Embracing Learning Through the Holidays

Are you experiencing a bit of homeschool overwhelm with the rapidly approaching holiday season? This is the season when the holiday checklist merges with the homeschooling checklist, and you suddenly realize you can’t do it all. Here’s a bit of encouragement, Mama. You don’t have to do it all!

If the mere thought of doing algebraic equations or pumpkin painting with your preschooler sends shudders down your spine, fear not! Here are a few ways to embrace learning through the holidays and maintain an atmosphere of joy this season. 

Start with Morning Time

Morning Time is our family’s favorite part of the school day! If we’re having a particularly rough start to the morning, I lengthen our time by reading aloud or extending art activities. Morning Time is the one thing that I intentionally work to keep treasured in our homeschool. There is no need for extravagance during this time. We read Scripture, poems, memorize verses, sing songs, read books, and so much more.

If you do Morning Time in your homeschool, you can even pause your normal routine and do a holiday-themed plan.

• Outdoor pumpkin painting
• Apple stamping
• Roasting pumpkin seeds for Tea Time
• Making a “Thankful Tree” as you listen to an audio book
• Collect leaves and do a leaf chalking with wax paper
• Read holiday picture books
• Do a pumpkin art project

The possibilities are endless!

Close the Books

Nothing brings out the wiggles in children more than a bright, crisp, autumn morning, enticing our children to come outside and play. Let’s close those books and embrace this season! Their brains (and ours) are so much more apt to retain what they’re reading and hearing if their bodies can release that built-up energy.

Depending on your climate, choose the best time of day to close the books and release the wiggles. Now, just because you’re outside doesn’t mean learning isn’t taking place. Take a nature walk or simply hang out in your backyard and observe the season’s creatures. Bring your journals and do some sketching outside. Breathe in the fresh air and the beauty of the Creator.

Breathe and Pray

If there is one thing that will squeeze out your joy in motherhood and homeschooling, it is an overwhelmed spirit. Yes, there are seasons when life is busier than usual, and schedules feel more than we can handle. When you feel that overwhelmed feeling taking over your joy, stop and pray. Take in a slow, deep breath. Get alone for a minute if you can, close your eyes, and pray.

Seeking calmness from our Heavenly Father not only calms our anxious hearts, but it also draws us closer to Him. This cultivates a grateful heart for the blessings we have. Taking time for rest and contemplation is a wonderful start to embracing learning through the holidays.

It also shows our children that we don’t need to rush through learning when everything is chaotic around us. Slowing down and igniting wonder for this time of year brings us closer together and deeper into the wonder of God and His creation.

Enjoy learning this holiday season, and rest in Him!

Danielle is a former classroom teacher turned “work-from-home” and homeschooling mother of two. She now spends her days teaching her children, reading numerous books, and sharing her gifts with others. She blogs about her adventures at DanielleHope.com.