If you’re looking for ideas for homeschooling in July, this post has you covered. While most families are taking a break from their regularly scheduled homeschool program, some are still on the search for keeping learning alive during the summer months. I for one have always said that learning never stops, even when we have closed the textbooks and changed the schedule. Below are some ideas to help you continue fostering a love for learning, even when you are on summer break.
Create a Summer Routine
Before jumping into the ideas, let’s first talk about how to create a summer routine. Just in case no one has told you yet, there is a big difference between having a schedule versus a routine. I’ve often found that having a routine is much more feasible to stick with and accommodating to work around.
Even with a year-found homeschooling schedule, you can take a more gentle pace in the summer. Here are a few ways to do just that:
- Take advantage of unique hands-on summer learning opportunities.
- Go with the flow of having longer daylight in your days (take nature walks, do nature studies, etc.).
- Use the time to explore your children’s interests.
- Play catch-up with any subjects you’ve lagged on.
- Explore samples of different curriculum and resources you may want to use in the upcoming homeschool year.
- Take quick trips or vacations to places you’ve never been.
Ideas for Homeschooling in July
July has one of the most important holidays for our country, Independence Day (the Fourth of July). The time leading up to it can be used to learn about the significance of this holiday, ending with the grand finale of fireworks. You might also wish to take this time to learn more about our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C.
In addition to this holiday, July is usually hot so keeping cool in whatever you choose to do is also important. Below are a few things you can do that are both educational and fund:
- Make a summertime scrapbook.
- Build a summer garden. Gardens Unit Study
- Have lots of picnics.
- Participate in a summer reading or movie challenge. Check out these lists of summer reading ideas for elementary and middle school students. Now is also a great time to challenge your teens with reading one book per week for the next year!
- Take up a new hobby (sewing, crochet, photography, etc)
- Join a summer camp or club.
- Go camping, backpacking, and/or hiking.
- Take scenic drives.
- Set up a lemonade stand (or a baked goods stand).
- Visit a drive-in movie.
- Check out a local museum.
- Make a bird feeder (or feeders for other types of animals).
- Use some classic summer activities for delight-directed learning
July National Days
Keeping in line with previous posts, I want to give you a few national days for July that can always be used for unit learning or simply celebrating:
- Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day (July 1)
- Independence Day (July 4) Independence Day Unit Study
- Graham Cracker Day (July 5)
- Father Daughter Take a Walk Day (July 7)
- Kitten Day (July 10) Make a Cats Lapbook
- Pecan Pie Day (July 12)
- Mac & Cheese Day (July 14)
- World Emoji Day (July 17)
- Moon Day (July 20) Moon Unit Study
- Day of the Cowboy (4th Saturday in July) Westward Expansion Unit Study
- Hot Fudge Sundae Day (July 25)
- Love is Kind Day (July 27)
- Waterpark Day (July 28)
- Cheesecake Day (July 30)
A Simple Way to Incorporate National Monthly Observances in Your Homeschool
Using unit studies is my number one suggestion for incorporating national monthly observances in your homeschool. They are easy to do and often touch base with multiple subjects while giving your kids fun learning experiences. Here’s how easy it is to create a unit study based on a monthly observance:
- Step one: Choose a specific observance to highlight for the month.
- Step two: Decide how much time you’d like to dedicate each day (or week) to learning about the observance.
- Step three: Locate reliable resources to use for teaching and learning.
- Step four: Write out lesson plans catered to the observance using the resources you’ve found.
- Step five: Have fun implementing your plans! (And it’s okay to deviate some.)
In addition to creating your own unit study, you can use some that have already been written by others. I’ve linked to some unit studies and other activities above I think you’ll enjoy. In addition to these learning activities, you may just want to enjoy fun foods and activities to celebrate days such as Pecan Pie Day, Hot Fudge Sundae Day, or Father Daughter Take a Walk Day!
State Unit Studies
Another fun idea is to combine the study of U.S. states with your monthly studies. I have created a free unit study for each state, and here I’ll list list each state according to the dates they were admitted to the union with a link to each unit study.
Final Thoughts
These ideas for homeschooling in July are sure to keep your family having fun and learning at the same time. They can also be used to build long-lasting family memories so don’t forget to make plans and take plenty of pictures. You can also start a few traditions in the mix as well. The whole idea is to keep your routine (or schedule) relaxed and stress-free!
I’d love to hear from you! What are some things you like to do with your family during the summer months? Share your ideas by letting me know in the comments below! The more ideas that are shared, the better!
