As my family has grown and my children have gotten older, one thing we love adding to our weekly homeschool rhythm is structured small groups. For my family, small groups are a refreshing way to infuse life into our homeschool days, and something we look forward to each week. Incorporating other friends and family, or other peers, has brought me and my children so much joy over the years. My children love learning together with their friends, in settings like book club and chess club, and on Fridays, we do a weekly meetup in nature with our local Wild + Free group.
If you are new to homeschooling or are considering adding a social group to your homeschool days, this blog post explains the benefits of homeschooling in small groups and shares ideas for incorporating this into your homeschool.
In this blog post:
- Benefits of homeschooling in small groups
- Types of homeschool small groups
- How I add small groups to our homeschool rhythm
- How to use curriculum with a homeschool group or co-op
Benefits of homeschooling in small groups
While many of us love homeschooling for the opportunity to be at home with our children and nurture a connection within our families, forming groups in our local community or with nearby homeschool families has been a rich experience for us as well. Forming small groups helps children form friendships and gain social time with their peers. Groups can provide accountability, healthy competition, and encouragement among families. As an educator, it can give you a way to take a break from daily lessons, as you share in teaching with other parents. You can also learn from other teachers with knowledge or expertise in a specific subject area. It is also a great opportunity to leave the house and learn or play in a new environment.
Types of homeschool small groups
There are so many ways to incorporate small groups and socialization into your home education environment. Whether you choose to participate in a learning cooperative (co-op) for some subjects, join an organized extracurricular activity, or invite friends and family into your home for learning or games, there are many ways to add a social group into your homeschool.
What is a homeschool co-op?
A learning cooperative or homeschool co-op is formed when families get together for academics, activities, projects, and more. These are typically parent-led and may include children of varying ages. Co-ops may meet in homes, churches, or community centers like parks and libraries.
Existing co-ops may take a bit of time to find. The best way to find other co-ops is to ask families in your homeschool community, or look online for existing groups in your area (try this search from HSLDA). You can also try checking with your local library or searching on social media for other groups.
What kind of clubs can I join with my homeschooled child?
A more informal way to get together with other families is to form a club around a common interest, like a book club or chess club. Meet with friends and participate in shared interests or new activities that everyone can learn together.
What kind of Bible studies can I join with my homeschooled child?
If your family is a part of any religion or church affiliation, you may enjoy meeting with a Bible study group for children. Many churches include Bible studies as part of their weekly worship services, or you could join a separate Bible study group for children, or form your own! Meeting together to study Scripture and Bible stories with friends or children of the same age is a great way to learn about the Bible or reinforce Bible messages you want to share with your children.
What kinds of extracurricular activities can I join with my homeschooled child?
Extracurricular activities are a common way for children to get involved in different activities, like sports or other organizations. These are often differentiated by age, skill, or level of interest. Extracurriculars are generally more structured than other activities. For example, your child may enjoy participating in sports like tennis, soccer, or gymnastics, music lessons, cooking classes, art classes, and so much more. The options for extracurriculars are endless!
Another benefit of extracurricular activities is that you can generally join for a short period of time to see if your child enjoys the activity, or if it is a good fit for your family. Some classes may allow you to join on a monthly basis, or for a semester or season.
How I add small groups to our homeschool rhythm
This is something we have adapted over the years. Since my children were small, we have enjoyed meeting with other families for book club parties and playdates. Now that my children are older, we still incorporate book club, but at a higher level, with more advanced reading, book report presentations, coordinating activities, and more.
Each Friday my children and I meet with our local Wild + Free group, where we get out and explore nature. We may hike on a nearby trail, or get outside and explore the outdoors together. Our group also enjoys celebrating the holidays together, like Friendsgiving and Valentine’s Swap. We have also been involved in activities like entrepreneur fairs, where we make and sell homemade goods. A couple of times a year, we plan a camping trip with the other families, which is something we always look forward to and enjoy.
This year, with my husband’s encouragement, we also started a chess club with local families and friends. We invite several families to our home to practice playing chess, playing multiple games and taking turns. We are also adding extracurricular activities for my older two children this year. They are participating in American Heritage Girls and Trail Life USA, organizations we have loved for years.
Especially as my children get older, I want them to have the opportunity to meet new friends and form friendships, and these experiences have been enriching and positive for us. I also block out time for these meetups in my homeschool planner. When I review the week ahead, if I have a day blocked out to spend time in a community group, it helps me prioritize our school lessons on the other days of the week.
How to use curriculum with a homeschool group or co-op
If you are looking for fun ways to incorporate learning alongside friends and family, we designed Treehouse Schoolhouse curriculum to be a fit for both homeschool families and small groups. These studies are open-and-go and can be used as a menu for learning, making it adaptable to different settings, age levels, timeframes, interests, and more.
Please note that most curricula, ours included, are only licensed for use by one household. If you plan to use any curriculum with a small group, you will need to purchase a Small Group License. You can select your license depending on your group size and then share the files with the entire group. This is a great way to pool resources together and save money on curriculum.
Treehouse Story School: Preschool
Gather the little ones together for story time, learning, and the sweetest crafts and recipes with Treehouse Story School: Preschool. Treehouse Story School: Preschool is a gentle, literature-based preschool curriculum that invites children to learn through the themes in stories they love. Each week will focus on a picture book, inviting children into connection and learning through music and movement, play-based narration, alphabet and number play, motor skills, practical life development, crafts, and baking together.
Treehouse Nature Study
Treehouse Nature Study is a year-long seasonal nature study curriculum designed with family-style learning in mind. It is a gentle guide meant to invite various ages to connect with each other and the world around them through living books, nature notebooking, hands-on projects, and beauty subjects such as poetry, picture study, and folk songs. Available in both Primary and Intermediate Years, Treehouse Nature Study will provide years of rich education for the whole family.
To do Treehouse Nature Study in a group setting, I recommend choosing activities from the Primary or Intermediate Years, based on the ages of your children, and exploring different nature subjects throughout the year. Primary Years has great opportunities for hands-on learning, including folk songs, projects, and experiments. Intermediate Years has opportunities for science experiments, activities, and more.
Treehouse Book Studies
Treehouse Book Studies are digital download book studies of children’s literature for ages 5-13. Use in your homeschool as literature curriculum or as book study with a small group. Create lasting connections through rich stories while you study themes such as science, nature, geography, history, and language arts. Each download includes: Book Study with weekly lesson plans, recipes, Book Report Template, Extension Book List, Multimedia Reference Materials links, and Book Club Meet-up Guide. Book studies are suitable for family-style learning, but are also curated for Primary and Intermediate readers.
Rooted and Flourish Family Bible Curriculum
Rooted Family Bible Curriculum is an 18-week family Bible curriculum. Each week centers around one declaration statement related to themes of Identity, Devotion, and Wisdom. Rooted incorporates beauty subjects with Bible study including daily Scripture readings, discussion and prayer prompts, hymns, poetry, and art study.
Rooted Family Bible Curriculum was created to give children a way to instill an authentic connection in their hearts with the truths in the Bible. Particularly in a group setting, like a church Bible class or Bible study, this curriculum provides an amazing way to access the teachings of the Bible and open hearts. It offers discussion questions and prayer prompts so children can learn alongside each other.
Flourish Family Bible Curriculum is an 18-week family Bible curriculum that centers around one declaration statement related to the themes of Mission, Virtue, and Love. Flourish incorporates beauty subjects with Bible study including daily Scripture readings, discussion and prayer prompts, hymns, poetry, and art study. Enjoy the rhythms of connection and beauty found in our beloved Rooted Family Bible Curriculum with a focus on bearing fruit through our lives in the world around us. This study is particularly suited for Christian groups who want to find opportunities for service together in their local community, as the study teaches how to bear fruit in the world around them through Biblical virtues, missional purpose and expressing love.
Treehouse Schoolhouse holiday unit studies
Holiday unit studies are an excellent way to anticipate the upcoming holiday and dwell on what makes them important. Dive deep on moments during the year like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. These all involve Scripture readings, poetry study, art study, hands-on activities, and more. Make each holiday special and memorable with these studies. These are an excellent fit for a church small group or Bible study and can be used as a menu for your small group.
View all Treehouse Schoolhouse curricula for small groups and co-ops.
Do you participate in small groups in your homeschool? Share your experience in the comments below.
