Who doesn’t like to get something for free? Especially when you’re homeschooling and probably trying to manage on a reduced income. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to homeschool for free. You just need to know where to look.
I don’t know your situation but I’m going to take a wild guess and say that you could do with all the financial help you can get.
If you are homeschooling and working full time you certainly don’t want to be ploughing every cent that you earn back into the homeschooling pot.
Not when there are plenty of cheaper homeschool alternatives.
Can You Homeschool For free?
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In a very short answer, yes.
In the ten years that I have been homeschooling, I have spent very little money on homeschooling. I prefer instead, (whenever possible), to homeschool for free.
That way I can still afford to buy wine at the weekend.
Just kidding. (Not really).
Homeschool Choices
One of the major benefits of homeschooling is that you have plenty of choices. You get to choose how when and for what cost you homeschool your kids.
It might be that you are a homeschool mom personality type who loves to spend her weekends picking up bargains at the thrift shop – in which case you will already know that you never have to pay full price in order to get something special.
It might be that you are yet to make the leap into home educating your kids and are reading everything you can on how to start homeschooling, and while doing your research you find yourself faced (again and again) with complicated homeschooling schedules and curriculums that look as though they cost the earth.
But don’t worry. This isn’t the case.
Two Things To Remember About Money And Homeschooling
1:Yes, you can pay money for the best online homeschool programmes out there, but ask any veteran homeschooling parent out there and they will tell you the same thing:
The lessons and experiences that you carve out for yourself on very little money (or even better, for free) are the homeschooling lessons that you and your children will remember as being the best.
Every time.
2: Money does NOT make you asuccessful homeschooling parent. Short and sweet but true.
There are many pros and cons of homeschooling and the fact that you can do it without spending as much as you would at school is a huge bonus.
So. With that in mind, let’s look at the ways you can homeschool for free!
1: Your Local Libary
Sometimes the most obvious things are right there under your noses and I’m betting that before you started homeschooling you didn’t give your local library much thought.
So get on down there!
Libraries have thousands of books, music, DVD’s that are all available to you to help you homeschool for free, so why not take advantage of it?!
2: Ask local businesses for a tour
Remember when your child went on a school trip and you used to pay the school a bunch of money for the experience? Well, you can do it very easily for yourself and it will cost you nothing!
It’s pretty easy to organise, phone or email a local business, for example, the local fire brigade/police station/animal shelter (wherever it is you want your children to go and visit) and ask if they would mind putting on a tour fro a small bunch of very engaged learners.
I am yet to come across a business who will say no or that would charge you.
It might be that you are wanting to know how to homeschool for three days a week and use the other day for a weekly field trip that will cost you nothing. Here is your answer.
Next, you could read:
How to homeschool for 3 days a week and STILL manage to stay ahead
3: Youtube
I wouldn’t have been able to homeschool had it not been for youtube. Especially not for math lessons. I’m rubbish at maths.
Use this comprehensive list of the best youtube channels for kids and take a look at the fabulous and free lessons that are available to our kids!
4: Homeschooling Groups
Your local homeschooling group will always have a buy/sell/giveaway/donate day.
It is on these days that many homeschoolers get rid of unused or partly used homeschool curriculum for free. (Or at the very least cheap).
Use a homeschooling group finder tool to find your local homeschooling group.
5: Pinterest
Pinterest is a fantastic place to find tons of valuable and free resources for homeschooling. You can easily make your own free curriculum by sifting through quality homeschooling boards and posts.
You can follow my homeschooling Pinterest board here!
6: Free (Virtual) Travel
For those parents (like me) who are juggling homeschooling and working at the same time, you will love this next free homeschool tip!
With the world as it is at the moment overseas travel remains impossible. But where there is a will there is a way.
If you are working and need an hour or so of quiet time then why not send your children on a virtual trip?
Who knows? They may even bring you back a pressie!
Use these fabulous free homeschool resources to take your children to the most exotic of places and have your kids write or describe the places that they visited in their next writing lesson!
- Sistine Chapel Virtual Tour
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
- National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC
- Virtual Tour of Great Wall of China
- Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam
- Musée d’Orsay in Paris
Gaming For Homeschool Kids
When I first started my homeschooling journey I would have looked aghast had someone suggested my kids playing video games as part of their learning.
But I stand corrected.
I have since learned (after being lectured many times by my teenage son) that one of the most beneficial ways for kids to learn anything is by engaging in video games.
Well whadda ya know?
I am in fact, so converted that I made an entire video gaming course for all other homeschooling parents out there that are yet to realise the benefits that gaming has on our children.
You can check out my Heads up on Gaming Course here.
7: Free Educational Games
Tate Kids If you have an artist on your books then send them to the Tate and get them creating!
Vocabulary spelling city. This program is a K-12 supplemental literacy tool designed to help children at every learning level learn spelling and hone grammar skills.
Prodigy Math Build new math skills with our curriculum-aligned game, loved by over 90 million 1st to 8th-grade students – and their teachers – worldwide.
Buzz Math – Middle school math game
The Time Tribe – Created by a parent, educator and anthropologist, this educational game brings fun historical facts, archaeology, and world cultures together.
National Geographic – Educational quizzes and action-adventure geography games to play
8: Free Homeschool Curriculums
Last but not least, some free homeschool curriculums.
As I said earlier, one of the pros when weighing up homeschooling vs public schooling is that YOU get to choose.
Regardless of your local state homeschool requirements surrounding the number of mandatory hours that you must teach, the curriculum remains your choice.
Below is a list of brilliant free homeschool curriculums.
☑️ Easy Peasy All in One Homeschool free resources that cover reading, writing, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, math, history/social studies/geography, science, Spanish, Bible, computer, music, art, PE/health, and logic.
☑️ Khan Academy free homeschool resource to be used as a homeschool supplement or as a complete course.
☑️ Teachers pay Teachers has lots of free printables.
☑️ Match fish tank. Free, secular and it follows most state standards in case you plan on re-enrolling.
☑️ Under the Home is fa ree K-5 Charlotte Mason-inspired homeschool curriculum.
☑️ AmblesideOnline is a free homeschool curriculum that uses Charlotte Mason’s classically-based principles.
☑️ The Good and the Beautiful offers their language arts program for free, grades 1-6
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Next, You Could Read…
10 pros and cons of homeschooling. Becasue let’s face it. It isn’t all a bed of roses.
Homeschooling with wine and sometimes the F word…
10 Things every homeschooling wife needs from her husband (excluding wine)
To Sum Up How to Homeschool For Free
I hope you enjoyed this post on how to homeschool for free post! If there is anything that you would like advice on then please don’t hesitate to sing out – and don’t forget!
