How to Make Everyday Holiday Activities Educational

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The food, time with family and friends, festive activities and events…I love this season!

But there is a question that always seems to come up this time of year for homeschooling families…

How do I balance school with all of the other things I want and need to get done during these busy months?

There is a way to make it happen seamlessly. A way that, instead of adding stress to your schedule, removes it:

Embrace the season and make everyday holiday activities educational.

There are a lot of things I’ve learned throughout my family’s 15 years of homeschooling. One of the best things that happened was our transition to lifestyle learning.

Lifestyle learning capitalizes on our children’s natural curiosity and fosters an environment where kids are always learning; where there is no separation between school and life – learning just becomes a lifestyle. It allows us the freedom to use any and every learning style and tool available to us without being defined or confined by any of them, and in the meantime, we create an environment where our children love to learn.

This is incredibly beneficial during the holiday season.

Let’s take a look at a few things you’re probably already doing during the holiday season and how to make the most of those moments to get educational value out of them.

Shopping

Christmas shopping is an activity that is loaded with educational potential! The experience is rich (pardon the pun) for establishing money management skills!

TRY SOME OF THESE IDEAS:

• Make a list and expected budget, then shop within that budget.
• Alternatively, have your children create a budget for the people they want to purchase gifts for, then separate out about how much they’ll spend per person. They can weigh the pros and cons of allocating an equal amount to each person, as opposed to dividing the money out depending on specific gifts they’d like to purchase.
• Watch prices when you shop, talk about tax and estimation.
• Create a list of ideas per person before shopping to help with consumer spending (money management) skills.
• Count money in piggy bank offers a great opportunity to review coin identification and counting change.
• Comparison shop by searching different sources for the best prices on items. Don’t forget to factor in shipping costs!

Cooking

The kitchen is a perfect classroom! You’re probably in there a lot already during the holiday season, so why not make the most of it? Take advantage of these meal prep times to engage with your children.

TRY SOME OF THESE IDEAS:

• Measurement and counting (hands-on math for little learners)
• Observe and discuss how different kinds of ingredients interact when mixed together (science)
• Practice kitchen skills (cutting, measuring, rolling and shaping, baking, using a stove/oven, mixing, etc)
• Turn your talents to serving others with baked gifts. This is a beautiful way to instill a sense of compassion, service and selflessness in your children!
• Decorate Christmas cookies, or get creative with gingerbread men or houses! How much fun is art that you eat?!
• Try your hand at traditional holiday dishes from around the world, and learn about the place you’re cooking from.
• Children who help prepare dishes in the kitchen are more likely to eat (and like) them. Encourage your kids to try something new!

Field Trips

Take advantage of all of the festive activities happening during the holiday season with field trips!

TRY SOME OF THESE IDEAS:

• Visit a local pumpkin patch or apple orchard.  Pick pumpkins to carve and learn with.  Watch how apple cider is made and talk with employees about the roles at the orchard.
• Attend holiday festivals.  Expand your horizons by learning how other cultures celebrate the holidays.
• Visit local historical spots and go on tours.
• Attend craft events at a local art museum.
• Attend book readings or author presentations at a local bookstore or library.

Reading Together

If all you have time to do this holiday season is sit with your children and enjoy a good book together, you’ll still be ahead of the game.  Reading together is such a powerful learning experience and it opens the door to unlimited potential for conversation and learning. Besides, you’ll be spending quality time with your children building bonds that will last a lifetime and instilling a love for reading in them.  And it’s stress relieving.  It really is the best of all worlds.

The holiday season is loaded with educational potential! So here’s to having fun while we learn, and experiencing the joy and peace of the season!