Homeschool Convention Survival Guide & Printable

Homeschool Convention season is upon us! I won’t lie. I love this time of the year. I’m the person who looks forward to a homeschool convention all year long.

Are you going to your first convention this year? Congratulations! It is worth every penny and it will be a very valuable experience for you. But I must tell you, homeschool conventions can be very overwhelming, especially if you don’t have a game plan before you show up. Luckily, if you put the tips in this post to use, you’ll be able to formulate your game plan and get the very most out of your homeschool convention experience.

• Before you leave home for the convention, do your research! How is the convention set up? What is the mission of the convention? Who are the speakers? Which vendors will be attending? You can typically go to the convention’s website to find the answer to all of these questions and more valuable information.
• Book your hotel early!! Hotels near convention sites fill up quickly.
• Will you be bringing your family with you? If so, find out if there are children’s programs offered. Do they have a track for homeschool dads? Do they have a teen track?
• When you arrive at the convention, make sure to pick up a convention program/booklet/guide {whatever they are called at your convention}. This guide will tell you the times/locations of the speakers and much more valuable information about the convention. You will reference it numerous times.
• Before you leave home, print out this form to take with you. You can use it in conjunction with the convention guide book to formulate your game plan. There are areas to write down the sessions you plan to attend, your curriculum wish list, and a section for vendor price comparisons.

• Wear comfortable shoes. You will be on your feet a lot.
• Dress in layers or pack a jacket. The conventions I’ve attended have been pretty chilly.
• Take notes during the speaker sessions. You will get a wealth of information and won’t be able to remember most of it when you get home if you don’t take notes. Print multiple copies of this form and you’ll be all ready to take notes!

• Pack a lunch to take with you to the convention. If there is food available at the convention hall, it is usually pretty pricey.
• Bring something to carry your purchases in! Many people bring these type of crates. They also sell them at the conventions, but they are expensive. I’ve also seen people bring suitcases with wheels to carry purchases.
  
• Stick to your budget and shop around before you buy anything. Multiple vendors carry the same products, usually with different prices.

Are you still looking for a homeschool convention to attend this year? Teach Them Diligently is one of the best conventions around and this year, in an effort to reach more people, they have three locations: Spartanburg, SC,  Nashville, TN, and Omaha, NE. Register now for $45 for a family registration.

Good luck and enjoy your convention!

 

This week’s series on Homeschool Conventions is being sponsored by Teach them Diligently Convention.