Don’t Miss the Fun in Homeschooling High School

Having a high school student in your homeschool doesn’t mean you’re destined to have boring days & boring curriculum.

But I want FUN.

I want to trace turkey hands, practice fractions by baking, and mummify a chicken (thank you for the memories, Story of the World, Vol. 1!).

But when I’m talking about fun, especially with older kiddos, I’m not talking about fun without learning. Or glitter and parties.

It’s hard to make geometry proofs fun. Writing lab reports isn’t my idea of a great time.

But watching your kiddo chuckle as they type away on a writing activity? Smiling as they bring their chemistry experiment to the dinner table? Understand the connections between history & music?

Seeing joy on your kiddo’s face — especially at an age that can be as rocky as the teen years — is a highlight of my day.

And when their days are often filled with work that’s a bit duller than the early years, adding in something fun via their curriculum or ‘brain breaks’ is good for them, too.

Fun Curriculum & Resources

1. Chemistry in the Kitchen
2. US & World History Detective
3. Explore 100 Important Songs of the 20th Century with w/related news articles
4. Crash Course makes every subject more fun!

The Joys of Discussion

An absolute highlight of high school has been the discussions. Teens are awesome. Watching your teen squirm around in excitement as they tell you about an interesting topic. Listening to them defend a position different from your own. Explaining to you. how different topics connect.

You are in for a treat.

I began weaving discussion more purposefully into our days to assess her learning. But it soon became more than that. Our homeschool has always been full of chatter, but high school was different. It could go to higher levels of discussion; it was student-led and offered a real glimpse into this near-adult sitting across the room from me.

Reluctant talker? Three starter questions:

1. Tell me something you learned.
2. Tell me something that you think I’ll find interesting.
3. Why was ________ important in history/science/the story/whatever?

Number 2 is always my favorite. Your kids have far more insight into your personality than you might think!

Interesting Online Courses

Putting a spin on core classes is an easy way to amp up the fun & interest. You can absolutely do something non-traditional for your courses, even your core classes. Or you could cut out a unit of your curriculum or build a semester/year around it.

• Alternate History
• Dark History: True & Terrible History
• Law School for Teens

• Science in Fiction: How Science Shapes Literature & Film
• Tales from Tolkien: A Study of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
• Lights! Cameras! Action! Movies as Literature

• Genetics and Biotechnology

Electives: Think Outside the Box

Electives are an easy way to add some fun & relaxation to your student’s day.

• Filmmaking (Hollywood Film School, iD Tech)
• Animation (The Animation Course, on Coursera
• Cake Decorating (Wilton, Sugar Sugar Cake, Cake Flix)
• Techie kids could develop their own app

More electives ideas are over here.

And a few more ways.

• Map work? Use custom Google My Maps instead. (More ways to use Google Maps in your homeschool.)
• Field trip? Semester project? Let them create videos using iMovie or other free software.
• Chemistry? Play Periodic Table Battleship. (This is a fun, alternative periodic table.)
• History? Add a monthly movie night.
• Art? Khan Academy & Pixar teamed up for Pixar in a Box.
• Storytelling? KA & Disney teach storytelling in Imagineering in a Box.