by Mindi Popovich-Schneider, Saint Emmelia Ministries Assistant

It is a truth (nearly) universally acknowledged that homeschoolers stuck in the deep midwinter must be in want of an outlet for their energy. Add on the swift approach of Lent, and accomplishing anything–let alone productive schoolwork–seems like a far-off dream!

First, it’s important to know that whatever you do manage to accomplish is perfectly fine. Your kids’ futures will not suffer in any way because you didn’t make it all the way through their textbooks according to your original schedule (or at all). They will learn everything they need to know whether they slam through 5 levels of Rocket Math in two days or in two months! And “staying on track” is never, ever worth souring your homeschool experience and relationships with your kids because everyone is constantly squabbling.

So, as much as you can, relax your expectations. Reevaluate what absolutely needs to be done and at what pace your kids can reasonably accomplish those things. Find ways to make the necessities joyful, and let the instruction, concepts, and lessons come second–because they will come.

Here are some ideas for EASY activities that might help make your lessons more joyful as you get through the winter slump.

Design a board game. When I was a homeschooler, one of my favorite activities was to design a board game to review for an evaluation (or just to practice concepts). I loved drawing out the game path and setting it all up while my mom worked with my siblings. Then, when they had finished up their tasks, we would gather around the board and start playing! When I became a teacher myself, my students pretty universally loved using this as a study tool for evaluations.

The best part of this activity is that it can really work for any concept–practicing spelling words, reviewing history dates, solving math problems, etc. The second best part is that you can easily make a game board with materials you have around the house. Posterboard is ideal, but construction or printer paper work too. In my avid game-making years, we had a little box full of rubber animals that made the perfect game pieces, but you can use anything around the house. For even less mess, you can replicate all of this on a whiteboard, using magnets as game pieces.
The simplest version is a Candy Land style “road.” Kids can make up special instructions for different squares, such as “move backward 5 squares”–or even things as silly as “do 10 jumping jacks!” At the start of each turn, a player will have to answer a question. If they get the answer right, they can then roll the dice to determine how many squares they move. If they don’t get the answer correct, they lose a turn.
Of course, you can use any kind of board game using the same concept. What really matters is that it’s a very quick way to add a new, fun element to your studies.
Do a Nature Scavenger Hunt. This is another one that you can make as simple or as complicated as you want–all that matters is that you’re getting out in nature and taking a little time to really look at things. In its most simple form, kids can look for things in nature that correspond to each color of the rain bow. If you want to really get invested, you could take an empty egg carton and paint each slot a different color. As you walk, kids can fill it with whatever they find. Of course, depending on where you live, finding things that are pink, purple, or blue might be quite a challenge in the winter, so consider adjusting your color palette with that in mind.
Bake something. Baking is such a great educational activity: it incorporates science, math, following instructions, and creativity–and, of course, you get a tasty treat at the end! There are lots of resources available online to help you explain the chemical processes that happen during baking, but even if you forgo scientific or mathematical instruction, kids will get a lot out of the project!
Make a craft. I know this sounds obvious, but the point I want to make here is that making a craft does not have to be complicated. Throw something down on the floor (an old tablecloth or shower curtain liner, scrap paper or newspaper, etc.) and put out whatever craft supplies you have on hand. Get creative–throw in a handful of cotton swabs, cotton balls, rubber bands, and so on. Everyone can work together or make their own project.
Do something kind for someone else. One of the best ways to get over bad days, in my experience, is to think about someone else. It doesn’t have to be complicated; in fact, it can be as simple as picking up a quick treat from the grocery store and going to a friend’s house (especially if they’re also having a bad day) to help out with chores. You could combine this with one of the other activities, like baking something, and deliver your treats to someone like your godfamily or priest. Or you could even sit down and write letters and draw pictures for anyone in your parish who is sick or homebound.
Have a “saint day.” Look up the saints for the day. Choose one and read about them. Listen to their troparion, and if you can find the sheet music for it, try to learn it. If the saint is famous, you can probably find corresponding activities with a simple internet search. If less is known about them, you can look up recipes, games, and crafts from their home country. Maybe you can even trace or draw “icons” of that saint! Whatever you choose to do, spend as much of the day as you can just getting to know one particular saint.

These are just a handful of the many activities you can do to break up your routine when your routine is just too much. Ultimately, what you do doesn’t really matter; what’s important is to remember to not let your homeschooling–and your family life–become a battleground. Remember that even God rested. Have grace with yourself and your kids. There’s plenty of time for them to learn everything they need to know, but they’ll only be the exact age they are now for a very short time. Treasure it!