We live in a busy world that often celebrates hustle and productivity, yet leaves us feeling drained. Hygge invites us to slow down, savor the moment, and build a life we enjoy living rather than one we feel the need to escape.

While I don't live in the Nordic countries, I do live along the Wasatch Front, on the western edge of the Rocky Mountains. In 2016, when the Oxford English Dictionary listed hygge as a top finalist for Word of the Year, it caught my attention.

I related to people in the cold countries of northern Europe. Instead of getting cabin fever when cold weather or a storm rages outside, what if I could make home more inviting, warm, and cozy? What if I could turn the cold months around and learn to enjoy them?

Sure, we bundle up and go outside. We enjoy the fresh air and the beauty of the changing seasons. But when we return, we come back to the warmth of home, shared meals, and an inviting place to be. We can make those hours indoors something to look forward to, not something to endure.

That is what drew me to hygge. The idea of taking shelter from the storm, gathering together, and enjoying the simple pleasures of home resonated with me.

Although hygge is Danish, other cultures have similar concepts, including German Gemütlichkeit, Norwegian koselig, Swedish mysig, and Dutch gezelligheid. No single English word captures all the nuances.

For me, hygge means being comfortable, content, present, and warm. It means creating a peaceful home atmosphere, finding joy in simplicity, and enjoying life's little pleasures with the people we love.

A hygge home is welcoming. It doesn't have to be expensive or elaborate. And a hygge homeschool isn't about buying special furniture, lighting candles, or creating a picture-perfect classroom.

It's about building a family culture in which learning, working, worshipping, serving, and enjoying one another belong together.

I learned that through years of homeschooling my own children. Here are twelve ways we brought that kind of warmth and joy into our family life.

12 Ways to Hygge Your Homeschool

1. Family Work and Service: From Chore Charts to Working Together

Homeschooling is about more than academics. It's also about building character, learning practical skills, and caring for one another. Family work and service can become natural parts of that process. There’s no more hygge way to instill values than through serving and caring for the home together.

From chore charts to working together

There was a six-and-a-half-year gap between my older three children and my younger four. In 2000, when I began looking for ways to improve our family culture, I had been homeschooling for almost two decades and assigning individual chores for fifteen years.

I had tried pairing an older child with a younger one. I expected the older child to teach the younger child how to do the work. Instead, the older child often sat back and let the younger child do it all.

One day, to their astonishment, I tore up the chore-chart system and announced that we would no longer do chores!

Instead, we began working together. We prepared and cleared meals together. We worked together in the garden.

One Sunday, a neighbor joined us for dinner. As a good guest, she offered to help. I told her to sit and talk while we got dinner ready. My family set the table, gathered the condiments, and prepared the meal. One daughter even made homemade ranch dressing.

My friend watched us and remarked that we were a “well-oiled machine.”

One child didn't enjoy gardening, so he would go into the house and make breakfast for everyone instead.

I also worked alongside my children to teach them how to clean a room. When a child shadows you, they learn more than a task. They learn process, pace, an eye for quality, attention to detail, staying on task, and finishing what they start. 

For smaller jobs, such as cleaning a bathroom, vacuuming, washing windows, or cleaning the refrigerator, I worked with one child at a time.

The older children continued learning how to work, and the younger children learned alongside them. There were no more chore-war incentives or restrictions until the work was done. We worked together, and the work got done.

The message changed from “That's not my job” to “It's our job.”

The Folding Party!

When I was doing a read-aloud and the washer finished its cycle, I changed the load. When the dryer finished, I completed the paragraph and announced, “Folding Party!”

I had been stacking clean laundry at each child's place at the table. They were supposed to put it away before dinner. That wasn't working. They put it on their beds, it fell to the floor, and when they cleaned their rooms, the clothes ended up back in the laundry.

It was frustrating to find folded clothes in a dirty hamper, being thrown into the washing machine again.

So we changed the routine. When we finished folding and hanging up the laundry, I walked the children to their rooms and watched them put the clothes into drawers and closets.

It took only a few minutes to practice the habit properly.

Sometimes the solution isn't another chart or reward. It's working alongside our children until they know how to do the job.

Make service a family tradition

We also had a family service committee chair, and every family member served on the committee. Together, we looked for ways to help others.

We helped with yard work, took food to people who were homebound, and watched children so their parents could do some Christmas shopping while we made things with the children.

Throughout December, we practiced secret service, in the family. We left angel notes letting people know they had been served. The person who found a note placed a straw in the manger, helping prepare a soft bed for the Christ Child.

On Christmas Eve, we celebrated with a lovely supper, read the story from Luke 2 aloud, and held a birthday party for Jesus. The youngest present got to blow out the candles on the cake. 

The tradition didn't end when my children grew up. Now they bring their own children to our home to keep it going.

Service became more than something we talked about. It became something we did together, a way to love our neighbors and prepare our hearts for Christmas.

Try this: Choose one household task to learn together and one simple way your family can serve someone else. You don't have to do everything at once. Begin with what fits your family.

2. Literature: Make Read-Aloud Time a Family Tradition

As the weather grows colder and we gather indoors, it's wonderful to snuggle up and read aloud together. Choose stories that uplift, inspire, and strengthen character. Good literature builds literacy and understanding of human nature- and both are essential to a hygge homeschool.

We had a basket on the hearth for the books we were currently using in homeschool and another basket for library book.

We tried to read the scriptures aloud and sing hymns every day. I also kept broadening our horizons through the books I read to the family.

With children spanning more than twenty years in age, I had to choose widely. I wanted books that would challenge the older children while still engaging the younger ones. The little ones could build with LEGO bricks, construction toys, or woodblocks at my feet while I read.

I was floored one day when my three-year-old asked, “Mommy, when are you going to read Jane Eyre?”

Sometimes I created reading awards, much like a library program, to encourage the children in their reading.

Books were central to our home. We didn't have a television upstairs in the living room, but we did have bookshelves.

Reading aloud gave us a way to share stories and ideas across the generations, even when the children were at very different stages of life.

Try this: Keep a basket of current read-alouds where your family naturally gathers. Let younger children build, draw, or quietly play while you read. You may be surprised by what they absorb

3. Science: Get Outside and Notice God's Creation 

Take time for walks. Hold hands, kick leaves, and observe the changes in nature. Keep a nature notebook and make observations together. These simple activities nurture curiosity, relationships, and appreciation for God's creation is a truly hygge approach to science.

I am grateful for Charlotte Mason's ideas about nature study and nature walks. We began taking walks when my oldest two children were eighteen months and thirty months old.

We went outside in every season. Over the years, the children learned so much about nature and the changing seasons.

We observed things with the naked eye, examined details with magnifying glasses and microscopes, and even used a telescope. We conducted experiments and followed our curiosity.

Our walks provided other benefits, too. They helped dissipate extra energy, settle our nerves, and give us time to think, ponder, and connect with one another.

Science didn't always require a lesson plan or a formal experiment. Sometimes we simply needed to step outside and pay attention.

Try this: Take a short walk and ask each person to notice something new. Look closely, ask questions, and follow one question a little further..

4. Cooking: Bring the Family to the Table

Of course, the atmosphere is about more than lighting. It's about gathering, talking, sharing food, and learning to appreciate one another.

Set aside devices when you can. Be patient as children learn to prepare food and appreciate new flavors. Let them participate in the work of getting a meal to the table.

Try this: Invite a child to help prepare one simple part of a meal. Turn off distractions, sit together, and give yourselves time to enjoy the food and conversation.

5. Writing: Give Children Something Worth Recording

Encourage your children to keep journals, commonplace books, or quote books. They can collect meaningful passages from literature, scriptures, and wise sayings. This kind of gentle, authentic writing builds thoughtfulness and creativity is the essence of hygge learning.

Writing becomes more meaningful when children have something they want to remember, share, or explore, and have a special place to keep those treasured experience.

We had lessons on keeping journals, and I let my children decorate their own notebooks. We practiced journaling, letter writing, and thank-you notes. Eventually, we added blogging.

We did it!

Writing wasn't just an assignment to finish. It became a way to express thoughts, preserve memories, communicate with others, and share what we were learning.

Try this: Give your child a notebook and let them personalize it. Invite them to record a favorite quotation, describe an experience, write a letter, or preserve a memory from the week.

6. Reading: Make Books Part of Your Home

Create a home library or a literary basket, along with a comfortable place to read. It might be a favorite chair, a nook, or simply a corner where books are easy to reach. Providing time and space for quiet reading is quintessential hygge homeschooling.

If space is limited, visit your local library regularly and keep a basket of books near a comfortable spot.

I remember visiting my friend Lenore for dinner one evening. After dinner, the family pushed the plates back and everyone picked up a book.

They read silently, and from time to time someone shared an exciting passage with the others.

What a lovely way to spend time together! Everyone could enjoy a book of their own, yet the family was still sharing an experience.

Not every family needs to read the same book at the same time. Sometimes the pleasure comes from simply being together, each absorbed in a good book.

Try this: Once in a while, push the dinner plates aside, bring out books, and give everyone a few minutes to read. Invite anyone who wants to share a favorite passage.

7. Social Skills: Keep Gatherings Simple

The first place children learn social skills is in everyday relationships. They learn to converse, share, serve, play, work through differences, and consider other people. 

You don't need to organize an elaborate event to give children opportunities to build friendships.

I hosted simple homeschool luncheons. They were low-key, potluck, and pressure-free. Adults relaxed while the children played.

We also had Park Fridays. We packed our lunches and met other homeschoolers at the park when the weather was pleasant. We didn't overthink it, create lesson plans, or organize sports. We simply gathered outdoors. Sometimes teenagers brought a ball or a Frisbee, but the adults didn't need to direct everything. We could relax while the children played and interacted.

When in-person visits weren't possible, I encouraged my children to maintain connections in other ways. My aunt in Canada was one hundred years old and played online bridge with her friends through Skype! Connection can happen in many ways and across generations. Stay connected and keep hygge alive.

Try this: Invite another family to a simple lunch or park gathering. Keep the expectations light. Give children time to play and adults time to talk.

8. Math, Language Arts, and More: Learn Through Games

Games can make learning more enjoyable while giving children opportunities to practice math, language arts, history, geography, and general knowledge. 

Playing games also help children develop skills that extend beyond academics.

Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta Golinkoff describe the “6 C's” in their work on children's learning: collaboration, communication, content, critical thinking, creative innovation, and confidence. You can read more about the framework on Kathy Hirsh-Pasek's Early Childhood Education page.

I kept a game and puzzle closet, and we used it. When children needed a fresh way to learn, games provided another approach.

Regular family games could give us practice with numbers, vocabulary, strategy, memory, or problem-solving. It also gave us a reason to sit together, laugh, and enjoy one another.

Sometimes a change in how we approach a subject makes all the difference.

Playing games as a family makes learning warm, engaging, and hygge!

Try this: Keep a few games and puzzles available. Choose one that reinforces a skill your child is learning, or simply play together and enjoy the challenge.

9. Geography: Put the World on Your Table

We placed a world map on our dining table and covered it with clear vinyl.

When we read stories, encountered unfamiliar places, or discussed current events, we could refer to the map right there at the table.

Geography became part of our conversations rather than a separate subject we had to remember to study. 

A map provides a visual connection between what children hear and read and the places where events happen. It can lead to questions about countries, landscapes, cultures, journeys, and the people who live around the world. This gentle, visual approach helps children see the world in context and makes geography a natural, hygge part of learning.

Try this: Keep a map or globe somewhere your family gathers. When a place comes up in a book, news story, or conversation, find it together.

10. Cultural Arts: Make Room for Music, Poetry, and Play

The arts don't have to be reserved for formal lessons or special occasions. We can bring music, poetry, storytelling, and imaginative play into ordinary family life.

We memorized and recited poetry, sang together, and held family recital nights. Everyone had an opportunity to share what they were learning.

Poems, scriptures, quotes, and artwork that we were learning about, were displayed on the refrigerator.  These were displayed nicely in matte frames. See how I made the frames here. We lived with arts around us.

We sang hymns, children's songs, folk songs, and songs from musicals.

One day, my daughters and I were singing on the way to the bread store. We were belting out show tunes and harmonizing. As we pulled up, we were singing “Somewhere Out There.” The singing stopped, the windows went up, and we went inside.

My oldest daughter's first date happened to witness the performance. He smiled and asked, “Were you all singing show tunes?”

My daughter told him that we did that all the time.

We also built a puppet theater that provided hours of fun, and we had a large dress-up box. A friend offered to teach my children piano, so we took advantage of the opportunity.

At one point, I signed myself and my three youngest children up for elocution class. The boys jokingly called it “electrocution class.” We all learned how to memorize and deliver a piece.

The final class was held in my driveway. We dressed in light costumes and performed a dramatic reading of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Cultural arts didn't have to be complicated. Sometimes they meant singing in the car. Sometimes they meant dressing up, reciting a poem, or performing for family and friends.

Those experiences gave us opportunities to practice, create, laugh, and enjoy beauty together.

The arts don't have to be reserved for formal lessons or special occasions. We can bring music, poetry, storytelling, and imaginative play into ordinary family life.

Bringing beauty into daily life is deeply hygge.

Try this: Sing a favorite song, memorize a short poem, put on a puppet show, or let children perform something they've learned. Enjoy the experience rather than worrying about perfection. 

11. Resourcefulness: Learn to Live Providently

Homeschooling provides opportunities to learn practical skills and find satisfaction in making, repairing, preserving, and creating things.

My father taught me how he made beef Jerky in the oven. 

My husband and I, along with our children, enjoyed making and canning applesauce, preserving pie slices, and steaming Concord grapes for juice. We made beef jerky and fruit leather.

In the fall, I held an “Elves' Workshop” to help the children make Christmas gifts. Each child worked on gifts while learning new skills.

They learned sewing, quilting, crocheting, small woodworking projects, jewelry making, and even how to invent their own games.

As adults, they are makers! They make gifts, and some earn a second income by making things.

As adults, they are makers! They make gifts, and some earn a second income by making things.

In our modern world, new things can lose their value quickly. Learning to repair, refurbish, and repurpose gives children another way to look at the things around them. They can discover how to restore something useful or make something beautiful from what they already have.

I practiced that myself. I reupholstered our piano bench and cleaned the cabinet doors rather than sanding everything down and repainting it.

Handiwork offers a gentle way to develop practical skills, patience, creativity, and confidence. It also gives children the satisfaction of seeing something through from an idea to a finished product. Working with their hands gives children a sense of accomplishment, while fostering creativity, bringing warmth, beauty, and a touch of hygge into your homeschool.

Try this: Choose one practical project to do together. Preserve some food, mend a garment, make a gift, repair a household item, or create something useful from materials you already have.

12. Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Learn Together, Grow Individually

Consider a one-room schoolhouse approach, where children share general knowledge and learn together while developing individual skills at their own pace.

In a family homeschool, children don't all need to study the same material or complete the same task. They can share read-alouds, history, music, nature study, and family discussions while working on skills according to their individual needs and readiness. 

This approach lets children learn from one another and gives parents a way to organize learning without treating every child as a separate classroom.

The Power of an Hour uses this very method, and it’s beautifully hygge.

I created The Power of an Hour to streamline our homeschool using a one-room schoolhouse approach. The Second Hour rotations gave us additional ways to organize our work.

When I began using Power of an Hour and the Second Hour rotations, homeschooling became more joyful.

A thoughtful structure can make family life easier. It can give children a sense of security, help parents use their time well, and leave more room for the relationships and experiences that make learning worthwhile.

Try this: Look for subjects or activities your children can share, then identify the individual skills each child needs to practice. You may be able to simplify your schedule without sacrificing meaningful learning.

Make Your Homeschool a Place of Joy

There are countless ways to bring hygge into your homeschool. These twelve are just the beginning.

You don't need to do all twelve. You don't need a perfect home, an elaborate schedule, or a large budget. I did not have a perfect home, elaborate schedule, or a big budget. I did homeschool on a shoestring. 

Start with one small change. Read aloud together. Take a walk. Make dinner as a family. Play a game. Find a way to serve someone. Create a tradition your children will want to carry forward.

I started with small changes. I slowly built traditions. 

Over time, these ordinary experiences can shape your family culture.

Looking back, I can see that the warmth of our home didn't come from any one activity. It came from the things we did together: learning, working, worshipping, serving, creating, and enjoying one another.

A welcoming homeschool is built one ordinary day at a time.

May your homeschool be filled with hygge: an inviting place where learning feels cozy, safe, and peaceful, and where children develop a lifelong love of learning.

Enjoy the Journey!!!!

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