How to Fill Your Homeschool Day: Ideas to Keep Kids Busy

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Keeping your kids busy isn’t always an easy task (especially when you need to get other things done.) You probably have days when it feels effortless and your kids play and entertain themselves happily on their own. And then you most likely have days when they just don’t want to play independently and your mind goes totally blank on ideas to keep them occupied.

But what if you’re homeschooling? What happens when you need to fill the day with not only fun ideas and activities but also learning as well?

If you’re wondering how to fill your homeschool day and keep your kids busy, here are some ideas for learning as well as enjoyable activities that you can do at home and outside. Remember, everyone’s homeschool day will look different. These are suggestions that you can pick and choose from as you please.

Daily Ideas For Your Homeschool Day

Journal and make goals first thing

Before starting your homeschool day, journaling first thing in the morning can be a good habit to get into. We always like setting our goals for the day too as it gives the day purpose and something to work towards.

Setting Goals for Home Education

Brainstorm at breakfast

Another great idea for your homeschool day is to have a brainstorm at breakfast. This could be about anything—planning the day, favourite subjects, interests or new activities to try.

Do an exercise or stretching routine

Get serious about exercise and make it a part of your daily homeschool routine. There are all kinds of different exercises and stretches for kids to do and ways to make it fun for everyone.

Cook or bake something together

Cooking brings everyone together and is a great bonding experience. You can go as simple or as adventurous as you like. And the great thing about cooking is that you can choose to cook or bake things that take as little or as long as you like.

Do a daily board game, puzzle or quiz

We love starting the day with a little friendly competition. Whether it’s a board game, a fun puzzle, or a quick quiz, it’s a great way to get everyone’s brain warmed up and ready for the day!

Have reading time

There’s always something so nice about reading together, whether it’s taking the time to read to each other or enjoying your own book. It’s so nice to unwind with a good story and chat about what we’ve read.

Go for a walk

Make walking or simply getting outside part of your daily routine. Embrace the weather, even if it’s only for a little while. We find a quick walk around the neighbourhood is such a nice way to clear our heads and get some fresh air. Plus, you never know what cool things you might spot outside!

Talk and reflect on the day

The most important part of any day, especially when you’re homeschooling, is to sit and talk to each other! At the end of each day, we make sure to sit down and talk. It’s so important to check in with each other—whether it’s sharing something we learnt, something that made us laugh, or just chatting about how the day went. It really helps us to connect and reflect on all the little moments.

Learning Ideas and Activities For Your Homeschool Day

Play scrabble or another educational board game

As a family, we love playing scrabble. It’s one of those games which is great for any age. We used it to help our daughter learn her letters and she would keep entertained simply from putting the letters on the tile racks.

Improv games

There is nothing better than improvisation to spark your child’s imagination. Improv games are not only fun but also help kids think on their feet! Many improv games are educational too. Take a look at some of these ideas.

Observe things while you’re out and about

There is so much to see when you go out for the day and anything can turn into an educational resource or lesson. Take street signs, for example—they’re a great visual aid for kids who are learning their letters or how to read.

Or simply look at things around you and use them as a learning opportunity. If your children see cars, learn about how the first car was made and what makes them work. If they see an animal, learn about that animal, its diet and habitat.

Ask open-ended questions

The best thing about open-ended questions is that you can ask anything. One simple question is all it takes to ignite curiosity and spark a conversation, and even learn something new.

Create a learning lucky dip

This one’s a fun idea! Have your kids write down some of their favourite topics or things they’re curious about. Toss them into a box or jar, and then every day have them pull one out to explore. It’s a great surprise for them each day to discover what they’ll be learning about.

Play an instrument

You don’t need to be an expert to play an instrument but you’ll always have fun. You could all choose to learn the same instrument together or pick separate instruments. And do you know what that means? Family band time!

Review books and films

Books and films aren’t just entertainment—they can turn into lessons too. After reading a book or watching a movie you could get your kids to discuss what they liked and what they didn’t like about it, or anything that they learnt. We love having a reading journal for reviewing everything we read.

Learn a language

Why not try picking up a few words in a new language? It’s amazing how much fun it is to learn together, and you can even try to use a few phrases in your daily conversations.

Do a creative activity

There’s always fun to be had when the art supplies come out. Whether it’s painting, drawing, or crafting, there are so many different options to choose from and ideas to create.

Play on an educational app

Educational apps are great for practising different skills and learning with a little tech twist.

Do a science experiment

Science experiments are always a hit! You could try something simple like making a volcano erupt or growing crystals, and it’s such a great way to learn about science in a hands-on way.

Build a fort and learn about how and why they were used in history

Building forts is so much fun, and it’s even better when we can tie it into history lessons. You can talk about how forts were used in different time periods and places—plus, it’s just a good excuse to get cosy and creative!

Learn a style of dance

What better excuse to have music on than to dance! Whether it’s ballet, hip-hop, or even something like salsa, dancing is a great way to get moving and have a blast.

Watch a documentary

We love watching documentaries as a family! They’re such a fun way to learn about new topics and afterward, we’ll talk about what we found most interesting.

Check the weather forecast and talk about predictions

Each day, we’ll check the weather forecast and chat about what we think the weather will be like. It’s a simple way to teach kids about patterns and predictions, plus it helps us prepare for the day ahead.

Plant something in the garden

Gardening is such a lovely activity to include in your homeschool day and you don’t have to go far to do it. Even if you’re just planting flowers or some herbs, it’s all tied to learning and the best part is watching things grow.

Do the alphabet challenge

We’ll pick a letter of the day and see how many things we can find that start with that letter. It’s a simple but fun way to practice letter recognition and stretch our imaginations.

Plan a meal

Meal planning is a great way to get the kids involved in cooking and nutrition. We’ll sit down, decide what we want to make, and everyone has a role in the process.

Listen to music and write about it

We love listening to different types of music and then writing about how it makes us feel.

Write a letter or email

Writing letters or emails is definitely a life skill to focus on. It’s fun for kids to write to family members or even pen a letter to a pen pal.

Fix something in the house that needs fixing

If something around the house needs fixing, we’ll dive in and do it together. Whether it’s a loose screw or a broken toy, it’s a good way to teach problem-solving and practical skills.

Tackle a home project

We love working on home projects as a family. Whether it’s redecorating a room, reorganising or sprucing up the garden, it’s a nice way to collaborate and learn some hands-on skills.

Learn first aid

First aid is such an important skill for everyone, so why not start young? It’s something that you can practise on any homeschool day.

Start a new habit

Together, we’ll pick a new habit to try as a family. Maybe it’s a daily gratitude practice or a commitment to be more active—whatever it is, it’s nice to support each other as we work on it.

Practise self-care

Taking time for self-care is so important and it’s something that kids should understand and do daily too. Whether it’s a relaxing bath, a little quiet time, or practising mindfulness, it’s a good reminder that taking care of ourselves is part of the learning journey.

Train your brain with memory games

Memory games are fun for all the family. Not only do they keep our brains sharp, they can be played at any time, anywhere.

Should You Have a Schedule to Manage Your Homeschool Day?

There are those that thrive on a schedule and those that prefer to completely go with the flow. And then there are those that are a bit of both and fall somewhere in the middle.

Whilst having a schedule isn’t a necessity, it can be useful. Here’s why:

They keep you organised.
You know what to expect each day.
You don’t have to stress about what to do.
They’re good for practising time management.
They can be as flexible as you want them to be.

If you feel that a homeschool schedule would be more useful to manage your day then try one out and see how you go. You can always change it up or be more flexible if it works better.

You might also be interested in: How to Create the Best Homeschool Schedule