Making Homeschooling Fun
If workbooks are getting boring, and cabin fever is setting in, it might just be the right time for you to add some fun to your homeschool. Games, contests, and more can break up any monotony you are facing. You'll find ideas for field trips and extracurricular activities. And you may find that your kids think "doing school" is funner than anything else they can imagine!
Educational Games
Kids who thrive with hands-on learning love educational games. These are a great way to learn while having fun. Browse through our picks for the best educational games out there.
Extracurricular Activities
Extracurricular activities are a great addition to the educational experience you provide your children by homeschooling. Here you'll find resources for everything from Scouts to 4H to sports and more.
Holidays
Holidays offer a nice opportunity to enhance your child's learning experience. This listing of holidays offers ideas for celebrating in your home, along with interesting facts about these special days. You'll also find suggestions for incorporating holidays into your home education plan.
Field Trips
Who says homeschooling has to happen at home? Most homeschoolers will tell you that they spend almost as much time out of the house as in it. Field trips are learning opportunties that offer fun ways to make every life experience a learning experience. You'll also find tips and strategies for planning, managing, and attending field trips with your homeschool support group.
Camps
Is your child ready to go out, experience new opportunities, and make new friends? Are you looking for specialized instruction in a particular subject? A camp may be just the ticket. Here you'll find a listing of camps that are great for homeschoolers in Colorado and beyond.
Contests
Entering contests is a fun activity for kids. They can practice their writing skills, learn about new subjects, and may even end up winning a great prize. We've collected some of the most interesting, challenging, and fun contests available for kids to enter.
Car Games
Busy homeschooling families tend to spend a lot of time in the car. Learning doesn't have to stop just because you are on the go. These ideas and games will make the most of your vehicle time, giving your kids fun things to do while on the road.
Penpals
Is your homeschooled child looking for new friends? Are you learning about a different part of the country or world? A penpal may be just what you are looking for. These resources will help your child connect with other homeschoolers in far flung places.
What's Popular
Mount Goliath
Mount Goliath, a mountain peak section of the Mount Evans area, is accessible by the M. Walter Pesman Trail and is located 17 miles from Idaho Springs within the Arapaho National Forest. This trail winds through subalpine and alpine areas where wildflowers and animals live amid grand mountain vistas and the sculptured, grizzled beauty of the bristlecone pines. Highlights include delicate alpine floral treasures such as alpine forget-me-nots, moss campion, fairy primrose, purple fringe, chiming...
Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield
Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield provides a picturesque setting among the grasslands, ponds and cottonwood banks of Deer Creek. Facilities include nature trails, display gardens, educational exhibits, a historical farm and one-room schoolhouse, working beehives and picnic areas. Visit the Earl J. Sinnamon Visitor Center, the historic Hildebrand Ranch, a restored 1918 dairy barn and silo, the 1874 Deer Creek Schoolhouse, 2.5 miles of nature trails, the Deer Creek Discovery children’s play area...
Colorado Springs Homeschool Sports League Facebook Group
The Colorado Springs Homeschool Sports League is non-competitive, with the focus on fostering teamwork, building skills, and having a lot of fun! This Facebook group connects the organization and families in the region. 
United States Mint Tour
Touring the United States Mint is a fascinating experience for those of all ages and one that will be remembered for a lifetime. Tours cover both the present state of coin manufacturing as well as the history of the Mint. Learn about the craftsmanship required at all stages of the minting process, from the original designs and sculptures to the actual striking of the coins. There is a also a gift shop at this location selling commemorative coins, books, games, and other souvenirs. There are some...
Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center
CWWC conducts guided educational tours and programs that focus on dispelling myths about wolves and wild canids and helping people to appreciate the roles wolves play in their ecosystems. Tours cover topics such as pack hierarchy, territory, communication, prey impact, and conservation. What is unique about the tour is that people also learn about the history of each wolf, coyote, and fox at the center. Some of these being personal rescue stories and unique personalities of many. Although some o...
Pueblo Zoo
The Pueblo Zoo covers 25 acres, is located in Pueblo City Park and was established in the 1920's. It is easily accessible for all visitors including those using strollers & wheelchairs. The zoo exhibits more than 300 animals of 110 different species from throughout the world. Under the Zoological Society's direction, the zoo is being developed as a "biopark," a place where animals are exhibited in natural settings, where the interdependence of Earth's life - plants and animals, including humans ...
Colorado Gators Reptile Park
Colorado Gators is a family oriented, educational facility that focuses on full use of natural and recycled resources. Our goal is to maintain an integrated ecosystem while providing educational opportunities and viable farm products. Every visitor to Colorado Gators has the opportunity to meet, pet, hold, and take pictures with a little alligator. There are several large African Sulcata tortoises that wander freely throughout their section of the park. You can also see an albino alligator, Nil...
The Wildlife Experience
Founded in 2002 as a wildlife art and natural history museum designed to serve as a cultural center and community asset for South Metro Denver. The 151,000 sq ft prairie mission style facility hosts numerous fine art, natural history and interactive science changing exhibits each year, in addition to its signature permanent exhibition, Globeology, featuring open dioramas interpreting eight biomes of the world. The Wildlife Experience strives to inspire a new generation of conservationists and ou...
Denver Zoological Gardens
The Denver Zoo houses more than 4,000 animals representing nearly 685 species, and the nation's first environmentally-friendly natural gas-powered zoo train. The new 5,500 square-foot Dragons of Komodo exhibit for the rare Komodo dragon features the largest indoor habitat for Komodo dragons in North America. The Denver Zoo's other state-of-the-art exhibits include Tropical Discovery, an indoor rainforest where visitors journey past waterfalls, darkened caves, jungle ruins and tropical riverbank ...
South Platte Park Carson Nature Center
South Platte Park is over 880 acres of open space along the South Platte River with 5 lakes open to fishing, 2.5 miles of the South Platte River and the Mary Carter Greenway for walking and biking, nearly 4 miles of natural surface trails, and the Carson Nature Center and classroom. South Platte Park has over 300 species of wildlife and is an excellent place for wildlife viewing, photography, and bird watching. Stop in to check out exhibits and live animals in our small museum, get information o...
State Capitol Building
The Colorado State Capitol is available for tours. Visit the historical Capitol Building, Attic, and take a legislative tour. You can visit the House and Senate Galleries and meet a lawmaker. The Colorado State Capitol welcomes over 300,000 visitors each year. Tours allow you to enjoy the beauty of the building while learning about the work of the General Assembly and Colorado's unique heritage. Tours are free of charge. Note that student group tours during the legislative session running Janua...
Colorado Springs Homeschool Sports League
Colorado Springs Homeschool Sports League was founded in fall 2015. The league is a non-competitive league which means they do not have rankings and scores are not saved. Their focus is on fostering teamwork, building skills, and having a lot of fun! It's a safe place to learn a new sport or perfect an old one, all made possible by our wonderful homeschool community.
Western Colorado Botanical Gardens
The WCBG is home to an Herb Garden, Cactus Garden, Rose Garden and Orchid Display that are maintained by local gardening organizations. The WCBG maintains several other gardens including the Childrens Secret Garden, Shozan-en, Celebration Plaza, Community Garden and the lovely public gardens that surround our buildings.
Myers' Gourment Popcorn Factory
Learn all about popcorn with a visit to the Myers' Gourment Popcorn Factory, located in Cascade, Colorado, west of Colorado Springs. They are happy to arrange for a tour of their facilities.
Great Divide Brewing Company
Great Divide Brewing Company is located in two Denver locations: 2201 Arapahoe St. and 1812 25th St. They offer free tours of the breweries daily. Average tour time is 20 minutes. The tours are open to the public and free, but limited to the first 20 guests. Participants must be over the age of 12. The tour includes samples of their award-winning beers.
Resources
Happy Phonics
Happy Phonics uses games to teach early reading skills. Simple yet entertaining and educational, these phonics games are printed on colorful, sturdy cardstock ready to cut out. Included is a mother-friendly guidebook which contains details on how to teach phonics and reading, how to pronounce and teach the phonics sounds, how to make your own simple beginning readers, and step-by-step teaching information for each phonics sound. Happy Phonics covers beginning to advanced phonics.
Field Trips: Bug Hunting, Animal Tracking, Bird-watching, Shore Walking

With Jim Arnosky as your guide, an ordinary hike becomes an eye-opening experience. He'll help you spot a hawk soaring far overhead and note the details of a dragonfly up close. Study the black-and-white drawings -- based on his own field research -- and you'll discover if those tracks in the brush were made by a deer or a fox.

In his celebrated style, this author, artist, and naturalist enthusiastically shares a wealth of tips. Jim Arnosky wants you to enjoy watching wildlife. He carefully explains how field marks, shapes, and location give clues for identifying certain plants and animals wherever you are. He gives hints for sharpening observational skills. And he encourages you to draw and record birds, insects, shells, animal tracks, and other finds from a busy day's watch.

Visual Brainstorms
Children who love word games, logic puzzles, secret codes, mazes, and math mysteries will stretch their mental muscles with Visual Brain Storms. This set of 100 cards, each of which includes a humorous, full-color drawing, promises "the world's best brainteaser questions." The characters in the questions often have funny names (Professor Pith Bugby pops up often) or faces or dilemmas to solve. The answers and explanations are on the back of each card, along with a related bonus question. Many of the puzzles involve math concepts, spatial reasoning, logic, or sequential thinking, but some can be solved with plain common sense. Here's a sample: "Frank and Helen's annual singles elimination tennis tournament has drawn 18 players this year. How many matches must be played before there is a winner for the year?" Answer: "Every match will produce one loser, and every person other than the winner will lose once and only once. Eighteen players makes 17 losers; therefore it will take 17 matches to have a tournament winner." Visual Brain Storms is a humorous, painless way to improve those higher-order thinking skills. Visual Brain Storms: The Smart Thinking Game is for one or more players. --Marcie Bovetz
Smart Mouth
Ages: 8 years and up; For 2 or more players

Smart Mouth is a quick-thinking shout-it-out hilarious word game that helps build vocabulary skills. It includes variations of the rules for category play and for younger players. Players slide the Letter Getter forward and back to get two letters. The first player to shout out a word of five or more letters using those letters wins the round. The game includes tips for teachers. This is a fun game to play with children and adults together.

LeapPad Game - Mind Wars Jr. Interactive Game
Bring a friend and try this brand new way to play with your LeapPad! Race around the board in this fast-paced, wonderfully wacky game. Be the first to close all five windows and you will become the Mind Wars master and learn important 1st and 2nd grade skills in math, language arts, life science, physical science, and social studies!
Great States Board Game
What is the capital of NJ? Where is the Football Hall of Fame? These are just a few of the hundreds of questions players are asked as they adventure around the USA discovering state attractions and landmarks, capitals, state abbreviations, state locations and more. In order to answer the questions on the cards, players must look closely at the colorful USA map game board, becoming familiar with the geography of the country. Players must hurry to find the answers as the mechanical timer ticks. Contents: Game board, 100 Figure cards, 100 Fact cards, 100 Find cards, 1 spinner, 1 mechanical timer, and game rules. Duration of Play: 20 minutes. 2-6 players.
The Letter Factory Game
Teaches Phonics! The race is on! With two games in one, children play together and learn letter names and sounds with actions and music. Wacky Professor Quigley guides players every step of the way so no reading is required! Games automatically adjust to skill level, to keep children learning at just the right pace! 2 Games in 1: Counting Colors & Letters: Learn letter names and sounds by matching color cards to move around the board. Leaping Letters: Listen to the name or sound and then find the card that matches it! Includes: interactive card reader, game board, 26 letter cards and 4 playing pieces.
LeapPad Game - Mind Wars Interactive Game
Bring a friend and try this brand new way to play with your LeapPad! Travel around the board in this fast-paced, head-to-head game as you hit your buzzer before your friend can steal your question! Be the first to close all five windows and you will become the Mind Wars master and learn important 3rd-5th grade skills in math, language and fine arts, science, history, and geography!
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Featured Resources

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The Living Page: Keeping Notebooks with Charlotte Mason
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Reading Made Easy
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The Letter Factory Game
Teaches Phonics! The race is on! With two games in one, children play together and learn letter names and sounds with actions and music. Wacky Professor Quigley guides players every step of the way so no reading is required! Games automatically adjus...