Preschool at home

Affiliate links are included in this post.

Note: This sale is over, but you can still order these resources individually!

Though it now seems long ago, I remember perfectly when my oldest two kids were preschool-age. Steve and I had just made the decision to homeschool, and I couldn’t wait to get started!

Now, years later, my views on preschool have changed. I no longer believe an academic version of preschool is necessary; I believe a child can pick up the same skills that will prepare him for future learning just by being in a nurturing home environment.

But I don’t regret our preschool at home at all – it was fun! While my youngest napped, Trishna, Jonathan, and I sat together at the dining table reading or coloring or crafting or talking about letters.

It was the perfect time to capitalize on my newfound homeschool enthusiasm and their boisterous energy.

There are several helpful resources in this week’s Ultimate Homemaking Ebook Bundle for those of you who feel similarly.

Maybe you want to purposely carve out one-on-one time with your resident preschooler so she doesn’t get forgotten in the hustle and bustle. Or maybe you’re hoping to keep your little one occupied while you spend fifteen minutes on a lesson with older children.

Whatever your needs, here are a few resources that may help.

* 101 Independent Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers by MaryEllen Bream

When my kids were younger I would have loved an ebook like this one – it’s like a huge bucket list of play ideas that little kids can do independently–requiring minimal cost and setup.

Sections of the ebook include Arts and Crafts, Chores, Educational Activities, Sensory Activities, Literacy Activities, Imaginative Play, Fine Motor Skills, and Active Play. MaryEllen is the mom of four young children, and you can tell her practical suggestions are tried and tested activities developed in the trenches of busy family life!

One of the 101 ideas in MaryEllen’s book!

* The Charlotte Mason Way Explained by Dollie Freeman

Discovering Charlotte Mason and her educational philosophy was one of the first steps that encouraged me to give homeschooling a try.

Her focus on nature study, short lessons, living books, character, and her approach to the preschool years completely inspired me:

“…my object is to show that the chief function of the child–his business in the world during the first six or seven years of his life–is to find out all he can, about whatever comes under his notice, by means of his five senses…”
~ Charlotte Mason, Home Education

Dollie Freeman does a beautiful job explaining an overview of the Charlotte Mason Method and how she has used it in her homeschooling journey.

The book provides the encouragement mothers of littles need to focus on real life over stressful academics, but Dollie also describes how the method approaches subject learning for older ages as well, including learning to read, handwriting, memory work, living books, art/music appreciation, and record keeping.

If you’re considering home education and haven’t yet been able to think outside the box of institutional schooling, this book will help you discover a more soul-nurturing way to homeschool.

* The Preschool Journey by Angela Thayar

Angela’s preschool guide reminds me of the activities I did with Trishna and Jonathan all those years ago: simple arts and crafts, read-aloud lists, games, and introducing letters.

I get all nostalgic thinking back to those days that started our journey, and I wish you and yours the same type of sweet memories together!

Image from Angela’s Preschool Journey ebook

Here’s what’s included:

* Detailed explanation of what should be covered in preschool
* Ideas on how to set up and organize your preschool at home, as well as how to schedule your day
* Curriculum for an entire preschool year (for ages 2.5-5)
* 26 weeks of lesson plans centered around alphabet letters. The plans include an alphabet letter craft, games, hands-on activities, and a list of books to read with each letter
* 50 pages of printables to use with these play-based learning activities.

Here’s the full list of homeschooling resources included in the bundle:

• 101 Independent Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers by MaryEllen @ Imperfect Homemaker ($4.99)
• 1777 New England Primer Cursive/Manuscript Printable Alphabet Sets by Jacinda @ Growing Home ($5.98)
• A Simple Homeschool Planner by Tsh @ The Art of Simple ($4.00)
• The Charlotte Mason Way Explained by Dollie @ Teachers of Good Things ($7.99)
• The Preschool Journey by Angela @ Teaching Mama ($6.99)
• Weekly Homeschool Planner by Jolanthe @ Homeschool Creations ($20.00)
• You Can Read by Carisa @ 1+1+1=1 ($10.00)
• Write Through the Bible: Exodus 20 (KJV, Manuscript) by Trisha @ Intoxicated on Life ($5.00)

The titles in this section on Faith for Kids may come in handy for your homeschool as well:

• Be Thankful: Cultivating Year-Round Thankfulness by Amanda @ The Pelsers ($7.99)
• Character Badges by Caroline @ The Modest Mom Blog ($9.99)
• God Gifted Virtues by Sara @ Your Thriving Family ($8.95)
• Learning to Speak Life: Fruit of the Spirit Family Devotional by Michael & Carlie @ Learning to Speak Life ($9.99)
• The ABC’s for Godly Boys/The ABC’s for Godly Girls by Lindsey @ The Road To 31 ($19.98)
• The Warrior Weekend: Helping Dads Raise Boys to Be Godly Men by Patrick & Ruth @ For the Family ($4.99)

What choices have you made for preschool?

Disclosure: I have included affiliate links in this post. Read the fine print about this bundle and read the answers to frequently asked questions about the bundle.

Note: This sale is over, but you can still order these resources individually!