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Long before I was a homeschool mom, I was a classroom teacher and one of the biggest challenges I experienced every year was figuring out ways to push through the academic curriculum while wading through the holiday season filled with parties, programs and plays. It was NOT An easy balance to find. Sway one way too much and my First Graders wouldn’t be able to read/write or add/subtract. Sway too far the other way and parents complained about “missing out on all the fun parts of school.” {I do not miss that type of pressure at all!}
I never dreamed that it would be just as hard as a HOMESCHOOL MOM to ensure that academics did not totally fly out the window as soon as mid-October hit.
Between the amazing array of field trips that seem to abound every fall {apple picking, pumpkin patches, picnics in the park…} and parties to celebrate the various holidays {Caramel Apple Decorating, Thanksgiving Feasts, Gingerbread House Building…} having a full week of schooling at home seems impossible. Throw in at least one play, program or musical and it’s a wonder we get any teaching done at all from October through December.
And, before you utter, “but learning happens all the time, no matter where you are and what you are doing” let me remind you that, while that is true, it’s not THAT simple. I agree that learning CAN happen anywhere. I believe that learning CAN occur at anytime. BUT unless your kids are going to grow up to be professional Pilgrims or toy-making elves {no offense to those professions, ha ha,} they will need to know how to read and write. If they want to survive in the world of shopping and eating out, they will need to be able to multiply and divide. If they want to go to college, they will need to know how to formulate a scientific hypothesis and write clearly structured essays. And those things cannot be taught if we stop focusing on academics for the last 10 weeks of every single calendar year.
So, how can we continue to teach academics during this busy holiday season?
TIP ONE: Plan Ahead!

Wrap up 25 Christmas books, start on December 1st and read one book per day until Christmas.
Pick fun but purposeful unit studies to use all winter long {check out these brand new 12 Days of Winter Unit Study Packs that will go live in December 1-16, 2020!}
Assign copywork of the lines your kid needs to know for the Christmas play.
Take paper and pencils to the store when shopping for gifts and ask your kids to find the total before you go to the register.
Search TpT for lessons on holiday symbols and traditions or the true story of Christmas.
Choose crafts that teach skills your kids actually need and not just because they are cute.
Create an Advent activity for the month of December that is both meaningful and academic.
If your family does the Elf on the Shelf, be an Elfover-achiever and make at least some of the elf’s daily antics centered around academics.
Take the time not only to go Christmas caroling but also learn the words of and the meaning behind classic carols before you go! {Click here to receive my December FREEbie – a 40-page Hymn Study Pack on Angels We Have Heard on High.}
None of that advanced planning takes away from the fun and joyful experiences of the holidays. But they do make the activities more meaningful and purposeful and they keep your kids focused on their academics while still having fun.
TIP TWO: Get creative!

Ask your kids to group the ornaments into types {shapes, sizes, colors, etc} and graph them before you put them on the tree.
{Or, later in the season, have them count the number of pine needles that have fallen off before they vacuum, ha ha.}
Rewrite the math assignment to include word problems about gifts, stockings and candy canes.
Say “we will practice fractions while baking cookies today” and make your younger kids reduce those fractions while the older kids need to find equivalent choices.
Replace the spelling words in your kid’s workbook with words including “sleigh, tradition, mistletoe”.
Teach formal letter-writing by having your kids write “thank you” letters.
Switch out your lunch-time read aloud book for something holiday related. {For a great historical fiction Christmas chapter book appropriate for all ages, check out the Imagination Station’s Danger on a Silent Night.} {And then take your fun new read aloud to the next level and get a resource to accompany it here. This Novel Study Pack is filled with vocab studies, puzzles and more!}
Explore the science of snow and the chemistry of instant hot-cocoa.
Define the laws of physics that allow graham crackers to be held up in a vertical position with icing while building gingerbread houses.
Yes, it will take longer to be creative. Yes, it will feel more like work than if you simply hope they’ll learn through osmosis while baking cookies, decorating trees and building gingerbread houses. But, the extra time and effort will be worth it. They’ll be doing actual academics while enjoying a variety of fun activities!
TIP THREE: Be Diligent!

Acknowledge that your kids’ academics fall solely on you. Yes, that’s a lot of pressure but it’s what we signed up for when we decided to homeschool. So, remain diligent during the holiday season.
Be diligent about your time.
It’s okay to miss out on a field trip or two.
It’s okay to say “no” to the choir director at church.
It’s okay to turn down the opportunity to organize the co-op Christmas party.
Be diligent about goals for your homeschool.
Stick to your daily routines.
Stick to your lesson plans.
Stick to your curriculum.
Do not put that carefully-chosen curriculum on the shelf “until January when things settle down.”
Be diligent by acknowledging that in January, you will be hit with Valentine’s Day, Easter and end-of-the-year craziness.
Be diligent in continuing to educate your kids during this busy holiday season.
Be diligent now so you are not caught off-guard in May and then decide to scrap the last 10 chapters of math.
I know this sounds difficult and time-consuming but, if you PLAN AHEAD and BE CREATIVE, it’ll be easy to BE DILIGENT!
And if you do all three, you can easily slip in loads of fun activities and memory-making!
And wouldn’t a spare $500 help you successfully homeschool through the holidays as well….or at least help buy gifts and goodies?
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While we wish we could bless many more families, we were able to come up with a big prize for TWO families – $500 each (delivered via Paypal) – that we pray will make a big difference in their lives this Christmas season!
There are lots of entry options in the Rafflecopter form below – the more you enter, the better your chance of winning! I know it can seem tedious and time-consuming to go through all the entries, but isn’t a chance at $500 worth it? I think it is! Plus, all of these amazing bloggers donated their own money toward the cash prizes, so this giveaway wouldn’t be possible without them. I hope you’ll take the time to check out each one. Who knows, maybe you will find some new blogs to follow.
The giveaway will run from Monday, November 16th through Wednesday, November 25th (ends at 11:59pm EST). Winner will be notified by email shortly after the giveaway ends and will have 48 hours to respond to claim the prize or another winner will be drawn. You must have a Paypal account to win. By entering this giveaway, you agree to be added to the email lists of the participating bloggers. Please be sure to read the Rafflecopter terms and conditions upon entering.
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Easier said than done, but I’m going to be more intentional!!
Totally true!
You have some really great creative ways to incorporate learning into the holidays! Thanks for these tips!
Thanks! I hope you find something useful to implement.
I love the layout of your site. The photos are super cute too! Great strategies for staying focused and getting school done while enjoying the holidays.
Thanks! Merry Christmas!
I love the reminder to be diligent. It’s easy to think Let’s just have fun, but the truth is you can be diligent and have fun 🙂 thanks for the encouragement and I’m new to following your blog and I already love it!
Thanks, Angela! I totally agree….you can do both!
Planning ahead is key for me to feel like we are having a full holiday season. Otherwise I forget to incorporate traditions with our busy family life.
I’m the same way, Katherine. I must plan ahead or it all seems to go to pot….
Realizing that it is okay to say “no” to a commitment is a big game changer!
Isn’t it though? This took me years but once I figured it out, I was like “yay!”