Welcome to holiday homeschooling. Where you already have parties, shopping, and appointments galore, but you still think you can do more.
Let’s face it. This time of year, we are already so full of end-of-year work parties, family get-togethers, and semester performances. But then there are presents to shop for, decorations to put up, and somehow we still have to find time to “keep the magic alive”. Not to mention homeschooling your kids through all of this.
And we wonder why we’re so exhausted by Christmas Eve.
So when you think about homeschooling through the holidays, you may just throw up your hands and give in, deciding to take the whole month off. I mean, you want to have fun with your kids, but when you’re so exhausted, you just can’t, not with any joy that is.
But can you afford to take it off? Then you’ll get behind. So through the guilt of it all, you pile more on.
And this is what I’m tackling today in this post. Stick with me to see if there’s a better way to homeschool through the holidays than going crazy.
*Note: This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using the link. Please see my disclosure for more details.
Shift your mindset
If you want to experience holidays with more joyful and peaceful experiences, then you may first need to work on shifting your mindset about homeschooling and learning in general. Here are some questions and thoughts to ponder as you begin to challenge your thinking:
- What is the point of homeschooling?
- What is “enough” learning for our family?
- I have freedom as a homeschooler to set my own schedule.
- We can’t do it all or learn it all, ever.
- Not all learning comes from a book or curriculum.
These questions and statements are just a few things to think about as you start to reframe some of your thinking. Some of these things still make me struggle, and I’ve been doing this for more than 11 years.
But here’s the truth from my point of view.
Learning isn’t about completing a book or checking off a list. It’s about gaining knowledge. And you have the freedom as a homeschooler to decide when, where, and how that knowledge is acquired.
Now, you may have a few restrictions depending on your local homeschooling laws, but in general, you can do what you want.
And when we remember we don’t have the time or ability to “do it all”, we get even more freedom. Not only do we not have to do all the activities this season, but we don’t even have to teach our kids everything they will ever know.
Our job is to turn them into life-long learners, so these first 18 years should feel a lot less daunting when you think of it that way. Plus, you still can squeeze quite a bit into those 18 years!
So this one month of holiday homeschooling every year really can become a joy. That doesn’t mean you should always take it off, but hopefully the option is more open at this point.
You now have permission to give yourself permission. Meeting goals doesn’t have to rule your life. Get out and have some fun, even with your older kids. And yes, even public schools change things up for the holidays.
Download the free holiday planning pages to help you plan your holidays.
Five holiday homeschooling approaches
With all that thinking behind us, where do we go from here? If our holidays don’t have to be all or nothing, then what options do we actually really have? Here are the five options as I see them and what they may look like:
- Continue doing things as usual. Full regular school days. Fit everything else in around all this. May lead to burn-out and overwhelm if you have a lot going on.
- Take a break from homeschool during the holidays. This is a great option for some, but many end up feeling behind in their learning, and kids may regress a little with the long break.
- Make a middle ground compromise. Continue doing some regular school work, but work in some extra time for holiday stuff. You could approach this in several ways:
- Only do your basic minimum work daily, leaving time for holiday activities.
- Do regular school work 4 days a week, and leave one day for fun learning.
- Keep math and reading only and switch out other subjects for holiday learning.
- Take a break from one subject and switch it out for a fun book or daily activity.
- Use a group learning time each day for some special holiday homeschooling.
- Take a break from school for only part of the month, or a couple days each week.
- Do Christmas School. Continue learning, but in a new and special way, just for the holidays. Do fun learning activities with a themed study or DIY your own. Some may want to still continue with math as well.
- Try interest-led learning. Take a break from formal learning, but continue to help your kids learn with intention according to their interests and your needs. Make progress without the stress.
All of these options are great possibilities for any homeschooling family for the holidays. Which one grabs your interest? Perhaps a combo of all of them is best!
Practical tips and how to decide
So how do you decide which option is right for you? First thing to do is think about what you and your family need in this season.
If you are burned out and overdone, then maybe a break or a lighter schedule will be what you need. If you are already feeling behind in your homeschool and feel like you need progress, maybe continue with more of your normal lessons, but incorporate some extra margin for the fun stuff.
If your kids are doing well, then maybe reward their diligence with some fun activities. If they are struggling in a certain subject, you could continue with focus on that while getting some breathing room in other areas.
Here are some more practical tips that may help you as you plan your holiday homeschooling:
- Create a plan. Even if it’s loose, come up with what you want to do and how.
- Interest-led learning and fun activities can be matched to subjects for record-keeping purposes.
- Create some rhythms to keep your days on track.
- Keep it realistic. Schedule less school days in December and leave room to breathe.
- Breaks often help us come back stronger on the other side.
- Manage expectations. Communicate with your family about your plans, desires, and expectations. Everything will go smoother.
- Taking a break doesn’t mean you’re lazy.
- If they’re learning, you can count it as a school day.
- Even high schoolers can have some fun learning!
- Write down why you homeschool, so you can look back at it when you’re doubting your choices.
Whatever you choose to do this holiday season, I hope you do it for the needs and desires of your family, not out of obligation or to please anyone else. Take this season to find the joy of homeschooling!
Ideas
Need some ideas of what to do this season while you homeschool through the holidays? Here are some great ideas and links to get you started!
- Read some great books – picture books, novels, devos – here’s a huge list of great options!
- Make cookies together and have a cookie exchange – This book is a great resource for this!
- Learn about Christmas and other holiday traditions from around the world – here’s a great link with a free printable list!
- Create fun traditions – drink hot cocoa, Christmas tree, lights, bake cookies – get more ideas in this list of traditions.
- Holiday parties – host or attend – think Gingerbread house competition, White elephant, Ugly Christmas Sweater, and more!
- Holiday activities – zoo lights, Christmas lights, Living Nativity, Concerts, performances – more ideas in this link.
- Do a holiday unit study – like this one or this. More ideas in this link (#77 and #78).
- Study the history of Christmas – Here is a great study you can use!
- Learn about advent and put some ideas into practice – Here’s a great link for more!
- Play games as a family – any game will do, but here’s some fun holiday games!
- Do Christmas School with your kids – try this option or this great option or DIY your own.
Holiday homeschooling planning pages – free printable!
Free weekly gratitude holiday planner
- Create a gentle weekly rhythm that keeps your holiday homeschool steady without stress.
- Gather simple holiday learning ideas in one easy spot.
- See your week at a glance with a calm, clutter-free dashboard.
- Lighten your load by focusing on what truly matters this season.
- Blend learning with real life so December feels peaceful, not pressured.
Inside this holiday planner kit, you’ll find simple tools that help you slow down, stay grounded, and enjoy meaningful learning without the pressure of doing “all the things.”
Homeschooling through the Holidays
Holiday homeschooling doesn’t have to feel chaotic or overwhelming. When you combine the right mindset, a flexible approach, and a realistic plan, you can enjoy a season that’s both peaceful and full of learning. You don’t have to do it all or go crazy trying. Just make a few shifts, keep learning together, and let this holiday be one filled with joy, connection, and peace.
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