COMMUNITY SPIRIT: Homeschool group offers activities, friendships | News

The Tahlequah Homeschool Playdates group, which began in spring 2024, was intended to be a one-off casual get together.

But the parents collectively decided to keep meeting each week, and began a Facebook group.

Lauren Fields, a local homeschool mom said the group is primarily for socializing.

“Tahlequah has a few groups that offer enrichment style classes for homeschoolers, which a lot of our group also attend, but friendships and community aren’t the primary focus of those groups like it is for our group,” Fields said.

Families that are part of the group can choose to attend weekly, or just occasionally.

“It’s a good option for homeschool families who don’t want to or can’t commit to attending weekly co-ops, but still want community for themselves and their children,” Fields said.

Fields said her favorite part of the group is the community she has found with other local families.

“While kids are playing and building their own friendships, the parents spend time getting to know each other,” Fields said.

“We are able to act as resources for each other, and I’ve become friends with several moms through the group.”

Fields said her son is always looking forward to the next playdate with the homeschool group.

“It’s much more beneficial to have consistent friends you are meeting at the park than to play with kids you may not see again,” Fields said.

“I think all of the kids, regardless of age, are learning how to relate to and play with kids from various age groups.”

Fields said most of the kids are under age 12. Currently, there aren’t many activities for older children.

“I would love for their to be older kids attending consistently, and would love to have teen-specific events like game nights or movie nights in the future,” Fields said.

The group often meets at Anthis-Brennan’s playground and fathering dates are posted in the Tahlequah Homeschool Playdates group on Facebook.

The public playdates are open to anyone who homeschools or has young kids. These meetups are typically posted as public events on Facebook.

In upcoming events, Fields said the group will be hosting a valentine’s party in February, which will be open to anyone in the group, and anyone interested in meeting with the group.

Get involved

Those interested in joining the Facebook group can find it at https://www.facebook.com/groups/736066505311802. However, those wanting to join are asked to attend a public meetup at Anthis-Brennan prior to requesting membership due to privacy concerns, as some members host playdates in their homes, as well.