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The Best First Day of Homeschool Ideas

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It’s finally here: the first official day of homeschool. 

So…now what? 

Try out some of these first day of homeschool ideas and activities to make the day fun and memorable.

First Day of Homeschool Ideas

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First Day of Homeschool IDEAS AND Activities

You want your first day of homeschool to be a positive experience, so stack the deck in your favor with these ideas for first day of homeschool activities. 

You do not need to do them all in one day (in fact, please don’t). 

Keep this list handy for when your hum-drum day needs a mood booster.

Make It Festive

You don’t need to spend big bucks at the party store, but add some pizzazz to the room where you’ll homeschool. 

Hang a few streamers or blow up a few balloons (raid your birthday supplies bin). 

Make the first day of homeschool a family event to celebrate.

Don’t Forget the Photo Op

Instead of the same ol’ school picture drudgery, take a funny first day of school picture instead. 

Your kids will like it better than the formal variety, and you’ll have a memento from the day.

First Day of Homeschool Ideas

Cafe Your Way

Have a midmorning or midafternoon coffee/tea/cocoa break. 

Set out a plate of muffins, cookies, or sliced fruit. 

Sit on the porch or in the yard or cluster in the kitchen for a 10-minute, purely social brain break.

School Supply Treasure Hunt

Nothing is more beautiful than a fresh box of crayons, am I right? 

Your kids will love their new school supplies. 

Tie a piece of yarn to their doorknobs and have them follow the yarn (and wrap it) to their hidden school supplies. 

Bonus points if you use that yarn for a craft or science project later!

Take a Craft Break

As something special for your first day, make a craft together. 

Make it something your kids will enjoy! 

Check out this list of back-to-school crafts.

Keep It Short and Sweet

Math, science, geography, oh my!

Yes, you have lofty plans to do all. the. things. 

Just don’t do them all today. 

Think about a swimming pool whose water is a little brisk. 

If you jump in all at once, the cold will make you yell. 

If you get in gradually, you have time to adjust. 

Give that time to your children. 

Let their first impressions of the homeschool year be, “This is fun and doable.”

First Day of Homeschool Ideas

Hook Them with a Read Aloud

Reading to your children (this is true for any age) is one of the main joys of homeschooling. 

Pick an engaging story to read each day. 

You can read a chapter over lunch or at another point that fits in your day.  

Plan Something Special

Do something different today. 

Make breakfast for lunch. 

Take a trip to get ice cream after the school work is done. 

Set up a scavenger hunt or play hide and seek with your kids. 

Add an element of surprise and novelty to the day.  

Do a Flip-Through

You don’t need to assign work in every subject, but you may want to show your children which books they’ll be reading and what they’ll be learning this year. 

Let them explore their curricula on their own.

Keep It Active

Why not add a splash of physical activity fun? 

Take a break and have a dance party or set up the chairs and couch cushions as an obstacle course.  

First Day of Homeschool Ideas

Activities for the First Day of Homeschool

No matter which one (or two or three!) you choose to do, any of these first day of homeschool ideas will make the day both memorable and fun. 

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