MACHE (Maryland Association of Christian Homeschool Educators) hosts a home school curriculum fair every year. The fair is held in Fredricksberg, MD. This year was my second year homeschooling my daughters, and are having a wonderful year together. I didn’t know what to expect at the curriculum fair but I knew that there would be lots of books and new home school resources that I’d never seen. The fair was held at the Fairgrounds in Fredricksberg. As expected, many popular home school curriculum brands were represented like Math U See, Horizons, Abeka, Christian Light, Rod and Staff, and more.
Many of the attendees came with rolling carts and wagons so they could stock up on their families needs for the upcoming year.
The best part of going to a curriculum fair is that you don’t have to worry about shipping fees, and if you go with friends, all of you can place your orders together to take advantage of the largest discounts. However, if you are not taking advantage of the buying in bulk discounts than the prices are comparable to Amazon book prices. Basically, the vendors are their to make money, so you won’t find a lot of amazing deals if you are not buying a lot of items from the same vendor. Additionally, there are some vendors who are homeschoolers themselves who sell used curriculum so those who desire to frugal or green should consider checking out used curriculum.
Which vendors was I most surprised to see?
Summer Camps and local colleges were also present. I thought it would just be vendors selling educational materials, but in some ways it was also like a career fair where parents could find out more information about local schools and resources that offer extracurricular activities or educational opportunities to home school students. There was also a homeschooled student who sold pottery, his work was exceptional.
Among the vendor’s merchandise were lots of educational games. I was thrilled to see so many options because one of the reasons I home school is to teach my kids that learning is fun. I try to incorporate games and creativity when I can. Most of the games looked fun and original. Below is the skip counting math game that I purchased.
Do I recommend attending a curriculum fair?
Yes, of course, I recommend that home school parents attend at least one curriculum fair. I think it is a great place to see what resources other families are using. It is also a fun place to explore and possibly meet other parents with similar interest. While, I am glad that I went, I probably wont attend next year because I am not the type of parent who buys a lot of resources just because they look interesting. I recommend doing your research in advance and know exactly what you want before you go. Have a plan before hand because you can easily spend thousands of dollars on materials that you may or may not use.
Reader Question: What’s your favorite educational resource to use with your kids?