What are the best homeschooling resources? Here are 35+ best home school resources free, top homeschool curriculum, and online programs for math, science, history, reading, music / art and more for schooling at home! Our favorite homeschool recommendations and best websites for homeschooling and what we use for learning home school courses — nominated and approved by homeschoolers! Use this homeschool resource page to plan your schedule by school subject and succeed in a fun home school schedule!
What are the best homeschooling resources?
The best homeschooling resources and homeschool aids are the ones that you and your child enjoy! (Keep a simple homeschool mantra! Home school doesn’t need to be hard!) What works for one family may not work for another in schooling from home, but many people agree that having a curriculum or an online homeschool program may help keep things organized and on track.
Popular Top Homeschool Curriculum
What is the top rated homeschool curriculum?
- Prodigy Math Game
- Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool (one of best online homeschooling resources to homeschool for free)
- A Beka Books (Abeka)
- Khan Academy free curriculum
- Ambleside Online
- DuoLingo
- edX
- The Good and the Beautiful
- Saxon Math
- Reading Eggs
- TED-ED
- Alpha Omega Curriculum
- Homeschool with IXL
- Sonlight Curriculum
- Calvert School’s K-12 Homeschool Program
- Apologia
- Connections Academy (Connection Academy)
- K12 Stride, Inc.
- Monarch
- NASA for Students
- ABCMouse
- Reading Eggs
- Time4Learning (time 4 learning has online curriculum for homeschool)
- Special Needs Homeschooling
This is just a short list of homeschool curriculum, home schools programs, free homeschool online programs, and some best open and go homeschool curriculum. There are many, many other homeschooling program options and alternatives! KEEP SCROLLING for our personal home schooling recommendations that we’ve used and loved!
Our Personal Homeschool Recommendations of Top Homeschool Tools We’ve Used & Why!
These are all great homeschool curriculum courses and homeschool programs (and even some homeschool resources free!), but… what if you want to take a different approach to your homeschool classes and learning? What are the best resources for homeschooling then?
Like, you don’t necessarily want to use one specific home school curriculum and you want your homeschooled student super engaged this year with a mix of the best homeschooling resources online and offline?
I happen to think we’re starting with the wrong questions when we ask:
What is the cheapest homeschool curriculum?
Are there any free homeschooling curriculum?
What is the easiest homeschool curriculum?
Where do I find a good homeschool programming or homeschooling curriculums?
What we should be asking is:
What is the best homeschool curriculum or resources to engage my kids and inspire them to keep learning?
Whether you’re looking for the best homeschooling resources for preschoolers or high school at home schooling curriculum or secular homeschooling resources to Christian homeschool resources, we have recommendations that will work! You need to be looking for curriculum for homeschooling that works best for your family, not just because they have 5 star home schooler curriculum reviews or homeschool groups say they are the best home school curriculums!
First, if you’re new to homeschooling, you may be wondering…
Do I have to buy a curriculum to homeschool?
The real truth is that you do not need to buy a specialized curriculum to homeschool or even a complete curriculum (like a boxed curriculum that covers every subject). The only thing that you need to do is check your state law requirements and regulations and make sure you are meeting those. Homeschool conferences and popular homeschoolers will sometimes push homeschooling curriculum (that they are often selling), but — with a little planning and understanding of how your child learns — you can create a successful homeschool experience without a home school curriculum!
(That’s what we do, by the way!)
REMEMBER: You don’t have to be the best home school teacher in USA (or UK or wherever you’re located). You just need to find materials for homeschooling or online schooling programs that work for your family!
ALSO CHECK OUT: How do I find the right homeschool curriculum?
Which homeschool curriculum is best for me?
You may or may not need a full homeschool curriculum (or single curriculum) and may instead choose to piece together fun learning and engaging learning resources to meet the needs of your homeschool student. (That’s what we do!)
To find which homeschool curriculum works best for you, ask:
- What are the goals and objectives of the curriculum?
- Is the curriculum aligned with state standards or other educational standards?
- What is the teaching style of the curriculum?
- Is the curriculum designed for self-paced learning or teacher-led instruction?
- Does the curriculum include assessments and progress tracking tools?
- What is the level of parental involvement required?
- Is there a scope and sequence provided?
- What is the cost of the curriculum?
- Are there any additional materials or resources needed to use the curriculum?
- What is the target age/grade level for the curriculum?
- Are there any religious or cultural affiliations associated with the curriculum?
- Are there any digital resources available, such as online forums or video lessons?
- Are there any reviews or testimonials from other homeschooling parents who have used the curriculum?
- Are these online school programs or do they have homeschool textbooks / homeschool workbooks?
It’s really difficult to tell you what are the best homeschool programs for you because so many factors go into choosing learning resources. (I know that’s probably an annoying answer if you’re coming from public school / private schools and feel overwhelmed and just want someone to tell you the answer for the best curriculum, but it’s not that easy!) The homeschool questions we’ve listed are helpful as a guide.
HOMESCHOOLING TIP: Before you choose online k 12 schools for online homeschooling programs, read this about k 12 online schooling!
Need help for homeschooling moms and dads who are trying to find the best home school resources?
Where can I find resources for homeschooling?
- Homeschool blogs and homeschool resources websites
- Homeschooling groups (in person and online, like Facebook homeschool groups)
- YouTube video
- Educational videos
- Podcasts [like this learning podcast!]
- Audiobooks
- Game sites
- Local Library
- Library book sales
- Thrift stores
- Free homeschool sites like Khan Academy (free homeschool curriculum for kindergarten and up!)
- Local homeschool organizations
- Book publisher websites
- Education websites
- Free online schools programs / programs for homeschooling online
- Museum websites (they often have great virtual field trips along with other valuable resources!)
- Free public domain books
- Free umbrella schools
- Bookstores with homeschool books
- Free free app sites
- Online schools for free / virtual schooling free programs
- Teacher supply stores
LOOKING TO HOMESCHOOL PRESCHOOL? Check out best homeschooling resources for preschoolers and kindergarten first for helpful resources! (Or, you’re looking for online schools for preschool.)
I know that homeschooling without a curriculum can be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be! With the right homeschooling resources and tips for parents, you can make this school year easier than ever before… you just need to know where to look for great homeschool reference materials, homeschool programs online, and educational resources.
That’s why we’re sharing some of our best homeschooling suggestions— our personal homeschool suggestions and experiences that we’ve tried and approve — to help you get started with your own awesome homeschool adventure, make some changes to your homeschool schedule to better engage your students, or even in selecting homeschool curriculum!
(We’ll even talk about best online homeschool programs free so you can save money and get quality homeschool courses!)
Most of these will work for homeschool preschool and up and some are better homeschooling websites for middle school and high school home schooling options.
ALSO CHECK OUT: How many hours a day should you homeschool? (Great to know for your at homeschooling curriculum!)
35+ Top Homeschooling Resources: Our Current Favorite Homeschool Curriculum Choices And Learning Tools
Our Homeschool Class Choices
Before we get to our top homeschool list picks, let me point out that we eclectic homeschool as our learning process.
This is a relaxed homeschooling method where we use different home school resources / free homeschooling websites, including online classes / computer-based homeschool curriculum, in-person classes, and some unschooling (and not just one specific homeschool curriculum).
We use many different resources for different subject areas — from some printable worksheets to online games to online classes to virtual field trips and real field trips to in-person classes taught by a teacher.
(It’s definitely not a one-stop shop way of learning and is very different from traditional schools!)
People think that this way of homeschooling takes a lot of extra planning. While it does take some planning time, in my experience it doesn’t necessarily take a great deal of extra time that finding and preparing for regular homeschool curricula takes.
And, I’m not stuck with a homeschool curriculum that costs a few hundred dollars and find out that we hate it shortly after starting it!
Instead, I get to create fun homeschool curriculum courses and activities that my kid loves and allows us freedom homeschooling to easily pivot to things my homeschooler wants to learn (which, in my opinion, is instrumental in homeschooling success!).
We use some of these as our main learning for the topic and some as homeschool supplemental classes.
I firmly believe that our homeschooling journey / homeschooling experience has greatly benefitted from this flexible style of learning, given my homeschool student a quality education, and has turned my homeschooler into a lifelong learner! She often seeks out educational activities on her own and then tells me about them after!
(Get a free homeschool curriculum planning template / homeschool schedule template here. While it won’t tell you the best homeschooling curriculum, it will help you find the best home school resources for your family!)
If you want to learn more, read: Relaxed Homeschool Method/how to experiential homeschool.
There’s a full mix of resources for homeschooling here — from free homeschooling websites, online resources for homeschooling, and cheap homeschool curriculum options for learning all the way up to more expensive learning tools (but have brought us a lot of value!).
It’s all the best homeschooling resources online and at home that we’ve used!
If you’ve been wondering how do you make homeschool resources or how to create simple homeschool schedules, this is it!
NOTE: My daughter has aged out of some of these homeschool resources, but I left them on the list if she enjoyed them / the homeschool programs were valuable. I regularly add to this list, so bookmark it and check back often! Some of these are my affiliate links and others are just homeschool links that we recommend / online learning platforms for homeschoolers we love!
DON’T MISS ON MORE HOMESCHOOL HELP: HOW TO HOMESCHOOL FOR FREE
I’ve listed a COST with each one, just to give you an idea: $ is on the cheaper side, $$ is moderate, and $$$ leans toward the more expensive side.
Homeschool Language Arts: Homeschool Grammar, Homeschool Writing, Spelling Resources and Literature
1. Night Zookeeper
Looking for homeschool online writing courses?
One of the most fun homeschool grammar curriculum options we’ve used for homeschooling programs online is Night Zookeeper, especially for creative writing, grammar learning, and even spelling.
This program really sparked and inspired a love of writing for our homeschooler. They have a creative approach to writing prompts and even have mentors that give suggestions and grammar corrections.
It’s game-based learning (which is a bonus for almost every kid), so they get to have fun while also learning grammar and a fun option for homeschooling english resources and great for homeschool projects for kids.
This is one of those fun educational websites that engage kids with games and interactive learning for younger kids (not high schoolers).
We honestly loved this as an online homeschool writing class!
UPDATE: My daughter started to age out of this around age 13, but it really jump-started her writing interest and she still writes on her own because of NightZookeeper writing. HIGHLY RECOMMEND, especially if your kids don’t like writing (which was my daughter, at first!).
GET 50% OFF NIGHT ZOOKEEPER BY USING OUR LINK
COST: Free to $$
2. OSMO
I’ve called Osmo one of the best homeschool learning tools we’ve ever used.
My daughter has dysgraphia, which is a difficulty in written learning expression, and affects not only her writing but also her spelling. (Sometimes in dysgraphia, kids have trouble with letter spacing, which seems to create an issue with her spelling, too.) This means that she does better at using other things than writing.
Before I knew this, my daughter felt tortured trying to learn spelling. Doing spelling tests, using a homeschool spelling curriculum, etc., was not successful for us.
The OSMO system was a turning point for my daughter in her spelling.
They have a fast-paced spelling game that you can do alone or can compete with others. (If you get the Osmo Genius Kit, I believe the Words spelling game tiles come with it. So don’t but it separately.)
There is also a really cool Osmo cursive app and also got my daughter really interested in learning and practicing cursive!
I happen to think this is one of the most affordable homeschool curriculum packages tools that will grow with your child and you will use for several years!
READ MY FULL PARENT OSMO REVIEW HERE
COST: $$ to $$$
3. Word Monkey Learning Game
The Word Monkey Game was another turning point for my daughter with spelling. It’s a fun way to compete with spelling, without having to write things (bonus for people with dysgraphia).
We also added a wall Scrabble game to our hallway wall and always have an ongoing game of Scrabble where if you walk by and it’s your turn, you take it! It’s just another fun way to practice spelling in a creative way.
(Any time we can add educational games and gameschooling to our learning, we’re going to do it!)
UPDATE: I’m sad to say that I don’t think they’re making the Word Monkey Game any longer, which is unfortunate because it’s a FABULOUS game that changed my daughter’s life for spelling. If you see it used or at a thrift shop / garage sale, pick it up!
COST: $
4. Visual Lit High School: Draw Your Way Through High School English Language Arts
There are not enough words to describe how excited my daughter gets for this class! She runs downstairs after every class to tell me something fun, interesting, or exciting that happened.
And, just like the Visual Lit Biology she’s taking, this one centers around creating art or doodling while learning.
The teacher, Jordan Kohanim, is very engaging and funny. (In our experience, anything you add from this group of teachers is top-notch!)
My daughter will likely continue to take this course throughout high school, if a progression of the class is offered.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CLASS FOR HIGH SCHOOL
LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS CLASS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL
Cost: $ Weekly (pause or stop at any time)
Homeschool History Lessons Resources
How to teach history homeschool and geography for homeschooling is something that leaves a lot of us scratching our heads (especially if you’re looking for homeschool history curriculum secular options).
And, let’s face it, the way I learned history (using “learned” loosely) was neither inspiring nor interesting… and I just didn’t want my daughter to have that same learning experience. So, I was serious in trying to find great homeschooling history classes and history resources that weren’t just dusty textbooks.
1. Honest History
Honest History is a great history resource. The magazines (more like books!) cover a different historical period or geographical area for each magazine. You can use them as a supplement to your history learning or even a non-linear history resource on its own.
Use our Honest History Magazine coupon code HSSF for 10% OFF! GO HERE TO GET THE SAVINGS!
COST: $ to $$
2. PBS Documentaries
My kid has learned so much history from documentaries. (We often watch them together.) One of the best and most affordable (I’m talking less than $5 a month!) thing I’ve ever done for homeschooling is to add the PBS Documentaries streaming channel.
It’s great to bring the historic time periods “alive” for your kids and will help them enjoy history so much more! (One of our favorites was the Dust Bowl series for American History.)
Also great to accompany history online programs for homeschooling.
COST: Free to $
3. Expedition Unknown
Expedition Unknown on Discovery (from Travel Channel) is another fun way to learn history and geography.
The series follows Josh Gates, who is usually following some history mystery or trying to answer a question. He’s funny and personable and makes history super interesting.
Fair warning: There’s some bleeped language and mature jokes, but it’s one of those great resources for homeschooling free for history and geography.
If you don’t have the Discovery Channel, you can get still get the series here.
COST: Free to $
4. Food That Built America
If your kids aren’t that into documentaries, watch Food That Built America on the History Channel with them. (All of the Built America series are some of our favorite ever series!)
This is a history series, but the history is hidden in fascinating stories about how popular food items came about throughout time.
Just trust me on this one. Add the series to your history learning.
(If your kids are into audiobooks or audio learning, they also have a Food That Built America podcast.)
COST: Free to $
5. Crash Course History
If you don’t know about the free history Crash Course courses (YouTube), you must check them out immediately. The guys are funny and crazy and definitely keep kids engaged that have them coming back and actually wanting to learn history (or various topics!).
It is — FOR REAL — one of the best free resources available for learning! It’s engaging, fun, and comprehensive enough to make an entire curriculum of different subjects!
DEFINITELY add this as a resource for your child’s education for homeschool program online choices!
Check out these educational resources (there a ton of other subjects available):
COST: Free
**PS: Crash Course teachers tend to have a sarcastic/borderline inappropriate sense of humor, so may be better for middle school – high school homeschool courses (or, depending on your sense of humor), but they have a ton of classes on subjects of all kinds and its really one of the best free homeschooling resources for parents out there!
6. Who Was Books
It doesn’t matter the age of your homeschoolers, add the Who Was? book series to their history learning! (The older kids will be happy to get short books to read and the younger kids will be just as engaged in the story!)
They’re great for read alouds for kindergarten and up, or just solo quiet reading corner time.
Each Who Was? book covers a different person in history, from military history, to sports figures, to artists and musicians, and more.
This series has a ton of different stories about people throughout history!
Netflix did an amazing one season of Who Was. (I hope they decide to bring it back! My daughter loved it.) If you’re studying different historical figures, watch this series, too!
Also, check out the free printables for Who Was for teachers and home educators. Great for free lesson plans!
UPDATE: My daughter is 14 now and she STILL uses the Who Was books as homeschooling study resources. One of my top recommendations for best books for homeschooling!
SEE OTHER HOMESCHOOL BOOKS WE LOVE HERE
COST: $
GREAT PLACE FOR HOMESCHOOL SUPPLIES: What supplies do I need for homeschooling?
Homeschool Math Resources
It seems like homeschooling parents are always worried about homeschool math curriculum! (Why do we make how to homeschool math so hard?)
1. Prodigy
My daughter has really enjoyed the Prodigy Game for math learning.
Prodigy is an online math game. Kids make their way around a world and have to answer math questions and challenges when they “battle” other players and complete quests and earn game rewards.
It’s probably not a replacement for a full curriculum, but it’s a fun math supplement.
You can get a free account to try it out, but if you get the premium membership you get video lessons, tracking, and game upgrades.
COST: Free to $
2. Math Antics
Math Antics is made up of really great online math videos made by a funny and engaging teacher and perfect for homeschool online math programs. You can learn homeschool math from numeracy all the way up to geometry and algebra basics with this fun maths homeschooled online program.
If you’re looking for homeschool math free or even a free homeschool resources for high school supplement, this is it! (One of the best free homeschool programs out there!)
The online math lessons are free to watch, but it’s only $10/year for the extras like printable homeschooling resources, worksheets and answers, exercises and answers, and video exercises. If you’re looking for homeschool math for struggling learners, it’s definitely worth paying the 10 bucks!
This is one of my favorite homeschooling maths resources because I find the teacher super engaging and not intimidating.
It gets my vote for best online programs for homeschooling maths.
COST: Free to $
Homeschooling Science Resources / Homeschooling STEM Resources / STEAM Resources for Homeschooling
Looking for homeschool science curriculum secular options or independent homeschool science? Here are our homeschool science reviews…
1. Tinker Crate
We’ve been using Tinker Crate (part of the Kiwi Crate family) for years now and my daughter still loves it. The hands-on STEM learning is like no other and I like that they give inspiration for other projects to continue learning with each box, too.
The best part about Kiwi Crate learning is that it has grown with my daughter and still keeps her in engaged, hands-on learning activities from age 5 all the way up to current (age 13)!
We don’t use a specific homeschool curriculum for science and my daughter has still learned a ton of stuff! This is my vote for your homeschool scientist!
COST: $$
2. Wow in the World
Wow in the World is a podcast full of fun science, technology, innovation and so much more. It seems like every time I ask my daughter where she learned about some science thing, she says it’s from this podcast.
(If you’re like me, you might find the voices the hosts do a little annoying, but my kid loves it.)
Great option if you’re looking for free homeschool science resources!
COST: Free
3. Hands-On Science Activities
Another thing that I’ve done for homeschool science is to make hands-on STEM activities available to her with a microscope and a telescope. (Homeschool science lab supplies are fun to have around!)
Frequently, my daughter pulls out her microscope to look at something she found online or her telescope to check out something she learned from a podcast or documentary.
If your kids need a little more direction, try reference materials like:
50 Things To See With A Telescope – Kids: A Constellation Focused Approach
Astronomy for Kids: How to Explore Outer Space with Binoculars, a Telescope, or Just Your Eyes!
Microscope Experiment & Activity Cards for Kids & Students -“Microscopic Adventures”
Since microscopes and telescopes can add costs to a tight budget, be sure to read my full, comprehensive review of homeschool microscopes and also of telescopes so that you don’t waste money on something you don’t need or your kid won’t use!
ALSO CHECK OUT: Best Home Science Tools For Kids
COST: $$ to $$$
We have yet to find a best free curriculum for science for homeschool / at home schooling program STEM, but if you have a recommendation let us know!
FREE RESOURCE: My daughter has also learned a lot by doing research for the Parent Busters Podcast. We do a wide range of science and learning topics and have a free printable download to go with your learning and a huge list of learning after listening resources to go with every podcast episode. Add it to your list of homeschooling websites / homeschooling resources for parents!
4. Kitchen Science
Kitchen Science is really a thing and kids usually love it! We cook in our homeschooling because not only is it great to practice autonomy and life skills, but also because it’s great for science and math!
(And, it’s FUN!)
For example, try making yeast from fruits and vegetables at home!
Also try these for fun homeschool science project ideas — some of our favorite books:
Awesome Kitchen Science Experiments for Kids book
Kitchen Science Lab For Kids book
Kitchen Science Lab For Kids Edible Edition book
COST: Free to $
5. Scratch
My daughter was introduced to Scratch coding early on and it’s something that she STILL talks about and principals she still uses!
Scratch is a visual coding interface for kids created by MIT and a fun way to learn to code / introduce to your kids to computer coding.
Another favorite best free homeschooling resources (DEFINITELY add this to your free homeschooling resources list!)
If you’re looking for beginning computer programming for homeschool, add this!
There’s also a really good beginner project book that we used and can recommend.
COST: Free
6. Visual Biology Class
STOP THE WATCH ON ALL OTHER MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE TO HIGH SCHOOL BIOLOGY CLASSES!
We take a visual biology class through Outschool and it is one of the coolest classes my daughter has ever taken (maybe even the best online homeschool science I’ve seen!).
My daughter went from zero interest in biology to excitedly showing me her notes and telling me about what she learned each week from schooling online!
If you’re not familiar with visual courses, or the sketch notes method, or active note taking courses, it’s where the instructor and students draw and take notes of the drawings while learning. (She’s an artist, so this really connected with her!)
We will continue to sign up for these science online courses throughout my daughter’s high school years (as long as they offer them!).
SEE THE VISUAL SCIENCE COURSES (AND MORE) TAUGHT BY THIS TEACHER GROUP
(If you’re looking for homeschool science online, definitely check out this group, especially with Benjamin Corey!)
HOMESCHOOL TIP: If you don’t know about Outschool, it’s one of those online schools that offers a variety of classes from different online teachers. We’ve had some great courses through them! Definitely add them to your schools online / programs for homeschooling to check out! They even have college prep homeschool classes!
Cost: $ Weekly (pause or stop at any time)
CHECK OUT OUR FULL REVIEW OF OUTSCHOOL
Homeschool Geography
Here are our homeschool geography reviews:
1. Little Passports Subscription Box
Little Passports World Edition was one of our favorite subscription boxes for kids! Each month, your child will learn about different parts of the world and cultures through different hands-on activities and projects.
The first of the kid crates comes with a “suitcase” box, a passport, and a world map.
Your child will also meet Sam and Sofia, who will be your child’s “pen pals” each month. As they travel around the world, you’ll learn more and more!
With each country, your kids can “stamp” their passport of the countries they visit!
We love my subscription for this! My daughter really enjoyed all the little stickers and cards that came with each one and then finding where Sam and Sofia were on the map. (Good for girls boxes or boys boxes and perfect for hands-on homeschool activities for kids.)
COST: $$
2. Which Way USA Subscription Box
Which Way USA Subscription Box is another subscription box that we tried and my daughter loved!
This monthly subscription box is all about United States geography and uses puzzles and fact-finding to teach your kids about a different state each month.
From the subscription box description:
Which Way USA combines puzzles, map activities and a “race across the states” to make it a fun way to learn about geography for kids ages 7 and up.
Which Way USA state adventure kits include:
Illustrated, Fact-Packed State Maps that spark kids’ sense of adventure
Challenging 32-Page Puzzle Books that encourage exploration of culture, history and landmarks through play
Souvenir Key Tags that kids can collect as mementos of each trip
This box is a fun way to work on geography, states and capitals, map reading skills, and more!
COST: $$
3. Osmo Geography Detective
Another great Osmo game that you can add to your Osmo library – Detective Agency.
Kids use critical thinking to solve mysteries around the world through geography, history, international landmarks, local cultures, and more.
Great for map skills, too!
Fun and interesting way to learn geography or combine a homeschool history and geography curriculum!
COST: $$
4. Wondrium (previously Great Courses Plus, now going back to Great Courses Plus)
When you’re looking for ideas for homeschool geography or want to build a geography unit homeschool, definitely try Wondrium.
Again, we use a lot of documentaries and online classes for geography and Great Courses Plus (now Wondrium) has some really good offerings on all topics (not just homeschool history and geography curriculum)!
Some of them are online classes in a lecture style that might appeal to mostly older kids, but homeschooling parents of different ages have told me they’ve found value in this service.
Also, sometimes we’ve had to watch a couple of different instructors on the topic to get one that we found engaging or worked with my daughter’s learning style. (However, that wasn’t a big deal because because we have a subscription and it doesn’t cost extra to change classes.)
A big bonus of this is that you can pay for one subscription and use it for all your kids, so check this out for online homeschool geography course options.
UPDATE: In the end, we found Great Courses Plus for homeschooling really hit or miss for us. We used it when it switched to Wondrium (but in 2024 it’s switching back to the traditional Great Courses Plus) and found some really great initial courses, but then started to run into really dry / uninteresting / un-engaging teachers and professors, too.
Try a FREE TRIAL of Wondrium/Great Courses Plus and see what you think!
CHECK OUT MY FULL PARENTING REVIEW ON GREAT COURSES PLUS FROM BEFORE (not updated as of 2024)
COST: Free to $$
5. Letters From Afar
I’m so excited that we were introduced to Letters From Afar, where you get a different hand illustrated letter each month from a different location in the world.
The premise of the letters is that are written from your penpal named Isabelle. Although she’s a fictitious character, she is based on real life adventurer Isabella Lucy Bird, who was an adventurer, author, photographer, naturalist, and the first female member of the Royal Geographical Society.
The letter is written as her adventure story and weaves in a ton of facts and learning points within the letters that makes you want to learn more!
(I call these JUMPING OFF POINTS for us because it encourages more research and learning.)
The letters also come with maps of the areas, but some of my favs are the Field Guides. It’s almost like she ripped a page out of her journal. It comes with drawings and fun facts about the area. I LOVED THESE!
Letters From Afar are great for geography lessons and — if you want to put in a little extra work – you can definitely use these as a full geography curriculum or just as supplemental learning for kids. Use them as your introduction to the place each month and then seek out your own books, videos, documentaries, etc. on the topic.
This isn’t a home schooling program, but it’s a fun learning tool — especially if you want something a little different from online school for kids.
Good for all ages — even high school students! (My daughter is in high school and loved them!)
Definitely add this to your homeschool subscription. (It’s a cheap learning tool!)
COST: $
READ THIS HOMESCHOOL BLOG NEXT: How can I homeschool without Internet?
Homeschool Current Events
We use a couple of different resources for our current events homeschool curriculum…
1. The Juice
The Juice Learning is a great way to incorporate current events and news for students in your homeschool curriculum. It helps students understand why it is important to stay informed regarding current issues (and helps spot fake news examples for students) and works to develop critical thinking skills on issues going on in the world.
My daughter liked it because you can log in daily and in about 15 minutes be up-to-date on current events in an interactive way.
UPDATED 2024: You can try this code, but I’m not sure it’s still valid – Use our online homeschool program coupon code JuiceHSSF and get 25% OFF! CLICK HERE to get the discount!
COST: $
2. The Week Junior
We also added The Week Junior to our current events studies. It’s a weekly magazine that comes in the mail and discusses current events across vast topics in interesting ways for kids.
My daughter loves the magazine, but in all honesty, also has a hard time keeping up with reading the full magazine each week. Take that into consideration before ordering. But, the materials and topics are excellent.
COST: $$
Homeschool Bible Courses
Here are our choices for homeschool Bible lesson plans and homeschool Bible activities…
1. Veritas Bible
We’ve used Veritas Bible self-paced course for a couple of years now and it’s really good and engaging. My daughter has learned a lot of Bible and biblical history.
It’s an online class with a mix of acted out skits, cartoons, memorization, and Bible games.
It’s pricey, but it’s a good class if you’re looking for Bible basics and has been one of the favorite homeschooling christian resources for my daughter. She was able to learn the Bible in its entirety with this course.
NOTE: Some of the games can be a little glitchy or hard to get past (to advance to the next level), and that has discouraged my kid at points, but it’s still great for conservative homeschooling resources.
COST: $$$
2. Artza Box
Artza is another subscription box that we use for our homeschooling to learn about Bible, world geography, and world history.
They call this subscription crate “The Holy Land Delivered” because it focuses on Biblical information and artisans from Israel and has truly become one of the favorite things we look forward to for learning.
Each quarter is a different area (Jerusalem, Bethlehem, etc.) and has food items, recipes, games, learning Hebrew prompts and so much more. (Plus, I love that we’re supporting local artisans from Israel.)
We even used some of the products to make an amazing Bethlehem dinner as part of our Christmas activities last year!
From the box:
Artza is a quarterly subscription box that follows in the footsteps of Jesus, delivering the best artisanal food, crafts, and content from across the Holy Land straight to your door. Join us on a journey that brings the land of the bible to life while supporting small & local businesses in Israel.
- Each box includes 7-9 authentic products from around the Holy Land. Full-size!
- The highest quality Locally-sourced, handcrafted gifts, foods, art and crafts from Israel.
- Learn about the artisans behind the products, build bridges and connections with the people of the Land.
- Learn Hebrew! Each box will include Hebrew words cards and games to help you and your family learn the language of the bible.
- Original and unique content [about the area] and photography from around the country that you cannot find elsewhere.
This box is quarterly and it is pricey, but every time I think of cancelling it we get our next box and I realize how much value, discussion, and and Bible learning it adds. So, for now, we’re keeping our Artza subscription.
UPDATE: Although we enjoyed this subscription and the experience, because it was shipped from Israel there were sometimes things broken or the lids popped off. I do think it’s a great idea with some great opportunities for culture, history, geography, and social studies learning, but for the price they definitely have some kinks to work out in the packaging.
COST: $$$
Homeschool Music and Homeschooling Art
1. Beat Drop
Beat Drop is an online music creation classed that my daughter LOVED and still uses.
If your kids are interested in making/mixing beats, remixes, video game music, and creating music, they’ll love this fun and engaging class.
I like that she can still go back and watch classes again (and she does!).
COST: $$
2. Procreate
Procreate is an art app for iPad and iPhone (Procreate Pocket). Kids can draw and create right on the iPad and I’ve watched this process elevate my daughter’s art so much over the past year!
COST: $
3. Met Museum
I have to say, we learn SO MUCH art and art history just from following the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Facebook page. (It has really turned out to be one of the best homeschool resources for art ideas for us!)
Homeschooling resources free downloads: They also have a ton of free art coloring pages, DIY arts and crafts ideas, and art curriculum resources / free lessons on their website.
COST: Free
More Homeschooling Resources and Homeschool Programs (Additional Learning Resources)
1. Crash Course
Crash Course isn’t just about history. They have almost every topic you can think of … FOR FREE! Topics include theater, biology, anatomy, mythology, entrepreneurship, and SO MUCH MORE.
It’s really one of our favorite and best online resources for homeschooling for free.
2. Homeschool Typing
We use a variety of typing games for homeschooling typing and to improve keyboarding skills.
GET THE BEST TYPING GAMES HERE (I tested ALL of these!)
OTHER TYPING PROGRAMS WE’VE USED
3. Homeschool Learning Games
We use a ton of games for learning because they don’t just teach basics (like math and reading), but they also teach critical thinking skills, strategy, teamwork and more.
Don’t forget that homeschooling materials aren’t just textbooks and classes! Don’t discount games in your learning. They really are great homeschooling resources and will teach your kids so much in a fun way!
Check out: Fun Learning Games Recommended By Parents
4. Outschool Classes for Nature Learning Homeschool
One of our newer homeschool resources is using Outschool for one-off classes. They have a huge range of classes (Minecraft learning, nature classes, math, art…SO MUCH!) and you will definitely find something you’re looking for.
HOWEVER, our all time favorite is Nature Club with Miss Gillian. Not only does my kid learn a lot, Miss Gillian is one of the most engaging teachers we’ve ever used for homeschooling (or anything, honestly!). The classes are offered off and on, so I’ll post about it on our homeschool social media accounts when/if they’re open.
Cost: $ to $$
6. MiaPrep for Homeschooling
We just started the high school MiaPrep and added this to our homeschooling high school resources.
It’s a multi-subject online homeschool resource and my daughter is doing a variety of MiaPrep classes through there: Prealgebra / algebra, social studies, career studies, math & more.
The Mia Prep high school courses are new to the platform, so they are adding high school classes / advanced levels regularly (but still have plenty to get you started).
It can be a little glitchy and we do find a few errors (like the writer wasn’t a native English speaker), but overall, my daughter is enjoying it.
One of the things I do like is that you can move up and down grades within the platform (in our case, 7th grade / 8th grade / homeschooling resources for middle school students through high school), which allows you to customize homeschool curriculum to best meet your level needs.
Also, I can assign her lessons (check off / check on) what I want her to focus on and she can work at her own pace after that.
You also get to set your own schedule, which days they do which classes, etc., which is really helpful as a homeschooling parent who piecemeals lessons together.
I’m still on the fence about this one, but my daughter is enjoying the courses. The full MiaPrep review to come, so keep an eye out. In the meantime you can read your own Mia Academy reviews online.
FYI: There’s also a MiaPrep for elementary / younger ages if you’re looking for elementary homeschooling resources or a younger grade level. They now cover Grades k-12.
Cost: $$
7. MasterClass for Homeschooling
We just signed up for MasterClass and my daughter is loving it!
If you’re not familiar with MasterClass, it is an online learning platform with courses taught by famous people and industry experts. (Think: Alicia Keys, Amanda Gorman, world renowned chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Thomas Keller, Steve Martin, Timbaland, Dr. Jane Goodall & SO MANY MORE!)
(Yes, you can really take a course on songwriting and producing from Alicia Keys!)
For home school online, your kids can learn as:
- Nancy Cartwright Teaches Voice Acting (my daughter completed this one and loved it!)
- Judy Blume Teaches Writing
- Malala Yousafzai Teaches Creating Change
- Ringo Starr Teaches Drumming and Creative Collaboration
- Wayne Gretzky Teaches the Athlete’s Mindset
- Tony Hawk Teaches Skateboarding
- Reba McEntire Teaches Country Music
- Jessie Krebs Teaches Wilderness Survival
- Bill Nye Teaches Science and Problem-Solving
- Yo-Yo Ma Teaches Music and Connection
- Nas Teaches Hip-Hop Storytelling
- LeVar Burton Teaches the Power of Storytelling
& SO MANY MORE — cooking, music, fashion & beauty, science & tech, acting, business, and on and on. You can browse them all over on the site.
You pay monthly and get access to all the classes (150+ classes across 11 categories) and even the family plan is super affordable. (The plans are based on the number of devices that can have access to it at the same time.)
It’s a great resource for older kids (middle school and up, including adults!) who enjoy this type of learning.
It’s definitely staying on our homeschooling online programs list!
Cost: $$
8. Homeschool Foreign Languages
We’ve used a variety of homeschooling foreign language class for Spanish learning over the years — in-person classes with a teacher, group in-person immersive classes, online classes, and online immersive group learning.
Our homeschooling second language classes have been hit or miss. Right now, my daughter is at the point where she needs a mid-level Spanish class, so we decided to put here in this Outschool immersive group and she loves it!
It’s an Intermediate Spanish Club (a casual meetup group for teens) and a fluent Spanish speaking teacher runs the group. There’s no set agenda, classwork, or curriculum, but the students each bring a topic to discuss each week and it’s immersive, with the teacher guiding and correcting.
This is another one we’ll keep on our home schooling online schedule as long as she offers it. The immersive conversational aspect has been extremely helpful in practicing a second language and she really enjoys the interaction of the virtual homeschool group live.
CHECK OUT THE IMMERSIVE SPANISH CLUB WE USE FOR ONLINE HOME SCHOOLING
Cost: $-$$
Whatever you choose as your homeschooling curriculum resources, remember they should be something both you and your child find enjoyable!
Be sure to bookmark this post and check back! As we try new homeschool resources and classes that work, I’ll add those to this list!
What are your top homeschooling resources?
We’d love to hear your ideas for helpful homeschooling resources.
What are your best homeschooling resources?
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