Inspiration for family travel around Florida and the world!
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With everything going on the past few months and things changing almost daily, like finding out Washington schools are out of the building for the rest of the academic year now too! A lot of us Mama’s have had to add Homeschool Teacher to our resume. Before our first child was born, I loved my job teaching younger kids. So now that we’re in this phase where most schools are closed, I’m enjoying this time with our kids where we can learn and play more together (not missing those early morning rushes though 😉 ).
Even though our kids’ school has been doing “Distance Learning” with videos, sending home packets, and lending out Chromebooks, we like to switch up our days with different homeschool resources to add to the learning and fun!
Most of these resources are free or really cheap and help with reading, letters, numbers, faith, cooking, science, STEM, money, exercise, geography, art, math and so much more. I only added resources that I personally think have a great educational value, have easy-to-navigate platforms, no complicated sigh ups, and provide “learning through play”. This list is great for preschool through elementary school-aged children (with some content also suitable for even older kids).
Remember to teach your kids about proper internet use and to set standards to follow, that work for your family.
Set a Schedule: Focus more on a routine vs a schedule. Kids can learn a lot of responsibility and independence from knowing what to expect. Choose what works best for your family, and try to stick to it. In our house, we have a list of objectives we cross off during the day, and when everything is crossed off, it means school is over! We don’t stress about starting or finishing things at certain times.
Pick a Spot: Whether you have a dedicated learning space in your house, or you gather each day at the dining room table, have somewhere in your house that is set up with their supplies, list of objectives for the day, and any devices or misc things they’ll need to complete their work.
Free Trials: When signing up for free trials, I’d recommend using a prepaid Visa type gift card that is either empty or only has a couple of bucks on it. Therefore if you forget to cancel (or sign up for like 10 free trials at once like me 😉 ) it gives you time to see what you do or do not want to continue with, without the stress of canceling by certain dates.
Remember: Learning through play is fun and important too! Last week when I asked our 5-year-old to practice tracing letters with a worksheet, he asked: “Do I have to do this every day?” with a not so enthusiastic reaction. It was a good reminder that there is more than one way to learn. So we decided to pull out this game instead and to my surprise, it was just what he needed to put “all the pieces together” and start reading! We’re all so proud and excited for him!
I’m listing this one first because this is how we have started our days lately (Thanks for the rec Meg)! These engaging affirmation videos get the kids to start their morning on a fun note while channeling faith-filled, truthful, uplifting, and positive vibes. We do the Morning Affirmations video, followed by the Spiritual Affirmations.
1.) Over one million printables, sorted by grade
2.) Lakeshore Learning Company (Worksheets, calendars, crafts, customizable tracing sheets, award makers, lesson plans & more!)
3.) Preschool through 5th Grade Workbooks
4.) Superhero ABC, Animal ABC & Monster 1-20
5.) Over 50,000 Math Worksheets (So many different math skills + Easter-themed sheets! I like that each PDF has an answer key also)
6.) Indoor Scavenger Hunts (Plus tons of other fun/educational topics on their site)
7.) Worksheets by Season, Holiday, and Subject
8.) Homeschool.com (Printables for all grades and parents)
We’ve used this app on and off for years. It’s great for 2-8-year-olds (preschool – second grade) to help increase learning in reading, language arts, math, colors, geography, animals, art, etc. with games, printables, puzzles, songs, and more!
Try it for 30 days FREE here!
OR Get your first 2 months for only $5
From the makers of ABCmouse, Adventure Academy is for the next age group of kids (8-13). They can expand their knowledge on reading, math, science, vocabulary, history, geography, music, social studies and so more in a fun, interactive, and ever-expanding virtual world.
Even though our kids are 5 and 7, I thought our 7 year old would enjoy it since she is nearing 8 (how’d that happen?!). So we signed up a few weeks ago and have really enjoyed the games, books, and activities together as a group. It is a multiplayer optional game, meaning chat features, which is something you can choose to utilize, limit, or turn off (like we did) when you create your kids’ profile. So far we have discovered a ton of fun educational options that are age-appropriate for both of them, and we really like the cool interactive way you get to learn!
Tip 1: You can create up to three characters, which I would recommend doing, even if you only have one kid accessing it. Otherwise, when the kids start the app, it gives them the option of adding another character, meaning they choose the chat filters, name, etc. (adding characters should be under the parent section, but it’s not, unfortunately).
Tip 2: They can decorate their house/accessorize their character, and walk/explore in the different areas (which are cool, but not the reason they are getting some screen time), so I like to keep a close eye, so they are staying focused on all the fun learning activities that are offered.
Try Adventure Academy for FREE for the first 30 days here!
Reading IQ is the third addition from the company that created ABCmouse and Adventure Academy. It is a reading program that is accessible from any device, gives you access to thousands of books, can be filtered by grade and/or reading level to show books that are truly at your students’ level, save books to a favorites section to reference easily, and gives you the ability to track and follow their progress. You can add up to three kids per account and you can have them do an optional reading assessment to see where they are, to get book suggestions tailored to their level.
Try for FREE for 30 Days here
Since the libraries are closed, we’ve been enjoying “checking out” books from the kindle app. I love that you can see the actual pages from the kids’ storybooks, and you can double click on the text to make it bigger and easier to read, which is helpful for early readers! We have Prime which gives us access to Prime Reading, but it has some limitations. So we signed up for a free trial for kindle unlimited too, and have been enjoying the additional books.
Try Amazon Prime FREE for 30 Days here!
OR Try Kindle Unlimited FREE for 30 Days Free!
Amazon has opened up its audiobooks platform for FREE for kids everywhere! No need to sign up or provide a credit card number! Simply just start streaming here on any device.
A leading language learning platform is currently offering 3 months for free (no cc required) plus you can extend it at the end of your trial for another 3 months if you are homeschooling still (so 6 months free total!). Learn to read, speak and write one of 24 different languages to choose from. I love that they can even get immediate feedback on their pronunciation with their patented speech recognition engine and you can access printable reports on their progress. Available on all devices. If you have multiple children, each one will need to sign up with a different email address.
Sign up for 3 (extend to 6) free months here. (If you get redirected to the homepage, copy & paste this link >> www.rosettastone.com/freeforstudents )
Much more than an app actually, which is how we first found it a few years ago. This is a free Christian-based platform for kids, with videos you can stream and download, coloring sheets, adventure worksheets for 22 Bible stories which are each broken down into 4 or 5-week sessions, and a ton of parent guides to help you along the way.
Access their website here.
Download the app here (Apple – Andriod – Amazon).
I don’t know why it took me so long to check out YouTube Kids! It’s kid-friendly with no ads, you can gear the content shown by age group, and you can block any channels or videos you don’t want to pop up #momwin. Here are a few of the channels we have enjoyed so far.
Art Hub for Kids (Fun and easy to follow drawing instructions)
Storyline Online (Stories read by celebrities)
Illuminated Films (Animated storybooks)
Cosmic Kids Yoga (Great for getting those wiggles out and to regroup)
Meet The Phonics (Video on letter sounds. It’s kind of long because it goes over it slowly, but I think it’s set to a good pace for learning/not getting overwhelmed. Too long for your kiddo? Try breaking it up in chunks)
Mystery Doug (Short 5 minute videos that answer questions kids send in. Like “Why do bears hibernate?” and “How do they turn wood into paper?”)
Fun Counting Videos
This is the same YouTube channel I mentioned above for the affirmations videos. They have a lot more to offer, so I’ll list some of our favorites below.
•SIGHT WORD VIDEOS: By grade, interactive and with fun dance breaks! (Preschool/Pre-K, Kinder & 1st)
•ALPHABET PHONICS: A little fast-paced, but a fun way to learn letter sounds with relationships to animals.
•LEARN TO SPELL COLORS: Great for Preschool to 1st grade.
We discovered ABCya through a recommendation from our kids’ teachers. It’s a free online platform of learning games for Pre-K through 6+ grade, which helps kids ‘learn through play’ as I mentioned above. When accessed via a desktop, you can play the games and access the videos unlimited, without even putting in an email!
You can upgrade for about $6 a month, but my honest opinion is the desktop version is more than enough if you’re able to access it on that device.
Start playing here for free!
Learn more about the free/paid options here.
I mentioned these Preschool through 5th Grade Workbooks under the Printable Worksheets/Workbooks section above also. Education.com which normally has a fee, has opened up these and some other learning tools for FREE.
Get Free Access Here: You can see everything they unlocked like games, songs, stories, workbooks, and new weekly resources.
Upgrade?: If you want unlimited access, they offer three plans that are 50% off right now, and you can cancel it anytime.
Vooks is an ad-free, kid-safe platform where storybooks come to life through animation! They even offer some lesson plans to go along with some stories!
Get a YEAR for FREE if you’re Homeschooling or a Teacher.
Accessible via computer or app, Reading Eggs is a fun and interactive platform to make learning how to read fun! Designed for kids 2-13 years old, kids grow in their reading journey with fun games, songs, golden eggs, and other rewards to motivate kids to keep learning and reading. If you wish to continue at the end of the free trial (multiple kids allowed under one email), you can get started for less than $5 per month.
Sign up for a FREE 30 Day Trial here (no cc required).
PLUS Additional FREE Resources by grade HERE
Learn about pricing here.
LeapFrog Learning Academy is an interactive learning program with over 2,000 activities geared towards 3-6-year-olds, that allows you to track your kids’ progress along the way. No ads, accessible on any device, and useable even with no wifi.
We also love our LeapFrog Tablet that is totally kid-friendly and you can choose from a ton of educational apps and cartridges.
Start your FREE 60 Day Trial here
Hooked on Phonics has over 250 games, activities, songs, and ebooks for your kiddos. Plus you’ll get some in-home workbooks/storybooks with your membership. We signed up (for only $1), and can’t wait to get our package in the mail!
Sign up here to get your first month for only $1 (includes online access and materials mailed to you!)
Epic is an online digital library great for kids 12 and under, with no ads or in-app purchases! You can gain instant access to over 40,000 books, learning videos, quizzes, and more with a free trial!
Try for 30 days FREE here!
They have free videos, digital books, worksheets, activities, and more for preschool through 9th grade.
Access it all here for FREE, no sign-up required!
BrainPop Jr is an excellent program that teaches kids about STEM, Social Studies, Reading, Writing, Art, Health, and more. They are offering free service for as long as your kids are affected by the school closures. They also have BrainPOP and BrainPop ELL for upper elementary and middle school students. Those topics include the previously mentioned ones, plus Music, English, Vocabulary, Grammer, and Listening.
Brain Pop Homepage
Sign up for Free Access here (no CC required, get access to all BrainPop products, and free as long as schools are closed!)
Pinna is a kid-friendly, ad-free, screen-free app/website that reads educational and entertaining stories for kids 3-12. In their easy-to-navigate platform, you can find podcasts, audiobooks, and music.
Sign up here (use promo code PINNA4KIDS to get an additional 30 days, for a total of 60 days FREE!)
Have you ever done the Animation Academy at Disneyland? It’s kind of tucked away in California Adventures, and it’s a fun way to beat the heat and make a free souvenir! Now you can access these drawing classes at home through the Disney Parks Blog.
Learn how to draw Mickey, Buzz, Tinkerbell, and some of their friends for free here (list at the bottom on page)!
I used to love getting the Highlights Kids magazines when I was a kid. My favorite part was the hidden pictures! Now you can access their website full of games, activities, jokes, podcasts, educational topics, and hidden pictures.
Free Access here, no sign-up required.
KidStir is a cooking subscription box, and right now they are gifting 15,000 boxes for free! We can’t wait to get ours in the mail! ((Update: Unfortunately all the free boxes have been claimed. BUT you can go on a virtual Spring Break Tour now and it sounds so fun!)) Plus access their cute site for tons of FREE kid-friendly recipes and sign up for their free emails, to get a cute cooking e-book, weekly newsletter of bonus recipes, activities, printables, and more!
What you get: 3 yummy step-by-step recipes, 2 kid-sized cooking tools, 3 foodie learning pages, 3 fun games/puzzles, extra goodies like stickers, place cards, gift notes, plus a printed shopping list and a digital one emailed before the box arrives.
Pricing: Get your first box free! Update: Boxes start at $19.99 (free shipping) but take advantage of the deals and codes listed below to get your first box for $15.
Take $10 off your first box here (no code needed)
AND Click here to download a FREE e-book with code FREEBOOK
Another kid-friendly cooking kit box company, but I’m mentioning them for their FREE online resources from kitchen skill videos, recipes, activities, and food quizzes.
Free access with no sign up required here.
A site of ideas to get your kids outside, interacting with nature, and learning all while having fun! Get inspired to do things like going on a bug or shape hunt, make a necklace out of seeds, craft a birdhouse, and more!
Free access here, no sign-up required.
PBS Kids has been around a long time and they provide educational videos, games, e-books, and activities for 3-7-year-olds. No need to make an account, you can take advantage of PBS Kids online and through several different app choices.
Play and Watch Online Here
Download apps here
Kids Gardening is a fun resource for finding unique and educational activities that inspire a love for nature and the environment. I especially love their homemade botanical paper activity that can be planted, the leaf and flower imprinted art, and how to make a rainbow bouquet.
See these ideas and more on their website here.
When you combine fun arcade games with academics, you get these fun, free and multiplayer games to boost fact fluency and learning with so many different subjects like typing, geography, math, money, time, language arts, shapes and so much more!
No sign up required, play here
This team of four creates and shares their educational science videos for kids on YouTube. Each video is about five minutes long and is easy enough to do at home for all ages. I like that they list all the tools needed for the experiment and explain the scientific concepts with fun and kid-friendly animations at the end.
See their YouTube channel here.
Tons of really cool and interesting science, STEM, Nature, Art, History, Culture, Animals, Printables, Games, and more.
Start learning for FREE here
IXL is a FREE comprehensive English and Math curriculum program for Pre-K through grade 12 students. They have paid options, but we explored the website just fine without the need to sign up. I’d recommend parental supervision to guide younger ones through the lessons, it would be easy for kids to get confused trying to navigate it themselves.
Learn for FREE here
Okay, this site is really cute! They have math and reading games for Pre-K through 5th grade. What makes this fun and different for the kids is the dinosaur background and every time they answer a question correctly, a funny animal pops up to congratulate them! Picture an elephant riding a scooter, a unicorn doing “the dab”, at-rex riding a skateboard, and so on!
No sign up required, FREE access here
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