The blockade of holidays that starts at the end of October and keeps going until mid-February is almost upon us.
As you continue with your normal routine you now are tasked with balancing holiday activities as well. This can lead to feeling extremely stressed during the holidays rather than joyous and free like it is intended to be. Pair that with homeschooling and you may be ready to pull your hair out.
So to save you the stress and heartache I am here with all the planners, organizers, and curriculum ideas that will show you how to survive and thrive when homeschooling through the holidays (at least until December).
Tips as you go through this post:
- The 3 freebies are available in a PDF together at the end of the post.
- There is a black and white option with different freebie designs.
- The curriculum and freebie details are broken down month-to-month there you can download the individual freebies if you don’t want the entire pack.
Surviving October:
Although October is the start of the holiday rush you may not be feeling overwhelmed just yet. This month is the perfect time to get a jump start on your holiday planning and set the tone for the holiday rush.
Curriculum Ideas: Halloween and Pumpkins Printable Packs- October allows for some fun themes. You can teach about some of the fun traditions of Halloween or walk your little one through the life cycle of pumpkins.
Pair that with pumpkin carving, decorating, and trick-or-treating (usually) you have a month full of educational opportunities.
Holiday Freebie: Mid-Year Checklist– While the year is more than halfway through taking a moment to look back at everything you have been able to accomplish helps keep you encouraged.
Checking off the goals you’ve already completed can be very invigorating and you can even add in a few goals to get knocked out before the year comes to an end.
October Tip: Start planning your holiday details now. Set your Thanksgiving menu, plan out Christmas gifts, and write out Christmas card envelopes.
Fun Fact: I actually write all 45 [sometimes more] of my Christmas cards in October and have them addressed and ready to go.
If you plan to carve pumpkins this year then you will want to read over these life-changing tips to make it especially easy and fun for your little ones.
Surviving November:
Curriculum Ideas: Thanksgiving Printable Pack- November is a month of fun and giving. You can teach ideas of sharing, manners, and gratitude alongside the Thanksgiving printable pack.
Always check the freebies page when you visit Budding Mama because several Thanksgiving freebies are posted and new ones are adding frequently.
Holiday Freebie: Holiday Recipe Planner– Preparing for an epic Thanksgiving dinner?
Whether it is a small family gathering or if the entire family is coming to town to celebrate this recipe planner includes 3 amazing resources to make you a kitchen rockstar.
You will get a menu template, recipe cards, and a shopping list to make meal planning a breeze.
November Tip: If you are planning to buy any gifts for Christmas or any other holiday presents this is the time to start making those purchases. Black Friday is always your best friend if you can catch any sales. Also, don’t forget about Small Business Sunday and Cyber Monday.
Preparing a dinner menu early in the month helps prevent last-minute scrambling as well.
Surviving December:
Curriculum Ideas: Christmas Printable Packs- To round out the trifecta of holiday printable packs is the Christmas pack. This pack is the 2nd longest of all my unit studies meaning more activities for you.
There are so many fun and unique learning activities paired here that you will want to add them into your Christmas planning as soon as possible.
Holiday Freebie: Christmas Card Tracker/Gift Planner– If you haven’t already this month is the time to start getting those gifts purchased and holiday cards sent out.
If you are planning to take any family portraits get them scheduled ASAP and remember to buy stamps.
December Tip: If you are choosing to send your cards this month remember to send them at least 2 weeks in advance to ensure they are received on time.
Make any online purchases early in the month for timely delivery. If you can’t do that your best option is to go in-store ASAP as it helps reduce the stress factor.
You never want to be stuck watching your tracking notifications every day because you ordered something too late.
Surviving the Year:
Here are the main things you need to remember about surviving homeschool during the holidays.
Don’t get locked into a schedule-with family visits, family time, and events your schedule probably won’t be the same. Don’t get bogged down with trying to do what you normally do.
Sometimes it’s ok to take a day off if there are other things on your plate that week. That’s the joy of homeschool.
Your holiday activities can be educational moments– You don’t always need a locked-in curriculum for teaching. As you prepare for the holidays you can take advantage of different traditions as a chance for learning.
Carve a pumpkin to practice fine motor skills and creativity in October. Focus on being grateful, manners, and table etiquette during November. Practice letter writing, cutting skills to make snowflakes, and creativity through baking in December.
Your options are endless during the holidays. If you start planning early you can not only get through the holidays, but you can actually relax a little and enjoy the holiday season too.
Happy Holidays!
Updated October 2021
Last Updated on October 24, 2021 by Kierra
I love your idea to look back and see what er have accomplished- even more so this year! I enjoy my accountability posts this way. Partly to see what worked and didn’t, but also to recognize how much I have done.
Great printable!
Thank you. Yes, oftentimes we get so caught up in what we weren’t able to do or what we still want to do that we don’t realize how much we have really accomplished.
This is super helpful! Things always start to feel stressful and chaotic for me this time of year, and you’ve got some great tips and freebies here that will definitely help.
I’m happy to hear that. I am all about making life fun, but easy.
You are so right that once October starts it’s like bam-bam-bam! Helpful post – sharing!!
You are welcome. It will be November 1st then January 1st before you know it lol.
Thank you for all the tips and information. So many parents are homeschooling whether by choice or by circumstance this year and it’s a whole new world. We need all the help we can get.
I totally agree. I definitely think the ‘homeschoolers by circumstance’ often get forgotten about and they definitely need some support as well.
Planning is always key to anything in this world. It can take time but once you get it right everything comes just fine.
Yes and these resources are perfect to help with that.
Freebie sounds always nice to me. Hopefully this Christmas will bring something diffyfor us.
Yes, FREE is definitely my favorite word.
As a kindergarten teacher, I know I’m teaching my parents along side of my students. It’s been hard for them and eye-opening as well! I’m always updating my resources!
Yes, teaching is ever-changing and you must be always able to adapt.
I applaud you as I worked hard helping my kids when they went to actual school…. and you are actually doing it all! Kiddos to you and I appreciate the tips for the Holiday Season 🙂
Thank you, I hope I was able to help. I love doing group resources like this. Keeping everything right at your fingertips.
Wow, you have great talent at planning. I always wanted to be so well-prepared but probably laziness got the best of me. It is always, “I’ll do it next week” or “I’ll do it next time”.
I’m inspired now to plan out my kid’s schedule during the holidays!
I have definitely always taken pride in trying to be organized and maintain some sort of plan. But I definitely have my days where I just do as little as possible and push everything to the next day then the next lol. You are not alone.
This is SO incredibly helpful as I’m trying to keep things thematic and in the holiday spirit for my Homeschooling. Thanks for all your helpful trackers and organizational systems! Will definitely get use out of them esp this year!
I am so happy that you are loving the printables. I love hearing that people enjoy my work.
My son and his wife just started homeschool. They didn’t like the online curriculum the school offered and weren’t ready to send my grandbabe back in person due to the pandemic. They are loving it so far, all of them!
I am so happy to hear that. But the online options have been very crippling for many families. Unfortunately, it is just everyone trying to make the best of a bad situation. I am so glad they are enjoying homeschooling it is so worth it.