Eclectic Homeschooler

Homeschool Ideas for a Customized Education

P is For… Things That Start With P for Preschool

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If you’re looking to teach your preschooler about the letter P, then having a go-to list of things that start with P can really help make homeschool planning easier and more enjoyable.

This list of words that start with P is also really handy for finding letter P show and tell ideas. Just scroll through the list (or print the PDF you can find at the bottom) to find what you’re looking for.

P is For... Things That Start With P for Preschool

“P is for …” activities and ideas you can use this list with

This letter P word list can help you plan out your homeschool preschool letter of the week in a lot of different ways. Here are a few ways you can use this list:

  1. Search for letter P books for words that start with P for kids.
  2. Have your child work on letter P printable activities and worksheets for these letter P words to re-enforce the sound and formation of the letter P.
  3. Find pictures of these objects that start with P to help build your child’s vocabulary.
  4. As you’re learning about the letter P, intentionally try to use, point out, and emphasize these letter P words throughout the day.
  5. Put together a letter P sensory bin using some of these things that start with P.

There are a lot of great ways you can use this letter P word list. These are just a few ideas for how to use this list of letter P words so you can create fun “P is for….” activities for your preschoolers as you plan your letter of the week for them.

Words That Start With P for Kids

Now let’s get to the list of P words for kids. First I’ve listed all of the words that start with P alphabetically. Underneath that list I’ve also sorted the letter P word list by category. If you scroll to the bottom of the post you can also grab a free printable list of things that start with P that you can print out and place in your homeschool planner to easily reference to when you’re planning your homeschool weeks.

  • Package
  • Padlock
  • Paddle (noun)
  • Paddle (verb)
  • Paddle Ball
  • Pail
  • Paint (noun)
  • Paint (verb)
  • Paintbrush
  • Painter
  • Painting
  • Pajamas
  • Palace
  • Paleontologist
  • Palette
  • Palm Tree
  • Pamper
  • Pan
  • Panda
  • Pants
  • Panther
  • Paper Bag
  • Paper
  • Paper Clip
  • Paper Plate
  • Parade
  • Parallelogram
  • Paris
  • Park
  • Parka
  • Parrot
  • Party
  • Pasta
  • Peach
  • Peacock
  • Peanut
  • Peanut Butter
  • Pear
  • Peas
  • Pebble
  • Pelican
  • Pen
  • Pencil
  • Penguin
  • Pennsylvania
  • Penny
  • Pentagon
  • People
  • Pepper (spice)
  • Pepper (vegetable)
  • Perform
  • Person
  • Pet
  • Photo
  • Photographer
  • Piano
  • Picasso
  • Piccolo
  • Pickle
  • Picture
  • Pie
  • Pig
  • Pigeon
  • Pilgrims
  • Pillow
  • Pin
  • Pinata
  • Pinecone
  • Ping Pong
  • Pink
  • Pinwheel
  • Pioneer
  • Pirate
  • Pitcher (for liquid)
  • Pitcher (in baseball)
  • Pizza
  • Plane
  • Planet
  • Plastic
  • Plant
  • Plate
  • Platypus
  • Plum
  • Pluto
  • Polar Bear
  • Police
  • Polygon
  • Pond
  • Poodle
  • Popcorn
  • Popsicle
  • Porcupine
  • Postcard
  • Pot
  • Potato
  • Pour
  • Pray
  • Praying Mantis
  • Present
  • President
  • Pretzel
  • Prince
  • Princess
  • Propeller
  • Pug
  • Puma
  • Pumpkin
  • Puppet
  • Puppy
  • Purple
  • Purse
  • Puzzle
  • Pyramid
  • Python

Animals That Start With P

  • Panda
  • Panther
  • Parrot
  • Peacock
  • Pelican
  • Penguin
  • Pet
  • Pig
  • Pigeon
  • Platypus
  • Polar Bear
  • Poodle
  • Porcupine
  • Praying Mantis
  • Pug
  • Puma
  • Puppy
  • Python

Clothes That Start With P

  • Pajamas
  • Pants
  • Parka
  • Purse

Food That Starts With P

  • Pasta
  • Peach
  • Peanut
  • Peanut Butter
  • Pear
  • Peas
  • Pepper (spice)
  • Pepper (vegetable)
  • Pickle
  • Pie
  • Pizza
  • Plum
  • Popcorn
  • Popsicle
  • Pretzel
  • Pumpkin

People That Start With P

  • Painter
  • Paleontologist
  • People
  • Person
  • Photographer
  • Picasso
  • Pilgrims
  • Pioneer
  • Pirate
  • Pitcher (in baseball)
  • Police
  • President
  • Prince
  • Princess

Places That Start With P

  • Palace
  • Paris
  • Park
  • Party
  • Pennsylvania
  • Planet
  • Pluto
  • Pond

Toys That Start With P

  • Paddle Ball
  • Pinata
  • Ping Pong
  • Pinwheel
  • Puppet
  • Puzzle

Transportation That Starts With P

  • Paddle (noun)
  • Plane
  • Propeller

Verbs That Start With P

  • Paddle (verb)
  • Paint (verb)
  • Pamper
  • Perform
  • Pray

Other P Words for Kids

  • Package
  • Padlock
  • Pail
  • Paint (noun)
  • Paintbrush
  • Painting
  • Palette
  • Palm Tree
  • Pan
  • Paper Bag
  • Paper
  • Paper Clip
  • Paper Plate
  • Parade
  • Parallelogram
  • Pebble
  • Pen
  • Pencil
  • Penny
  • Pentagon
  • Photo
  • Piano
  • Piccolo
  • Picture
  • Pillow
  • Pin
  • Pinecone
  • Pink
  • Pitcher (for liquid)
  • Plant
  • Plastic
  • Plate
  • Polygon
  • Postcard
  • Pot
  • Pour
  • Present
  • Purple
  • Pyramid

Things That Start With P Free Printable (Editable PDF)

Below you can download a handy free printable list of things that start with P that you can use in your homeschool planning. It includes both the alphabetical and categorized lists. It’s also an editable PDF so that you can add, edit, and delete words to customize the list for only the words that start with P you’d like to include. Print it out and place it in your homeschool planning binder for quick reference as you plan your homeschool letter P week.

To get your free printable, CLICK HERE

Did I forget any other words that start with P for kids to learn? Leave a comment below with any other words I should include. Plus, I’d love if you shared how you’re utilizing this letter P list in your homeschool planning!

Free Letter P Printable Do a Dot Pages

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As your preschooler learns about the letter P, using letter P printable worksheets can help to re-enforce letter recognition and formation. Letter P free printable do a dot pages are a great addition to your letter of the week program for P. Today I have some fun letter P do a dot printable pages that come in eight different versions including color and black and white choices. I have also included versions with and without a handwriting practice area.

Let’s explore a few different fun ways that you can use these letter P is for Pig dot worksheets, then at the bottom you can download the pages for you to use with your preschooler.

Free Letter P Printable Do a Dot Pages

Letter P Do a Dot Printable Pages

Dot pages are a wonderful way to help teach your preschooler about the letter P. Using these letter P printable dot worksheets will help your child learn how to recognize the letter P while at the same time practicing their fine motor skills and one-to-one correspondence. There are always ways that you can help them practice their art skills with these letter P is for Pig worksheets too.

Did you know though that these letter P do a dot pages don’t have to be used with just dot markers. While dot markers are great and a lot of fun for kids, there are other ways that you can use these worksheets to introduce a variety of skills and keep things interesting. Let’s explore just a few ways that you can use them below, then you can grab your letter P free printable do a dot pages at the bottom of this post.

 

Letter P Printable With Dot Stickers

Let’s first look at how you can use these letter P is for Pig dot worksheets with dot stickers. I love using dot stickers with these kinds of pages because children love to use stickers, they’re easy to clean up, and they help them to practice essential things preschoolers need to learn like using stickers, one-to-one correspondence, and a bit of fine motor work too. They also come in a lot of great colors, just be sure to get the 3/4″ ones for these dot worksheets.

 

Letter P Printable With Paint and Crayons

If your preschooler loves to paint then set them up with a black and white version of the letter P dot worksheet and have them use craft paint to paint it! You can do this a number of ways, either have them paint the whole page or you can also have them use triangular crayons to color the page so they can practice their tripod grasp. You can also have them trace the letters on the page too with a marker or the triangular crayons (although it’s kind of tough to do with the crayons).

 

Letter P Printable With Unifix Cubes

Next you can print this P is for Pig worksheet out and slide it into a dry erase pocket (or laminate it). Then have them place Unifix cubes on to each dot. Even though Unifix cubes are square they are a great size to practice one-to-one correspondence with the dots. They also come in a lot of great colors. These pink ones pictured don’t come in the standard set of Unifix cubes, but you can pick them up separately if you want to here.

 

Letter P Printable With Power Magnets

Another things preschoolers really love? Magnets! So you can use these letter P do a dot printable worksheets with power magnets. Power magnets are basically circular magnets that are just the right size for using with these dot pages. They come in several fun colors too. Just stick the page on top of a cookie sheet for them and they’ll have a ball matching the magnets to the dots on the page. If you laminate the sheet, then you can also give them a dry erase marker to practice writing on the page too.

 

Grab The Letter P Free Printable Do a Dot Pages

We’ve talked about a lot of fun ways to use these letter P printable dot pages with your preschooler. Which way is your favorite? There are a lot of great uses for these letter P is for Pig dot pages and these are just a few great ones to help your child learn to recognize the letter P.

To download your letter P do a dot printable pages simply click the button below. After you’ve download them, print out the pages you want to use, laminate them (if you’d like) and then you can use them to teach your preschooler about the letter P.

To get your free printable, CLICK HERE

You can find lots of other great letter P printables, resources, and ideas for teaching the letter P over here too. Enjoy!

Free Letter D Printable Do a Dot Pages

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Today I’m sharing with you some letter D free printable do a dot pages that will be really fun to use as you teach your preschooler about the letter D. These letter D do a dot printable worksheets come in eight different variations including color, black and white, tracing, and no tracing options for handwriting practice if needed.

Before we get to the download, let’s first have a look at some different kinds of ways that you can use these letter D is for Dog dot pages and then you can grab the pages for yourself at the bottom of this post.

Free Letter D Printable Do a Dot Pages

Letter D Do a Dot Printable Pages

As you’re teaching your preschooler about the letter D, using letter D printable dot worksheets can be really helpful. Not only do they teach important preschool concepts like letter recognition and one-to-one correspondence, but you can also help your child practice their fine motor skills and other arts and crafts skills while they work on these too.

But these letter D do a dot pages don’t have to be used exclusively with dot markers, in fact there is a whole wide range of ways that you can use these worksheets. Below I’d like to highlight a few ideas for how to use them, and then you can grab the letter D free printable do a dot pages if you scroll down to the bottom.

Letter D Printable With Dot Stickers

To start, I’d like to show you how you can use this letter D is for Dog printable with dot stickers! Pick yourself up a package of 3/4″ dot stickers (also known as color coding stickers) and they will be the perfect size for these letter D do a dot printable pages. Kids absolutely love using stickers and these ones are fairly easy to get off the sticker sheet so there should be no frustrations. This is a good way to practice using stickers as well as one-to-one and fine motor skills.

  • Letter D Printable Dot Pages with Dot Stickers
  • Letter D Do a Dot Printable With Dot Stickers

Letter D Printable With Markers

If you want to create more a larger worksheet with these letter D printable dot pages then you could have your child color them with markers. Print out the version that is black and white with tracing and they can also practice a little handwriting too. As they color, encourage them to color the dots a different color to help them practice staying in the lines while coloring.

  • Letter D Free Printable Do a Dot Pages With Markers
  • Letter D Printable Dot Pages with Markers

Letter D Printable With Unifix Cubes

If you have some Unifix cubes on hand to use as math manipulatives, they can be fun to use with these letter D do a dot sheets as well. Even though they are square, they are a good size to correspond to each dot. Simply stick your letter D printable worksheet into a dry erase pocket and let them form the letter D with the Unifix cubes. You can also encourage them to practice their writing with dry erase markers by printing out the version with the handwriting section too.

  • Letter D Do a Dot Printable With Unifix Blocks
  • Letter D Printable Dot Pages with Unifix Blocks

Letter D Printable With Play Dough Balls

Another really fun way that you can use these letter D free printable do a dot pages is with play dough (I love these little mini play dough tubs for these)! Your preschooler will absolutely love if you let them use these worksheets as a play dough mat. Just be sure to either laminate the sheet or put it into a dry erase pocket so you can use it over and over again.

  • Letter D Do a Dot Printable With Unifix Blocks
  • Letter D Free Printable Do a Dot Pages With Play Dough Balls

Download The Letter D Free Printable Do a Dot Pages

As you can see, there are a lot of great ways to use these letter D printable dot pages beyond just using dot markers. There’s a lot of great ways that these D is for Dog dot worksheets can be used to teach your child about the letter D.

Grab the letter D do a dot printable pages by clicking the button below. Then you can simply print out the pages you want to use, laminate the ones that you’d like to, and enjoy!

To get your free printable, CLICK HERE

Need some other ideas for teaching your preschooler about the letter D? Then check out my other letter D printables, resources, and ideas over here.

Looking for more alphabet do a dot printables? You can view the previous letter C printable dot pages here.

Free Letter C Printable Do a Dot Pages

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If you need a letter C printable for your preschool letter of the week program for C then you’ll love these letter C free printable do a dot pages. These letter C do a dot printable pages come in eight different versions including both color and black and white options, as well as worksheets that have a handwriting practice area and ones that don’t.

First I’m going to share several different fun ways that you can use these letter C is for Cat worksheets. Then at the bottom you can download the pages to use for your preschooler.

Free Letter C Printable Do a Dot Pages

Letter C Do a Dot Printable Pages

Do a dot worksheets are a great addition to any letter of the week program. They cover a range of essential preschool skills that your child needs to learn, including letter recognition, one-to-one correspondence, and fine motor skills. And by using them in different ways beyond do a dot markers, you can practice even more skills using them.

While there are a lot of wonderful ways to use these letter C printable dot worksheets, I’d like to talk about just a few for you here in this post to give you some ideas to work with. Then you can scroll down to to the bottom of this post to grab the letter C dot pages for yourself.

Letter C Printable With Do a Dot Markers

Let’s first talk about using these letter C do a dot printable pages with do a dot markers. Although this isn’t the only way that you can use them, do a dot markers can be really fun for kids to use, they come in a wide range of colors and are a fairly easy craft to clean up. Plus it’s good one-to-one correspondence practice too.

  • Letter C Printable Dot Pages with Do a Dot Markers
  • Letter C Do a Dot Printable With Dot Markers

Letter C Printable With Dot Stickers

Even though do a dot markers aren’t very messy, if you want an even less messy option then another way you can use this page is with dot stickers. Stickers are always fun for kids to use and if you get the 3/4″ dot stickers then they will fit these letter C printable dot pages perfectly. Plus they come in a lot of different colors too. And if you print out the black and white letter C dot page with the handwriting practice area then you can make this a whole worksheet for your child to color, practice writing, and put the stickers in place.

  • Letter C Free Printable Do a Dot Pages With Dot Stickers
  • Letter C Printable Dot Pages with Dot Stickers

Letter C Printable With Mini Shaped Cat Erasers

Another really cute way to use these letter C printable dot pages is with mini shaped cat erasers. This will help re-enforce the C is for Cat portion of the worksheet, plus they’re really fun and cute. And if you stick the dot worksheet into a dry erase pocket then you can even have them trace the letters with dry erase markers too.

  • Letter C Do a Dot Printable With Shaped Cat Erasers
  • Letter C Free Printable Do a Dot Pages With Cat Shaped Erasers

Letter C Printable With Counting Chips

Finally I want to show you how you can use these letter C do a dot page printable worksheets with counting chips (aka bingo chips). They come in a lot of different colors and are typically just the right size for these dot sheets. You can even laminate the page for durability if you do this too. It’s a very simple, low prep, and easy clean up way to use these letter C dot pages.

  • Letter C Printable Dot Pages with Counting Chips
  • Letter C Do a Dot Printable With Counting Chips

Grab The Letter C Free Printable Do a Dot Pages

Now that we’ve talked about some unique ways that you can use these fun letter C printable dot pages, you’re ready to try them with your preschooler. These C is for Cat dot pages aren’t just for dot markers, there are so many fun ways that you can use them to help teach your child about the letter C.

You can download the letter C do a dot printable pages by clicking the button below. Then you can print them out, laminate them (if desired) and enjoy teaching your preschooler about the letter C!

To get your free printable, CLICK HERE

Looking for more ideas on how to teach the letter C? Have a look at my other letter C printables and resources available here.

Need alphabet do a dot printables for other letters? You can view the previous letter B printable dot pages here, and the next letter D printable dot pages here.

How to Homeschool For Free

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If you’re considering homeschooling or just starting to homeschool then you might be asking yourself how to homeschool for free, or at least find some cheap homeschool ideas to stay on a frugal budget. So today I’d like to share some tips with you that will help you to find free homeschool resources and ideas that will help you to do that.

How to Homeschool for Free

Free Homeschool: Is It Possible?

Homeschooling can get expensive if you let it. And, hey, if you have the budget to buy the latest homeschool gadgets or to stock up your Montessori homeschool classroom to the brim then by all means, go for it. There will never be a shortage of wonderful teaching tools, great books, and homeschool curriculum that you can add to your homeschool classroom. And all of that can be really fun and great teaching aids. However, that doesn’t mean they are necessary to be able to homeschool.

There are so many great free homeschool resources out there and if you don’t have an endless budget then you’ll need to learn how to homeschool for free or cheap at least for the most part.

So let’s talk about some tips and ways that you can homeschool for free (or mostly free). Of course there might be some supplies here and there that you’ll need to invest in, but if you think frugally then you can keep that list to a minimum.

Lay the Groundwork

As you begin browsing through free homeschool curriculum and printables you’ll need to first know what you’re looking for. Otherwise you’ll be spinning your wheels and following every rabbit hole that you find (and there are a lot of potential rabbit holes when it comes to planning your homeschool).

How to Homeschool for Free - Lay the Groundwork

So before you begin searching out free homeschool resources set the stage and determine and make note of things like:

  • The legal requirements in your state
  • Your child’s current grade level
  • Your preferred homeschooling method (at the moment)
  • Your teaching style
  • How your child learns best
  • What subjects you want to cover (above and beyond the legal requirements)
  • Your interests and your child’s interests

I talk about a lot of this laying the groundwork in my post on how to start homeschooling so be sure to hop over there and read through that for some ideas on how to lay the groundwork for your homeschool. It’s essential stuff that you’ll need to know as you move towards your goal of homeschooling for free.

Take Stock of What You Have

You probably already have access to a lot of great things that can be used for homeschooling, and you don’t even realize it! Start to take stock of what you have.

Free Homeschool Ideas - Take Stock of What You Have

Free Homeschool Supplies Around the House

Look through your office supplies for pencils, paper, etc. that can be used for homeschooling. Browse through your bookshelves or stacks of books. Take a look at your children’s toys, puzzles, and board games and see what you might be able to utilize for educational purposes in your homeschooling.

As you go through your home, take a piece of paper and a pencil and make note of all the things that you think you could use for your homeschool. You can even write down any great learning ideas that spark as you are looking around.

Save Those Containers for Homeschool!

Another place you might not have already been looking for free homeschool supplies is in your kitchen! If you haven’t already, consider washing out and saving various containers and things that you would normally put in the recycling bin. There are often a lot of great uses for these types of things like in sensory bins, crafts, and science projects.

Media You Already Have Access To

Also be sure to consider looking for learning material in places you might already have subscriptions to. For example there are a lot of great educational movies and shows to be found on Amazon Prime, Netflix, and your local cable channels. If you already have a subscriptions to these, then browse through them and save anything that looks promising to your watch list for later.

Plus, if you have Amazon Prime then you can also consider all of the other things included in your subscription like free Kindle books and free music that you can utilize in your homeschool for free. Yes, these services cost money, however if you already have them then I would consider it a free bonus to be able to use them in your homeschool too.

Consider What You Can Borrow

If you’re trying to homeschool for free then another thing you can consider if you’re comfortable with it is seeing what you can borrow from friends, family members, and other homeschooling families.

Homeschool for Free - Consider What You Can Borrow

Don’t become obnoxious about asking to borrow supplies and curriculum from them on a frequent basis. However, you can share with them that you are considering homeschooling but you’re on a tight budget. And if they seem open to it, ask them if they would mind if you borrowed a curriculum they’re not using or certain homeschool supplies they might not have a use for at the moment.

Again, I can’t stress enough that you don’t want to ask to borrow every single element for your homeschooling. So keep it to the really big stuff that you don’t want to have to splurge on. And if they do agree to let you borrow something, be sure to treat what they share with the utmost respect by taking good care of it and returning it in a timely manner.

Give (and Ask for) The Gift of Homeschooling

While it might seem boring to some, homeschool supplies can actually be incredibly fun. There are a lot of great educational toys that can be used in your homeschool and there are educational supplies that can seem like toys to your children because they’re so much fun.

Homeschooling for Free - Give (and ask for) the Gift of Homeschooling

So when it comes to gift-giving time consider making it an opportunity to stock up on some fun homeschool supplies that your children will love. Give them gifts for their birthday and other holidays that you know you can utilize in your homeschooling. And if you have friends and family who give your children gifts too go ahead and ask for specific or generic educational gifts that you know will benefit your homeschool days.

You might think that your kids will call you out on this, but if you instill in them a love for learning then you might be surprised when they actually love these kinds of gifts.

Familiarize Yourself With Your Library

There are a lot of great free services out there, but as a homeschooler probably the most valuable of them all is your local library. Not only can you stock up on the books you need for your homeschool for free, but you can even check out educational movies, documentaries, and audiobooks too.

Free Homeschool Books at Library

As you familiarize yourself with your library also check to see if they are part of a library network. If they are, then you might have access to even more books than those that are on your local library’s shelves. Our library allows us to place books on hold from a network of libraries all throughout our state and once they come in, we can pick them up from our local library.

Plus, there are other services your library probably offers that you might not have even considered using for homeschool. Typically the library offers the use of their computers and Wifi for free so if you don’t have access to a computer or the internet at home, you can take special trips to the library to get anything you or your children need to do on the internet done.

Your library might even offer the use of their printer. In this case, they might charge a small fee, but even so you might find this more affordable for your family than buying a printer for your home.

Another awesome thing that most libraries offer are free classes for various ages and topics. Keep your finger on the pulse of what’s going on at the library so you can jump on any free opportunities that you think would fit nicely into your homeschooling.

Find Free Homeschool Curriculum

There are a lot of great free homeschool curriculum options out there for all sorts of different homeschool methods, styles, and grade levels. While there is a lot of curriculum that costs money, you can certainly find curriculum for your child that is free as well.

Find Free Homeschool Curriculum

Here are a just a few of the more popular free homeschool curriculum choices:

For more ideas, you can check out this list of free homeschool curriculum and resources that I wrote on my other blog. There is also a great collection of links to free curriculum at An Old-Fashioned Education and Freedom Homeschooling.

Write Reviews in Exchange for Homeschool Curriculum & Resources

Another route you can try taking when it comes to your homeschool is to write reviews and testimonials for various homeschool curriculum and resources in exchange for those items. You don’t necessarily have to have a blog to do this, but that does certainly help lend to your credibility. But if you don’t want to start a blog, you can always offer to write reviews on Amazon for products, Goodreads for books, and even offer for them to use your testimonial on their website.

Write Reviews in Exchange for Homeschool Curriculum

If you’re not a fan of any of the free homeschool curriculum out there or you have your heart set on something specific then why not trying to get in touch with the publisher of the homeschool curriculum you’d like to try. Share with them a little bit about you, your family, and your homeschool journey or plans so far. Tell them about how you’re interested in their curriculum and that would like to offer an honest review or testimonial in exchange for a copy of the curriculum.

You can also try to do this for other various homeschool supplies and resources that you have your eye on too. You’ll have to do a little hunting to find the right contact information and it’s definitely not guaranteed, but you might find it worth it to try.

Here are some various homeschool resources that you could try writing honest reviews for in exchange for what you need:

  • Books
  • Curriculum
  • Educational Supplies
  • Educational Games
  • Educational Apps
  • Educational Videos and Documentaries
  • Educational Toys
  • etc. (anything you need for your homeschool)

Teach Using Unit Studies Instead of a Boxed Curriculum

One of my personal favorite ways to do homeschool with my kids is through unit studies. Unit studies are basically when you pick a central subject that you can study more in depth over a period of time (usually between 1-4 weeks but however long you want). Within this unit study you incorporate all (or most) of the subjects your children need to learn.

Teach Using Unit Studies for Free

As you plan out a unit study you would select related books, crafts, and activities that will help your child to learn about that theme while also practicing vital skills from other subjects such as math and literacy.

So as an example you might decide to do a unit study on ants. You would pick up a bunch of books about ants from the library, select some crafts that might be fun as your children learn about ants, and plan out some fun ant themed activities that would incorporate other key subjects like math, reading, and literacy for your children to do.

Like with anything else in homeschooling, unit studies could end up costing you a fortune if you let it. However, you can also do these kinds of studies for free or practically free by getting your unit study books from the library and finding free craft ideas, activities, and printables from Pinterest and other online sources.

Even though unit studies might take more planning, they can open up so many doors to learning for your children and they could help you to homeschool for free if you plan them accordingly.

Utilize Free Homeschool Printables and Online Resources

One of the great things about homeschooling is all of the amazing teaching resources at your fingertips. There are so many great free printables and activity ideas for all ages, grade levels, subjects, and themes. Whatever it is you’re looking for is probably out there for free.

Free Homeschool Printables and Resources

The very first place you’ll probably want to look for free homeschool printables is Pinterest. Yes, you can use Google too, but I personally find it a lot easier to find what I’m looking for using Pinterest because it’s visual. I also have a few favorite websites that I like to find free homeschool printables from as well, like:

These are just a few of my favorites, but again Pinterest is your best friend as you plan out your homeschool for free!

Use Free Educational Games, Apps, and Websites in Your Homeschool

Although you certainly don’t want to stick your child in front of their iPad all day and call it school, there are a lot of excellent free educational games, apps, and websites to be found through phone and tablet apps and online that can be used to supplement your homeschool for free.

Free Educational Games and Apps

As you search for free games, apps, and websites that you can use in your homeschool be sure to consider the math, literacy, and other essential skills that your child needs to learn for their age/grade.

Be sure to go through any websites, apps, and games that you want to use before letting your child try them. Make sure that there aren’t any inappropriate ads that they could click through and you’ll also want to verify that your child can’t upgrade without your consent. Most children’s apps, games, and websites should have safeguards in place to prevent that from happening.

Along those same lines you’ll also want to keep in mind that most free websites, apps, games for children will be limited until you upgrade. If you find that something that your child seems to be thriving on and learning from then consider if it’s worth it for your homeschool to go a head and upgrade. Otherwise you can utilize what you can and find other apps and games to learn any other skills that they might need to practice.

Here are a few free educational games and apps for children that you could try. There are so many more great ones out there but these are just a few good ones:

Again, there are much more free educational games, apps, and websites out there. I will be rounding up a larger list of these down the road and when I do I will link to it here.

Make Free Educational Videos Part of Your Homeschool

Did you know that you have access to a plethora of educational videos. From videos to learn the alphabet to science videos, to cooking and hobby classes, and even videos teaching children how to use instruments. With the internet, there is an endless supply of free information at your fingertips.

Free Educational Videos for Homeschooling

One of the best places online that you can find free educational videos is YouTube, believe it or not. You can find things like documentaries, how to videos, basic preschool skills videos, science videos, history videos, cooking classes, other hobby classes, and even music lessons. Just be sure to monitor your child’s activity on YouTube carefully because it can be easy to get off topic. Turn Auto Play off and stay close as they watch their homeschool videos, or watch them with them!

Other Places to Find Free Educational Videos

While YouTube is my favorite place to find free educational videos to supplement in our homeschool, it isn’t the only place that you can use to help you homeschool for free. Here are some other great places to find free educational videos.

  • Watch Know Learn – A directory of children’s educational videos organized by age and subject.
  • Khan Academy – Tons of free video courses and classes for all age ranges and subjects.
  • HowCast – How to videos on a wide range of topics (not specifically geared towards children so use caution)

Subscription Services With Educational Videos

Also if you have subscriptions to any of these then there are lots of great documentaries and educational videos to be found at no additional cost:

Devices to Find Free Videos for Homeschooling

Additionally if you have a Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, or another streaming device then often times you can find channels or apps that offer even more free video content that can be used to help you homeschool for free.

And don’t forget that you can even find educational video apps on your phone or tablet, even if you don’t have a specific streaming device like a Roku or Amazon Fire Stick.

Don’t Forget Your Library for Free Educational Videos

And finally don’t overlook your library for free homeschool videos. You can usually find a lot of great choices for videos and documentaries at the library, especially if they are participating in a library network.

Scope Out Free Local Classes and Services

While your library is definitely the top free local service you’ll utilize in order to homeschool for free, there are a lot of other great local services and classes that you can find for free too.

Free Local Classes and Services for Homeschool

Sometimes there are ongoing type services like free classes at the craft store while other times there might be special free opportunities that you’ll want to jump on as you find them. Here are a few ideas for places to look for free local classes and services that you can look into and potentially use in your homeschool:

  • Classes at your local library
  • Local nature centers
  • Free days at local museums
  • Free days at local zoos and aquariums
  • Craft classes at the arts & craft store
  • Free classes at your community center
  • Free extracurricular classes at your local school (band, PE, etc.)
  • Local businesses that offer tours and classes about their services
  • Free factory tours
  • Free classes and extracurricular activities through your church
  • Classes and workshops at Home Depot or Lowes

These are just a few ideas for finding free local classes and services that you can incorporate into your free homeschool model. Be sure to always be on the lookout for free offerings in your own area. You can also check out The Homeschool Mom’s list of other local co-ops and services here. She has a great comprehensive list of local things organized by state.

Take Advantage of Free Books, eBooks, and Audiobooks

Books are going to be a big part of your homeschooling. Whether you make learning from books your primary source of learning material or whether you plan to just use books alongside another boxed curriculum or homeschooling method, you will need books. Lots and lots of books. And this can get pricey pretty quick if you’re building your own homeschool library, even if you buy all used books. And while building your own homeschool library can be a wonderful thing, it isn’t always feasible.

Free Books, eBooks, and Audiobooks for Homeschool

But thankfully there are a lot of great ways that you can find books for free. Here are just a few ideas for places to find free books:

These are just a few of the many places you can find free physical books, eBooks, and audiobooks. I plan to write a whole post with even more ideas for where to find free children’s books and when I do I will link to that here.

Organize Free and Cheap Field Trips

As part of your homeschool you might want to also include days for special field trips whether just for fun or for educational purposes. You might even have a dream of doing even more field trips with your child than they would normally have at regular school. But these kinds of field trips can add up quickly for homeschoolers. Is it possible to have free (or at least cheap) field trips for homeschool?

Free and Cheap Homeschool Field Trips

Thankfully there are ways that you can plan free (or mostly free) homeschool field trips. You might have to get creative and keep your eyes open for deals going on, but there are ways that you can find field trip ideas for free.

Here are just a few ideas to try and places to look for free homeschool field trips:

  • Explore the outdoors by hiking and going for walks. You can make it even more educational by starting a nature journal or by focusing on something in nature to look out for and observer.
  • Go to the park and playgrounds. Lots of parks offer a lot of great walking trails and places to do various sports providing you bring your own equipment. You can also let your kids burn some energy on the playgrounds at the park too.
  • Look for free petting zoos in your area. Sometimes you can find free petting zoos in your area. We have one attached to a county park near us that’s really neat and completely free.
  • Visit your local pet store. If you don’t have a free petting zoo near you, then you might just have a local pet store that actually has pets (not just supplies). If you do, then this would be a really fun field trip idea. You can make it even more educational by researching and learning more about the animals you see there when you get home.
  • Take advantage of church outings for your kids. Youth programs at church will often plan special get-togethers and outings that you can have your kids go on for field trips.
  • Join a homeschool co-op or group. If you can find a local homeschool co-op often times they will put together free or cheap field trips to go on as a group in order to socialize and utilize available group discounts.
  • Local businesses, factories, and restaurants. Lots of businesses, factories, bakeries, and restaurants will offer free guided tours and workshops about how their business works and the products they serve. These could be great educational opportunities while also fun field trips for your kids.
  • Tours of city services. If you call ahead and plan it out, then places like the post office, fire department, police department, etc. often will allow you to tour their facilities and give your kids a bit of education on them in the meantime. You might even be able to set up interviews with your local mayor or other city representative too.
  • Go to historical buildings and churches. Make a list of some local historical buildings and call around to see if any of them offer tours or allow people to visit and look around. Be sure to mention that you’re homeschoolers because they might be more willing to set something up if it’s for educational purposes.

These are just a few ideas that you can try for free field trip ideas. Also be sure to keep your nose to the ground for special free days at local museums and zoos that would make good field trips.

Connect With Homeschool Co-Ops, Groups, and Programs

The last free homeschool idea I want to talk about is finding opportunities to connect with other homeschool families either through homeschool co-ops or other homeschool groups and programs. Doing this can open up more doors for learning and help you to find even more ideas on how to homeschool for free.

Find Homeschool Co-Ops and Groups

There are lots of great ways to connect with other homeschooling families either locally or online. And doing so can really help you to feel motivated, connected, find answers to questions you might have, and give you even more free homeschool ideas. There are other families who homeschool that have already walked in your shoes when it comes to just starting to homeschool, and they can offer valuable advice and encouragement.

With homeschooling becoming more prevalent you should be able to find one or more groups of homeschoolers that can help you on your journey. Here are just a few ideas for where to connect:

  • Find a local homeschool co-op
  • See if your church has a homeschool group to connect with (or put one together if they don’t)
  • Look out for homeschool curriculum exchanges near you
  • Search for Facebook Groups for homeschoolers
  • Get connected to other homeschoolers through blogs and those blogs’ social media pages
  • Join online homeschooling forums

Connecting with other homeschooling families will make this journey less daunting, more fun, and help you to find all the free and cheap resources available to you.

Now You Know How to Homeschool for Free

You’re now armed with a lot of great free homeschool resources. You have a better idea of how to homeschool for free. And that’s great! But I’d like to point out that even though it is completely possible to homeschool for free, especially when you’re just getting started, that doesn’t always means it’s the best option for everyone.

Homeschooling for free can sometimes take more work and be more stressful because you need to do a lot more research in order to find what you need. You might just end up paying for it with your time. In some cases you might end up sacrificing quality. And in other cases you might be trying to fit a curriculum or method into your (and your child’s) style when it just isn’t the right fit.

So even though you can certainly work hard to homeschool for free, also remain open to spending some money if needed on key supplies like a good printer and laminator, and perhaps a curriculum that you feel would be a better fit (if the free ones aren’t working for you and your child).

Free homeschooling is certainly possible. There are so many wonderful free homeschool resources out there that you can utilize whether you challenge yourself to do all of your homeschooling for free or are just trying to homeschool on a budget.

I hope these ideas have helped you learn how to homeschool for free. If you have any other ideas or free homeschool resource ideas please share them in the comments below. I’d love to know about them!