My children loved homeschool field trips. In fact, they were so spoiled visiting places during off season that to this day they can’t stand going places during the busy time of year! One thing that I’ve learned with homeschooling is that you must plan your fun days, activities, and field trips.
The years that I wasn’t purposeful about planning our field trips would fly by and we missed some awesome opportunities. After homeschooling my children for over 16 years, I’ve compiled a comprehensive list of homeschool field trips, activities, fun days, and holidays you can add to your calendar.
What are homeschool fun days?
My children consider fun days to be those interesting days someone somewhere decided to put on a calendar. National Cookie Day. Umbrella Day. Star Wars Day. Talk Like a Pirate Day. Waffle Day. Fun days can also be national holidays and historical events.
It’s awesome when you can combine homeschool fun days with field trips, cementing the information they’ve learned at home in their minds.
Where can I find fun days, national holidays, and historical events?
Check a few different websites to get an idea of what’s happening. I do not celebrate (nor approve) every single day they list because of our faith differences. Each family should decide what is appropriate for them.
How can I plan for homeschool field trips and fun days?
The week or two before each month, sit down with a blank calendar and write down the fun days, national holidays, and significant historical days. (See the resources below for a huge list of monthly fun days) If planning a whole month makes you a little uncomfortable, plan one each week. I try to pick the days I know the boys would be most interested in as well as add some educational ones.
Make a list of books to grab from the library, and search Pinterest for any crafts or activities you can incorporate to make the day memorable. Anything hands-on is always a plus in our home! Some fun days have turned into play doh sculpting, lego constructions, or the topic of a new short story.
If you have older students, consider purchasing an On This Day In History book, or Today in History app. Let them tell you what happened every morning. Or allow them to work on a small unit study to present at the end of the week.
Homeschool is fun, so take advantage of these fun activities and holidays.
Happy New Year! A great resolution is to plan a few holiday and fun days to celebrate with your children! We so enjoy sharing these days and ideas with you!
January Activities and Fun Days
January 1 – New Year’s Day
- Start the year off with these Age Appropriate Chores for Kids.
January 5 – National Bird Day
- Take a homeschool field trip to a local park or zoo and look for different types of birds.
- Follow our Bird Pinterest Board for great crafts, unit studies, and more!
- Pinecone Bird Craft
- Paper Plate Bird Craft
- Bird Printable Pack
January 8 – Bubble Bath Day
- You might want a bubble bath after you try this super fun Baking Soda (bubble) Science idea!
January 18 – Winnie the Pooh Day – author A.A. Milne Birthday
January 20 – Penguin Awareness & Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Follow our Winter Pinterest Board for all winter and January activities.
- Martin Luther King Jr. printable craft
- Martin Luther King Jr. Unit Study Resources
- Egg Carton Penguin Craft
January 23 – National Pie Day
- There are so many pies, how can we possibly choose? Here is a list of Pie Recipes.
January 23 – National Handwriting Day
- I believe sending Thank You cards is becoming a lost art. Practice handwriting by sending Thank You cards for those Christmas gifts!
January 24 – Compliment Day
- Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person. Colossians 4:6
January 29 – National Puzzle Day
Take a homeschool fun day and dedicate it to solving a difficult puzzle!
January 31 – Inspire Your Heart with Art Day
- Follow our Homeschool Art Pinterest Board for art ideas and inspiration.
- Winter Art Tutorials
- The Ideal Art Supply Cupboard
Looking for something to add to your daily schedule? Here are a few holidays and fun days to enjoy in February.
February Holidays and Homeschool Field Trips
February 2 – Ground Hog Day
- Print this free Ground Hog Day mini unit study pack
- Read a Groundhog Day book
- Learn about Groundhog Day
- Make an easy pop-up groundhog puppet
- Do Groundhog Day math
February 8 – Boy Scout Day
- Follow our Camping Pinterest Board.
February 12 – Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday
- Enjoy these Abraham Lincoln crafts and writing activity.
February 14 – Valentine’s Day
- Serve a special breakfast
- Make Rubber Band Bracelets
- Cook something special with these Copycat Recipes
- Make Felt Valentine’s Day Cookies
- Learn how Tabitha’s family celebrates Valentine’s Day
- Have a Frugal Valentine’s Day
- Try something so easy and sweet: Add one heart listing something you love about your child to their door each day during the month of February!
February 17 – Random Acts of Kindness Day
- Try these 26 Random Acts of Kindness!
February 17 – President’s Day
- Enjoy hands-on fun with these Presidents’ Day Activities.
February 22 – George Washington’s Birthday
February 27 – Polar Bear Day
- Learn all about Polar Bears from National Geographic Kids and send a polar bear e-card!
February is also: American Heart Month, Black History Month, and Dental Month. Take a field trip to the dentist if the kids are due for a check-up!
March Celebrations and Crafts
Try these activities for March Holidays and Fun Days to help break the monotony and add excitement, interest, and learning to your homeschool day.
March 2 – Dr. Seuss’s Birthday
- Read a Dr. Seuss book (here are a few of our favorites)
- Watch The Lorax
- Visit Seussville – A fun interactive site
March 11 – Johnny Appleseed Day
- Print this Apples Word Hunt for your kids to do
- Make one or more of these 50 Delicious Apple Recipes
- Try something fun from this Apple Activities Roundup
March 17 – Saint Patrick’s Day
- Ideas for St. Patrick’s Day fun and learning from Tabitha
- St. Patrick’s Day crafts and activities
March 20 – Spring Begins
- Learn about First Day of Spring: Vernal Equinox
- Print these flower worksheets for your preschool – 1st grader
March 23 – Chip and Dip Day
Your kids will love you for letting them celebrate this day. Any chip or dip will do, as long as you put them together! Try these dip recipes:
- Pizza Dip
- Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Ham and Cheese Dip
- Black Bean Dip
- Ranch Dip
- Mama Jones’ Chip and Veggie Dip
March 30 – Take a Walk in the Park Day
No explanation needed here. Take a field trip to a local park and enjoy the outdoors while getting some exercise.
April Activities and Field Trips
April 2 – Children’s Book Day
- Take a homeschool field trip to the library and stock up on some books.
- Spend more time reading today!
- Check out our 31 Days of Read Alouds – Book ideas with activities, crafts, recipes, and printables.
April 10 – Golfer’s Day
If you do not have avid golf fans in your home, try these ideas:
- Play a game of mini putt putt around the living room.
- Look at pictures of Scottish golf courses (much different than American manicured courses).
- Discover which king outlawed golf in the sixteen hundreds.
- Visit a mini golf course and play a round of putt-putt golf.
April 13 – Scrabble Day
If you like the traditional game, Scrabble Slam cards, or another version, play Scrabble in place of language arts today.
April 15 – Tax Day, Titanic Remembered
- Are you teaching your children about work and being good stewards of their money? If you have older children, consider Economics for Everybody, a dvd curriculum taught by R.C. Sproul Jr.
- Did you know the Titanic was struck before midnight on April 14th but did not sink until 2:00 am on the 15th?
- Try this sink or float experiment.
April 16 – Easter
April 22 – Earth Day
- Free Printable Earth Day Worksheets
- 10 Simple Earth Day Ideas
- Take a field trip to a local park and clean up garbage.
April 25 – Zucchini Bread Day
April 26 – Arbor Day
National Garden Month
- How to Make a Butterfly Garden
- Free Printable Garden Worksheets
- Play Gardening with Kids
- Lessons Learned from Gardening
- Check out our other gardening posts
April is also:
- Autism Awareness Month
- Keep America Beautiful Month
- National Poetry Month
Did you know the month of May was named for the Roman goddess of spring and growth? No wonder my mom always told me, “April showers bring May flowers.”
May Activities
May 4- Star Wars Day
I’m sure you’ve heard “May the 4th be with you” from your kids. It’s an actual thing! Have a Star Wars movie marathon that day!
- Try these Top 10 Ways to Celebrate May the 4th
- We loved this Star Wars Preschool Pack from Homeschool Creations.
May 5 – Cinco de Mayo
- Make some of these Cinco de Mayo recipes.
- Try some Mexican Crafts from The Crafty Crow.
May 6 – Nurses Day
Take some home-baked cookies to your doctor’s office! Try these:
May 7 – National Space Day
Here are some great resources:
- Free Printable Solar System Worksheets
- Solar System Learning Tools
- Solar System Preschool Pack
- Interactive sky map from Sky-Map.org
- Searching for Micrometeorites
- Star Trails Hands-On Activity
May 8 – Mother’s Day
These crafts and recipes can help make Mother’s Day special
- DIY Cake Stand
- No-Sew Felt Flower Pillow
- Flower Pens in a Watering Can
- Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake (gluten free)
- Abuelita Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
May 14 – Anniversary of Lewis & Clark’s Expedition
- Read Munford Meets Lewis and Clark by Jamie Aramini
May 17 – Armed Forces Day
- Create lots of different art projects to celebrate Armed Forces Day like 3D Military Stars and more!
- If you live near a military base arrange a field trip to visit your local troops.
May 20 – Flower Day
- Turn white daises into rainbows like the way HodgePodge Mom dyed flowers
- Dissect a flower with help from this Youtube video, Lab Report by The Homeschool Scientist.
May 30 – Memorial Day
- Raise your flags and pray for the families who have lost loved ones during their time in the service.
- Learn some Military Acronyms
- Make a Flag Photo Collage Frame
Whether you’re throwing end-of-the-year homeschool parties, hitting the pool, or pressing through the summer on schedule, set aside some quality time to enjoy a few June holidays and fun days.
June happens to be one of the lighter months without many holidays, so carve out some memory making opportunities! Turn on the sprinklers, make homemade ice-cream, picnic outside, watch the sun set, and catch some fireflies!
June Holidays and Activities
June 4 – Applesauce Cake Day
- Try this carrot applesauce snack cake.
June 12 – National Doughnut Day (2nd Friday)
Try a few recipes from The Happy Housewife:
- Homemade Donuts
- Baked Buttermilk Donuts with Maple Glaze
- Pumpkin Donuts
- If you can’t cook, visit your local donut shop! (This is my kids’ favorite holiday)
June 14 – Flag Day
How is flag day different than July 4th? Flag Day is the anniversary of the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the official US flag in 1777.
- Make a Flag Photo Collage Frame
- Make a Homeschool Flag
- Create many flag crafts (keep them for July 4th)
- Learn about Betsy Ross
June 18 – International Picnic Day
Go for a picnic and remember to pack some kid essentials like sun block, bug jar, zip lock bags (for treasures), binoculars (bird watching), and wipes. You might also like these ideas:
June 18 – Father’s Day (3rd Sunday)
Nothing says “Happy Father’s Day” in our home quite like barbecue brisket. The dad in your home might not be a fan of brisket, so get with your kids and plan some of dad’s favorite meals. Forget the tie and have fun cooking together for the special dad in your home. Don’t forget to call a father-in-law or another special dad who made an impact on your life!
June 21 – Summer Begins
Here are some great ideas for you and your family this summer:
- 6 Frugal Summer Activities
- Summer Bucket List
- Summer Learning
- Broiled Summer Vegetables
- 20 Summer Snack Foods Your Kids Will Love
June 25 – Eric Carle’s Birthday
- Fun with Eric Carle (lots of links)
- Eric Carle Books
- Eric Carle website
Are you ready for some summer fun? You might not be schooling this month, but you can always throw in some fun learning opportunities with these July Holidays and Fun Days!
July Fun Days and Crafts
July 4 – Independence Day
- Create patriotic family traditions
- Use these 4th of July printables or these patriotic worksheets with your young kids
- Find crafts and more at this 4th of July DIY Roundup
- Try the red, white, and blue crafts and snacks from our Homeschool Holidays Pinterest board.
July 7 – Chocolate Day
Weight Watchers shares Why Chocolate Is Good For You. So try one of these chocolate recipes:
- Chocolate Cherry Smoothie
- Double Chocolate No Bake Cookie Bars
- 2 Ingredient Dark Chocolate Frozen Yogurt
- Homemade Chocolate Pudding
- Dairy Free Chocolate Pudding
- Homemade Chocolate Syrup
- Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake
- Quick and Easy Chocolate Mousse Dessert
- Dark Chocolate Fudge Brownies
July 18 – National Ice Cream Day
- Have you tried easy fried ice-cream?
- Or Raspberry Ice Cream with Chocolate Sauce?
- The Old Farmer’s Almanac sheds light on who invented ice-cream!
- Or you can just pretend play ice-cream store with help from Spell Out Loud.
- Take a homeschool field trip to your local ice cream shop.
July 24 – Amelia Earhart’s Birthday
- Amelia and Elenor Go for a Ride lesson plan from Scholastic.
- Celebrate aviation, here are 10 Paper Airplane designs!
- Do you live near an airport? Arrange a field trip to learn more about planes.
July is also Blueberry Month.
Try these blueberry recipes:
It’s no surprise August is National Family Fun Month! Enjoy time with your kids while doing some of these activities to go along with special days in August.
August Holidays and Fun Days
August – National Peach Month
August 1 – Francis Scott Key’s Birthday
- Learn about the Star Spangled Banner lyrics
- Print the sheet music to play the Star Spangled Banner!
- 4th of July Printable Worksheets
- Patriotic Printable Worksheets
August 2 – National Ice Cream Sandwich Day
- Try one of these refreshing ice cream sandwiches!
August 6 – Root Beer Float Day
- Root beer float pops, cookies, cupcakes oh my! Try one of these Root beer Float recipes.
August 10 – National S’mores Day
- Make s’mores!
- Or try these s’more muffins
August 13 – Left Hander’s Day
- Practice doing things with your left hand today!
August 18 – Wizard of Oz Premiered
- Make this adorable spin on the Tin Man (potato head & chia pet)
- Or make this Tin Can family!
- Try one of these Wizard of Oz crafts
August 19 – Aviation Day
August 21 – Senior Citizen’s Day
- Take dinner or dessert to a senior citizen today!
August 26 – Susan B Anthony Day
August 30 – Frankenstein Day
- Really it’s Mary Wollenstone Shelley’s birthday. You can read the Classic Starts Frankenstein – abridged version.
August is also National: Golf Month and Eye Exam Month
However you decide to celebrate August, be sure to be generous with sun block, bug spray, and family time!
September is here tomorrow. Arrrgh you ready to talk like a pirate?! Did you know that “septem” in Latin means seven and September was the seventh month of the Roman calendar until 46 BC? Enjoy your autumn and get outside!
September Activities
September 5 – Cheese Pizza Day
- Cook your homemade pizza on the grill.
- Make Pita Pizzas
September 11 – 911 Remembrance Day
- Patriotic Printables (Pre K – 2nd grade)
- More Patriotic Printables (Pre K – K)
- Create a few flag crafts
September 12 – Banana Day
- Baked Banana Split Oatmeal
- Banana Pecan Waffles
- Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie
- Waffle Banana Split
September 16 – National Play Doh Day
- Jell-O Play Dough
- Edible Peanut Butter Play Dough
- Incorporate Play Doh Into Homeschool Lessons
- 4 Benefits of Play Doh
- Dino Island Play Dough Set
- You’ll find more great activities on our Play Doh Pinterest Board!
September 19 – International Talk Like A Pirate Day
September 25 – Pacific Ocean Discovered
- Ocean Themed Worksheets (K – 2nd grade)
- Oceans Scavenger Hunt
- 10 Fun Beach Lessons
- We have great ocean activities on Pinterest
September 26 – Pancake Day
- Whole Wheat Pancakes
- Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Banana Nut Pancakes
- Gluten-Free Oatmeal Pancakes with Walnut Butter
September 26 – Johnny Appleseed’s Birthday
- Read about Johnny Appleseed
- Apple Activities Round Up
- Apple Themed Worksheets (1st – 3rd grade)
- Apples Word Search
- Apple crafts & recipes on Pinterest.
Happy fall y’all! Here are activities, recipes, and more to help you and your kids enjoy October’s homeschool fun days!
October Homeschool Field Trips and Activities
October 1 – World Vegetarian Day
- This YouTube video is interactive and helps your preschooler identify vegetables.
- Try these ideas for Vegetable Games and Activities
- Make some Baked Zucchini Chips, Sweet Potato Chips or Homemade Salsa
- Here are 5 Simple Ways to Get Your Kids to Eat Vegetables
- Visit a farm.
October 4 – Animal Day
- Print this Animal Classification Toddler Sorting Activity
- Learn What Makes a Mammal a Mammal
- Teach about Animal Adaptations
- Take a homeschool field trip to the zoo and print this zoo animal trivia
October 9 – Fire Prevention Day
- Learn about Family Fire Safety and Fall Home Fire Safety
- More Fire Safety Tips from Kidde
- Use these Fire Safety Worksheets with your kindergarten or first grader
- Take a field trip to your local fire department.
October 10 – King Tut’s Treasure Photographed, 1924
- Make this cool Egyptian Mummy Mask
October 10 – Egg Day
Here are some egg recipes that would be great for breakfast or any meal.
- Broiled Asparagus and Eggs
- Egg and Sausage Breakfast Casserole
- Egg Casserole in Muffin Cups
- Eggs Florentine Casserole
- Visit your local grocery store and see how they restock all the food.
October 12 – Columbus Day (2nd Monday)
- Try this Columbus Day Ships Craft
October 21 – Apple Day
- Print these Apple Themed Worksheets for your 1st – 3rd Grader
- Enjoy these Apple Activities
- Do an Apples Word Hunt
- Make one (or more) of these 50 Delicious Apple Recipes
October 25 – World Pasta Day
- Have fun with these 6 Crafts to Make with Pasta
- Pink Pasta
- Easy Greek Pasta Salad
- Macaroni & Cheese
- Gluten-Free Macaroni & Cheese
- Spicy Sausage and Tomato Pasta
October 30 – National Candy Corn Day
- Try one of these 25 Ways to Use Leftover Candy Corn
November is known for Thanksgiving, which is a great opportunity to count our blessings, give thanks, and enjoy good food and company. But November has other holidays and fun days for you to enjoy too.
November Fun Days and Field Trips
November 1 – National Weather Service Established
Try these weather related experiments:
- How Clouds Make Rain Experiment
- Learning About the Water Cycle Experiment
- Cloud Experiment to Predict the Weather
November 2 – Book Lovers Day
Make it a homeschool fun day and spend it at the local library!
- Go to the library and borrow books.
- Buy a book. Here are 15 Ways to Save on Books
- Read aloud to your children.
- Donate books to a hospital, library, etc.
- Have your children write a letter to their favorite author.
November 5 – National Doughnut Day
Make homemade doughnuts. Here are a few recipes to try:
- Pumpkin Donuts
- Baked Buttermilk Donuts with Maple Glaze
- Homemade Donuts
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Doughnuts
November 11 – Veteran’s Day
November 16 – Button Day
Try making one of these button projects:
November 17 – Homemade Bread Day
There’s nothing like homemade bread. Plan time in your day to try one of these recipes with the kids.
- Sweet Whole Wheat Bread
- Maple Oat Bread with Cinnamon Swirl
- Homemade English Muffins
- Homemade Bagels
- Whole Wheat French Bread Rolls
- Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
- Maple Pecan Bread
- Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread
November 19 – Gettysburg Address Delivered
- Check out these Battle of Gettysburg resources.
November 27 – Thanksgiving
We are thankful for you! Here are some activities and general Thanksgiving tips you might enjoy.
- Thanksgiving Book List
- Free Printable Thanksgiving Worksheets
- How to Save Money on Thanksgiving Dinner
- How to Have a Thanksgiving Potluck
- 14 Ways to Use Thanksgiving Leftovers
November 30 – Mark Twain’s Birthday
- Read Classic Starts The Adventures of Tom Sawyer with your children.
While December is filled with Happy Holidays, here are a few homeschool fun days to enjoy.
December Holidays and Activities
December 1 – Eat a Red Apple Day
- Eat a red apple with this Apple Whip Dessert or Apple Salsa
- Have your 1st – 3rd grader use these Apple Themed Worksheets
- Try these Apple Activities for Preschoolers
December 6 – St. Nicholas Day
- Share with your children the history behind St. Nicholas. A great resource is What’s In the Bible? Buck Denver Asks…Why Do We Call it Christmas?
December 7 – International Civil Aviation Day
- Don’t forget our great aviation post!
December 7 – Letter Writing Day
- Start writing those family newsletters! Let your kids help by creating some crafts (like these Christmas Mice) to pass along. (Or go through that tub of crafts from this year and distribute them to family members!)
December 7 – Pearl Harbor Day
- Learn about Pearl Harbor from History.com
December 8 – National Brownie Day
- Make a batch of brownies and use cookie cutters to cut out some fun shapes.
- M&M Marbled Brownies
- Double Decker Brownies
- Cheesecake Brownies
- Black Bean Brownies (Grain Free & Vegan)
December 9 – National Pastry Day
- Our favorite pastry is chocolate croissants! You can easily make your own by adding chocolate morsels to refrigerator croissant rolls! Follow baking directions on the can.
- Perfect Pie Crust
- Easy Apple Pie
- Pie Recipes for Holiday Baking
- Cronuts
December 11 – National Noodle Ring Day
- We have a list of pool noodle activities – some indoor ones too!
December 13 – Violin Day
- We are big fans of Maestro Classics
December 18 – Bake Cookies Day
- Bake a batch of Snickerdoodles
- Or Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
- Follow the Holiday Cookie Baking Pinterest Board for more yummy ideas.
- Every year we have a cookie frosting party then take a homeschool field trip to our local police or fire station and give them cookies to our community helpers.
December 19 – Oatmeal Muffin Day
- Try these Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins
- I might ditch the muffins and go for Baked Banana Split Oatmeal!
December 21 – Humbug Day
- Stink, Stank, Stunk – watch the original The Grinch Who Stole Christmas!
December 21 – National Flashlight Day
- Play flash light Hide & Go Seek tonight before bed!
- Or put on a Christmas shadow puppet show.
December 25 – Christmas Day
- Have an awesome Christmas!
December 27 – Make Cut Out Snowflakes Day
- Or try some other Holiday Activities for Kids!
December 28 – Card Playing Day
- A deck of cards would make a great stocking stuffer, not to mention getting in some covert math practice with your little ones!
Trying to find something more to do during the holidays? We have a great idea with the Mom I’m Bored Jar!
The post Homeschool Field Trips, Activities and Fun Days appeared first on The Happy Housewife™ :: Home Schooling.
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