Does anyone else start holiday homeschooling in December? I find that the Christmas season is the perfect opportunity to break away from our regular homeschool routine. We can focus on celebrating the birth of Jesus as well as spend time perfecting Christmas recipes, trying new crafts and hobbies, as well as creating gifts for family and friends.
Getting Ideas for Holiday Homeschooling
One of my favorite places to find ideas for easy crafts and activities is the Christmas Corner that comes with my membership to SchoolhouseTeachers.com. I love that all the Christmas-related lessons, worksheets, crafts, and videos are all located in one place! We spend our lunchtime watching Christmas movies and television specials, and I always include The Candy Maker’s Christmas.
In addition to watching Christmas movies and television specials, we also incorporate listening to Christmas music during our homeschool work. Our playlists range from hymns and traditional carols to secular Christmas music. We can compare and contrast the differences between them as we talk about the reason for the holiday season.
The Old Schoolhouse® has shared a variety of ideas for holiday homeschooling during December at The Homeschool Minute, Homeschooling with Heart blog, and other places. For example, your children can learn about Christmas traditions that come from Germany in this guest post by Meredith: Christmas Traditions from Germany.
Another option is to download Cranberry Christmas, which has eighty pages of fun for your family. In this eBook, you’ll find Christmas recipes, stories, projects, and the history of the cranberry. There are place cards for your dinner table as well as special holiday lesson plans.
Christmas Recipes
Do you have favorite dishes that you only make during the holiday season? I know I do! I only prepare mushroom soup for Christmas Eve dinner. And I have a breakfast bake we only have on Christmas morning. I love that some Christmas recipes can be saved for the holiday season while others can be made all year long.
Are you looking to add new Christmas recipes to your cookbook? The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine shared staff holiday recipes in the Fall 2017 issue of the magazine. From Crock Pot Apple Butter and Venison Chili to Stuffed Mushrooms and Peanut Butter Cup Brownies, I’m sure there will be something you’ll want to try in your kitchen with your children.
Christmas Crafts
I enjoy making Christmas crafts with our children that will serve as decorations and mementos. In the past we have made snowmen that spelled out our names, a handprint wreath (where we traced everyone’s hands in the family to create the wreath), and salt-dough Christmas ornaments. These crafts provided family time in addition to creating keepsakes.
Need more craft ideas? We’ve shared several in Finding Christ in Christmas Dallies. Create Christmas cards, ornaments, and gift tags with us all December long. After December 25, continue the celebration with a pinecone bird feeder for the birds. Or click through our related resources for more ideas too.
Easy Gift Ideas
While using Christmas recipes, you can create some easy gifts. From cookies to cakes, baking sweets as gifts is always a great idea. I know I always feel blessed when someone gifts us homemade cookies. What makes a better gift than the new Crock Pot Apple Butter you learned to make using our recipe in The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine Fall 2017 issue?
Another easy gift idea is to share those ornaments you make with the children. The year we made the salt-dough ornaments, we made enough so we could give them to the grandparents, aunts, and uncles. If you need an idea for an ornament, we’ve shared a cute gift box ornament craft in The Homeschool Minute (along with recipes, stories, lessons, and encouragement).
Fun Holiday Homeschooling in December
Clearly there are so many wonderful ideas for how you can holiday homeschool in December. Choose your favorite Christmas recipe, make a new craft together as a family, and pick out the perfect gift for family and friends as you celebrate the birth of Jesus.
HomeschoolingFinds.com Author
This article has been written by Kristen Heider. She is the Business Building Team Manager of The Old Schoolhouse® and the Social Media Manager of HomeschoolingFinds.com. She shares more about her family’s homeschooling journey at A Mom’s Quest Teach.