22 Ways to Have Fun With Your Kids Outside of School

I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time playing the role of teacher and mom. Normally I do super well at one, and not so good at the other. If I am honest, I play the role of teacher more often than mom.

How do I do this? Well, I turn EVERYTHING into a school lesson. Whether it is cooking, or shopping, or a day at the park. I have a hard time being spontaneous and just enjoying my kids. Breaking the role of mom and teacher into two separate areas has been a hard fit for me. However, over the past few months I have made an effort to do something with my kids each day that has NOTHING to do with school. Even if I could turn it into something to do with school…

Now, I know that homeschooling is a lifestyle choice. I know that life lessons can be a part of homeschooling. But, I am talking about just taking a break from being teacher, and enjoying being mom.

And you know what I’ve found? They NEED that! I NEED that! We need time to spend together as a family without school taking over. Here are 22 ways to have fun with your kids outside of school.

• Taking a Walk
• Cooking
• Making Silly Videos
• Editing Photos
• Playing Board Games
• Watching TV
• Admiring the clouds
• Sewing
• Crafting
• Swimming
• Star gazing
• Coloring
• Snowball Fights
• Pick Flowers
• Volunteer
• Fixing Hair
• Reading books
• Crossword puzzles
• Word searches
• Play Legos
• Baking
• Riding bikes

Now, many of the above things we can technically count as school. But, we DON’T have to… I forgot how much fun it is just taking a walk with my kids without identifying leaves, collecting specimens, or finding tracks.  I forgot that not all board games have to be educational. And I have realized I can sit on the couch NEXT to my kids and read my own book. I don’t have to turn every book into story time.

Can we do these things and make it fun? Yes! But we can also just enjoy a walk and the sounds of nature without turning it into a school project. We can enjoy baking without pointing out the math that’s involved. We can do a messy project on a Saturday afternoon and NOT count it as a school day 😉

Now, maybe I am the only homeschool mom who has a hard time separating the roles of teacher and mom, and if so that’s ok. But, if I’m not, and if you are reading this and nodding your head because you do the SAME thing, can I assure you of something?

Your kids need MOM and TEACHER. And it is okay to separate the two roles. Some days we can turn everything into a lesson and that’s okay. But, other days we can do something just because it’s fun. NOT because we need to teach our kids the exact name of the leaf we found. Sometimes we can watch the insects just because your child thinks it’s cool, and we don’t have to identify the body parts in the process. Sometimes it’s okay just to look, and admire, and then let it go without turning it into a lesson.
Sometimes, we can be just mom 😉 and in the process there is a good possibility we will enjoy our time together a little bit more.

What ways do you have fun with your kids outside of school?