Join our community to connect with fellow joy-choosers!
  • ABOUT
  • STORE
  • PRINTABLES
  • SPEAKING
  • BLOG
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

Not Consumed

Homeschooling » Easy Back to School Activities For Homeschoolers

Easy Back to School Activities For Homeschoolers

August 4 By Kim Sorgius 23 Comments

4 Aug

Easy back to school activities? It’s not an oxymoron!

It’s the sparkle that we put into any life event that makes it memorable. It doesn’t have to be expensive or fancy, it just has to be “special.” It needs to be celebrated. The truth is, celebration can make anything seem amazing even going back to school.

Back-to-school is a season that is well known for it’s celebration, but it’s one that is often ignored by homeschoolers. Maybe it’s because many homeschoolers have school year round. Or perhaps the thought of preparing and organizing a new year is so daunting, that the celebration part falls exhausted in between the lesson plan pages. Whatever it is, I feel the need to clear the air.

There is such a thing as EASY back to school acitivities.

easy back to school activities

This isn’t another thing to add to the ever-growing to-do list. (I’m all about having a simple homeschool.) We can have a celebration of this wonderful homeschool journey without breaking the bank or losing hours of sleep.

The secret to EASY back to school activities is to make the things you already do special things your kids will cherish.

easy back to school activities for homeschool

Remember, add a little sparkle and your kids will remember even the most mundane of things as special things they cherish for years to come! Here are some simple ideas to get you started.

1. Go back to school shopping together for school supplies.

I know that I don’t have to tell you that EVERYTHING is on sale this time of the year. I’m sure you’ll take advantage of those sales and stock up. Why not take the kiddos with you? Believe me, I know it’s a lot of work to do that, but it’s so fun to decide what color notebook you will get for the year. It really creates a sense of ownership for the kids. If budget is a concern, give each child a specific list and cash to spend. Help them learn to stay in that budget and choose the things they really need most rather than the character folders that are significantly more expensive.

easy back to school activities

2. Create fun back to school Notebooks

I absolutely LOVE to have my kids create their own notebooks each year. Yes, I’m aware that this means that they won’t be perfect. But it also means, that they will totally own it.

I’m picky about the binder. I buy only avery 1.5 inch binders each year. I’ve tried generic brands, they don’t make it the whole year. I let the kids pick their color when we go shopping.

Next is the cover page. We’ve done all kinds of things like decorating with stickers and drawing. My kids prefer to draw their own. I use PicMonkey and create a custom image (816px by 1056px). Then use the font of my choice to write their names.

This year we covered the back with washi tape. It was such fun. Even my 6 year old boy enjoyed it. If you look closely, you can tell that this wasn’t done by a professional. I love it that way! Find out what we put inside our notebooks here.

We fill these notebooks with weekly checklists and many other record keeping pages to keep us on track!

easy back to school activities

Read more about how we kicked the lesson plan book to the curb here. Just imagine what you can do with all of that free time!

3. Create a special space for school

The set up of your homeschool room absolutely MUST work for your unique family. (More about that in my homeschool planning boot camp.)

Why not make the setup of your school space a celebration? You’ve got an instant back to school activity and you’ll accomplish something you already need to do!

If your kids are old enough for individual desks, have fun creating a space they will love to work in.

I am personally not a fan of individual student desks in homeschool unless all of your kids are middle school and older. (Read the story of how I created desks for my kids so early that they were too little to sit in them. Haha.)

I much prefer a central space that incorporates everyone. It stays cleaner, makes collaboration easier, and makes my job a breeze. But children do enjoy having something that is their own. We set up student cubbies, as pictured above. You could also have them decorate their own pencil box.

Another idea is to make a chair bag or you can even buy one. Whatever you decide, it’s just fun to have something special that each child can call his/her own.

Easy back to school activities

Need help setting up and laying a strong foundation for your homeschool? You’ll love our homeschool planning bootcamp.

4. Take some fun back to school pictures.

This only takes a few minutes, but it lasts a lifetime. AND it creates a super fun excitement over back-to-school. There are literally hundreds of FREE printables on Pinterest that you can use for your photo op.

easy back to school activities

5. Create a new back to school tradition.

I think traditions are so much fun. They don’t always require a lot of work, just a lot of consistency. I know families that go out for pancakes on the first day of homeschool. I’ve heard of people who take a half day and go to the park the first afternoon. I think it would be fun to have slurpies after a job well done. Truly, the options are endless.

But in our family we have a favorite tradition that started on accident about 5 years ago.

Our tradition: Kids in Charge Week

Yeah, you read that right. Our tradition is called “kids in charge week.” We pick one week in the summer (usually close to the start of school) and, you guessed it, the kids are in charge. But don’t panic. Let me explain.

Each child is assigned a day. They get to choose the activities for the day, the menu, and any other fun things we want to throw in. As a family, we sat down and made a list of all the fun things in town we could think of. I made sure to throw in things like the park and museums.

I was certain my kids would all pick amusement parks or super expensive activities. I was wrong. They didn’t all pick free things, but they did choose reasonably. One wanted to walk around Cabela’s and then get ice cream. (I have to admit, it was way more fun than I could have imagined. Pictured below for your enjoyment, too.)

They also chose things like family game time at home, a trip to the homeschool bookstore, the local history museum, a glow stick party, and a trip to a bakery downtown.

The key to getting good activities is sitting down and brainstorming the possibilities.

Also, if your kids are old enough, give them a budget. This is a great way to teach them quite a bit about the real cost of fun activities. My kids have a budget this year and they are super excited about being trusted with the money.

Watch the video below for more details (and to hear my kids’ side of the story!)

easy back to school activities

By the way… the week really doesn’t matter. Once, we did it two weeks after school started. This year it will be a few weeks beforehand. Whenever you do it, the kids are going to love you. So pick a date and get excited.

Then tell me how it goes, ok? I can’t wait to hear what you did!

6. Start with the Fun Back to School Activities

Whenever we start back to school, we never dig into to the hard stuff. I prefer more of a soft start. The first several days we make journals/notebooks fun like pictured above. We also do goal planning, make a list of ideas for field trips, an All About Me interview and other back to school activities. This isn’t just plain fun either! These pages are great record keeping for the school year, too.

back to school pack

Want your own copy of the Back to school activity printables? Of course you do! You can download this set of FREE printables by filling out the form below!

Feel overwhelmed or lost thinking about your homeschool? I can help!

My Homeschool Planning Boot Camp is a step-by-step video class helping you lay the right foundation, establish a vision, choose curriculum, plan your day, schedule your life and even organize your space. It’s an invaluable resource for all homeschoolers and it’s totally free!

kim sorgius
Kim Sorgius

Through practical tools & Bible-based resources, Kim Sorgius is dedicated to helping your family GROW in faith so you can be Not Consumed by life’s struggles. Author of popular kid’s devotional Bible studies and practical homeschooling tools, Kim has a master’s degree in education and curriculum design coupled with over 2 decades of experience working with kids and teens. Above all, her most treasured job is mother and homeschool teacher of four amazing kiddos.

Comments

  1. Becky says

    August 4 at 11:10 pm

    This is wonderful…thank you! I’m looking forward to reading about all of the traditions and maybe adding in one or two! We do the back to school pictures as well and it’s fun (and a little sad!) to look back at the kiddos even just a year earlier and see how much they’ve grown!

    Reply
  2. Rach D says

    August 5 at 3:08 pm

    We are celebrating by easing into our schedule and making sure to have a special back to school meal/day!! Thanks for sharing 🙂 Some cuties up there ^
    Rachael @ Diamonds in the Rough

    Reply
  3. Ricoandbeth Lighthouse says

    August 24 at 7:24 pm

    This is so great! Thanks! This year we plan to visit the library (and library park) and have root beer floats for a simple celebration on our first day. We usually school year round, but we like to have a special “first day” to re-boot and feel like we’re not missing out on what everyone else is doing.

    Reply
  4. Sandra says

    September 6 at 10:47 pm

    As a mother of 7, it is often hard to find simple and affordable ideas. This list gave me GREAT ideas that I was already planning on trying to accomplish, but can now incorporate them into a fun new tradition!

    Thank you for sharing these family oriented activities.

    Reply
  5. Jennifer says

    July 29 at 2:16 pm

    Yes! It’s so fun to get new notebooks and stack up nice new supplies! On the first day, I like to do pancakes or something nice for breakfast. But my daughter’s favorite idea is getting a Lunchable for lunch. I think they’re silly- an overpriced box of crackers and processed cheese that doesn’t even fill her up, so I have to give her extra lunch on the side. But it is special to her, plus they’re on sale for back to school. Fun and cheap! Also, getting some type of banner or sign to hang over the table- Dollar Tree or Target usually have options.

    Reply
    • Kim Sorgius says

      August 2 at 10:20 am

      Isn’t that funny? My kids are the same way. Beg for those silly boxes!

      Reply
  6. Sandra says

    July 29 at 2:59 pm

    Your e-mail came as a great confirmation
    My children are older, and we always do something fun on the first day of school. This year I decided to call it orientation Day.
    We had a huge brunch, followed by a Get to know me activity, we looked at all the new curriculum, schedules, family service charts, and played games.
    We were supposed to take pictures outside, but it started raining! The rain also twarted our plans going to the store for now for some more supplies we will need.

    The last thing planned is dinner out at Chipotle! (That’s for the TEACHER, lol)

    We officially start on Monday, and I put a note for a treat for all my kids on their first page of their new grammar book!

    Reply
    • Kim Sorgius says

      August 2 at 10:19 am

      Yes, dinner out for the teacher! And Chipotle is one of my personal faves. 🙂

      Reply
  7. Melissa S. says

    July 29 at 10:07 pm

    I have the tradition of sending/giving each of my sons a back to school card I hand make with an encouraging note inside to let them know I am cheering them on in the new school year. I also like to put a little gift on their desk for them. Last year we did a Getting to Know You page the first day. I think I will repeat that this year. I hope to incorporate something else unique this year.

    Reply
    • Kim Sorgius says

      August 2 at 10:19 am

      Love this!

      Reply
  8. Sue Forster says

    July 30 at 7:11 am

    We usually start back to school after Labor Day, but on the first day the public schools go back to class in August, we go to our favorite donut shop and enjoy some treats while we watch the school buses go by! And we celebrate the freedom homeschooling gives us to live life and learn on our own schedule.

    Reply
    • Kim Sorgius says

      August 2 at 10:17 am

      Mmm. We love donuts. Haha

      Reply
    • Joy says

      July 29 at 9:14 am

      Love this!

      Reply
  9. Rolayne says

    August 11 at 10:55 pm

    Thank you for the encouraging post. My children are NOT looking forward to back to school. I get discouraged when they aren’t excited to learn. Your post encourages me to persevere. Thank you for the printables.

    Reply
  10. Linda says

    August 12 at 9:24 am

    I’m probably doing something wrong, but when I click on the “click here” button, I am simply taken to another screen showing me the package of goodies…but no opportunity to download. What did I do or not do correctle?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Suzanne says

      August 12 at 12:34 pm

      Hi Linda,
      If you fill out the information in the pop-up box the download will be emailed to you 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Reader Favorites

Want help cultivating sibling relationships? Check out these resources. Helping kids develop devotional habits Want some help planning your homeschool year? Want to learn how to blog?

Some of our Favorite Printables

  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer Policy
  • Terms of Service

Here’s What Others Are Saying about Not Consumed

profile-pic
Brittany, mom of 2

Like Being With a Girlfriend

Thanks for sharing a piece of your family. Your blog is, honestly, the only one I have ever subscribed to. I feel like I'm on the phone with a girlfriend every time I read your words. I love it! I often find myself spending hours clicking from one post to the next telling myself, "okay, one more and then go to bed!" It's all just so helpful!

profile-pic
Cathy, homeschool mom of 2

Bible Studies are Incredible!

I just ordered and am in the process of printing out so many of your amazing resources and I can't wait to get started! Your bible studies are incredible and so thoughtful, your planner is wonderfully laid out and your breakfast and lunch stations will save me so much time!! I don't know how you do it all, but I'm thankful you do!

profile-pic
Kimberley

You're in my head, sister!

I just wanted you to know that I LOVE your blog. I can’t tell you how much the homeschooling posts have meant to me. It’s like you’re in my head, sister!! Thank you so much for taking the time in your busy life to minister to struggling moms and making me feel as if I’m not alone.

profile-pic
Noel M.

Positive Impact in My Life

I've been following your blog for a couple years and I have enjoyed participating in your free bible studies/devotions as well as those I've purchased from you. I just wanted to let you know that you've made such a positive impact in my spiritual and home school life, as well as support and encouragement for motherhood. Thank you for being such a blessing to so many moms.

profile-pic
Laura, homeschooling mom of 6

Love everything you do!

As far as the other things, I LOVE my brothers keeper and we've done it twice over the past year or two. I recommend it all the time on so many groups online. I type notconsumed.com almost daily somewhere on something. At times I will come across another resource you have created and it's like you are in my head. So much of what you create is exactly what I want but am not techy enough to do! I had googled a checklist for homeschooling recently and yours popped up. It was exactly the simple thing I wanted. I told my husband that you "get me" when I found it. :) I ended up buying it then hearing about the course and did that too. Even as a veteran homeschool mom I learned a few things from your course. I really love how you foster independence in your kids in stages. Again, exactly what I want to do!

profile-pic
Christi, single homeschooling mom of 7

Life-giving Words

What an encouragement your words have been to me! The practical tips and realistic systems that you share are so super helpful, but what I have appreciated the most has been your genuine heart for the Lord and for the things of the Lord. What I sense through your words is a heart submitted to the Lord, clinging to Him instead of to bitterness. Walking a path that you never signed up for, painfully aware of your brokenness and inadequacies, but keeping your eyes focused on the only Giver of Life. You have a testimony of victory, of overcoming, Kim. Your life-giving words boast of the faithfulness of a God who hears and sees and knows and provides and comforts. A God who doesn't change.

profile-pic
Tara, single homeschooling mom

Brings courage to my heart!

I want to thank you for your transparency and dedication to blessing families with resources. Thank you for the life giving words that I read over and over. I cling to the hope I see in your story. Not only did you help me work through things that had happened, you prepared me for a situation that could have consumed me. God used your encouragement to strengthen me. I was so beaten down, discouraged, and tired from the long and difficult path I had been walking. It was a refreshing rain in the middle of a weary road, and it made me hope for a future that is victorious.

profile-pic
Paige L.

Lasting Impression on My Entire Family

I wanted to write to encourage you and say, "THANK YOU!" I've been following your blog for years, and you have made such a lasting impression on my entire family. We've purchased many of your Bible Studies and a few other wonderful homeschooling resources, all of which we absolutely love!!! Still, I believe the greatest compliment I can give you is that because of your Bible Studies that my children and I have completed together, my oldest daughter has been so inspired, she's started creating her own daily devotionals, modeled after the ones you've made. They are absolutely precious (in her own little 12-year old way), and she prints one off each morning for our entire family to complete during our quiet time. When she finishes her first "study" (which is on the Fruits of the Spirit by the way), she plans to print a set to hand out to her small group at church. To see my daughter take ownership of her faith in this way and to bless others with a deeper study of God's Word is a precious gift to me, and I can't thank you enough for your inspiration and positive influence!

profile-pic
Sheryl

Monthly Scripture Pages

Thank you for creating the monthly Scripture pages... especially the KJV one! It's the only Bible I use and hardly any bloggers use it on their stuff. I also really appreciate the products that you provide. I really appreciate the insights, laughter, and thoughtfulness put into your blog, emails, Facebook posts, etc.

profile-pic
Ferne Downs

Fabulous, heart-felt resources for parents!

Thank you, Kim, for continuing to offer such fabulous and heart-felt resources to us parents! I was not raised in a Christian home and feel like I’m floundering in the dark trying to raise my children to know and love the Lord. Your emails and bible studies are my lifeline! You should write a parenting manual!

May God continue to bless you and your family abundantly!

profile-pic
Julianne

My daughter loves it all!

I just want to write and let you know that my 13-year-old daughter loves, love, loves everything I have ever ordered from you and says that she wants your entire inventory of bible studies for her next birthday!

Thank you for making a positive difference in our lives!

Want to share how you’ve been blessed by Not Consumed ministries?

Blessed Assurance. This song has brought comfort a Blessed Assurance. This song has brought comfort and peace to many since it was written by Fanny Crosby in 1873! The story of how the words of this song came to be is fascinating! Have you heard the story?⁣
⁣
You can learn about the history behind MANY hymns in Still Singing-our music appreciation unit study curriculum. Your family will learn to appreciate the hymns of the faith even more once you know how they came to be! Link in bio.⁣
⁣
#notconsumed #biblestudy #biblestudymoments #devotionsforkids #christianparenting #homeschool #homeeducator #homeschoolmom #homeschoollife #homeschoolmama
Teaching kids about how to handle money is a GREAT Teaching kids about how to handle money is a GREAT skill for them to learn as early as possible! Let's be honest, a lot of us are well into our adult life before we learn good money habits. However, you can't teach kids HOW to handle money unless they HAVE money to handle. 😉 ⁣
⁣
This post will help you take the steps for creating a chore chart system that will pay your kids and help them learn how to manage their money. I've even included a printable for you. 😀Link in bio.⁣
⁣
#notconsumed #biblestudy #biblestudymoments #devotionsforkids #christianparenting #homeschool #homeeducator #homeschoolmom #homeschoollife #homeschoolmama #teachkidsaboutmoney #smartmoneysmartkids
Do you have a vision for your family?⁣ ⁣ #notc Do you have a vision for your family?⁣
⁣
#notconsumed #quotablequotes #thoughtfulquotes #thegoodquotes
If you've been waiting to take advantage of our de If you've been waiting to take advantage of our devotional sale, NOW is the time to act-don't wait any longer! This sale ends tonight and I don't want you to miss it!! Get Bible studies and devotional resources for your family at an amazing price, but hurry-do it now! Link in bio.⁣
⁣
#notconsumed #biblestudy #biblestudymoments #devotionsforkids #christianparenting #homeschool #homeeducator #homeschoolmom #homeschoollife #homeschoolmama
It's in His presence that we find the strength to It's in His presence that we find the strength to face whatever comes in our lives!⁣
⁣
#notconsumed #scripture #Scriptureoftheday #faithinJesus #gratitude #godisalwaysgood
Developing any habit requires discipline and a pla Developing any habit requires discipline and a plan. Our Kids Devotional Method course is your starting point to teaching your kids how to have their own time in God's Word. This course gives you a game plan for helping your kids develop this vital habit and practical help and strategies for sticking to it!⁣
⁣
Get this course for free right now with coupon code: TIME4DEVOS. Link in bio.⁣
⁣
#notconsumed #biblestudy #biblestudymoments #devotionsforkids #christianparenting #homeschool #homeeducator #homeschoolmom #homeschoollife #homeschoolmama
🌟⁣ #notconsumed #faithinJesus #gratitude #god 🌟⁣
#notconsumed #faithinJesus #gratitude #godisalwaysgood #hymnquotes #hymnsing
Load More... Follow on Instagram


OUR MINISTRY

About Kim
What We Believe
FAQ
How to Blog


GET CONNECTED

Contact Us
Visit our Blog
Get our Free Printables

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

WAYS TO HELP

Donate
Shop
Hire Kim to Speak
Affiliates

Copyright © 2021 · Not Consumed.

Not Consumed® is fully trademarked by Not Consumed Ministries, LLC.

All Rights Reserved.

Site Design by Visibilia Media