Not-Back-to-School Events

As their neighbors buy new lunch boxes and notebooks and worry about adjusting sleep schedules and who's going to get junior off the bus this year, many homeschoolers find themselves breathing a sigh of relief. Finally, our favorite museums and parks will be less crowded again! Whether you stick to the traditional school-year calendar or take a more free-form approach, the end of summer is the perfect time to get outdoors and to fully enjoy the flexibility that homeschooling affords. Not-back-to-school events are a way to connect with others and to celebrate the freedom that homeschooling gives.

In the sidebar is a list of not-back-to-school events in Massachusetts. If there is not one near you, consider creating your own. It can be as simple as picking a day and location and inviting a few friends. Let us know—we would be happy to add it to the list!

And finally, before you go enjoy the uncrowded outdoors, a favorite "not-back-to-school" memory from Carrie in Somerville:

“My favorite homeschooling memory came when the kids were about 10 and 6. It was late August and we went to Kmart to buy a single school supply. (I took a picture that day of a sign in the store that said "School supply"). The parking lot was crowded and I wondered why. I really started wondering why the store was so crowded once we got in the store. The school supply we came for? A kite. We got our kite and got in line at the register. People in front of me and behind me had carts of pencils, notebooks, etc. That's when I realized why the store was crowded. Back to school shopping! We were the only ones with no pencils or notebooks but a single kite. I love that memory! (We studied wind patterns with our kite).”