100 deschooling activities for new home educators

Ever wondered what happens when you step off the traditional education treadmill? This is deschooling – a liberating transition period where children (and parents!) unlearn the rigid structures of conventional schooling and rediscover natural, curiosity-driven learning in every day life.  Explore my collection of 100 deschooling activities!

What is deschooling?

Deschooling is a period of relaxed, pressure-free learning – which usually takes place over the first few weeks or months of home educating – where families step away from traditional school methods and allow children to naturally rediscover joy in learning. Through this gentle transition period, where learning happens through curiosity, play, and real-world experiences, you child has opportunity to discover their passions and build confidence outside the conventional school system. Don’t worry, you’re not going to “mess up” their education, you’re actually helping them develop a more authentic and meaningful approach to understanding the world. You’ll find my full article on what deschooling is here.

If you’re not sure where to start, below you’ll find 100 engaging deschooling activities, which are suggested to help children transition from traditional schooling to home education. I’d recommend sitting down with your child and reading through the list, picking out a range of activities to integrate into your first few weeks of home education. This gives you opportunity to see what interests your child, how they like to learn and start to gain an understanding of the knowledge they already hold.

Nature and Outdoor Activities

1. Nature walk: Explore local parks or forests, identifying plants and animals.
2. Birdwatching: Set up a bird feeder and keep a log of visiting species.
3. Gardening: Plant and tend to a small vegetable or flower garden.
4. Rock collecting: Start a rock collection and learn about different types of stones.
5. Cloud watching: Lie on the grass and identify cloud shapes, discussing weather patterns.
6. Pond dipping: Investigate aquatic life in local ponds or streams.
7. Nature photography: Document local flora and fauna through photography.
8. Leaf rubbing: Collect and identify leaves. Create artistic impressions using crayons and paper.
9. Outdoor sketching: Draw landscapes or natural objects in a sketchbook.
10. Stargazing: Observe and identify constellations on clear nights.

Creative Arts and Crafts

1. Painting: Experiment with different painting techniques and mediums.
2. Clay modelling: Create sculptures or pottery using air-dry clay.
3. Collage making: Use magazines and found objects to create themed collages.
4. Origami: Learn the Japanese art of paper folding.
5. Knitting or crochet: Begin with simple projects like scarves or coasters.
6. Tie-dyeing: Design and create colourful patterns on fabric.
7. Candle making: Craft homemade candles using moulds and wax.
8. Jewellery making: Design and create simple jewellery pieces.
9. Scrapbooking: Document family memories or interests in a creative book.
10. Puppet making: Create puppets from socks or paper bags and put on shows.

Culinary Exploration

1. Baking: Try new recipes for cakes, biscuits, or bread.
2. International cuisine: Cook dishes from different countries each week.
3. Herb garden: Grow and use fresh herbs in cooking.
4. Food science experiments: Explore chemical reactions in cooking.
5. Meal planning: Plan and prepare family meals for a week.
6. Picnic preparation: Organise and pack a picnic to enjoy outdoors.
7. Jam making: Learn to make preserves from seasonal fruits.
8. Smoothie creation: Invent new smoothie recipes using various fruits and vegetables.
9. Bento box design: Create visually appealing packed lunches.
10. Food photography: Style and photograph homemade dishes.

Science and Technology

1. Simple experiments: Conduct basic science experiments using household items.
2. Coding: Learn basic programming using child-friendly platforms like Scratch.
3. Robot building: Construct simple robots using kits or recycled materials.
4. Weather station: Set up a home weather station and record daily observations.
5. App design: Brainstorm and sketch ideas for mobile applications.
6. Electronics exploration: Take apart old electronics to understand their components.
7. 3D printing: Design and print simple objects using 3D printing technology.
8. Virtual reality: Explore educational VR experiences using smartphone apps.
9. Microscope investigations: Examine everyday objects under a microscope.
10. Solar system model: Create a scale model of the solar system.

Literature and Language

1. Book club: Start a family or friends book club, discussing chosen books.
2. Creative writing: Write short stories or poetry on various themes.
3. Journaling: Keep a daily journal to practice writing and self-reflection.
4. Language learning: Begin learning a new language through apps or online resources.
5. Storytelling: Create and tell original stories orally or through writing.
6. Poetry slam: Organise a family poetry reading event.
7. Comic book creation: Design and illustrate an original comic book.
8. Letter writing: Write letters to pen pals or family members.
9. Book review blog: Start a blog to review books read during deschooling.
10. Word games: Play word-based games like Scrabble or crossword puzzles.

History and Culture

1. Local history project: Research and document the history of your local area.
2. Time capsule: Create a family time capsule to be opened in the future.
3. Historical reenactment: Dress up and act out scenes from different historical periods.
4. Cultural festival: Organise a mini cultural festival celebrating different traditions.
5. Family tree: Research and create a family genealogy chart.
6. Virtual or in-person museum tours: Explore world-famous or local museums.
7. Historical cooking: Try recipes from different historical periods.
8. Archaeology dig: Set up a mock archaeological dig in the garden.
9. Oral history: Interview older family members about their lives and experiences.
10. Historical film club: Watch and discuss historical films or documentaries.

Music and Performance

1. Instrument learning: Begin learning a musical instrument.
2. Songwriting: Compose original songs or lyrics.
3. Music appreciation: Listen to and discuss various genres of music.
4. Dance exploration: Learn different dance styles through online tutorials.
5. Lip sync battles: Organise family lip sync competitions.
6. Percussion band: Create a family band using homemade instruments.
7. Musical theatre: Put on a mini musical production at home.
8. Podcast creation: Start a family podcast on a chosen topic.
9. Voice acting: Practice different character voices and record stories.
10. Music video production: Create a music video for a favourite song.

Physical Activities and Sports

1. Yoga: Practice yoga through online classes or apps.
2. Home Olympics: Organise a family Olympics with various sporting events.
3. Dance workout: Follow along with dance workout videos.
4. Obstacle course: Design and navigate through a homemade obstacle course.
5. Juggling: Learn to juggle using balls or scarves.
6. Hula hooping: Master hula hoop tricks and routines.
7. Skipping rope challenges: Learn new skipping rope techniques and games.
8. Balance board: Practice balance skills using a homemade balance board.
9. Indoor bowling: Set up a bowling alley using plastic bottles and a soft ball.
10. Frisbee golf: Create a Frisbee golf course in your garden or local park.

Life Skills and Practical Learning

1. Basic first aid: Learn essential first aid skills appropriate for children.
2. Budgeting: Create a simple budget for pocket money or family activities.
3. Sewing: Learn basic sewing skills by hand or machine.
4. DIY projects: Complete age-appropriate home improvement tasks.
5. Car maintenance: Learn basic car care like checking tyre pressure or oil levels.
6. Laundry skills: Master the process of doing laundry from start to finish.
7. Time management: Create and follow a daily schedule.
8. Basic home repairs: Learn to change a light bulb or unblock a sink.
9. Gardening tools: Learn to use and maintain basic gardening tools safely.
10. Pet care: Take responsibility for pet care tasks if applicable.

Community and Social Activities

1. Volunteering: Participate in age-appropriate local volunteering opportunities.
2. Neighbourhood clean-up: Organise a litter-picking event in your area.
3. Care home visits: Arrange to visit a local care home to read or play games with residents.
4. Community garden: Contribute to or start a community garden project.
5. Charity fundraiser: Plan and execute a small fundraising event for a chosen charity.
6. Skill sharing: Teach a skill to friends or learn one from them.
7. Local government: Attend a local council meeting to learn about community issues.
8. Random acts of kindness: Perform daily acts of kindness in your community.
9. Intergenerational project: Collaborate with older community members on a shared project.
10. Community art: Participate in or organise a community art project or mural.

In addition to those ideas listed, I’d recommend making local museums, farms, castles, aquariums, etc. a regular staple. We never get to see everything before my son’s attention span runs out, so we tend to head to places where you pay once and then can return for free again throughout the year. This means we can keep visits short and sweet – as long as my son is engaged for – and then look around a different exhibit on the next visit. This helps to keep the experience positive and works to his interest and energy levels.

Our other staple is the library. Every Wednesday, we head out to the ice cream parlour first and share a scoop and then go on to the library. No phones, no distractions – just us. Usually we’ll read a couple of picture books there, and will then select 2-3 books to take home for the week. It’s become our little weekly ritual and has increased his enthusiasm for reading hugely, as well as giving us that essential 1:1 time.

Let me know in the comments if you’re currently deschooling and how it’s going! I’d also encourage you to share your best deschooling activities so other parents can benefit from them too.