Homeschooling through the Holidays: Four Ways to Stay Sane and On Schedule

Homeschooling through the Holidays: Four Ways to Stay Sane and on Schedule is a guest post from Karin Katherine of Passport Academy.

The holidays can be an exciting and challenging time for many homeschooling families.  Who doesn’t want to take advantage of the “flexibility” of homeschooling by enjoying some much needed time off with family and friends?  If you’re like most homeschool parents, you’ve probably already begun weighing the benefits of tackling your growing holiday lists vs. sticking with your now tried and true school schedule.

Thankfully, homeschooling through the holidays doesn’t have to be an all or nothing endeavor.  It is possible to enjoy a happy holiday season with your family without sacrificing your homeschooling efforts.

Homeschooling through the Holidays: Four Ways to Stay Sane and On Schedule

Take a break from your regular studies and explore holiday themed unit studies

Unit Studies are completely customizable and can be adapted to various grade levels and interests, making it easy to incorporate the entire family. 

One great unit study option is to study about Christmas around the world. Here are some resources for this literature and social studies-rich topic:

• A free unit study and lapbook printables on “Christmas Around the World”
• 6-week Christmas Around the World Unit Study
• Celebrate Christmas Around the World Unit Study Materials

Cut your school week or day in half

If you normally teach six hours per day, reduce your formal studies schedule to three.  If you normally teach five days per week, consider moving to a two or three-day a week schedule through the holidays.

Unless you homeschool year round, this may mean that you’ll be working on school some in the summer, but your family may enjoy spreading school out in this way.

(Read More about Homeschooling Year Round or How to Use a Four-day a Week Schedule for Homeschooling)

Stick to just the basics (reading, writing and arithmetic)

One great way to cut down on your formal schooling during the holidays is to focus just on reading, writing, and arithmetic throughout the holidays.

Spend the rest of the time crafting, cooking, baking, or volunteering as a family. This is a great time to work on life skills that you might have difficulty fitting into your schedule at other times of the year.

Create a Christmas “bucket list” to supplement your school schedule

Create a Bucket List of 10 things you want to do this holiday season and then do them, along with your regular school work.  In this way, you can still enjoy the holidays without overextending yourself or feeling like you’re missing out.

The key to staying sane while schooling this holiday season is to keep realistic expectations.  Leave room in your schedule for unexpected opportunities and avoid over-scheduling.  By slowing down, instead of stopping completely, you’ll avoid burnout while still maintaining enough of a routine that January won’t come as quite a shock.

Resources that are helpful for homeschooling through the holidays:

Ideas for homeschooling through the holidays

Christmas Unit Studies and Lapbooks

Christmas-themed worksheets (many are free downloads)

Free printables for kids and families for the month of December

Other Posts and Printables You’ll Love:

December Printable Activities for Kids and Families

Fun and Meaningful Family Activities in December

Ideas for Teaching about The Nutcracker Ballet by Tchaikovsky

Karin Katherine writes about her homeschooling adventures as a mother of 5 at Passport Academy.  She is looking forward to a relaxed school schedule this holiday season.

This post was originally published on December 3, 2012. It was most recently updated in November 2016.

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