Have you ever considered homeschooling at the library? When I first started homeschooling, the dining room table was where my kid’s completed most of their school work. We didn’t have a dedicated homeschool room so we made things work at our dining room table. Several years into homeschooling, I thought it would be a good idea to homeschool at the library. After a couple of weeks of homeschooling at the library, I realized this was better than I expected. If you don’t visit the library regularly you might not know all the resources that are perfect for homeschool families. So here are 7 benefits to homeschooling at the library and my experience.
Homeschooling at the Library
Free Meeting Rooms
Most libraries have lots of spacious meeting rooms that can be reserved with your library card. Some of the meeting rooms have chalkboards and white boards which is a helpful resource when homeschooling. I also love that libraries have various size meeting rooms with tables and chairs perfect if you’re homeschooling one child or several kids. Check your local library to reserve a meeting room.
How We Homeschool in Meeting Rooms
Anytime we want to use a meeting room, I reserve a room the day before. Sometimes the rooms are filled up so I like to make sure we have a room before going to the library. The chalkboards and the white boards in the meeting rooms have been so helpful when I’m teaching my kids math lessons. My son is a visual learner so seeing math problems on the big white board is great for him.
Story Time
Most libraries have a daily story time with activities based on the child’s age. Usually story time is for children ages 6 years or younger. If you’re just starting your homeschool journey and your child is a toddler or preschooler, this can be an easy way to introduce weekly learning activities. Check your local library to see specific story time hours.
How We Homeschool with Story Time
When my kids were preschool age, I started incorporating weekly trips to the library for story time. I was new to homeschooling so the story time was helpful with getting a good learning routine with my kids. The story time at the library consisted of the librarian reading a book in a small room with other kids and then a fun hands-on- activity.
Learning Kits/Sensory Kits
Learning kits are bags filled with manipulatives, books, games, and activities. Some libraries also have sensory kits. These are typically available to check out and/or use while you’re at the library. Children learn in a variety of different ways so having learning kits can be a good resource and it’s free. Check your local library to see what type of learning kits and sensory kits are available.
How We Homeschool with Learning Kits
The learning kits and sensory kits have been a great resource for me to use at home. There are a variety of different learning kits with themes like STEM, nature, and holiday. While I’m at the library I will browse what’s available and decide which learning kits can be used with my weekly lessons. I love using the learning kits because they are free and great hands-on-activities for kids.
New Homeschool Space
Maybe you don’t have a dedicated homeschool room in your home or maybe you want to switch things up and homeschool in a different location a couple days out of the week. The library might be a great option.
How We Use as a New Homeschool Space
For us, homeschooling at the library has improved the motivation my kids have for learning. They enjoy getting out of the house and doing their school work in a new location. To keep a consistent routine, we have two library locations that we go to every week to complete homeschool lessons.
Co-Op Meet-Up
I love that some libraries have a children’s area and a teen area. If you have a small homeschool co-op, the library might be a good meet-up place to check out books together or do assignments/research projects together. Also, you can check your local library to see if there are regular homeschool meet-ups open to new homeschool families. This would be great if you’re looking for a homeschool co-op.
How We Use Homeschool Co-Op Meet-Ups
When I first started homeschooling at the library, one of the librarians told me about regular homeschool co-op meet-ups at that library location. I love that the librarians are usually very knowledgeable about homeschool families using that library as a place of meeting and a resource. The library is a good central meeting place for homeschool co-ops.
Computers and Media Rooms
If your kids are older, y’all might utilize computers for doing research projects. I love that some libraries have media rooms where your kids can do research and presentations. The computers are also great for your kids to play educational games for a specific amount of time.
How We Use Computers and Media Rooms
I haven’t used the computers or media rooms yet. However, I know lots of homeschool families that have middle school and high school age kids that use the computers and media rooms often. The media rooms are a great place for kids to do research and presentations. Technology is everywhere so having that be a part of your homeschool routine can be beneficial.
Educational Clubs and Programs
I love that some libraries offer educational clubs and programs. What’s even better is some of these clubs and programs are free. You can incorporate them into your weekly or monthly homeschool routine. For the libraries near me, there is a monthly newsletter which includes all the educational clubs and programs for the month with the times and locations.
How We Use Educational Clubs and Programs
One of my favorite programs that our local libraries offer is called Pup READers. This is where your child can read a book to a registered therapy dog in a small room at the library. This is great for a child that loves dogs and also needs to improve reading skills and build confidence. There are lots of other seasonal programs at the library that can be a good extracurricular activity for your homeschool family.
I hope this was a helpful blog to explore the different benefits that that library offers homeschool families. If you’re new to homeschooling, I encourage you to get your kids library cards and explore your local library. Make sure you check out my blog post Free Homeschool Resources
The Ashley Nicole blog
Such great tips ! I know the library has so many good free resources