What’s the best way to approach summer break if you’re a homeschooling family? 

Like the rest of homeschooling, there’s no one right method. Some families “do school” year round. Other families unschool – their relaxed school year is indistinguishable from their summer break. And some (like my own family) create a light structure, but take a break from some or all of their usual school work. 

No matter how you do it, the keys to success are…

…BALANCE and INTENTIONALITY.

The balanced routine for your family might be super structured, totally relaxed, or somewhere in between. But the point is to find whatever rhythm works for you and your kids, and then be intentional about implementing it. 

However…

If you’re like me, the last thing you want to do at the end of the school year is more work. More planning… more activities… more curriculum research… noooooo!! (We’re at the tail end of our school year right now, and all I really want is a week-long nap and a personal chef who does pro-bono work. Is that too much to ask? I think not.)

So what’s an overtired homeschooling parent to do? What’s the easiest way to make the most of summer without adding more stress for you?

Thankfully, intentionality doesn’t require as much work as I used to think it did. In just a few quick steps, you can come up with a balanced and intentional game plan for summer!

(There may be affiliate links in this post – click here to learn more. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)

How to Plan Your Summer Break

Step #1: Set Your Summer Goals

Start by asking yourself the following questions about your family and household:

• What do your kids need or want this summer? More time with friends? A little extra help in an academic subject? Opportunities to earn money? Help with certain behavior issues? Unfettered time to try out their latest hobby?
• What do you (and your spouse) need or want this summer? More date nights? Uninterrupted time to plan next year’s curriculum choices? Help with the outdoor chores? Help with the indoor chores? Help with ANY of the chores?
• What are your family’s needs and desires? Time volunteering together? A family vacation? Completing a long-needed home renovation project? More conversation and less screen-time? Space and time to heal from a difficult season of life?

Whether you turn this into a fancy, formal document or just scribble a quick list on a Post-It note is up to you. However you do it, take a holistic look at each person, and the family as a group, from a big picture point of view.

For example, for one of my kids, the list of goals includes things like large amounts of free time to pursue several time-consuming hobbies, practicing his musical instruments, and decompressing with friends after a stressful school year. 

As you can see, this doesn’t have to be incredibly detailed. Just take an initial, broad-stroke look at each family member’s personalized next steps.

Step #2: Take Inventory & Do Research

This will probably be the most time-consuming part of your summer planning. But it doesn’t have to take too long (if you don’t over-think everything like I do, that is). Dedicate an evening to brainstorming the resources available to you. Ask and answer these questions:

• What resources (time, money, stuff, opportunities) do you already have? Do you have time to spare, or are you already burning the candle at both ends? What is your financial situation like? [Note: If finances are a concern, check out this post for ideas about living on less] Does helpful extended family live nearby? Does your spouse have any vacation time to use up? Is your art drawer overflowing with unused supplies? Are there forgotten board games, Legos, soccer nets, and invention kits gathering dust on your shelves?
• What resources could you find or get access to? Do you have affordable local summer camps, classes, or childcare options? Could you become members of a pool, gym, or sports program? Do your kids have friends whose parents would be interested in babysitting exchanges? Are there inexpensive or free online resources that might help you easily reach some of your summer educational goals (we love starfall.com for younger kids, udemy.com classes for older kids, and World Watch News for the whole family)? Would a lemonade stand, garage sale, or curriculum sale help bring in more cash to cover summer activities? Could the kids get a summer job?
• What summer approaches have worked well in the past? What amount of structure has worked best for your family in past summers? What’s been the ideal balance of educational vs relaxing summer activities for you and your kids? [Note: It took me an embarrassingly long time to figure this out for our family! But, lucky you, I’ve documented the entire journey! Find out more about what worked and didn’t work for us starting with the first post in the series: Our Homeschool Summer Break – Year 1.] Have your kids responded well to child-led, un-structured free time, or do they need more structure to keep from climbing the walls stay productive? How do they react to “sneaky-homeschool-parent” approaches like strewing, game-schooling, and project-based learning?

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If you’ve gotten this far, congratulations! The hard part is done! You’re now armed with a list of goals and the resources at your disposal. 

In the next post, I’ll talk about the final two steps of creating an awesome, personalized approach to summer! Stay tuned for more! 

In the meantime, check out these other summer-related posts to get ideas for your own summer homeschooling adventures!

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