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52 Weeks

of Homeschool

Group Activities

By Kris Bales

weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com

This e-book contains links to helpful websites. All links were working at the time of publication. Please

use caution when accessing these sites. The author is not responsible for broken or redirected links.

eBook cover design by Angie Kauffman, Real Life at Home/Tiny Owl, LLC.

Images courtesy of Pixabay.

Copyright ©2014 Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted or redistributed in any

form without prior written consent from the author.

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Table of Contents Host a family movie night ......................................................................................................................... 5

Visit a police station .................................................................................................................................. 5

Start a homeschool PE class ...................................................................................................................... 5

Start a home economics class ................................................................................................................... 5

Plan a Valentine's Day party. .................................................................................................................... 6

Host an art exhibit ..................................................................................................................................... 6

Schedule a homeschool speaker ............................................................................................................... 7

Let the kids burn off some energy ............................................................................................................ 7

Plan a science fair...................................................................................................................................... 7

Schedule a mom's night out at a local restaurant .................................................................................... 7

Plan a field trip to a grocery store ............................................................................................................ 7

Put on a talent show ................................................................................................................................. 7

Host a handicrafts class............................................................................................................................. 7

Plan a social studies fair ............................................................................................................................ 7

Schedule a park day .................................................................................................................................. 8

Visit a TV station ....................................................................................................................................... 8

Visit a zoo or nature center ...................................................................................................................... 9

Plan a fancy dance .................................................................................................................................... 9

Organize a homeschool field day. ............................................................................................................. 9

Plan a recognition/graduation ceremony. .............................................................................................. 10

Volunteer to clean up and place flags at a military cemetery. ............................................................... 10

Host an end-of-the-year party. ............................................................................................................... 11

Plan a used book sale or swap. ............................................................................................................... 11

Start a mixed media art class. ................................................................................................................. 11

Start a pen pal circle. .............................................................................................................................. 11

Host a family cook out. ........................................................................................................................... 11

Start a duct tape forge. ........................................................................................................................... 11

Have a pool party. ................................................................................................................................... 12

Plan a busy bag swap. ............................................................................................................................. 12

Visit a family fun center. ......................................................................................................................... 12

Plan a regular teen or tween social event. ............................................................................................. 12

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Host a family game night. ....................................................................................................................... 13

Schedule a field trip at your local library. ............................................................................................... 13

Plan a back-to-school party. ................................................................................................................... 14

Have a Show and Tell day. ...................................................................................................................... 14

Visit an apple orchard. ............................................................................................................................ 14

Visit a hospital and learn about germ/cold prevention. ......................................................................... 14

Start a book club ..................................................................................................................................... 14

Visit a local museum. .............................................................................................................................. 14

Take a field trip to a fire station. ............................................................................................................. 15

Visit a pumpkin patch or corn maze. ...................................................................................................... 15

Plan an Around the World Day. .............................................................................................................. 15

Start a bowling league. ........................................................................................................................... 16

Start a Lego club. ..................................................................................................................................... 16

Have a pumpkin carving contest. ............................................................................................................ 16

Pack shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child. .................................................................................... 17

Complete a service project as a group. ................................................................................................... 18

Visit a food manufacturing plant. ........................................................................................................... 18

Make cinnamon or salt dough Christmas ornaments. ............................................................................ 18

Sing Christmas carols and hand out Christmas cards at a nursing home. .............................................. 18

Host a cookie exchange. ......................................................................................................................... 18

Host a Christmas party/gift exchange for moms. ................................................................................... 18

Tips for planning homeschool group events ........................................................................................... 20

Field trip tips ........................................................................................................................................... 21

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f you're reading this book, chances are you're the leader or member of a homeschool support group -

even if that support group is made up of only a few other families. One of the greatest needs a

homeschool support group fills is providing a sense of community for local homeschooling families.

The local support group helps families connect so that moms and dads know they're not alone and kids

have a chance to meet and interact with others who share a similar educational experience.

Sometimes it can be difficult to come up with creative activity ideas for a variety of ages. I've been a

homeschooling mom for over 12 years now and was a support group leader for 10 of those years. That

means I've planned lots of events and now I'm happy to share my activity and event ideas with you,

along with planning tips to help your event run smoothly.

First, you'll find 52 group activity suggestions, one for each week all year long and loosely sorted by

season, beginning in Jaunary. Then, I offer you my suggestions to help make planning group events a bit

less stressful. Finally, you'll find tips for planning a successful homeschool group field trip.

Host a family movie night

Field trips and group outings are most often during the day, so a family movie night provides a great

opportunity for the non-teaching parent to get involved with the local homeschool group. For maximum

fun, rent a popcorn machine and pick up some popcorn bags at your local warehouse store.

Be sure to keep the ages of all attendees in mind. For a full family movie night, including preschool aged

kids, I'd suggest choosing a G-rated movie. Save PG for an "older kids only" night.

Alternately, you could arrange a separate movie viewing area for parents with younger kids. Be sure to

announce the movie choices in advance so parents can make an informed decision about whether or

not the movie is suitable for their family.

Visit a police station

One of our homeschool group's most memorable outings was a demonstration of our local sheriff

office's K9 unit. It was amazing to watch the dogs at work and learn about their training. One of the

things we learned was that the dogs loved playing with Frisbees during their downtime, so we sent a

couple to the station, along with thank-you notes from the kids, after the event.

Start a homeschool PE class

Physical education is a class that often becomes the victim of good intentions. Start by checking with

local fitness centers (including karate and gymnastics centers). Some will offer organized classes at

special times and rates for homeschool families.

Otherwise, plan your own. Check with local churches or recreation centers to see if their facilities are

available for use. You may also want to check into any possible insurance or waiver requirements.

Start a home economics class

Ask your homeschool group's moms to share their talents for cooking, sewing, menu planning,

budgeting, and any other skills that might fall under home economics.

I

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Not only will the kids in your homeschool group enjoy a chance to see each other on a regular basis, but

they'll learn valuable life-skills as well. Remember that boys will benefit from these skills, as well, so it's a

good idea to keep the activities gender-neutral.

Plan a Valentine's Day party.

One of our first "formal" party planning experiences as a new homeschooling family was a Valentine's

party. My formerly-public-schooled daughter was missing cupcakes and Valentine exchanges. I told her

we could do that, too. So we did!

The details of planning a Valentine party are pretty simple and, for maximum fun, must include

decorating bags (for exchanging Valentines) and cupcakes at the party.

There is one very important rule to follow: You must outlaw glitter. Trust me on this.

Host an art exhibit

Give the kids in your group an opportunity to display their work. Allow them to display their artistic

creation such as - drawings, paintings, sculptures, photography, etc.

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Schedule a homeschool speaker

The mid-winter doldrums are no joke. This is the time of year when burnout often strikes. Schedule a

homeschool speaker to come and encourage the moms in your group. See if you can arrange child care

for younger kids (homeschooled teens might be willing to volunteer or work for a nominal fee) or

schedule the event in the evening when the non-teaching parent, grandparents , or older siblings may

be able to offer moms a night out.

Let the kids burn off some energy

Moms aren't the only ones who get cabin fever during the winter. Schedule an indoor event that will

allow kids to get out of the house and burn off some energy. For older kids, you might consider: indoor

rock climbing, a jump park, or a skating rink (ice or roller).

For younger kids, an indoor playground is ideal and all ages enjoy a certain pizza chain with video games.

Plan a science fair

Don't let public school kids have all the fun. Plan a science fair for your homeschool group. Everyone

needs a fun excuse to make a baking soda volcano or a 3D model of Earth's layers.

Schedule a mom's night out at a local restaurant

The moms in our group have benefitted so much from our mom's nights out. It's a chance to encourage

and inspire one another. It's a wonderful opportunity for new homeschool moms to ask veterans about

the ins and outs of homeschooling.

It provides an opportunity for moms to learn about new curriculum and resources. Best of all, everyone

leaves knowing that they're not alone in this thing we call homeschooling.

Plan a field trip to a grocery store

It sounds simplistic, but many grocery stores offer organized field trips that focus on things like healthy

foods and nutrition. My kids were older when we went and I wasn't sure how much they'd get out of it,

but I was pleasantly surprised. The really fun part was getting to try some unusual fruits and veggies in

the produce department.

Put on a talent show

Give the kids in your homeschool group a chance to showcase their talents. I'd recommend scheduling

your talent show in the evening hours so the non-teaching parent and the grandparents can attend.

Have participants bring snacks to share afterward and make it an evening of family fun!

Host a handicrafts class

Ask the moms in your group, once again, to share their talents. This time focus on handicrafts such as

knitting, crochet, or cross-stitch.

Plan a social studies fair

One of the things that my kids - and our homeschool group - have really enjoyed is our spring social

studies fair. We host an Around the World Day in the fall, but our spring fair covers a wide variety of

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subjects such as states, presidents, famous people from history, or, one of our favorites, A Night at the

Museum party.

See the entry for hosting an Around the World day for display and planning tips.

Schedule a park day

Sometimes we all just need to get out of the house. A regularly-schedule park day can make the perfect

solution. The younger kids enjoy playing with their friends, while the teens enjoy hanging out and

chatting.

Our homeschool group used to plan these on a couple of regularly scheduled days each month, weather

permitting. The time was adjusted as needed for the weather, such as early morning in the hot summer

months and afternoon during the cooler spring and fall months.

Visit a TV station

Kids and adults alike find it interesting to see how local TV stations are run. Consider pairing your trip

with a science unit on extreme weather or the water cycle. Ask your station's meteorologist to explain:

How extreme weather, such as hurricanes and tornadoes are tracked

How clouds are formed

How the weather is predicted

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Barometric pressure

High and low pressure systems

Learning weather facts from someone who has a passion for them is a lot more fun than reading a book

about them.

Visit a zoo or nature center

Zoos and nature centers are excellent outings for planned or spur-of-the-moment trips as a family or a

group. Self-guided tours make a great anytime activity or you can call ahead for a guided tour. Consider

a trip for:

Studying taxonomy - mammals, birds, reptiles

Learning about different countries - Search for animals from the country you're studying.

Studying continents - Go on a scavenger hunt to see if you can find an animal from each

continent.

Studying herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores

Learning about biomes

Plan a fancy dance

Just like kids in any other educational setting, homeschool kids like a chance to dress up and dance. Our

large local group plans an annual prom in the spring and a back-to-school dance in the fall. When

planning such an event, consider:

Price per person

Venue

Security

Guidelines for behavior

Chaperones

Snacks

Decorations

Securing a photographer

Theme

A fancy dance can be a lot of work, but the kids enjoy it so much - and it gives you an answer for the

age-old, anti-homeschooling question, "But what about prom?"

Organize a homeschool field day.

Remember field day at school? There were sack races, three-legged races, relay races. They weren't all

races were they? That's what sticks out in my mind.

Organize a day for the kids in your group to get out and get active. Add to the fun by asking local

businesses to donate prizes, such as pens/pencils, small toys, coupons, or free kids' meals.

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Plan a recognition/graduation ceremony.

Recognize the hard work of the students in your homeschool group. For the past several years, a mom in

our group has planned a year-end ceremony during which parents can recognize their students for

whatever achievements they choose, such as:

Promotion to the next grade

Milestones such as graduating Kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, and, of course,

high school.

Learning to read

Community service

Diplomas, caps, and gowns can be ordered online for graduating seniors from sites such as Homeschool

Legal Defense or Homeschool Diploma.

Volunteer to clean up and place flags at a military cemetery.

There are many opportunities for homeschoolers to serve in their local community. Volunteering to

clean and decorate a local military cemetery is just one of them. Consider contacting your local

cemetery to see if such opportunities are available prior to holidays such as Memorial Day or Veterans

Day.

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Host an end-of-the-year party.

Our homeschool group hosts an annual end-of-the-year party. This is a simple, low-key, social gathering

typically held at a local playground. Everyone brings a dish and drink to share. It's a time to celebrate

the accomplishment of another school year completed.

Plan a used book sale or swap.

Once the school year is over, most homeschooling families are ready to pass along any books that didn't

work for them or that won't be saved for younger siblings. Hosting a used book sale or swap is a great

way to help the families in your group find what they need at discounted prices.

The easiest way to facilitate such an event for larger groups is to secure a location where families can set

up tables flea-market style and sell their own books. Smaller groups may be able to host a more intimate

gathering where families can sell or swap books.

For really large groups, you may want to set up the sale similar to temporary consignment shops where

each seller tags their materials with their seller number and price. Set specific times for dropping off

items to sell and picking up unsold items. You'll probably not have a shortage of volunteers if you make

early shopping a perk of volunteering.

Start a mixed media art class.

Do you have a resident artist or two? Start an art class for your homeschool group. It can be a formal

class with an artistic mom from your group or a local artist, or an informal mixed media class that allows

kids to experiment in a more crafty kind of way.

Additionally, many artists will travel to a city for a summer art camp. Some camps last just a couple of

days, while others may last a week.

Start a pen pal circle.

Give the kids in your homeschool group a fun excuse to practice their letter-writing skills in a safe

environment by matching up pen pals. Even kids who see each other regularly enjoy getting a letter in

the mail.

You can pair kids up by similar ages, genders, and/or interests.

Host a family cook out.

A cookout is another great way to get entire families involved. Have everyone bring their favorite food

to grill, along with a side dish and a drink to share. Don't forget the graham crackers, chocolate, and

marshmallows for s'mores!

Start a duct tape forge.

One of the moms in our local group has hosted a duct tape forge for several years. Participants meet

together once or twice a month to create predetermined duct tape creations. This particular group is

most popular with boys and they make lots of duct tape weapons. If you have a group of girls who'd

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prefer something more dainty (though plenty of them will enjoy making weapons) there are many

project ideas that are more feminine, such as purses, flowers, or even prom dresses.

Have a pool party.

Summer break is a great time for a pool party. Most community pools offer after-hours parties for a

reasonable price. Find out the cost per person and tack on an extra few dollars per family to cover the

cost of ordering pizza for everyone. Have each family bring a drink and dessert to share and you've got a

fun, easy-to-organize party the whole family can enjoy.

Plan a busy bag swap.

Moms of toddlers and preschoolers will love a busy bag swap. A busy bag is a bag (such as a Ziploc)

containing a simple, quiet activity that toddlers and preschoolers can do on their own.

They're great for occupying little ones during an older sibling's school lesson, at a doctor's appointment,

or while running errands. They're also a fun way to practice fine motor or preschool learning skills (such

as counting or colors).

For a busy bag swap, each mom will make identical bags for the number of moms attending. So, if 20

moms were attending the swap, each mom would make 20 identical bags to bring with her. At the

event, the moms swap bags so that each takes home 20 different busy bags for her child.

Plan on finger foods, lunch, or a light brunch and time for chatting and you'll have an event moms will

love.

Visit a family fun center.

It's often easy to plan events for younger kids, but don't forget the teens. Plan a visit to a family fun

center - one with activities such as video games, laser tag, go-karts, and miniature golf. Ask about a

group discount. Often these types of businesses will offer ongoing discounts for homeschoolers who

attend during the day when most kids are in school.

Plan a regular teen or tween social event.

My daughter loves participating in Teen Circle, a twice-monthly social gathering an area mom has

organizes for teens. This particular group meets at a local library. They always have snacks and they

sometimes play games, but they really prefer when they just hang out and chat for a couple of hours.

The group is so popular that a second one has recently been launched for tweens. It's been our

experience that it's good to keep the two age groups separate - all of the kids with siblings really seem

to enjoy having some time with friends their age without an older or younger sibling around, though

there are some siblings close in age who are in the same group.

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Host a family game night.

A family game night is one of my favorite homeschool group events to plan and another excellent option

for getting the entire family involved. You'll want to secure a location with space to set up lots of tables

and chairs.

Invite everyone to bring some of their favorite board games, being sure to include some options for all

ages, along with snacks (or pot-luck dishes) and drinks to share. Let everyone choose the games they'd

like to play and get started at a table with their fellow players.

Depending on the number of games and players you have, you may find it easier to assign each game its

own table.

Remind everyone that all game pieces need to stay at the table where their corresponding game is being

played and returned to the box after the game is over so that no one goes home missing any game

pieces.

Schedule a field trip at your local library.

As familiar as most homeschool families are with our local libraries, there are often hidden treasures

waiting to be discovered. Ask your local librarian for a guided tour. She can make sure your group knows

all the resources available and can explain how best to use each.

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Plan a back-to-school party.

In addition to an end-of-the-year party, our group always hosted a back-to-school party each year. Of

course, with the hot summers we have in the South, most of us had already been back to school a

month or more before it was cool enough to schedule the party, but it's the thought that counts, right?

The back -to-school party follows the same format as the end-of-the-year party: food, fun, and

fellowship.

Have a Show and Tell day.

Invite the kids in your homeschool group to show off what they've been working on in school with a

Show and Tell Day. They can show a hands-on project they've made, offer a taste of a dish they've

prepared, demonstrate a skill they've learned, or display artwork they've created.

Visit an apple orchard.

Fall is a great time to plan outdoor field trips, such as a visit to a local apple orchard. Most offer a variety

of tours and activities for groups, so see what the orchards in your area have to offer.

Visit a hospital and learn about germ/cold prevention.

Check with your local hospital to see if they offer tours and/or classes about first aid or germ and

disease prevention. We've done such tours at two different local hospitals, so they seem to be fairly

common.

Start a book club.

Get the kids in your homeschool group together once or twice a month for a book club! You can ask

moms to rotate hosting, have one (brave) mom host all of them, or check with your local library or book

store to see if they'll let you meet there.

Our area Barnes and Noble used to allow us to meet in their store. The older kids would meet in one

area to discuss whatever book they were reading, while the moms would take the younger kids to the

kids' book area for a read-aloud and coloring activity.

We've participated in an American Girls book club in which the girls would read the book on their own,

then, meet for a related craft activity. At the end of each series, they'd have a party with food related to

the time period of the book they'd just finished.

Another was a book + movie club for boys (of course, girls or a mixed group could do the same). Each

month, the boys would choose a book to read. At their meeting, they would discuss the book, then,

watch its movie adaptation with popcorn and snacks.

Visit a local museum.

What museums are in your area? Children's? Art? History? Even a tiny local history museum can make a

great outing. You might be surprised at how little you know about your city.

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Take a field trip to a fire station.

Fire prevention Week is always observed in the early part of October - the Sunday through Saturday

during which October 9 falls. This is the perfect time to take a field trip to a fire station. Most offer Fire

Prevention Week for school groups, including homeschool groups.

Visit a pumpkin patch or corn maze.

As the weather cools off, take your homeschool group to visit a pumpkin patch or corn maze and enjoy

the amazing fall weather!

Plan an Around the World Day.

For many years, each fall our homeschool group hosted Around the World Day, a social studies fair in

which each family chooses a different country to represent.

Our family would always take the 3-4 weeks leading up to the event off from our regular schoolwork and

do a unit study on our chosen country. The idea is from the book Hands-On Geography. Each family

brings a traditional food from their chosen country and set up a display for others to visit.

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Each display contains:

A presentation board displaying fun facts about the country

Fact sheets for each visiting family

Passport stamps for each child

The displays can also contain any of the following or any other ideas a family may have:

Postcards

artwork

crafts

brochures

dioramas

currency

posters

music

reports

souvenirs

stamps

maps

Many of the kids (and adults!) come in costume and all the kids bring a passport book to be stamped at

each country they visit. The stamps can be stickers representative of the country (we usually make

homemade flag stamps on address labels) or ink stamps. Just a note, the grandparents usually love this

event.

Start a bowling league.

Bowling is a great option for socializing and P.E. Check with your local bowling alley to see if they offer

instructional leagues or discounts for groups. One local alley offered our group a great rate on two

games and shoe rental and even kept track of scores and presented trophies at the end of the season.

Another was excited about offering an instructional league where kids would get games and shoe rental

in addition to having instructors on-site to teach the kids the fundamentals of the game.

Start a Lego club.

Get your brick masters excited with a Lego club. Just make sure you establish guidelines for making sure

everyone goes home with all the Lego pieces they brought. One idea (from this site with lots of tips for

starting a club) is to charge each family a membership fee and use that money to purchase a group set

of Legos.

You'll find lots of ideas for a Lego club on Pinterest, as well.

Have a pumpkin carving contest.

A fun fall event is hosting a pumpkin-carving contest. Ask each participant bring his or her own pumpkin

and carving supplies. Have some small prizes on hand and break participants down into age-groups to

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level the playing field. You might want to supply paint and stickers for young children to decorate their

pumpkins, rather than carving them.

Don't forget to have plenty of newspaper to put at each pumpkin carving station to make clean up a bit

easier.

Pack shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child.

An Operation Christmas Child packing party is such a rewarding way for a homeschool group to spend

time together. You can either order free boxes and supplies from Operation Christmas Child or ask each

family to bring as many shoe boxes as they'd like to pack.

I've heard that plastic shoe boxes are appreciated for continued use by recipients. You can find them for

around $1 each at most department stores.

You can also ask each family to bring supplies to pack in their boxes or ask each to bring a certain

number of a specific item, such as toothbrushes or soap, which can be set up assembly line style for

packing. You might also consider asking local businesses to donate items.

When my kids were younger and still ordering kids' meals, we would often save our kids' meal prizes to

pack in the boxes. You can find lots more ideas of what to pack in the link-up post, What Can You Pack in

a Shoebox for Operation Christmas Child?

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Complete a service project as a group.

Hosting an Operation Christmas Child packing party is only one service project idea. There are a

multitude of options for serving as a group. Just ask around in your community. Some ideas include:

Walking dogs at an animal shelter

Taking up a collection of supplies for your local animal shelter (food, blankets, leashes, bowls,

litter, and newspaper are almost always appreciated)

Serving at a local soup kitchen

Taking up a collection of supplies for a homeless or women's shelter

Filling backpacks for students

Doing yard work for the elderly or infirm or at a non-profit organization

Picking up trash at a playground or park

Serving at an event such as Feed My Starving Children

Visit a food manufacturing plant.

We've visited several food manufacturing and soda bottling plants and it is always so interesting to see

how these items are packed and processed. It's also amazing to me how clean the places we've visited

are. Most places will give visitors some samples, which is always a fun treat.

Make cinnamon or salt dough Christmas ornaments.

Get your group together for a Christmas ornament making party. Cinnamon ornaments smell so good,

but salt-dough ornaments are easy and fun to make, as well. The results can be hung on your own tree

or given as gifts to friends and relatives.

Sing Christmas carols and hand out Christmas cards at a nursing home.

Taking your homeschool group to sing Christmas carols at a local nursing home is a blessing both to your

group and to the residents. I'll never forget the year one gentleman requested The Twelve Days of

Christmas. I think we only got to Day 6 before he said, "You can stop now."

Ask the kids in your group to make cards to hand out to the residents, as well. Many of them don't have

family, and homemade cards to decorate their rooms will be greatly appreciated.

Host a cookie exchange.

A cookie exchange is an easy way to get a variety of cookies to enjoy during the holidays. Each family

chooses a different type of cookie and brings enough to exchange and share with others, so all

participants go home with a variety of homemade treats.

Supplying sugar cookies and decorating supplies is a great way to get the kids involved and still have

some cookies from the exchange to take home.

Host a Christmas party/gift exchange for moms.

Moms need a chance to get together, laugh, and recharge during the holiday season, too. In the past,

our homeschool group has really enjoyed hosting a Christmas party and gift exchange for moms.

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We typically ask everyone to bring a covered dish and drink to share, along with a gift to exchange.

Having the event catered or even securing an event room at a local restaurant are other options,

depending on the size of your group.

To keep things as stress-free as possible, we typically do a "white elephant" gift exchange in which each

lady brings a wrapped, gently-used item from home. (This is a fantastic re-gifting opportunity.)

We then draw numbers. The person who draws #1 gets to select a wrapped gift and open it. Each

subsequent lady can either take a gift that has already been opened from the ladies who have already

gone, or select a new gift to open.

If a mom's gift is taken from her, she can either take another mom's gift or open an as-yet-unwrapped

gift. This results in much laughter and fun. And, not to worry - the mom who chose first doesn't get

ripped off. At the end, she can either choose to keep the gift she wound up with or choose from any of

the other gifts.

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We usually play some games during our Christmas party, as well, with a Win, Lose, or Draw version of

Pictionary being a crowd favorite.

Scheduling a homeschool group event can be stressful , but a few simple tips can help planning go much

more smoothly.

Tips for planning homeschool group events

Ask all families to provide a snack and a drink to share. For our group, we usually suggest that each

family bring a pot-luck style dish, dessert, or finger food along with a 2-liter or gallon drink, juice boxes,

or water bottles to share.

Charge a per-family fee for paper goods. In planning for our group events, the other leaders and I

discovered that it was much more practical to collect a nominal fee - usually $1-$2 - from each family

and have one of the event planners pick up plates, napkins, cups, and plastic utensils, and ice rather

than relying on individual group members to bring these items.

Just wait until the first time the person with the plates or cups gets sick and you'll agree!

Secure a venue. One of the easiest places to plan a homeschool group event is a local park or

playground. That usually involves just showing up. Some places may require you to reserve a pavilion, so

check on that.

Other possible locations are church fellowship halls, recreation centers, community centers, or library

public use rooms. Make sure that you're aware of any fees associated with the facility you're using and

the guidelines governing clean up.

Have a central calendar. Unless you really enjoy answering the same questions multiple times, make

sure the members of your group have access to a central calendar. For each event, list the date, time,

location, related fees, contact person, and what each family is supposed to bring.

Be aware of food allergies. Because of the potential for serious reactions, we disallow all peanut and

nut products for group events. Others in our group with less severe, sometimes trickier-to-

accommodate allergies will sometimes bring their own picnic lunch.

Provide name tags. Make it easy for families to get to know each other by providing name tags for

everyone. And, while you've got that Sharpie out adding your name to your tag, consider writing your

name on your cup if everyone is using identical disposable ones.

Consider sharing your cell phone number with group members. If you're going to a new venue or have

families who are new to your group, consider providing cell phone numbers in case anyone gets lost or

has trouble finding the group.

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Field trip tips

Plan for Convenience. It’s impossible to find a date and time that will be convenient for everyone, so it makes the most sense to plan your event at the time that is most convenient for your family and invite

others to join you.

Share details. One of the most time-consuming aspects of planning a field trip can be answering

questions and emails. A simple way to free up a lot of time is to post the pertinent details in an easily

accessible local – a group newsletter or forum, for example. Make sure that you include:

The date

The time

The location

Cost

Directions

Where payment should be sent

What will happen in the event of cancelation or inclement weather

Cover your expenses. If you are arranging a field trip to a place requiring a minimum number of

participants, it is advisable to ask families planning to attend to mail you a check, made payable to you,

due at least one week prior to the outing. This ensures that you are not put in the position of being held

responsible for the entire cost of the trip if people cancel. You might want to consider things such as:

Will you issue refunds for anything other than the entire trip being cancelled?

Will substitutions may be made (i.e. a family of four who has paid for the outing cannot come,

but another family of four would like to take their place)? If so, who will reimburse the original

family – you or the family taking their place?

Will you issue refunds for those who have paid, but are unable to attend if doing so doesn’t affect the total cost of the trip?

Will you allow payments after the due date if minimum numbers have been met?

Know the details. Brainstorm to try to ensure that you have asked all questions that you or families

attending will need to know. This cuts down on follow-up phone calls or emails with your venue contact

person. Think about the variety of families who may be attending. Their kids’ ages or abilities may differ

from those of your family, which will bring up questions you may have overlooked.

Are minimum or maximum numbers of participants required?

What is the cost? For what ages? Is payment required for kids under a certain age?

Are there any grade/age/skill level requirements?

Is there ample parking or should families carpool?

Are there any hazards or restrictions?

Can accommodations be made for kids – or adults – with special needs?

Are there any food allergies that need to be considered? (We have toured a grocery store that

gave out food samples and a radio station that offered the kids candy bars that contained

peanuts.)

Will the group need to be split up? If so, how? Age/skill level or just by a certain number of kids?

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Can adults participate?

Plan for questions. You know that inevitable moment when the guide asks if anyone has any questions

and you can hear the crickets chirping? Prepare for that by encouraging parents to talk with their kids

ahead of time. Discuss where you’re going and what you might see. Encourage them to make a list of

things they hope to learn or questions they hope are answered. Then, if questions are answered, they’ll know what to ask.

Homeschool group events can fill an important need for homeschooling families, offering options to go

places and do things that would be difficult for single families to do and providing opportunities for

moms and kids alike to meet up with old friends and have a chance to make new ones.

If you're a homeschool group leader, I hope these suggestions for activities and tips for planning help

you to create some wonderful, memory-making events for the kids in your group and some stress-

relieving outings for the moms.