Writing Rockstars Blog 

Right now, winter weather — or just plain old bad weather — means that a lot of us are stuck inside more than we’d like to be.

And too much time in close quarters together with the same daily routine will make homeschooling feel like drudgery!

What to do? It’s simple, really.

You’ve got to change things up and keep a snappy pace in your homeschool.

Here are 5 ways to keep the winter blahs away:

Change up your setting indoors.

Rearrange the furniture in your schooling room, or set up in a different one. Change the usual seating arrangements, or change the decorations -- regularly! Start working to music. Even a small change in surroundings can make a big difference in your kids’ focus and attention level.

Get physical.

Take regular breaks to do some exercise together, and make sure you all sweat a little! Yoga breaks are a current favorite in my household, as are regular sock fights. At our home, we keep a large collection of mismatched socks and periodically divide up into teams, set up indoor bunkers, and hurl balled up socks at each other until one team reaches 50 hits first. This exercises the kids out far more than Nerf gun battles do, and they love it when mom and dad join in!

Combine school work with fun work.

Do your kids like to act? Paint? Draw? Play games? Film videos? Work as many elements of non-academic activities they enjoy into school assignments. For example, if they’re required to write a paragraph about a topic, ask them to paint a picture (or a mural on a big piece of paper) to go with it. If they love their electronics, have them create an illustrated Powerpoint presentation. A trip to a craft store with the kids will help you brainstorm creative ideas with different materials. Experiment!

Keep a snappy schedule.

Set a limited time for how long they’ll work on a particular subject every day, and stick to it. User a timer. Then take a short break and transition to the next subject for a limited time. A lot of kids don’t do well without structure, and setting a snappy schedule will help keep them active and engaged.