Homeschool Playgroups and Co-ops

Homeschool playgroups and parent cooperatives can be a great way to connect with other homeschoolers and enhance weekly learning.

Most urban areas have a collection of local homeschool groups and online networks to connect current and prospective homeschoolers, and most of these groups host park days and other weekly events to bring homeschooling families together. These networks and events create excellent opportunities to establish your own small homeschool playgroup with families in your area who have kids of similar ages and interests. For example, I connected with four other moms at a weekly homeschool park day and then suggested that we create weekly, rotating playgroups for the kids at each home. Playgroups or meet-ups can be as structured or simple as you would like. You can plan craft projects or lessons or just allow the kids to socialize together.

Some homeschooling families take playgroups a step further, particularly as homeschoolers age, and create private homeschool cooperatives with other families. These tend to be more structured sessions that meet at different homes during the week and where parents take turns providing instruction or facilitating a lesson. As this article from the New York Times last summer highlights, some city homeschoolers even join together to hire a teacher for their homeschool co-op.

There are countless ways to form and structure a homeschool playgroup or co-op, so go ahead and take the lead on creating your own!