Circle time: Plan the best part of your day

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This sale has ended, but you can still buy this ebook individually!

Over the next few days I plan to highlight some titles from this year’s homeschool omnibus that I think you might find helpful and inspiring.

Today I’m starting with the ebook Circle Time: Plan the Best Part of Your Day–written by one of my favorite homeschool bloggers, Kendra Fletcher of Homeschooling in Real Life.

Four years ago when my kiddos were younger, we started most days with a morning circle time. Sometimes it was cooky and chaotic–sometimes sweet and meaningful.

We included songs, rhymes, prayers, candles, movement–and it was definitely SHORT! Otherwise we leaned more to the chaotic side of things. (You can even watch a sample of our circle time here.)

I look back on those moments together nostalgically now. Kendra mentions this type of circle time with littles in her ebook (and gives a guideline of 10 minutes tops if you only have kids six and under!), but she expands the idea of Circle Time to make it a fit for older students as well.

She advocates using circle time as a way to include subjects (like memory work, art, poetry, etc.) that you never seem to get around to otherwise.

Kendra gives examples of how to change your circle time up according to the seasons–making it longer and more academic in the fall (including full suggestions from her own family), and shorter and lighter in the summer (including a daily Calvin & Hobbes reading = love!).

Have littles and need ideas on how to keep them happily occupied while you have an extended circle time with your older children?

Kendra offers suggestions and has this to say:

“One of the most important things about our early Circle Time was that it caused us to be faithful in prayer together every morning. It was and remains a time when I can gather the littlest ones in close and communicate to them that I want them there, and even if I am busy with the older ones and school, I want them there.

I have never wanted my little ones to feel like they were being pushed aside. I never wanted to say, “Go find something to do – just stay out of our hair!””

If you need to figure out what to include in your own daily circle time, Kendra’s ebook has two printables to get you thinking. One is a Circle Time “wish list” – a long list of activities you might want to consider – passages to memorize, devotionals you might want to incorporate, life skills to work on, and so on.

The other worksheet lets you visually see each child’s independent work and group work – the topics that overlap for multiple children give you an idea of what might be a good fit for your circle time.

Kendra’s tone is always friendly and non-judgmental. She shares what’s worked for her, but also encourages each family to come up with their own unique solutions.

She even has this to say about the label “Circle Time:”

I think the name “Circle Time” can be an automatic deterrent to older kids. You don’t have to call it that. Call it whatever you want! Honestly, if I had to do it all over again, I would have picked a name that suited our family better.