TX State Homeschool Organization
THE works with local home school organizations to support families through their homeschool journey.
Texas Home School Coalition (THSC)
THSC was founded in 1986 to keep the freedom of Texas families to raise and educate their own children.
TX Homeschool Law
Texas families are required to teach reading, math, spelling and grammar, and a course in good citizenship. They are also required to use a written curriculum. More information can be found at the Texas Education Agency, Texas Home School Coalition, Texas Home Educators, and Home School Legal Defense Association.
TX Homeschool Events and Super-Cool Homeschool Field Trips
THSC Texas HomeSchool Conventions
Hosted by the Texas Home School Coalition, the statewide TX homeschool advocacy group, the two Texas HomeSchool Conventions in Fort Worth and Houston provide family-focused and faith-based conventions, centered around a holistic, biblical view of family dynamics and homeschooling. You’ll find a wide variety of speakers and vendors, as well as children’s programs and special family entertainment events.
Great Homeschool Conventions – Texas
This annual regional event features workshops, vendors, and special events. If you are thinking of homeschooling your children or are already deeply into it, this is a convention you don’t want to miss.
The Texas Homeschool Expo
The Texas Homeschool Expo is now in two locations, New Braunfels Civic/Convention Center and Grapevine Convention Center; and admission is only $5 a day! This annual resource fair offers unique speaker sessions led by professionals and homeschool veterans and the opportunity to explore dozens of educational curricula and resources in person. This inclusive event is not aligned with any religious, political, or governmental entity and is open to all homeschooling styles and philosophies.
Field Trips
American Windmill Museum
The largest windmill museum in the world! The American Windmill Museum showcases beautifully restored structures in a unique experience. The hundred-plus windmills have signage with history and usage information. Guided tours are available for groups of 6 or more and take a minimum of one hour.
Big Bend National Park
Big Bend National Park is a geological marvel boasting sea fossils, dinosaur bones, and volcanic dikes that mar the desert landscape. Learn about the lives of early settlers, ranchers, miners, and Native Americans and delve into the park’s flora and fauna, geology, ecosystems, and other natural features. Join a park ranger for fun, informative, and free guided programs such as guided hikes, evening slide programs, bird walks, and guided explorations of various park features.
There are several easy hikes in the park for kids of all ages (Window View and Basin Loop trails in the Chisos Basin). For older children, the Lost Mine Trail is a good challenge and excellent day hike. Children may enjoy the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail, the Rio Grande Village Nature Trail (with a boardwalk across a beaver pond), and the Boquillas Canyon Trail (with a sand dune by the river).
Kids may also enjoy viewing fossils and exhibits about dinosaurs at the Fossil Discovery Exhibit and Panther Junction Visitor Center. The Chisos Basin Visitor Center has an excellent mountain lion exhibit and neat information about bears.
Children’s Discovery Museum Golden Crescent
A source of inspiration and lifelong learning, the Children’s Discovery Museum offers learning experiences ranging from in-museum field trips, Discovery Days, and outreach events held around the community. Your kids will enjoy this dynamic educational experience focusing on S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics).
Devil’s Sinkhole State Natural Area
Bats are the main attraction here, but not the only one. Enjoy a ranger-led nature walk or birding tour through the 1,860-acre natural area.
Devil’s Sinkhole is home to one of Texas’ largest colonies of Mexican free-tailed bats and is a National Natural Landmark. Access to Devil’s Sinkhole State Natural Area is only by guided tour. Reservations are required. It is worth it!
A 50-foot wide shaft drops 140 feet into the cavern. The cavern itself has a diameter of over 320 feet and reaches 350 feet deep. To protect this sensitive natural resource, visitors are NOT allowed to enter the cavern, but 3 million bats emerge in a swirling mass from the Devil’s Sinkhole in search of food on warm nights.
Dinosaur Valley State Park
Long ago, dinosaurs left footprints in the mud at the edge of an ancient ocean. This long trip to the past is just a short drive from Fort Worth. Today, you can walk in their tracks in the bed of the Paluxy River.
Find dinosaur tracks, camp, picnic, hike 20 miles of trails, mountain bike, swim, fish, and paddle in the river, watch for wildlife, look for a geocache, ride your horse, or visit the interpretive center.
Fort Worth Aviation Museum
Experience aviation industry history with incredible stories, over 25 airplanes, interactive exhibits, and a flight simulator.
They also have a nice catalog of online videos and downloadable family activities, STEM and TEKS lesson plans for K-12 Students.
Imagination City
Imaginations run wild at Imagination City, the ultimate interactive playground in Abilene! Play is crucial for children’s healthy development and happiness, and there are plenty of opportunities for it in this 2,200-square-foot indoor playground designed to resemble a miniature town.
Legoland Discovery Center
A must-visit for you LEGO fans! Incredible displays, theater, and activity stations.
National Museum of the Pacific War
The National Museum of the Pacific War is an exciting educational experience that helps you explore the history and lessons of the Pacific Theater in World War II.
You can access specialized free videos online including Nimitz Minitz, webinars, and speaker series.
In September they celebrate Freedom Week with an award-winning 45-minute virtual program designed to engage your students and help them to discover the significance of September 17, 1787, the three documents of freedom: the Declaration of Independence, United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, and understand the phrase, “We the People.”
They also offer some nice free lesson plans.
Ocean Star Museum & Education Center
The Ocean Star is a retired jack-up drilling rig that operated in the Gulf of Mexico from 1969 to 1984 and drilled over 200 wells during that timeframe. The Ocean Star was refurbished and opened as a museum with videos, information, and interactive exhibits throughout. It takes most visitors about 1.5 hours to tour completely.
The Energy Education Foundation is also starting a $2000 scholarship award to advance the future of the energy sector and provide educational access to future energy employees who may merit or need tuition and educational assistance. The one-time scholarships are for students attending an institution of higher education and will be awarded on a need or merit basis.
Padre Island National Seashore
You’ll find great hiking, camping, and fishing on sixty-six miles of wild coastline along the Gulf of Mexico. The unique tidal mud flats teem with life. Native Americans, Spanish explorers, and cattle ranchers have walked along its shores.
Rosenburg Railroad Museum
All aboard! Learn all about railroad history and the impact of the development of Fort Bend County. The Rosenberg Railroad Museum (RRM) is a hidden gem with park-like grounds, N scale, HO scale, O scale, and G scale layouts, historical railroad artifacts, 1800s Bath House, Tower 17, MoPac Caboose, and the “Quebec,” a beautiful, fully restored 1879 business railcar.
S.T.E.A.M. {engine} Saturdays on the 2nd Saturday of each month offers activities for elementary-aged children looking to explore the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.
You can also schedule a field trip on Wednesdays, Thursdays, or Fridays to get a tour of the facility, enjoy lunch under the pavilion, and watch the trains go by.
Science Mill
The Science Mill gives homeschool families tons of educational options to supplement your homeschool curriculum! Homeschool Days offer K-12 students activity stations, learning about STEM careers, and age-based Learning Labs. These are open to homeschoolers, homeschooling groups, learning pods, and any other students with asynchronous schedules.
They also have a community First Robotics Competition Team open to all High School age students in Blanco County.
State Fair of Texas
The State Fair of Texas celebrates all things Texan by promoting agriculture, education, arts, and community involvement through quality entertainment in a family-friendly environment. Homeschool Education Program offers family free curriculum downloads.
Texas Maritime Museum
The TEXAS Maritime Museum offers hands-on STEAM classes for homeschool families or groups. Topics include science, technology, engineering, art, and math. Classes are available for any grade and age.
Parents are welcome to keep all their children in one class session or schedule separate sessions.
Texas State Aquarium
Homeschool programs for kindergarten (minimum age is 5 years old) through 8th grade explore science topics through hands-on activities and interactions with live animals.
Book the self-guided field trips in advance; they also have optional scavenger hunt and 45-minute STEM presentation add-ons.
Their Summer Seacamp runs Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Is homeschooling for you?
The community of homeschool families is diverse. One study reports that 41% of homeschool students are Hispanic, Black, Asian, or other non-White/non-Hispanic groups (2). Homeschoolers come from all faiths – Christians, Jews, Muslims, agnostics, atheists. Teaching parents have a range of formal education, from high school diplomas to graduate degrees, and cover the array of household incomes.
How do you homeschool?
While laws regulating home education vary from state to state, homeschooling IS legal in all 50 states. Many states offer more than one option. One of the first steps in your family’s homeschool journey is to become familiar with the laws in your state. Then the fun begins!
Click on your state below for resources on homeschool regulations, state homeschool organizations, homeschool conventions in your area (here’s why these are amazing for new and experienced homeschool parents), as well as other homeschool perks in your state.
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Disclaimer: Please note that the information on this page is provided for your convenience as a research tool and resource as to where to find the information you need to homeschool in your state. The team at 3 Moms Blog are not attorneys. This content has not been reviewed by an attorney. It is not legal advice.
Brian D. Ray. (2017) A systematic review of the empirical research on selected aspects of homeschooling as a school choice, Journal of School Choice, 11:4, 604-621, accessed April 7, 2023 at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15582159.2017.1395638
US Department of Education. (2019) Homeschooling in the United States: Results from the 2012 and 2016 Parent and Family Involvement Survey (PFINHES: 2012 and 2016). Accessed 4/7/2023 at https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2020/2020001.pdf