Clubs and Activities for Homeschoolers
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One of the many advantages of homeschooling is that it allows the time and freedom for children to pursue personal interests. While some interests  can be better enjoyed independently, such as painting or creative writing; often times, a child will have an interest or two that can be enjoyed through a club, organized activity or a class.
Sometimes the entire family may enjoy a club together, and of course the homeschooling family can enjoy many other types of activities together. Most homeschooling families have two parents with usually Dad working and Mom at home, but even so, the children won't be tied to homework on the weekends or after dinner.
Because homeschooling families do have all this newfound time freedom (remember that a child can usually accomplish in a few hours what takes a week to accomplish at school), it can be tempting to sign up for too much. You may have heard the term "over scheduled children." This term refers to children who spend so much time in organized activities, that between formal education and activities they have no free time.
Also remem ber that each child has different needs. One child may need more downtime than a sibling who thrives on activity. By the end of the day though, all children should have had some time alone just to relax and ponder, whether skipping stones at the river, taking a book up to the tree house, or just kicking back on the sofa.
Depending on your local school district's policy, and your preferences, you may even want to allow your child to participate in a school club or sport. However, keep in mind that here are likely good substitutes sponsored in the community.
Here are some examples of the types of clubs and activities homeschoolers (and in some cases their families as well) enjoy.
- Clubs with causes, such as a local Sierra Club chapter.
- Interest based clubs, such as a chess club or riding club.
- 4-H. These clubs offer much more than in day's past. While agricultural and domestic type interests are of course still served, you can also find 4-H clubs for interests such as photography and computer technology.
- Church based or other spiritually based clubs.
- Community sports, such as Little League or the Y's swim team.
- Community theatres sometimes sponsor youth acting classes or put on plays that beginning actors can take part in.
- Special interest classes can often be found in a community. Here are a just few examples: agility dog training sponsored by a local kennel, ballet school, horseback riding (or therapy riding for children with special needs), martial arts at a community center, performing arts for children sponsored by a large theatre, painting classes at an art museum, anime and computer game creation classes for children at the local college, etc.
- Activities for children and families can be found or put together to suit any interest from home activities such as learning to play musical instruments or create crafts to theatre and other forms of culture to outdoor activities.
Many homeschooling families feel it is important to take part in, as a family, volunteer activities because this teaches the children some nice values that are better learned through example. Of course the special interests of your children may lead them to their own volunteer work as well, such as helping out a animal shelter or wildlife sanctuary, playing cards with lonely seniors, working with a beach or river clean up program, etc.
Places where you can find out about activities, clubs and classes in your community include your City's Parks and Recreation department, community centers, newspapers, regional parenting or family newsletters/magazines, churches, bulletin boards, yellow pages, online searches and fellow homeschoolers.
Last, but not least, homeschooling groups can be found in many communities. Check online and in your local paper. If you don't see one listed, you might place an ad in the community section expressing interest or start up one yourself.
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