One of the biggest concerns for new homeschooling families is socialization. You might wonder: “Will my child have enough friends? How will they learn to interact with others?” The truth is, homeschooling offers plenty of opportunities for meaningful social connections—sometimes even more so than traditional school.

Here’s how to help your child build friendships and thrive socially through homeschooling:

1. Join Local Homeschool Groups and Co-ops

Many communities have homeschool groups that organize classes, field trips, sports, and social events. These are great ways for your child to meet peers and make friends with similar interests. If there isn’t one in your area, create one!

2. Explore Extracurricular Activities

Sign your child up for sports teams, music lessons, art classes, or community theater. These activities provide natural environments for socializing beyond academics. Local library evens are a great opportunity to socialize with peers and adults of all ages.

3. Plan Playdates and Meetups

Set up regular playdates with other homeschooling families or neighbors. Smaller groups or one-on-one time often lead to deeper friendships. When other kids are in school, places are less crowded and it’s MUCH easier to find friends. We’ve met friends at the library, park, rock climbing gym, and even one at Target!

4. Volunteer Together

Community service projects or local events can help your child connect with others while learning empathy and responsibility.

5. Teach Social Skills at Home

Use everyday moments to practice conversation, sharing, empathy, and conflict resolution. Homeschooling gives you the unique chance to guide your child’s social and emotional growth closely.

One thing we recognized early in our homeschooling journey was that our own social skills needed to be strong in order to model them for our kids. My husband and I have committed ourselves to personal growth in order to do so. This has paid dividends as we watch our four children unfolding as kind, emotionally aware, compassionate and confident individuals with strong voices and boundaries.

By homeschooling, we are present to observe the social interactions our kids are having. When one of my children needing help in an area (socially or not), I observe that need and then teach them the skill.

Remember, socialization isn’t just about quantity—it’s about quality. Homeschooled kids often benefit from diverse social experiences across ages and settings.

Further reading:

In one study using the SSRS (Social Skills Rating Scale), homeschooled children scored higher overall in social skills—including cooperation, assertiveness, empathy, and self-control—compared to public school peers. Article link here.