love that!! Thank you for sharing your experience! ❤️

[@angelicscalliwagshomeschoo3823]

Sometimes just changing things up works well. We used to school all year round but we would spend the summer on something totally different, like building a Little House on the Prairie and decorating it and learning lots of skills from 1800's. Because it was so different, the children never really complained and those summers are some of my fondest memories ❤

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Wow! That sounds so fun!!

[@IronSharpensIron127]

Thanks for the help. I was really good at teaching my soldiers how to soldier. But my daughter is not going to war😂. I am learning how to teach all over again. God bless you and your family

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

My pleasure! Blessings to you as well!

[@sandramccurdy9188]

Fabulous information thanks Mom! Appreciate your wonderful help!!

[@kr6484]

Beautiful

[@frogleymom]

I love the idea of having ONE arts and crafts day. And I love the vinyl tablecloth. I think we might do an arts & crafts day I the backyard when the weather is really nice. 😊

[@molivers2024]

Thank you 🙏

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

You’re welcome 😊

[@RockyMuniz]

Thank you for such wonderful ideas! I’m going to watch a second time with paper and pen and take all the notes!! ❤

[@brittany.powell]

Thank you so, so, so much for sharing this. My daughter is losing steam as our school year comes to a close. She’s been complaining so much lately and saying she hates school. Stumbling across this video has come at the perfect time. I’m in my first year of homeschooling and as I’m reflecting on how our school year has gone so far I know changes need to be made. This list has given me so much encouragement and ideas to finish out this year, and for next year. I don’t want my children to hate school because the focus on book work is too much. Changing things up is crucial.

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

I’m so glad this was helpful! I would definitely recommend looking into deschooling if your kids did go to school before you started homeschooling. If you’re ok with Christian books, Teaching From Rest by Sarah Mackenzie is amazing!

[@jennifert7127]

Thanks for this. We love doing lots of these as well. The living books for history in particular has totally changed my appreciation for history study...I used to hate it when I was in school and now I find it so interesting!

[@growingupbaseball8796]

"...and call it school!" 🎇 Yup, learning and loving it is the goal at the end of it all, over here...! Wonderful tips. 🍰🍪🍎 Thanks, @TheEclecticHomeschooler ☀️☕

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

❤️ ❤️

[@Flyingkiwisnz]

We are in our first year, and it's overwhelming thank you for this.

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Glad it was helpful! ❤️

[@mentoredtoexcellence6961]

Absolutely LOVE these ideas. Things can feel so mundane at times. Thanks for sharing. ❤❤

[@daniipfeifer]

You are amazing!!! I love listening to you! Every time I have some time cleaning or by myself I watch/ sometimes just listen to your videos!!!! Your voice is so beautiful and I can really feel/ see God in your videos and you inspire me so much! I homeschool my kids (6 years in) and always learn with you! Thank you very much !!!

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Love that! What an honor! Thank you for following along!!

[@alittleheavenonearth]

I was actually washing my dishes lol 🫣

[@sarahmiranda7130]

My 11 yo loves facts books. He spends his time reading an Atlas

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Love that! I have a couple kids that love that kind of stuff too!

[@valeriedeutsch786]

Wow! So many fantastic ideas! Love this! Thank you❤

[@elainewinslow9800]

Thank you for sharing this. We will be trying several of these ideas.

[@JoyfulNoiseLiving]

I Definitely need to incorporate a day of arts and crafts. My kids would love that! It’s been hard to squeeze in art lately.

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Art is one of the things that I tend to push to the back, but I’m trying to be better and thought this would work well for that! ❤️

[@homeschoolingcuriously]

I just love your videos! These are def some tips I'll use. Thank you!

[@mellisa5016]

LOVE these ❤️😁

[@joidavis5210]

Lots of great ideas!!! ❤

[@ridahunsyiemiong9861]

Hi Erin, we are loving homeschool, and my kids they enjoy learning together same subject. All your ideas are wonderful. Thank you so much.

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

I'm so glad you’re enjoying homeschooling!! 😄

[@ridahunsyiemiong9861]

@@TheEclecticHomeschooler thank you for your response. Yours is the only homeschooling that I have been following since 1 year now and it's the best.

[@gamjayhomeschoolmom2595]

Thanks ❤️

[@ashleymurphy4813]

Wonderful ideas, and great reminders. Thank you!

[@emmareads734]

Thanks for all of the ideas!

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

You are so welcome!

[@felishamuileboom7744]

Love this!! Thank you 😊 💓

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

You're so welcome!

[@EjKep]

I love these ideas! And thank you so much for the very needed reminders to recognize the education in so many aspects of life - not just from the textbooks. That is something I have been grappling with and growing in over the past year or two. I was formerly a teacher, so those habits die hard.

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

I have heard that can be especially challenging for former teachers turned homeschoolers! So glad you enjoyed the video!

[@liztefft5312]

Such fun suggestions! ☺️

[@faithhomeschool2789]

Love this video so many great ideas. You continue to be a blessing. I am thinking of starting at track and field club in our community for homeschoolers, my oldest and I really love no contact sports. I don't like unit studies, but I try. My attention span is limited. We love learning outside. We love watching science related videos and documentaries too. fieldtrip Friday is always fun. I love your idea of attending local performances and making a day for arts and craft, we have been loving working with clay lately.

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

A track and field club would be so fun! Great idea!! Thanks for always watching and commenting! 🥰

[@TheSnowbride20]

Love these ideas so much! I definitely will be saving this video to look back on. I just think our homeschool is so boring and I don’t think my son or I either enjoy it, I have almost given up so many times. I really hope this list helps me.

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

I hope you enjoy trying some of these ideas! ❤️

[@alittleheavenonearth]

Making it fun is key! The rest will Make it’s way ! One day at a time my friend

[@billieryan4571]

Thanks for the ideas! We are in a curriculum slump so we will definitely be trying a few of these.

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Hope you enjoy!!

[@JoyfulNoiseLiving]

Living Books are my favorite!! ❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Yes!! SO good!

[@suzyp5430]

Thanks for some wonderful ideas. There are so many I'm interested in but I'll share just one. I'm going to look into some recitals. My husband is working on his masters and the college isn't too far away that it would be a chore to get there. I studied theater and clothing construction in college and always wanted a way to share that with my girls. Thanks for helping me think outside the box. lol

[@daniraber-ragan704]

Thank you for this great list! This encourages me to know that the things we are doing are really enriching our homeschooling journey. We celebrate the Biblical Feasts throughout the year. During these times, we put away the typical educational materials and dive into the Biblical Feast. We have so much fun growing our faith, strengthening our characters and deepening our relationship to God and each other.

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

That sounds amazing!! I’d love to learn more about them. We have done Passover before but not the others. ❤️

[@AmandaBricknell]

Great tips! And it looks like you live in Central or Eastern Washington...I grew up there ❤️ The sagebrush and apples 😀

[@alittleheavenonearth]

New subscriber ! Love to have you come on my journey as well ❤❤

[@homeschool.pray.repeat]

Interesting video. Lately I’ve really felt self inflicted pressure to have a science and history curriculum for my sons upcoming 3rd grade year. But I like my kiddos to work primarily independently and he’s not reading well enough yet to open a history book and read like his 5th grade brother. He’s also very sensitive. He heard his brother talking about a brutal story in Mystery of History and he was upset. I really just want to stick to the basics with him still. Why do we feel we have to do what we see others doing? Lol

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

I think it’s great that you’re listening to your intuition. You know your kids best, and what is appropriate and needed for them! For science, we love watching Magic School Bus and Science Max on YT! Beautiful Feet Books has some great history curriculum that guides you through literature/living books if you want a gentle approach but not a formal “school” type curriculum! A lot of the books they recommend are often available at the library so you wouldn’t have to purchase them all. ☺️

[@lauravazquez1955]

Can you recommend a few great books for sixth grade ?

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Whew. That question doesn’t have a real clear answer. 😅 I personally don’t necessarily subscribe to the idea of grade levels for books, or even curriculum. It depends on your child’s reading level, interest, and genre, or type of book you’re looking for (for fun, literature, history, etc). I do have this video that shares a bunch of books and series my boys have loved, with a section for middle grade readers. I also have a few videos sharing read aloud books we have enjoyed that could probably all be read by someone around that age. Read Aloud Revival is a great resource for book lists. Or just looking through what is suggested for curriculum like Ambleside Online or Sonlight for their literature readers is also a great resource. Best wishes! kzbin.info/www/bejne/h2K4goGdoLaUe5I&si=dxC8rRDcK9_aB0oT

[@sarahmiranda7130]

How do you get the spouse on board understanding that homeschooling is not school at home?

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

I think it can help if you share with him what you have learned about why the alternative is better. Read books that follow the model you prefer to gain some more insights. I highly recommend Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto for an insiders look into the public school system and the model it teaches by - and how it’s not the best for kids. Maybe spend some time together coming up with your goals and reasons for homeschooling and then come up with a plan on how to achieve them. A lot of times our goals do not match up with what the traditional school model encompasses and that can be a jumping off point in choosing how you want it to be instead. Best wishes!

[@letthespiritlive5749]

Do you still use TT for your oldest?

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

We recently switched to Saxon for my oldest. Once he got to Algebra it seemed like he needed a different approach for some of the concepts to stick. We are still using TT for other kids though. ☺️

[@letthespiritlive5749]

I was going to switch to TT from Saxon for Algebra 2🤣