An ideological leap that every new homeschooler makes is around WHERE homeschooling happens, and that it is not restricted to your home. We’ve mentioned parkschooling, because that happens a lot in the cooler months. You’ll find homeschoolers gathered in groups working on topic lessons or running free. The city is entirely different when everyone is inside. It’s yours to explore. And we’re going to help you explore it educationally!

Check out some of these free/low cost activities in and around New Orleans each week to get you started. Please note, this is a small overarching sampling, as there are lots of activities that are low/no-cost happening every day. We’ll be exploring those things as we go!

Monday

• On the third Monday of every month, the Infinity Science Center offers an exceptional educational session from 9am-noon created specifically for homeschoolers and covering a variety of topics for $7 per person. This year, children will learn about Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Space and so much more. They also host a Homeschool Science Fair in December.

Tuesday

• Louisiana Children’s Museum offers a variety of educational awesomeness for your up to ten-year-old (possibly a tad older) child! There’s an art studio with Art Trek lead by an instructor and covering a different art form/medium each month; and a STEM Lab which includes pre-planned lessons on a variety of topics, often complete with hands-on experiments. Family membership is $85, which includes the cardholder and 4 guests (one child/one adult is $65) and that may not FEEL low cost, but if you go every week and take advantage of the learning opportunities offered, it offers incredible value.

Wednesday

• Wednesdays are free admission days for Louisiana residents at the New Orleans Museum of Art, courtesy of The Helis Foundation. (May not include special exhibitions.)

• Also, not too far from NOMA, Louisiana residents will enjoy free admission to the Botanical Gardens. Each also offers online educational resources to guide your explorations.

• Sector 6 trampoline park offers a discounted rate to homeschoolers every week (during the school year) from 11am-3pm, with proof of homeschooling. $10 for 90 minutes, instead of the regular $13 for 60 minutes. Get a group together and jump! How do you “prove” homeschooling? Watch out for an upcoming post on how to begin the homeschooling process and register with the state!

Thursday

• FREE admission from 10am-5pm every Thursday for Louisiana residents at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. Bring ID. May not be available for special exhibits. Check calendar before heading in! They also offer week-long artist studio intensives for groups (which we’ll tell you more about another day) and weekend sessions exploring a variety of artist-led activities.

• Playmakers South Indoor Sports offers homeschool P.E. on Wednesdays from 1-3pm and Thursdays 9:30-11:30am for a $5 per class/per child drop-in rate (after registering for yearly membership, which is only $15). You get punchcard and after you come ten times, the next visit is free! They also offer laser tag for a discounted homeschool rate on these days following PE. $3 per session, and punchcard rate applies as well.

Friday

• St. Charles Planetarium has an ongoing selection of visually compelling and informative shows narrated and explained as you watch by Mr. Jason, who has a great way with kids and does an exceptional job helping them appreciate our awe-inspiring universe. $2 per person, St. Charles residents free! Connect with a few homeschool friends and schedule a group viewing during the day or join their already scheduled programming listed on the website calendar.

Random Days

• The Music Box Village “is a one-of-a-kind, artist-built sculpture garden” with musical houses that are truly a must see. They offer public hours on different days each month where local Louisiana admission and kids between 5-18 are free/pay what you can (5 and under free). Go there to explore its fabulousness and learn about its educational offerings, but please read about them first. You’re welcome to picnic, but it’s not a playground . . . though the rest of the city is!

I Hope you found this information useful! Join us here each week, as we share the distinction between different types of homeschooling you’ll find in New Orleans and examples of each in action, along with how to register as a homeschooler and lots more!

by Mary C. Long. 

October 23, 2017.

If you liked this post, Check out Mary’s last article, “Homeschooling on a Budget.”