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May is one of my favorite months. The garden is blooming, the air is warm, and everything starts to slow down in the sweetest way. We begin wrapping up our homeschool year, and instead of finishing with a race, we let things gently fade like the petals on our roses. This is when we start doing more outside, soaking in the sun, and letting the garden take the lead in our learning.

Homeschooling in May doesn’t look like sitting at the table with books and worksheets. It looks like walking barefoot through the garden in the morning, checking on the tomatoes, and pointing out the new flowers that popped up overnight. It’s talking about pollinators while watching the bees do their busy work. It’s kids sketching the birds they see and asking a million questions about the critters crawling across the path.

Our garden becomes the classroom, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Learning in the Garden

We read outside most mornings, sometimes in the shade with a pitcher of lemonade and sometimes just laying on a quilt in the grass. I read aloud while the kids stretch out with their sketchbooks and nature journals. They love learning like this, and honestly, so do I. It feels natural, peaceful, and so full of life.

Here’s a few ways we keep learning in May:

We plant little beds together, usually full of quick-growing favorites like lettuce and cherry tomatoes. The kids are always amazed when we actually eat something they planted with their own hands. That alone teaches so much about patience and reward.
We keep a little wildlife journal and jot down everything we see. My youngest spotted a hummingbird last week, and you would’ve thought she saw a unicorn.
We use our telescope in the evenings once the sun goes down. May is perfect for stargazing here in Texas. The kids are fascinated by the moon’s craters and the way Saturn seems to glow. It’s become one of our favorite ways to wind down the day.
We make art outside too. Pressing flowers, painting what we see, or even making little clay animals to hide in the flower beds just for fun. There’s no pressure, no grades, just creativity and joy.

When It Starts Getting Hot

Now, I won’t lie, by the middle of May it gets hot here in Texas. That’s when we start using our big backyard pool. It’s not just for the kids either. It’s big enough for all of us to enjoy, and let me tell you, floating in the water with a good book while the garden buzzes nearby is one of life’s greatest pleasures.

The kids play and swim, and I sit close by with some iced coffee or jump in with them. Sometimes we stay in until the sun begins to set, and everything around us turns golden. It’s the best way to cool off after a morning of gardening or running around the yard barefoot.

The pool becomes our happy place. It’s where we laugh, talk, play, and sometimes just float and let our minds rest. After a long school year, it feels like the perfect way to celebrate.

A Gentle End to the School Year

May reminds me that education isn’t just about books. It’s about living. It’s about walking through your days with curiosity and wonder. It’s about noticing the way a flower blooms or understanding where your food comes from. It’s reading under the trees, watching the stars, and learning how to slow down.

So if you’re homeschooling and feeling like you need a break from the routine, I encourage you to take your learning outside. Let your garden teach the lessons. Let the sun guide your schedule. Let your children breathe deeply and play hard. These are the days they’ll remember.

And these are the days I’ll remember too.

And for us adults, May is the time to go outside. Everything is blooming and the weather is just right before the real heat of summer sets in. It’s the perfect month to slow down and enjoy the little things. Mornings are for sipping tea on the porch while the birds sing. Afternoons are for digging in the garden or reading a good book in the shade. Evenings feel made for sitting with your feet in the grass and watching the kids play until the sun slips behind the trees. This is the season to spend more time as a family, to rest without guilt, and to let yourself breathe a little deeper. Step away from the screens and to-do lists. Let May be the month you reconnect with the outdoors and remember how peaceful it feels to just be present.

From my garden to yours,
Brooke