15 Fun Activities for First Day of Homeschool Party

Fun activities for the first day of Homeschool Party?

I heard a homeschool mama talk about her favourite day of the year: the first day of studies!

So what fun activities for first-day homeschool party can we include?

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The anticipation of a new study year with freshly sharpened pencils, new books, unopened notebooks, pretty binders, and always a box of Smarties (to make the kids a little smarter), is one of my favourite days of the year too.

Here are 15 Fun Activities for First Day for our Homeschool Party:

Dictionary game.

We each have a dictionary and we each race to a word that I suggest. Here’s why: so they know where the dictionaries are, also I can introduce new vocabulary, and it’s an easy game that kids of all ages can do (well, ‘reading’ kids anyway).

Sign the sibling constitution.

Yes, we really do this. No, it’s not adhered to like a legal document, but it is a good reminder of how we want to engage our siblings.

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“We, the Wiedrick siblings, in order to form a more healthy relationship and have a happier home, do solemnly intend to do the following: help a sibling out, take turns and share, never borrow anything without tasking first, return borrowed items promptly in the same condition they started in, respect each other’s privacy, always knock before entering each others’ rooms, give each other space when friends are over. No spying or tagging along, try to talk out problems and solve disagreements, listen to each other side without interrupting, take responsibility instead of blaming each other, treat each other with kindness, respect, and forgiveness.”

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Discuss emotional health and self-care.

An ongoing process for all of us, but if there is a useful lifelong educational tool, it is definitely this one. Learning to identify our own feelings, learning self-soothing techniques, learning assertive approaches to engaging others about our needs, and making sure we’re taking care of ourselves and advocating for it: all lifelong relational training 101. (I slip this discussion in everywhere I can.)

Biographical dictionary introduction.

Yes, Wikipedia is a useful tool, but I like to reinforce that so are actual paper books like a biographical dictionary. (Though, anyone after 2000 doesn’t exist in my present version, ha.)

Pepper our day with back 2 school jokes.

Cause it’s fun. Cheesy, but fun. (Naturally, I use the same jokes over and over and over and over…

Discuss “how I learn” questions.

Both for the purpose of getting the kids to think about how they learn best and for me to facilitate it. We might take learning quizzes or discuss how we learn. We discuss these questions: what are you passionate about, what do you see as your greatest strength, what are your challenges, what field trips do you want to take, what extracurriculars do you want to include, and what community do you want to build?

Back 2 school time capsules.

With ‘dear future me’ letters. Just for fun.

Decorate our homeschool room.

Last year we’re bought a periodic table poster and strung up the numbers of Pi (well, obviously not ALL the numbers of Pi).

And if you’re scratching your head, wondering if it makes any sense that we’re decorating a room that I’ve told you we rarely use JUST for the purposes of homeschooling, remember: it’s a tradition!

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M & M games.

This game always works. Take a red, tell me something about yesterday, take an orange, tell me something you do well, take a yellow, tell me something about your childhood, take a blue, tell me something you learned last week, take a brown, tell me something you can’t live without, take a green, tell me something you have watched or listened to lately.

Starbucks fall drinks (cause we gotta).

If anything spells fall, it’s PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE.

Write 50 things…

…you did last summer’s list. An introductory writing project (and it’s a thing from school I loved, so we do it just for fun).

Pre-make waffles for the freezer…

…for easy breakfasts. I’m not into waffles myself, but the kids like to have freezer waffles on hand (that actually taste good), so they make dozens.

Put together a jar of bookworms…

…for afternoon reading time (gummy worms), a jar of Jeopardy candy (for Friday Funday), and a tray of apple sugar cookies or apple slices with PB, choco chips, and coconut for tea and reading.

Take new-grade photos…

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