Homeschool Learning Ideas for December
Do you want to introduce your kids to a variety of people and places, historical time periods, and interesting ideas? Here you’ll find a big list of December homeschool ideas. Choose a few to explore and see what sparks their interest.
As you read through these ideas, you may be inspired to search out additional people, places, or events to learn about in December!
This article is part of a series of monthly homeschool learning ideas. Each month offers suggestions for seasonal activities and homeschool projects, along with a list of topics relevant to the month.
The learning suggestions are grouped in the following categories:
- Read Aloud Book Suggestions
- Movie/Book Combos
- Poetry
- Classical Music
- Quotes
- Artists (birthdays in December)
- Athletes (birthdays in December)
- Authors (birthdays in December)
- Composers (birthdays in December)
- Engineers (birthdays in December)
- Inventors (birthdays in December)
- Presidents (birthdays in December)
- Scientists (birthdays in December)
- Interesting People (birthdays in December)
- Unusual Occupations
- Animals
- Plants (seasonal related)
- World Landmarks
- Games
- Crafts (seasonal related)
- Study Skills
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Where to Find Learning Resources
After you decide on a few people or topics you want to learn about in December, head to your local library to check out books, magazines, movies, and more related to your topics of interest. You may find that your library system is able to request additional material from other libraries as well.
Another free source of information is YouTube. There is a massive amount of educational content on YouTube and a quick search will turn up many options to learn about almost anything.
For relatively inexpensive and sometimes free resources related to many of these topics, check out Teachers Pay Teachers.
Read-Aloud Suggestions for December
December is a great time to read a book with a Christmas theme or a winter setting. Here are a few suggestions for books to read together in December.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson
A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus
Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
Movie/Book Combos for December
If your child loves movies, but isn’t as keen to read, try reading a book that’s been made into a movie. Read the book together with the promise of a popcorn and movie-watching party when you’re finished! Or, if you think the movie will generate interest in the story, do it backwards for your child. Here are a few suggestions for December book and movie combos.
Read: 100+ Family Movie Night Suggestions
Poetry to Read in December
Read poetry aloud to explore the rhythm of the words. Here are some poetry suggestions to consider for December.
In the Bleak Midwinter by Christina Rosetti
On December 21 by Amos Russel Wells
A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore
Christmas Bells by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Additional poems for December can be found at discoverpoetry.com.
Classical Music to Listen to in December
Choose a few pieces of classical music to listen to this month. Here are a couple of suggestions for December.
Handel-Messiah Hallelujah Chorus
Quotes to Ponder in December
In December we focus on hope, peace, and joy. Choose a quote to read and discuss in December. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.
“It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving.”
– Mother Teresa
“Bless us, Lord, this Christmas, with quietness of mind. Teach us to be patient and always to be kind.”
– Helen Steiner Rice
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him…”
– Romans 15:13
More December Homeschool Ideas…
Artists Born in December
Paul Klee (painter who explored expressionism, cubism, and surrealism)
Henri Matisse (French visual artist)
Georges Seurat (French post-impressionist artist)
Madame Tussaud (French artist known for her wax sculptures)
Athletes Born in December
LeBron James (basketball)
Florence Griffith Joyner (running)
Katerina Witt (figure skating)
Authors Born in December
Jan Brett (The Mitten, The Snowy Nap)
Carol Ryrie Brink (Caddie Woodlawn)
Jean de Brunhoff (Babar series)
Rudyard Kipling (The Jungle Book)
Mary Norton (The Borrowers series)
Composers Born in December
Hector Berlioz
Giacomo Puccini
Ludwig van Beethoven
Engineers Born in December
Charles Babbage (credited with inventing the first mechanical computer)
George Cayley (pioneer of aeronautical engineering, designed the first glider)
Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (civil engineer most famous for his Eiffel Tower)
Entrepreneurs Born in December
Elizabeth Arden (founder of the Elizabeth Arden cosmetics company)
Asa Candler (founder of the Coca-Cola Company)
Walt Disney (animator, film producer, and theme park owner)
Kevin Systrom (co-founder of Instagram)
Sarah Breedlove (founder of the Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company to sell cosmetics and hair products for black women)
Inventors Born in December
Martha Coston (inventor of signal flares used by the U.S. Navy)
Rowland Hill (invented the adhesive postage stamp)
Charles Macintosh (inventor of the waterproof raincoat)
Werner von Siemens (built the first electric elevator)
Scientists Born in December
Grace Hopper (mathematician and pioneer of computer programming)
Johannes Kepler (astronomer, best known for his laws of planetary motion)
Isaac Newton (best known for his laws of motion, contributions to optics, and developing infinitesimal calculus)
Louis Pasteur (known for his discoveries related to vaccination and pasteurization)
Maurice H. Wilkins (biophysicist best known for his work on the structure of DNA)
U.S. Presidents Born in December
Martin Van Buren (8th president)
Andrew Johnson (17th president)
Woodrow Wilson (28th president)
Other Interesting People Born in December
Clara Barton (nurse who founded the American Red Cross)
Emily Dickinson (American poet who wrote nearly 1800 poems)
Ira Gershwin (lyricist who collaborated with his composer brother, George to write more than a dozen Broadway shows)
Ada Lovelace (mathematician who worked on Charles Babbage’s computer, regarded as the first computer programmer)
John Milton (English intellectual and writer of Paradise Lost)
Craig Newmark (founder of Craigslist)
Sir William Parry (explorer known for one of the earliest expeditions to the North Pole)
Ellen Swallow Richards (founder of the home economics movement and the first to apply chemistry to the study of nutrition)
Steven Spielberg (most commercially successful film director of all time)
Find even more interesting people with December birthdays noted on ThoughtCo’s list of December famous inventions and birthdays.
Interesting Occupations to Learn About in December
Animals to Learn About in December
Lyrebird
Markhor
Venezuelan poodle moth
Plants to Learn About in December
Rosemary
Holly
Poinsettia
World Landmarks to Learn About in December
Games to Play in December
Crafts to Make in December
Study Skills to Work On in December
Thinking creatively: Encourage your student to implement habits that allow for creative thinking.
Creative Thinking: How to Increase the Dots to Connect (YouTube – Sprouts)
How to Be More Creative (YouTube – Jim Kwik)
The 6 Habits of Exceptionally Creative People (YouTube – The Art of Improvement)
December Nonfiction Reads for Moms
Don’t forget to keep learning for yourself! Here are a few books to continue learning in the areas of time management, homeschooling, and Christian living.
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer: Advice for emotional and spiritual health in a chaotic world.
Waiting on the Word by Malcolm Guite: Daily poems for the Christmas season.
The Lifegiving Home by Sally Clarkson and Sarah Clarkson: Ideas to celebrate during every month of the year.
What to Learn in December
Obviously, this is not a comprehensive list of homeschool ideas. Nor is it a prescriptive list of things you should study in December.
Whether you’re taking a break from “regular” school or schooling through the Christmas season, choosing some of these topics to learn about in December will expose your kids to a variety of people, places, and ideas. If they find something or someone especially interesting, feel free to dive deep. If not, read a short excerpt, watch a short video, and move on to something else.
Your kids won’t necessarily know what they find interesting or exciting until they read, see, or hear something about it. Give them the chance to discover things that generate interest by providing a broad spectrum of learning opportunities this month.
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