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For nine months out of the year, I almost forget how many kids live in our town… and then summer rolls around. Suddenly, museums, libraries, and zoos are full again—and I’m gently reminded how grateful I am to homeschool.

During the school year, we get to enjoy these places during quieter weekdays. Our outings are more efficient, more engaging, and so much more enjoyable.

I thought I’d share a glimpse into what our homeschool year looked like out in the world—just a few of the adventures and places we explored on school days. I’m truly thankful for these experiences.

🍂 September

We started the year with a big hands-on project—renovating a house! The kids learned about demolition, construction, budgeting, and materials. They removed floor trim, helped paint, picked out finishes, and even installed new cabinet handles. Hello, life skills!

The older two also had soccer every weekend, so we used our weekdays to enjoy the fall weather at parks, riding bikes, walking nature trails, and hiking.

🎃 October

Our midweek adventures included camping, more hikes, and long bike rides to nearby parks. We visited a pumpkin patch and took a trip to Portland, where we explored:

-Lan Su Chinese Garden

-Oregon Zoo

-How to use the Portland MAX

-A Portland Timbers soccer game!

☔ November

The rain moved in, so we shifted indoors with:

-Storytime at two different libraries

-A visit to the Eugene Science Center

-A private movie theater screening (we had the whole place!)

-A tour of the Albany Carousel workshop

-Rock climbing in Corvallis with homeschool friends

❄️ December

We took a midweek trip to Great Wolf Lodge in Washington, where the oldest got a kick out of my reaction to the water slides. We talked all about the engineering behind water slide design—safety meets fun!

Then we headed to Leavenworth, WA, where we:

-Explored the Nutcracker Museum

-Met reindeer at the Reindeer Farm

-Rode an alpine coaster and learned about physics + gravity

🌨️ January

We cabin-camped at Silver Falls State Park. Despite freezing temps and icy trails, we hiked to the falls, saw massive icicles, and soaked in nature’s beauty.

Highlights:

-Kids earned their Junior Ranger badges

-Learned about owls and wildlife

-Explored a quiet nature center and read every educational plaque

-Rode bikes once the sun melted the ice

-Chatted with park volunteers and forest rangers

We also:

-Visited Oregon Museum of Science and Industry with the older two

-Explored parks, trails, and the rock climbing gym

-Joined a weekly homeschool group and found lifelong friends

💙 February

February fun included:

-A trip to the trampoline park (we were the only ones there for an hour!)

-The Gilbert House Children’s Museum

-Weekly park group and cozy library days

☘️ March

-We took a Sunday–Tuesday trip to Champoeg State Park.

-Explored the visitor center and museum at Champoeg.

-Rode bikes for miles

-Had a St. Patrick’s Day treasure hunt with homeschool friends

-Visited the Cascade Raptor Center in Eugene

-Found a new riverfront park and planned a return with bikes

-Attended two mid-week birthday parties

🌊 April

I took the older two to a homeschool day at the Hatfield Marine Science Center where we:

-Flipped rocks to find hundreds of crabs

-Dug for clams

-Learned about watersheds and marine life

-Explored the tsunami evacuation building

-Walked the beach and hunted for agates until sunset

Other highlights:

-A group field trip to Chuck E. Cheese in Salem (they do homeschool days!)

-More weekly park meetups

-Another private movie theater afternoon

-A solo trip to Tucson where I brought back cactus field guides and dozens of photos to spark desert ecology learning

🏊 May

May brought swim lessons on weekday mornings—and they loved it so much we re-enrolled for another month!

We also:

-Visited the Pinball Museum in Hillsboro (and saw a machine completely opened up!)

-Took a day trip to Eugene to buy root beer ingredients then rode our bikes down a six-mile riverfront trail—no cars in sight and a safe, scenic ride for all!

🌞 June (So Far!)

This month has already included:

-Splash pad and park meetups

-Morning bike rides

-Hours of outdoor play and gardening

🧡 Final Thoughts:

We look forward to summer—but we never feel like we have to cram everything in. Because come September, we’ll keep doing what we do: living and learning with love, freedom, and curiosity.

If you’re considering homeschooling, I hope this paints a picture of what it can look like. If you already homeschool, I hope it encourages you to step outside and embrace the learning that happens beyond books and walls.

So much meaningful learning happens out in the world.

And we’re so grateful for every bit of it. 💛