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How to Use Pinterest to Rock Your Homeschool
📌 Today, Amy shares one of her favorite tools for boosting homeschool adventures—Pinterest!
Whether you’re new to Pinterest or a seasoned user, this episode is packed with tips, tricks, and creative ideas to help you maximize its potential for homeschooling.
Pinterest isn’t just another social media platform—it’s a powerful visual search engine. From lesson planning to self-care, Pinterest can save you time, energy, and money. Amy is excited to share how it can do the same for you!
Episode Highlights:
📌 What Is Pinterest?
📌 Pinterest Basics for Homeschool Moms:
- Create a Pinterest account (if you don’t have one yet!) and start by exploring topics that interest you.
- Use boards to organize your pins by topics like “Winter Fun” or “Meal Planning.”
- Pro tip: Use the search bar to find ideas quickly. Pinterest’s autofill feature can help when you’re not sure what to search for!
📌 10 Smart Ways to Use Pinterest for Homeschooling
- Getting Started: Explore homeschooling basics, like state requirements or tips for teaching multiple kids.
- Ideas and Inspiration: Find fun activities for special days (like Pi Day!) or dinner ideas when you’re stuck.
- Free Resources: Search for free printables and resources to stay on budget.
- Frugal Activities: Discover affordable crafts, STEM projects, and more.
- By Grade Level: Create boards tailored to your children’s grade levels.
- By Subject: Save ideas for math, science, art, and other subjects.
- Interests: Curate boards based on your kids’ and your own hobbies.
- Practical Life Help: Find organization tips, recipes, budgeting advice, and more.
- Self-Care: Explore relaxation techniques, DIY spa ideas, and exercise routines.
- Vision Boards: Plan homeschool spaces, family trips, or even a homeschool vision board for the year.
📌 BONUS TIP:
Use Pinterest to plan homeschool unit studies! Create a board for a specific topic and fill it with ideas for crafts, recipes, and cross-curricular activities.
Join the Conversation!
What are your favorite ways to use Pinterest for homeschooling? I’d love to hear from you! Email me at rockyourhomeschool@gmail.com
📌 And follow me on Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.com/rockyourhs/
📌 Until next time, happy pinning and homeschooling! 📌
Prefer to read? I’ve put the transcript to this episode below! Let me know if you have any questions 😊
Why Pinterest is Perfect for Homeschool Moms
Today, I want to talk about one of my best hacks for boosting homeschool adventures – for your kids and you. It has saved me so much time, energy, and money over the years. I love to use it for ideas, inspiration, planning, and much more.
What is this amazing tool that I think all homeschool moms should use? Pinterest!
I’ve got tips and tricks for using Pinterest. If you’re new to it, no worries – I’ll cover the basics. If you’ve been using Pinterest for years, I hope I can help you think outside the box when it comes to using this search engine.
Let’s dive into all things Pinterest for homeschooling!
What is Pinterest?
Before I get to those 10 smart ways to use Pinterest, let’s take a quick look at what it is – and what it isn’t.
Pinterest was launched in March 2010. It’s a place to go to find ideas and save them to personal boards (more on that soon).
Although it’s often lumped together with social media platforms (like Instagram and Facebook), it’s actually more of a search engine (like Google). Actually, Pinterest is a visual search engine – lots of pictures and videos!
In today’s version, you will see ads and sponsored pins. There are static pins (just images), as well as video pins (with all types of videos, from tutorials to walk-throughs of products).
Pinterest is by far my favorite! I prefer it because I can find information and resources based on what I’m searching for that actually help me – and not just fluff or distractions. I find Kate Ahl (of Simple Pin Media) and her quote “Pinterest is the library, Instagram is the bar” very helpful in seeing the difference in these platforms.
Pinterest Basics for Homeschool Moms
First things first…if you don’t have a Pinterest account, let’s do that! Go over to pinterest.com and sign up with your email. You’ll be asked to look at a variety of topics and pick interests to help Pinterest know what you might be interested in seeing as you scroll or search.
To get started, I have found it easier to do this step on desktop. But, for everyday Pinterest use, I use the app on my phone.
Then, you can either go directly to accounts that you know, like Rock Your Homeschool – follow me!! OR you can do a search by using the search bar. Add words or phrases for something that you might like more information or resources for – like free homeschool printables.
Pins will appear. Pins are pictures or videos that you can click on to learn more. If you like that pin and want to save for future reference, you can save it.
In order to save a pin, you’ll need to make a board (kind of like a cork board or vision board). The platform changes from time to time. As I record this episode, to make a board, you will tap save – then find a red circle with a plus sign with Create Board next to it. Tap that circle. Name your board according to the topic of the pin (or category).
I recommend creating broader boards – like Winter Fun – vs. Arctic Animal experiment for 5th Grade. With a broader board, it’s easier to group ideas and find them later.
Oh, and a tip for doing a search on Pinterest…if you have an idea but can’t quite think of the words you need, just start typing! Start with the main idea (like homeschool) and then add a letter (for example, A). The Pinterest search bar will start self-populating with suggestions. It can be so helpful if you’re feeling tired or like a deer in headlights.
I hope these steps help you in putting together your Pinterest account. If you have any problems, just let me know. I’ll be happy to walk you through it.
10 Smart Ways to Use Pinterest for Your Homeschool
I actually have a whole bunch of ways to use Pinterest to boost homeschooling. But, I’ll keep it to 10 now – and maybe I’ll come back in a future episode with more ideas!
I think there are 2 approaches when it comes to using Pinterest. The first way is to go forth with purpose. Open up the app and have a list of things that you want to search for (for example, 5th grade math worksheets or gluten-free snacks for kids).
The second way is to casually scroll through as you relax. As you see a pin that looks helpful, give it a look and save or click through to check it all out.
Okay, let’s get to those 10 smart ways to use Pinterest!
- Getting Started
If you’re interested in learning more about homeschooling or just getting started (make sure to listen to episode 2 on getting a positive and strong start to homeschooling), you can find so many amazing resources. Look for information for homeschooling in your state, if you’re homeschooling multiple kids (or one child), grade level, and more.
- Ideas and Inspiration
Can’t think of anything fun to do for celebrating Pi Day in your homeschool? Have no idea what to make for dinner tonight and need something quick and healthy? Looking at your homeschool area and know you need something to help with organization? Go to Pinterest!
- Free resources
If you’re on a tight budget (hi – me too!), Pinterest is the place to find incredible free resources for homeschooling, meal planning, grocery shopping, budgeting, and more.
Simply type in “free” or “free printable” and then what you’re looking for.
- Frugal activities
Find budget-friendly ideas for crafts, STEM projects, poetry teatime, book parties, gifts, and more.
- By grade
What grade levels are you currently teaching – or will be teaching? Make boards with resources by grade level, if that’s your type of thing. At first, you might find more classroom-type resources. Keep searching and you’ll discover more homeschool-related activities. Or just tweak the classroom activities to use for homeschooling!
- By subject
Make boards for each homeschool subject that you’ll be covering this year – and beyond. As you find ideas and activities, save those pins and refer back when you need them.
- Interests
I love to make Pinterest boards based on my boys interests and my own. I’ll save pins to use in our homeschool for interest-led learning, brain breaks, rainy day fun, or just because. For example, my high schooler and I often look at my Photography board to find tutorials and tips.
- Practical
I am definitely not the best when it comes to domestic duties. That’s why I love my Pinterest boards! I have boards for meal planning, healthy recipes, organization tips, and budgeting. So many amazing things to help me as a homeschool mom!
- Self-Care
I’m all about practicing self-care, especially as a busy homeschool mom. I have a self-care board filled with DIY face masks, exercise routines, relaxation techniques, and such. I find it peaceful to scroll Pinterest and save these types of ideas.
- Vision board
Pinterest is the place to make an online vision board. Want to create a homeschool space that works for you? Make a board that has organizational tools, bookshelves, posters, and other homeschool room items. Planning a party or family trip? Make a Pinteerst vision board. You can even make a homeschool vision board that way!
Bonus Tip for Homeschooling with Pinterest
Plan a homeschool unit study using Pinterest!
Create a board for your unit study topic (like soccer or growth mindset). Fill your board with ideas and resources for different subjects and how they apply to your topic. Find a mix of crafts, recipes, and other fun activities to enjoy for your unit study, too!
Your turn! What ideas do YOU have for using Pinterest to boost homeschooling? Please share by emailing me at rockyourhomeschool@gmail.com
And do you have any questions about my tips and ideas? Let me know!
Make sure to follow me at Rock Your Homeschool over on Pinterest – that’s https://www.pinterest.com/rockyourhs/ I hope you find Pinterest as rewarding and fun as I do!
Well my friend, that does it for another episode of Positively Homeschooling. If you enjoyed this podcast, I ask that you please share it with a friend or two. Your sharing means so much – thank you!
