Homeschooling can be a great way to engage your kids in active learning and help them excel in their interests. While we're getting into the new school year, now's the perfect time to maximize your homeschooling strategy. Here's four tips to keep in mind for encouraging curiosity and fun in learning!

Establish a Homeschool Routine That's Flexible

First, every homeschool class needs a routine. This may be a block schedule with different subjects every day, a morning schedule that leaves your afternoons free, or something else that works well for your family. The most important part, however, is flexibility. Homeschooling has the advantage of opening up time during the traditional school day that can instead be used for experiential, hands on learning opportunities or meaningful social plans. Don't feel locked into a minute-to-minute plan every day, but keep your eyes open for something new that will enhance your child's learning.

Enrich Learning with Challenger Homeschool Days

A great way to make a lesson memorable is to pair it with a homeschool day at the Challenger Learning Center. At the monthly homeschool day, students get to spend time from 9 am to 12 pm exploring a particular topic of interest through various hands-on activities. Upcoming topics include robotics, astronaut training, and engineering. This kind of activity can complement their ongoing studies and add an element of fun and curiosity to homeschooling. Whether they are 5 or 14 years old, Challenger will have a homeschool day for them.

Use Educational Screentime to Your Advantage

It's difficult to escape the allure of a screen when there's a new one popping up everywhere you look, but you can use that interest to your advantage when it comes to homeschooling. The benefits of educational screentime are not to be forgotten, and there are many ways to use it. Watch documentaries to supplement your science lessons, practice math and spelling with online games, or work together on puzzles to improve problem-solving skills. The possibilities are endless for using educational screentime to your advantage while cutting out the noise of ads and memes.

Prioritize Playtime as a Tool for Growth

While you work to have the best homeschooling regimine you can for your kids, don't forget to have some fun, too! Playtime can be one of the most important elements of learning in childhood. It teaches social interaction, problem solving, sharing, and so much more. Between lessons, take some time to go outside and search for bugs, or color a picture or two at the table. This might just seem like a small break, but its more powerful than you could ever guess.