Learning and (personal) development, being lifelong endeavors, happens in both structured (school) and unstructured (home) environment. All human activities are indeed instruments of learning.
Research, however, shows controlled, structured learning environments are more effective in the acquisition of targeted behavior. For homeschooling, therefore, structuring activities enhance learning and the effectiveness of your homeschooling.
Learning Goals
Determining the homeschooling activities begins by setting the learning goal. If you say, for example, you want to develop respect for humanity, you may consider inviting a neighbor from a different race, caste, or tribe to an inter-family event and affording your children the opportunity to relate with them in your presence.
What we Do, we Know
The largely writing-based, highly structured, institutional-based, modern education tends to relegate non-writing activities to extra-curricular. Writing, a discovery of around the 11th century, did not stop humanity from evolving methods and technologies. Neither should we.
Variety
The antidote to monotony, which breeds tired and exhausted minds, is a variety of (surprise) activities. Go for, where the actual activities cannot be performed, simulations. Use of visuals also rank higher than theoretical discourses.
Temper
The fact that people enjoy activities that conform to their natural gifts/ talents also implies that some less enjoyed but desirable learning activities could be overlooked. Tempering the activities will enhance all-round learning.
Adapt the Arc
The learning curve, initially picks smoothly before peaking and leveling. You, therefore, cannot introduce complex task before mastering a simple task. Complex tasks are made of a series of mastered simple tasks performed within a logical framework.
Word of Mouth
The concept of homeschooling is as old as humanity. The oral culture, at a time when writing was an unknown technology, preserved for centuries, manuscripts of the Bible, and the Quran. This is the modern equivalent of dining table stories by respected members of the family.
Motivate
Rewards produce external motivation for the acquisition or reinforcement of new behavior. The nature and scope of rewards should be proportionate to the complexity of tasks performed. Apply positive and negative rewards accordingly.
Align
National and international trends determine the needs of the knowledge and skills market. It is important that you align your homeschooling strategy appropriately. Alignment of homeschooling goals, as opposed to methods, with the national curriculum, is therefore strategic.
Short-term Evaluation
Your aim is, with as minimum disruption as possible, to structure hitherto unstructured home environment for learning purposes. Your methods of evaluation must, therefore, be tacit and targeted. You, for example, may together watch the racist tinged, George Floyd clip, and look out for reactions.
Long-Term Evaluation
Observable behavior changes could be harnessed for social or economic benefits. Participating in social groups for advocacy against social problems, or making birthday cakes for a fee could open alternative career paths.
Have Fun
A dull learning process, because of too many rules and regulations, obstructs the acquisition of positive behavior. Since people tend to choose the forbidden, rigidity will breed rebellion and undesired deviation. Let people laugh at their mistakes and give them an opportunity for a second attempt.
Maurice Consulting Agency 