Friday begins our local homeschool convention, and I super pumped! I already have most of my curriculum bought for next year, but I have a few items that I am still deciding on and will be purchasing at the convention.
This marks our fourth homeschool convention, and each time I attend a convention I learn new ways to make that time more successful. Last year I realized that having a detailed list of what I was looking for by vender was a great idea! That way when I got to the vendor, I knew exactly what I was looking for, and it also helped to know what vendors I wanted to visit.
Now I'd like to share my top 5 ways to prepare for a homeschool convention! Here we go!
1) Prepare before you go! I like to have my lists made out. I make a list of books I'd like to find in the used book section, a curriculum book list, and a list of things that I want to look at more closely to decide if I would like to use them or not.
2) Set a budget! You can easily spend way more money than you intended if you don't budget well. Our first year at convention we didn't really set any type of budget, we knew what we were going to look at and get but beyond that we had no idea. And let me tell you, the vendor hall alone is so overwhelming and everything is shiny and new! You could easily get into trouble without a budget! Take it from a curriculum junkie who last year came home with many things that are yet to be used!
3) Plan out your day before you go! If you are attending workshops make sure you check to see when those are and when you will have time shop. I like to know that I have an uninterrupted 2-3 hour time span to just shop. Our first year we didn't plan for that and ended up not having enough time to really look and browse.
4) Bring snacks and water! If allowed, make sure to have some snacks and water with you. At our convention we usually leave to eat lunch somewhere, but some people do bring their lunch with them. We are also allowed to have water bottles in the class rooms, so it's always nice to have that along to stay hydrated during the day. Granola bars or fruit are also nice to have to grab a quick snack between sessions.
5) Bring something sturdy to carry all your loot! We usually just bring a nice big backpack, but some people bring those handy rolling carts, backpacks with wheels, or even wagons (although those can get in the way in a crowded space)! We can usually run out to the car and drop stuff off, but if that isn't an option for you then think about what you will have to carry around all day. Rolling carts might be a good option instead of hauling heavy books around all day.
My extra tip of the day: Have fun and soak it all in!! Don't get too bogged down about trying to find the best or most exciting curriculum or books, just have fun! Talk to the vendors and authors if you can, and ask questions of seasoned homeschool moms.
Those are some of the things I have learned over the past 4 years. I hope this list will help you to enjoy your homeschool convention or maybe even help you decide to attend one!
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