According to FamilyEducation.com, a site that studies homeschooling, researcher Dr. Raymond Moore who studies socialization writes that the most dangerous and extravagant myth in education and child rearing today is socialization. Still parents are concerned and looking for activities for their children to make friends, have fun, and generally be social.
10. Sporting Events and Sports
One of the best ways to socialize children is by getting them involved in sports or having them attend sporting events in groups. Involving children in sports helps teach children that in order to win in life, sometimes we have to lose. Some important things that children will get out of sports:
- Whether playing for a homeschool league or just for fun, children who are active in sports are healthier and happier.
- To be successful in life children first have to learn what it means to lose Playing sports teaches that winning and losing occurs and how to be gracious whether winning or losing.
9. Scouts
Another great way to socialize, the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts will teach children science, math, history, and give children a sense of belonging. In Scouts children will learn various things about nature, basic survival skills, and how to work together as a team. Scouting is great for building leadership skills. Many of today’s leaders are former scouts.
8. 4-H and FFA
Future Farmers of America and 4-H are youth organizations that help build young men and women into successful adults. According to a study by Tufts university, children involved with 4-H are
- Almost two times more likely to get better grades in school;
- Nearly two times more likely to go to college;
- Half as likely to get involved in risky or illegal behavior; and
- Twenty-five percent of individuals who are involved in 4-H contribute positively to their communities or families.
7. YMCA, Art, Dance, Drama, Music
Another social activity that is good for homeschool children is the YMCA. Through the Y, children can take classes in art, dance, drama and music. They can also get involved in martial arts and some sporting events that are not otherwise offered in their area like gymnastics and track. The YMCA is inexpensive for families to get memberships to and offers, among other activities, swimming lessons, sports, and social activities.
6. Church, Bible Study, and Youth Groups
Church, bible study, Sunday school, and youth groups are another wonderful place for homeschool students to socialize and meet up with friends their own age. The best thing about socializing at church is that parents will not only know their children’s friends, but they will also have a good idea of what kind of people they are.
5. Play Dates, Zoo, and Park
Making time with friends to go on play dates and visiting the zoo and park are also great ways of socializing. Most homeschool students, like their public school counterparts, had friends prior to school starting. Reconnect with these friends made through homeschool groups and church by planning a day out.
Homeschool moms can also plan a once-a-month day off where one mom takes all the kids to the park or zoo, switching off so that the moms can have a day to themselves. If Moms are good friends, they could use one of these play dates to get together and visit because moms need friends too.
4. Co-Op Classes
Many homeschool organizations are offering co-op classes. Here homeschool families get together and hold class much like traditional schooling. At the home of one of the families, a church, or social club, these classes offer children a chance to learn and socialize at the same time, giving them the option of spending time with their friends while learning.
3. Homeschool Groups
Homeschool organizations that offer co-op classes might also have group meetings or outings. Allowing children to hang out and play also allows parents to visit and compare homeschool strategies, learning and teaching techniques, and just time to visit.
2. Field Trips
Field trips can be just one family or a group of families. It can be anything from going to the park to going grocery shopping. Anytime children are out in the public interacting with others is a great opportunity to socialize, learn, and grow.
1. Service Activities
Sonya Haskins, in her book Homeschooling for the Rest of Us, writes that service activities are one of the best extracurricular activities in which homeschool families can be involved. They are relatively inexpensive. She recommends looking around the community to see who needs the help. It can be anything from baking cookies to visiting nursing homes. No matter what you are doing, the children are out interacting with other people and that is what is important when considering how to be more socially active.
Why Do We Worry
Chris Klicka, senior counsel for the Homeschool Legal Defense Association, looked at various studies conducted by leaders in education that all say the same thing. Homeschool students are not less socialized than their public school peers. Homeschool parents will still worry about the socialization question. While they feel that homeschooling is the best option for their children, with so many negative responses to the socialization question, it is not surprising that we worry. There are plenty of options out there for our children to be social, so now we parents just need to learn how to worry less.
Sources:
Bittner, Terrie Lynn. Homeschooling Take a Deep Breath- You Can Do This. Denver: Mapletree, 2004.
Haskins, Sonya. Homeschooling for the Rest of Us. Minnesota: BethanyHouse, 2010.
Klicka, Chris. "Socialization: Homeschoolers Are in the Real World." March 2007. Homeschool Legal Defense Association, 31 Aug 2011.
Shaw, Isabelle. "Social Skills and Homeschooling: Myths and Facts." FamilyEducation.com, 3 Sept 2011.
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