How do you “do school” when you’re out and about? Here are some tips for learning on the road.
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Homeschooling Out Of The Home
How do you do school when school hits the road?
When schoolwork is primarily done at home, what do we homeschoolers do when we have to leave the house? As a new homeschooler, I find myself trying to limit the amount of errands or trips we have to take on a weekly basis. If I don’t get our lessons done in the morning I feel like it throws us off for the rest of the week, and I hate that playing catch-up feeling.
There are some days when we just have to leave the house during school hours.
Sometimes it’s a doctor’s appointment, an emergency run to the store for that one key ingredient I forgot to get for the dinner I’m making, or a special event or field trip scheduled for the morning. We do have one scheduled outing every Thursday morning – a wonderful bible study program that provides individual classes for the kids by age. Yes, it takes me out of the house during regular homeschool hours, but it’s too valuable an experience for all of us to give up. I also take the hour long drive out to where my in-laws live once a month so that the girls can spend time with Grandma, who they rarely see.
All this time on the road takes away from our school routine, so I try to incorporate as much work on the road as possible.
Here are my go-to’s:
- School backpacks. The girls each have a school backpack that I fill with work they can do on the road. (My preschooler usually has books to read, coloring books, crayons and some toys)
- Clipboards are a life saver! I have weekly packets I created for my 1st grader which include her math, reading comprehension and handwriting worksheets. I clip a packet to the clipboard and she works on it in waiting rooms and in the car.
- Flashcards in repurposed travel wipes containers. Great for studying while in the car, or making up a game with while in a waiting room, friend’s house, or restaurant.
- Classic stack o’ books stored next to my child’s carseat. My 1st grader is reading up a storm (I love it!!) so a stack of books at the ready is a must.
- Puzzle tins. Ok, so this isn’t so much “schoolwork,” but this has saved me so many times I just had to share! I get cute little puzzle tins at the dollar store and toss a couple in my bag when we are going to a restaurant. Before and after dinner, the girls work on their puzzles intently – it’s been a huge help for wiggly girls at the dinner table!
- Little homework buddy. For some reason, this totally works for my preschooler! She takes a stuffed animal or small doll who “helps” her do her homework. It’s pretty funny but her little buddy really helps keep her focused. Oh sweet little imaginations 🙂
- Portable Math Games. I’m starting to really focus on my 1st grader’s memorization of math facts and this portable game has really helped her {aff link}. I love having portable math games to toss in her backpack or keep in her car cubby for learning on the go.
And when I’m out and about, I’m always looking for teaching opportunities. Kids can learn about prices while waiting in the grocery store, learn letters or new words in magazines while in waiting rooms, etc.
Ok mommas, spill the beans. What are your approaches to schooling on days when you have to leave the house? If you’re a blogger and you have a post specifically about schooling on the road, feel free to share one link in your comment!
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Fun Amazon Finds For Homeschooling Out Of The Home:
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We also LOVE pet store trips. I never thought of writing in highlihter for tracing. We rcently made quite a few tracing sheets using a lamintor for things like his name, numbers and letters, but will be using that in the future.
Hi Amy thanks for visiting! I used to make a ton of worksheets with the “Trace” font for my girls to practice their handwriting. Then a friend told me about the highlighter trick. So much easier! Sometimes a low-tech version is better 🙂 have a great day!
What great ideas! I love the little homework buddy and clipboards are always a lifesaver. Thanks for sharing at the #Made4Kids Link Party!
Thanks so much for stopping by! 🙂
These are all fantastic suggestions! We did preschool in the hospital many times when my mom was undergoing cancer treatments. File folder games were a life saver for us!
Thanks so much for your encouraging comments! I’ll have to check into file folder games that does sound helpful! 🙂
You have wonderful suggestions. I also like to use lessons on CDs. History, science, geography,… there are so many choices out there! If we spend 30 minutes in a car, we can easily turn it into a 30 minute instruction time.
Thanks so much! I’m a new homeschooler – I don’t even know about lessons on CD yet haha. Do you have any suggestions for ones you like for PK1 kids?