On the search for homeschool extracurricular activities near you that your child can participate in this year? Here, we’ll list out some common (and some less common) extracurricular activities for homeschoolers so your child can get involved in opportunities outside your home or local Classical Conversations® community. Let’s dive in!
The Best Extracurricular Activities for Homeschoolers
Fortunately, there is no shortage of extracurricular activities for homeschoolers. After all, because we benefit from the freedom of flexible schedules, we can pursue opportunities not readily available to families with children in traditional schools.
While this list isn’t exhaustive, we hope it serves as a starting point to begin researching which homeschool extracurricular activities in your area your child can participate in this year.
Clubs
Joining a club that centers around one of your child’s primary interests or talents is an excellent social activity where they can meet new friends, satisfy a curiosity, or practice a skill.
Types of clubs your student could become involved in include science, chess, cooking, writing, improv, comedy, debate, nature, robotics, coding, politics, and book clubs. Similarly, your son or daughter could participate in an outdoor adventure organization like Trail Life USA or American Heritage Girls. In these programs, your child will develop lifelong skills and learn to lead a value-driven life.
If you can’t find any clubs near you by asking around or searching online such as on Facebook, then consider starting one yourself! For example, help your child start a film club with friends from your local Classical Conversations community or church to satisfy their passion for watching and discussing movies.
Visual Art
Local art classes make for great homeschool extracurricular activities near you if your child is interested in visual art. Consider classes in skills such as painting, pottery, photography, drawing, graphic design, or even blacksmithing.
Again, if you can’t find any local classes, you can always start your own with family and friends from your community or church. For example, each month, you could practice a new art medium like painting or sculpting, having each child create a project in that style before moving on to the next.
Music
No homeschool extracurricular activities list would be complete without mentioning opportunities to learn and play music. Regarding learning a new musical skill, your child can take piano, guitar, violin, or singing lessons. If your student is already musically talented, consider encouraging them to join your church’s choir or youth group band!
Performance Art
Is your child passionate about acting, dancing, or participating in another performance art? Have them take dance or theater classes or participate in comedy or improv clubs. Also, your child could join a local theater production, perhaps playing a role in a rendition of a famous play.
Community Service and Volunteer Opportunities
Community service and volunteer opportunities make for excellent extracurricular activities for homeschoolers because we can serve at times when others are in school or at the workplace.
Some examples of service opportunities your family can become involved with are soup kitchens, community gardens, food banks, hospitals, libraries, and elderly care centers. Your student could also volunteer for a church position like a youth group or VBS leader.
Sports and Other Physical Activities
Of course, sports and other opportunities to exercise are essential to any list of homeschool extracurricular activities.
Sign your child up for sports such as swimming, soccer, basketball, football, baseball, cross country, track, and tennis. If your student is in the Classical Conversations Challenge program (junior high to high school), see about them joining a local homeschool team that plays other schools in your area or your local high school’s junior varsity or varsity teams.
Some examples of other physical activities your student can join include martial arts or fencing classes, horse riding lessons, and hiking groups.
Internships and Jobs
Our final category of extracurricular activity ideas for your homeschool student is employment part-time (or full-time during semester breaks). Working at a local coffee shop, restaurant, farmers market, or greenhouse are great ways for your student to learn valuable skills that will last them a lifetime.
In particular, the high school years are a great time to seek internships if your student has a general idea of what they want to pursue as a future career. Also, if your student is a budding entrepreneur, consider helping them start their own business, such as in landscaping.
Does Your Child Need to Participate in Homeschool Extracurricular Activities?
While your child doesn’t have to participate in extracurricular activities, these opportunities can hugely benefit your child to gain knowledge and skills not covered in a typical homeschool curriculum. Not everything can be learned from a book, and extracurricular activities for homeschoolers allow a chance to learn new skills, have fun, exercise, serve, and make friends outside your home, church, and local community.
Not yet a Classical Conversations member and interested in our community-based approach to homeschooling? We’d love to hear from you! To learn more about us, click here.
