How to Make Fridays Fun While Homeschooling

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When I started homeschooling, I always intended to make it fun. Some subjects are more exciting than others. But, that’s why I enjoy the option of having Fun Fridays as a part of our schedule, and you should, too.

What are Fun Fridays

Fun Fridays are just that -FUN! 

Everyone has different ideas of what fun constitutes, but I typically like to make sure my kids will remember it as fun while sneaking some learning in there, too. 

Did you ever have Field Day in your school growing up? 

I still remember how much fun those days were dating back to my elementary years.

You were having so much fun, you probably didn’t realize you were learning about teamwork and skills-building. Of course, it was a great way to get some exercise in, too. 

What about Pep Rally on Fridays?

We always had those around the last hour before school let out, but I always looked forward to them.

That’s what I want my kids to do but in the homeschool version. 

How Often Should You Do It?

You can do this weekly, monthly, or sporadically.

The more kids I’ve had over the years, I haven’t been able to do this as frequently as I like. As my twins get older, I’m having more flexibility again.

My goal is to get back to doing Fun Fridays weekly.

Why Should I Have Fun Fridays? 

You might be thinking that Fun Fridays are a waste of a day, and that’s okay. It may not be for everyone. 

But, I do feel like even doing these days sporadically is good for everyone’s souls.

The reasons why I enjoy Fun Fridays are:

• They give my kids and me a break from doing bookwork.
• They help my kids find new ways of thinking and bring out their creative side.
• They give me additional opportunities to bond with them instead of them always looking at me as their “teacher.”
• They encourage my children to find joy in school so that they can look forward to something fun.
• The types of fun you have are limitless. 

What Can You Do on Fun Fridays?

When I say the types of fun for your kids are limitless, they certainly are.

As I said, I do tend to incorporate learning into a fun day. 

That doesn’t always mean that we don’t have learn-free moments like going with our friends to a jump park. 

If I have learn-free moments, I try to incorporate something valuable. 

Our kids don’t just need mathematics and reading comprehension. Their brains can be stimulated and grow from so much more than that. 

Think about sensory play and building connections with others – siblings and adults. Teach them how to communicate and regulate their emotions. 

All of these can be built on during fun activities when they have to learn how to communicate to solve problems or share. 

Here are some ideas that you can use to work on these things and more:

Do a scavenger hunt. Are you learning a new topic in science or social studies? 

Create a scavenger hunt and have them communicate with their siblings to find the items during the hunt. 

If you have just one child, do the scavenger hunt together. 

Throw a party. If there is a holiday coming up, you can have a themed party around that. 

We did just that this Valentine’s Day!

I laid out some coloring and activity printables for them to play.

Get your free download of the ones we did here:

Valentines-Day-Maze-Puzzle-

I got them in the kitchen to make snacks and finger foods.

As a matter of fact, we created these cute fruit and marshmallow skewers. My daughter practiced sequencing by telling me what was supposed to come next. She even made her own sequence.

Pick a day from the National Day Calendar and celebrate it. I believe there is a National Day for every living and non-living thing on the planet. 

Take time to find something you and your kids might be interested in, and everyone can do something different to represent that day.

Go on a field trip. There are so many options to choose from. 

Related: Most Rewarding Field Trip for Every Homeschooler

You’ll be surprised by all the ideas you can do for a Fun Friday.

Watch a movie. Sometimes we watch educational videos about animals or history related. In the past, we read a book and watched a movie.

My daughter really enjoyed The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe book.

She enjoyed the movie even better!

Build a fort and read books. If you didn’t build a fort as a kid, what were you really doing? 

The kid in me will totally squeeze under a fort and read books with a flashlight!

Put puzzles together. If this isn’t a brain game, then I don’t know what is. You can sit with your younger one and do smaller puzzles, or you can do large puzzles with your older kids.

Play board games or cards. The classic ones are so much fun! Who doesn’t like a game of UNO? 

These games teach communication, works on learning emotion regulation (for adults, too), and critical thinking skills. 

Everyone might be ready to strangle eachother by the end, but we have had some memorable moments over the years that we still laugh at to this day.

Sigh, I’m feeling all the nostalgia right now!

Have an International Day. Find a part of the world you’d like to celebrate, or be spontaneous – close your eyes, spin your globe, and see where you land. 

Research the country, cook their foods, and go to the library to see what books are available in that particular country.

One year, I purchased these books:

If you’d like to check it out, here are the links here:

Around the World Coloring Book: https://amzn.to/3DSqugy

Eat Your Way Around the World: https://amzn.to/3YASZXY

We cooked foods based on the country we were studying. This book contains recipes from countries around the world, from Kenya to Guatemala. 

See how much fun you can have? And, the best part to me is – it’s FRIDAY!

Ready to start adding Fun Fridays to your homeschooling schedule?

What do you do with your kids on Fridays?

Comment below.

XOXO,

Sharonda