FLATWOODS — It looks just like any other school field day, more than a hundred kids teamed up for tug-of-war, sack races, egg toss and relays. Their proud parents snap photos, right before summer vacation begins.

The only difference in this class is they’re all home schooled — here to connect with other children like themselves.

On Monday evening, families from varied walks of life shared a night out at Flatwoods City Park, cooking out, offering up teaching ideas. The children played and made friends, mix and mingled. Even prospective home schoolers for next fall showed up to learn more about what the teaching alternative offers youngsters and teens, said organizer Sharon Hallam.

The event was sponsored by the Christian Homeschool Educators Fellowship, a 13-year-old group of Tri-State families who meet up for art classes, sewing, unit studies, field trips, guest speakers and library visits.

The field day was meant for fun — a good way to end the school year.

“Over the years, several activities, classes and outings have been enjoyed by the families of CHEF and other area homeschoolers,” Hallam said.

They typically join for meetings in local churches and libraries, young people from preschool to high school, educationally challenged to gifted, from varying financial means, taught by parents with high school educations all the way to doctorates.

“There is no right or wrong way to home school as long as you are working to educate your children,” Hallum said. “One reason that home schooling is such a blessing is because it can be done to fit the needs of your family. You don’t have to have a teaching degree.”

The top question Hallam receives is how she’s “socializing” her children while they’re at home all day. She helps organize holiday parties so her children share in activities just like local public or private school students. She points out most home school students are very involved in church, music, orchestras, sports and community service.

“Being home schooled, they interact with people of all ages, not just their peer level,” she said. “It provides a great opportunity to serve others.”

Karen Halcombe agrees. Her Proctorville family has been homeschooling their three now-teenage boys for a decade.

Her oldest son, Mark, 18, is graduating this year from homeschooling. CHEF has enabled her children to learn in a classroom setting through co-ops, while Mark volunteered in clothing drives, food pantries, performed missions, mowed lawns and played basketball to be around other children his age.

Hallam home schools, hoping her children grow to be lifelong learners. She admits its sometimes hard finding good hands-on resources for them. But, online curriculums, books, programs, and boxed guides are affordable and a good starting place.

“Whatever methods families chose to use, studies show that home schooled children typically score higher on standardized testing than public school children,” she urged.

It seems to work for Maggie Harrison, 9, whose mother, Susan Harrison, teachers her and twin brothers, Simeon and Samuel, 7. The Cannonsburg family converted their basement into a classroom.

Maggie, who dreams of being a dancer, said her mom teaches math in some cool ways, allowing her to learn measuring by plopping ingredients into the mixing bowl for cookies. Her favorite class subject is science.

“I like it when we do experiments,” she giggled.

The Harrisons bring science to life with density tests and plant trials. They’re finishing up their school year this week. The twin boys want to be scientists and an extremely mannerly Samuel wants to be an inventor, too.

“I’m not really sure what I’ll invent. Something in the future,” he said.

Does he like having his mom as a school teacher?

“Yes, ma’am. She is really good at teaching us. Yes, ma’am.”

James Hallam, 8, likes the way his mommy teaches, too,  choosing to shake up traditional learning — one of the perks of home schooling.

Not your clichéd home school kid — often hackneyed as introverted and backward — James is the opposite. Inquisitive and talkative, he says he wants to be a police officer.

“So I can speed and turn around in the grass real fast,” he bursts out.

Home schooling benefits many families, Halcombe said.

She and her husband adopted their three children at ages 8, 9 and 10.

“Since I didn’t have my children younger, it gave us much needed bonding time and also time to work on issues that come with older adoptions,” she said.

“Home schooling also gives you the opportunity to instill your values and beliefs. When a child is in school — with school itself, homework, and sleep — little time is left to instill those value and beliefs that are dear to your heart,” Halcombe said.

Hallam is bothered by folks saying she’s “lucky” to be able to stay at home to offer her children an education. She said her family worked hard for several years and saved up, knowing they wanted to home school.

Her twins, John and Sarah, 12, are happy their parents made the decision and sacrifices.

“Mom takes a lot of her time to do this,” Sarah shared. “A lot of other parents might not care who their children see, what they hear and what they do. Mom’s not worried about how much it costs to buy textbooks or stay at home to teach. She wants the best for us.”

Almost teenagers, the brother and sister say they don’t miss going to the mall or doing things most school children their age do after the class day ends. They find fun with friends from church, hanging out. Sarah loves to read, paint and draw, while John met up with his best friend at the field day event.

They met the first time five years ago at a party, two home school children, hanging out on a church playground.

“I’m thankful,” John said.