Real Life Learning in Homeschool: Teaching outside of Textbooks

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When I first began homeschooling just over 25 years ago, there didn’t seem to be as much information out there for parents as there is today. I barely heard of the word homeschooling, but I was totally on board with the idea of teaching my son. 

Admittedly, I didn’t know what I was doing, but if God lays something on your heart to do, he is going to bring you resources to do it.

If you look back on my earlier posts “Our Journey to Homeschool” you will see how we got started homeschooling and how God has helped us. 

When I began the idea of teaching my child, I was all about big curriculums and programs. Don’t get me wrong, I still use programs that have put everything together for me.

I know some moms have mixed and matched different learning materials and pulled it all off. I didn’t feel that was my talent at the time. I wanted everything done for me so I didn’t mess up. You can probably relate! 

  It’s great when you can. It has taken me years to break away from doing most of our schooling like traditional school.

This year I am doing Heart of Dakota, Monarch, and Teaching Textbooks. I am starting to venture out a little more each year. However, some moms can go to the library or pull things off the internet and come up with great teaching material. 

That brings me to my blog post today. 

 Real Life Learning in Homeschooling, and how all learning doesn’t have to come from a textbook or curriculum, but real-life training and skills.

What Is Real Life Learning in Homeschooling?

When we talk about real-life learning in homeschooling, we’re simply talking about teaching our kids through everyday life and moments. It’s not about having a perfectly planned curriculum or a stack of fancy workbooks—it’s about showing our children that math can happen in the kitchen, science can happen in the backyard, and life skills happen while we live our lives. Real-life learning also means we don’t just learn from a workbook at the kitchen table, but we let learning spill into cooking dinner, running errands, and even fixing that leaky faucet. 

For new homeschooling moms, this can be such a relief. I wish I had someone tell me some of these things when my first kid was just starting school. You don’t have to copy a traditional classroom at home for your kids to have fun and learn. 

In fact, some of the most important lessons happen when they’re side by side with you, seeing how faith, family, and responsibility come together in daily life. It’s about raising kids who aren’t just book smart, but who know how to live out their knowledge in the real world.

In fact, some of the most important lessons our kids will learn are how they see us moms live out our lives with our faith, family, and the responsibilities God has called us to.

Real-life learning isn’t extra in homeschooling—it’s the heart of it. Our kids learn best when they live and grow right beside us

Why Real Life Learning Matters for KIDS

Teaching kids real-life learning matters because these are skills they will take with them for their whole life. When I first started homeschooling, I would see electives or different things you could teach the kids, but I wasn’t sure how to get all those things done during homeschooling hours.

After all, you only have so many hours in a day, and kids and mom need a healthy balance of life throughout the day.

I finally figured out that you don’t have to do every subject every day, or you can make real-life activities a part of your education.

In our learning, all of our kids are familiar with cooking something. Boys and girls alike. I just had a 20-year-old son (at the time) to buy his first house earlier this year. My 22-year-old son just bought his first house and is moving in tomorrow. Both of those young men have skills such as cooking that have come as part of learning.  

I have pictures of one of my younger boys doing sanding. All of my homeschooling-age kids at the time) help tile our kitchen floor. 

Now one of those sons works in a career that uses these skills that he was introduced to at home.  

One of my other sons, while not a home skill per se, but is non-textbook learning, practiced coding on one of those online coding websites. He then used those skills and set up my first website.

He now has a Computer Science Degree and works from home as a digital marketer. So learning comes in many ways, and they don’t all look the same. 

Everyday Opportunities for Real Life Learning

Every day, opportunities for real-life learning are all around us, and they don’t have to be complicated or take hours out of your day, of course, depending on the project. 

 Hands-On Home Projects

 Hands-on activities like gardening, painting, or fixing things are educational and fun skills to have. 

If you have a wood project,  sanding or staining wood, or even helping fix a car, can teach kids valuable skills while keeping them engaged. These projects teach problem-solving, patience, and confidence in a way that textbooks simply can’t.

I know I learn best by doing it, and many kids have a hands-on learning style.

Cooking and Household Skills

Cooking together isn’t just about meals—it’s about measuring, following directions, and learning responsibility. It’s about learning how to balance out and cook healthy meals. From planning menus to prepping ingredients, kids gain life skills that they’ll carry into adulthood. 

Money and Budgeting Lessons

 Budgeting and money lessons are another important lesson to learn outside of their normal studies.

Everyday tasks like comparing grocery prices, calculating costs, or learning about debt give kids practical financial skills. Teaching them about the pitfalls of credit cards or saving money is a great skill that a lot of folks don’t have.  These small lessons teach stewardship and independence, helping them make wise decisions as they grow.

Also, as a Christian, it’s important to teach our kids the foundational way to grow in our finances. While staying out of debt and saving is important. Teaching our kids to pay their tithes and offerings unlocks the blessings from God.

Even when you think that your finances aren’t enough to pay for everything, when you put God first in these things, God makes a way that you can’t imagine. I am speaking from experience. So I feel this is not only a skill to learn but a commandment from God to do so. 

So you might not think of that being something of value to teach your children, but it’s of the essence for kids to learn this important topic. 

Exploring Interests and Electives

 You can also let your kids explore electives and hobbies that match their interests, whether that’s coding, music, or building projects etc. 

The beauty of real-life learning is that it blends naturally with everyday life, giving kids a mix of skills, confidence, and independence without feeling like a rigid classroom schedule.

These opportunities spark creativity and may even influence your child’s future career path.

Other Education Ideas Outside of Textbooks

Nature Journaling – Take a walk, collect leaves or rocks, and have kids draw and label them. It builds observation skills and appreciation for God’s world.

Storytelling – Encourage kids to make up a story and tell it aloud, or record it. This strengthens creativity, sequencing, and communication. Kids love acting. Having them make up their own play and perform for you and your family is another fun way of learning and having fun.

While your students sometimes have to read a school book that they aren’t into, having other means of learning it will help them retain it more. Teaching them to create a story about the book they are studying in school will help them retain the information more and make memories for your kids and your family. 

Board & Card Games – Strategy, math, reading, and critical thinking sneak in through simple games like Uno, Scrabble, or even chess.

Playing a musical instrument is great fun, and learning too. Studies show that playing a musical instrument actually has positive benefits on the brain. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0JKCYZ8hng

Service Projects – Baking for a neighbor, writing encouraging notes, or helping at church teach compassion, responsibility, and practical skills.

Handicrafts – Sewing, crocheting, woodworking, or simple DIY projects grow patience, problem-solving, and creativity.

Map Skills – Print a map or use a globe, then connect it to Bible stories, family history, or places you read about in books.

 These kinds of activities help children see that learning isn’t boxed into worksheets — it’s in every part of our lives.

Turning Life’s Interruptions Into Learning Moments

Sometimes we have our day planned out, and the schedule changes. You may have a child under the weather, or you might be the one who is in bed for the day.

Maybe you just had a sweet baby, or you are expecting a new one. That season may affect your homeschool schedule for a short time,  such as if you are in the beginning of your pregnancy and fighting morning sickness. 

Maybe you are down to one automobile and need to take your husband to work, or, in my case, it’s taking my son to work. Many things pop up for a season or maybe just for the day.

You can take the lemons, so to speak, and turn them into lemonade. In other words, just make the best of it and roll with it.  Maybe you can’t be right there by your child’s side if you are in bed with a cold, or if you have to travel somewhere you didn’t expect, and it throws off your normal schedule.

Don’t be discouraged. I have time slots for my children to do their morning routine, chores, breakfast, and then be at the table around between 9:15 and 9:30 for morning family devotions, etc.  

I tell my kids that if we have to go off our schedule, it’s ok. Our schedule is just a guide to tell us where we need to be in our day.  If something comes up, just pick up where you left off when you can.

During those times, your kids can watch an educational video or read a book. If you have to travel, you can always allow your kids some fun game time. There are many educational games that you can save and use during those times. It makes those games extra special if they are used for special occasions. 

Perhaps, while you are already out running your errand or dropping your family member off, you may as well swing by the park and make a fun day or field trip for them.

I remember when we had to be out of the house one time. I think maybe we had a realtor coming, or pest control. I digress! We just went to the park, and I was able to discuss with my kids about Katydids. I believe I learned something that day as well. After all, they say their name, so you are sure not to mix them up with another insect.

How to Balance Real Life Learning with Bookwork

Balancing real-life learning with bookwork doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. In our home, I like to think of it as we need both. Most days, we sit down and work steadily through our Math, Language, and other subjects, and other days, real life takes the front seat. It may be a major house cleaning day where everyone pitches in, and even though that doesn’t look like “school” on paper, my kids are learning responsibility, teamwork, and time management.

On the quieter days, such as Fridays, balance might look like letting a child spend time at the piano, or watching a drawing video and practicing their sketching skills. These moments are just as valuable as bookwork because they’re building creativity and personal interests.

We still do Math and Language, but for us, the key is not stressing if the day doesn’t look perfectly structured. We can always circle back to our lessons, which is what I like to do on Fridaysmake up. 

I keep it on the lighter side. That way, if we do have something to make up, we can. If there is nothing to make-up, the kids have time to let their creative side shine. 

Encouragement for the Homeschool Mom

I know some days might feel challenging or overwhelming. We all have them. But God can help steady us each and every day, even on the super crazy days, when you may feel like you didn’t get much accomplished. 

Yet, when you can’t be right there at the table or school desk, there are always options that kids can do to pick up on learning skills and education. 

So there you have it, moms. While school curricula have their place (and I totally use them), they are not the only means of learning. 

Homeschooling has taught me that learning doesn’t just happen at a desk—it happens in the kitchen, in the yard, during family projects, and even on those unexpected days when life throws us off schedule. Real-life learning gives our kids the tools they need for adulthood, while bookwork helps lay the foundation for academics. Both have their place, and together they give our children a well-rounded education.

If you’re a mom feeling unsure about how to balance it all, remember this: you don’t have to do it perfectly. 

If God called you to this journey, then He will equip you with exactly what you need. 

Just lean on Him, and enjoy these precious years of teaching and training your children. You’ve got this!  And the beauty is—you don’t have to do it alone.

So what fun activities do you like to do with your kids that are outside of books or computer programs?

Leave a comment below. I would love to read your ideas and thoughts. If you enjoyed this blog post, how about subscribing and sticking around? I would love to have you on board.