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Let’s be honest, homeschooling can be expensive. You have to buy books, curriculum, museum tickets, and even sometimes pay for portfolio reviews. Any free homeschool resources you can find, you’ll take.
And that’s why I’m here. I’ve rounded up the best free homeschool resources from apps and whatever the internet has to offer. Plus, I’ve categorized, labelled, and packaged them up for you.
Yes, all of the following resources are totally free. 100% zero money. No dollars, pesos, or bitcoins, either.
Of course, as much fun as it is to score free resources, you can spend HOURS hunting stuff down. If you’re ready to find all the curriculums, all in one place, be sure to check out the Secular Homeschool Curriculum Guide. We’ve got it all broken down by grade and subject, complete with reviews. But for now, onto the freebies!

Free Homeschool Resources Near You
Go to the library.
Like, get on a first-name basis with the children’s room librarian. (Ours is Miss Nicole.) If you can’t find a book or resource you want, librarians can hunt them down like nobody’s business. Most libraries are also connected to some kind of ‘interlibrary loan’ system, so you can borrow books from other libraries, too. Finally, libraries nowadays are connected to online ebook & audiobook resources like Libby, OverDrive and CloudLibrary, but you need to be a member to get access.
Book clubs
This might be something you first see advertised on the library’s bulletin board on your next visit. In fact, it might be hosted at the library. But there are lots of kids book clubs running all over the country. Some are connected to external organizations like 4H or a co-op, but still might be open to the public. Keep an eye out!
Local Nature Preserves
If you have any designated natural spaces nearby, like preserves, state or national parks, or sanctuaries, look for learning opportunities. Not only are they great spots to visit on your own for class time (hello, nature walk), but the group of people who run them often want to teach. You might find guided outings for bird watching, clean-ups, foraging, or animal tracking. Most of these locations also have brochures at visitor centers or trailheads, and have websites with information, too.
Home Depot Activities for Kids
Did you know your local Home Depot sponsors free kids DIY and STEAM project times? Check out their website and find your nearby store for a list of event times & activities. They also have a section with online guides & resources to projects.
Multi-subject resources
PBS Kids They’ve got videos, educational games, and now even a podcast for kids. And obviously, they’re all featuring your child’s favorite PBS kids show characters.
Khan Academy I don’t have to explain this one, do I? If you’ve been searching for free homeschool resources for longer than ten seconds, someone’s recommended this one to you. But it’s for a good reason; Khan Academy was my go-to resource as a classroom teacher because it goes at the kid’s pace and is so comprehensive. You might need to supervise your kid more with Khan than with, say, a youtube video though. Only because they might still get questions.
Education.com Printables, printables as far as the eye can see! They’ve got worksheets for every subject and grades preK-7.

Free Science Resources for Homeschoolers:
National Geographic for Kids (Youtube Channel) Animal videos, weird but true facts, and days in the life of real live scientists exploring our world today. What’s not to love?
SciShow Kids (Youtube Channel) This channel offers follow-along science experiments, explainer videos, and spotlights on important scientists.
SciShow (Youtube Channel) These guys upload a new episode EVERY DAY. Saturdays are question and answer formed, based on questions they get throughout the week. They also have a lengthy list of sources in the shownotes of every episode if you want to get more information
National Science Foundation– The NSF educator resource page has in-depth videos and associated worksheets for multiple grades and multiple subsections of science.
Free Language Arts Resources for Homeschoolers
Author Studies What little kid doesn’t like new books? This free, downloadable packet of printables is a great way to start doing author studies. You can also find more free, complete curriculum by searching “author study” and seeing nearly a dozen complete lesson plans on authors from Roald Dahl to Jan Brett.
Epic There’s two versions of this free homeschool resource: Epic Unlimited, which gives you access to 40,000 premium titles, audiobooks and more, and the basic version Epic Free. Epic free still has plenty of great books for kids!
Virtual Book Club for Kids Ok, this site is wicked cool. Not only do they have a dozen lists of good books for kids (esp the younger crowd), but they provide entire weekly lesson plans & activities to go along with each book of the week.
New York Public Library Tons of virtual events for kids, including read-alongs and poetry time.
Teach Your Monster to Read Would you like your child to start reading in a British accent? Because that just might happen if they use TYMTR for any length of time. (Note: only the computer version is free.)
ReadWorks This site comes with loads of reading passages & associated questions for grades k-12, plus English Language Learner content.
Free History/Social Studies Resources
Smithsonian Institution They’ve got games, virtual zoo & museum tours, and activities to help history come to life. They also have a selection of science and art resources here, too.
Crash Course Kids This is the youtube spin-off channel for the teen-focused Crash Course channel.
iCivics I used this website CONSTANTLY as a teacher. They’ve got tons of games and simulations that help kids understand how our government works and why we should care to participate in democracy.
Discovery Education Who wants virtual field trips? (You, duh.) Discover has plenty of science-based field trips, but one of their most recent was a behind-the-scenes look at President Biden’s Innaguration.
Classroom Law Project The Classroom Law Project is devoted to helping the youth of today to “become active, engaged, and informed participants in democratic society.” So they offer classroom resources, virtual courthouse tours, and even the blueprints to building your own Mock Trial team!
Related:
Free Math Resources

CoolMath and CoolMath4Kids Seriously? This thing is still around? Yup. The actual interface is kind of dated (esp on the original), but they’ve got plenty of math games for kids of all ages. CoolMath starts at pre-algebra levels, so if your kid is younger than 6th grade or so, head over to the 4Kids version!
STMath This one will definitely be free through June 2022, and after that they’ll still offer plenty of free printables, lessons, worksheets, & more.
Prodigy Prodigy has a series of games for your children to play, a parent dashboard where you can view how well your child is learning, and seriously cute illustrations. They’ll try to upsell you on the Premium Membership experience, but even they admit on their site the free version is still awesome & fully functional.This one can honestly be used as a complete curriculum.
Zearn This site is listed as being for teachers & students only, but there is an option during the sign-up process to select “homeschool.” That will get you access to all their math professional development (so YOU understand whatever the heck you’re trying to teach your kid!), lesson plans, games, and more.
Free homeschool resources (for parents)
The Homeschool Resource Room Advice Channel
Free Homeschool Planners to Create Your Custom Binder!
And finally, the Homeschool Resource Room newsletter! Subscribe for monthly emails where we share freebie resources specific to that time of year.
Don’t forget, if you want to cut out the thirty hours of pinterest scrolling you’re labelling “homeschool planning,” be sure to save yourself the hassle and get the Homeschool Curriculum Guide, now updated for 2021.
For more reading on this subject:
- FREE Typing Games for Kids: KidzType Review!
Hillary Swetz
Hillary is a former teacher who went rogue and became a freelance writer. When not offering support and advice to homeschooling families, she tends to her own garden, family, and cat. You can connect with her on her website, homegrownhillary.com.
FAQs
What is the best website for homeschool? ›
- Best Overall: K12.com.
- Best Budget: ABCmouse.com.
- Best for Structure: Time4Learning.
- Best for Community: Connections Academy.
- Best Free: Khan Academy.
- Best for College Prep: edX.
- Best for Math and Science: CK-12 Foundation.
- Alpha Omega Publications Complete Homeschool Curriculum. ...
- Calvert Homeschool Curriculum Review. ...
- Time4Learning Homeschool Curriculum Review. ...
- The Good and The Beautiful Complete Homeschool Curriculum. ...
- Easy Peasy All-in-One Complete Homeschool Curriculum. ...
- BJU Press Homeschool Curriculum.
Oxford Home Schooling offers a very wide choice of GCSEs (and IGCSEs). With eighteen different GCSE and IGCSE courses available, there's bound to be a subject to meet your child's needs. Students don't need any prior skills or knowledge to start a GCSE.
What is the easiest way to homeschool? ›- Create a designated learning space. ...
- Follow a daily schedule. ...
- Map out the school year ahead of time. ...
- Set learning goals together. ...
- Take learning beyond the classroom. ...
- Make learning a family activity. ...
- Collaborate with other homeschoolers. ...
- Ease into school.
Perhaps the most common problem with homeschooling is the lack of motivation to do their work. Sometimes homeschoolers find it difficult to motivate themselves at home, especially if they have too much busywork in their curriculum or the curriculum doesn't suit them for other reasons.
Do homeschoolers do better in life? ›The clear majority of peer-reviewed studies show that homeschoolers often have better parent-child relationships and friendships than conventionally schooled children. Homeschoolers are happy, satisfied, and civically engaged.
What US state has the most homeschoolers? ›States with the most homeschoolers are North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia. North Carolina has the highest homeschooling rate of 10.6% out of all students, followed by Virginia with 4.8%, Florida and Georgia with 4.6%.
Is Easy peasy homeschool enough? ›After reading through many Easy Peasy homeschool reviews on this program, I've concluded that it is enough. Parents don't have to supplement it with other material. One of the mothers in the reviews forum said, 'It has everything you could need. '
Can Khan Academy be used as a full curriculum? ›Yes, Khan Academy can be used as a complete curriculum. It can also be used as a supplement to learn just certain math topics.
Can you homeschool yourself? ›Yes, but only in the sense that: Your child may lead their own learning like with unschooling. Your child may attend outside the home classes where others are “teaching” and parents may not be present in that class. Childcare may play a portion of part of your homeschool day.
Do homeschool get exams? ›
Students studying in home schools in India can appear for the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) exams as a private candidate or opt for the Class 10 or Class 12 exams conducted by the National Institute of Open Learning (NIOS) which is conducted at centres across the country and gives the ...
What are disadvantages of homeschooling? ›The disadvantages of homeschooling include: Lack of social interaction and increased sense of isolation. Absence of curriculum structure. Decreased focus on learning and concentration, reduced outcomes.
Can you homeschool a 12 year old? ›Typically, at this age students follow a 7th grade curriculum, but the beauty of homeschooling is that you can personalize your child's curriculum to meet their specific needs no matter their age.
How do homeschoolers get free books? ›Try the local library. Your local library may have some textbooks in their collection. Libraries can also locate specific volumes via interlibrary loan. Some common programs include Hooked on Phonics and math programs.
Can you claim money for homeschooling? ›“Do you get paid for homeschooling your child?” There is no payment fund or facility for parents who choose to home educate their child. Home education is a choice made by parents (or legal guardians) and is self-funded.
What every mom needs to homeschool? ›- An awesome planner to organize your homeschool and your life. Having a planner is essential as a homeschool mom! ...
- Erasable pens. So, I'll be honest. ...
- A Laminator. ...
- A good printer. ...
- Good pencils. ...
- A good pencil sharpener. ...
- Encouraging books. ...
- Binding machine.
Fast facts on homeschooling
Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont have the most restrictive home school laws. Alaska, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Texas have the least amount of regulations regarding homeschooling.
- Don't try to keep public school hours. ...
- Learning comes in many forms. ...
- You can teach with Netflix. ...
- Realize children do not remember worksheets. ...
- Take breaks. ...
- Reading is the best learning tool you can use. ...
- Don't pressure yourself. ...
- Extend grace -- a lot of it.
Unschooling is a style of home education that allows the student's interests and curiosities to drive the path of learning. Rather than using a defined curriculum, unschoolers trust children to gain knowledge organically.
What do psychologists say about homeschooling? ›87% of peer-reviewed studies on social, emotional, and psychological development show homeschool students perform statistically significantly better than those in conventional schools (Ray, 2017).
Are home schooled kids happier? ›
Another study in 2020 proved that homeschooled students did better in social and emotional development than students from conventional schools.
What percentage of homeschoolers are successful? ›Peer-reviewed studies indicate that 69% of homeschooled students succeed in college and adulthood.
Do homeschoolers feel lonely? ›Homeschoolers aren't necessarily more prone to loneliness than other people, but our loneliness can be profound. For one thing, we're parents, a condition that increases risk for loneliness across the board. (In one study, British mothers said their first year of parenthood was the loneliest year of their lives.)
Do colleges like homeschoolers? ›Fortunately, college admissions is handled very similarly for homeschoolers as it is for traditionally schooled students. In fact, many admissions offices actively seek out homeschoolers. Admissions officers evaluate each student within the context of his/her own background and the opportunities they've had.
Does Harvard accept homeschoolers? ›What if I am homeschooled? Each applicant to Harvard College is considered with great care and homeschooled applicants are treated the same as all other applicants. There is no special process, but all relevant information about your educational and personal background is welcome.
What age do most homeschoolers graduate? ›While it is sometimes even younger, a fair number of homeschoolers graduate at 16; more commonly, they are on track to graduate at 18 like their schooled peers. At the same time, many homeschoolers take an extra year for high school, finishing at 19, again, like many peers in school.
What President homeschooled? ›Woodrow Wilson – 28th President of the United States, home schooled by his father. Franklin D. Roosevelt – 32nd President of the United States, home schooled by parents and private tutors.
What country is homeschooling most popular in? ›The countries that have the highest amount of kids and teenagers being homeschooled include Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The United States has the highest number of homeschooled kids worldwide.
How many hours should I homeschool per day? ›How many hours a day do you have to homeschool? Most home school parents find that they can effectively homeschool their children in around 2-3 hours each day for 3-5 days each week.
How do I homeschool 1 hour a day? ›A one hour homeschooling schedule would involve one hour of formal instruction, and then lots more time spent on field trips, fun projects, games, reading, chores, and any other activities you or your child get interested in. One hour homeschooling, and the rest of the time spent on natural learning opportunities.
How can I finish my homeschool faster? ›
- Use Audiobooks. ...
- Double a Subject Each Day. ...
- Throw a Big Subject Party. ...
- Plan to Skip School Breaks. ...
- Skip Lessons. ...
- Read on Weekends. ...
- Assign Homework for Evenings.
We have compiled a list of solutions that reviewers voted as the best overall alternatives and competitors to Khan Academy, including Pluralsight Skills, LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, and Codecademy.
Is everything at Khan Academy free? ›Created by experts, Khan Academy's library of trusted, standards-aligned practice and lessons covers math K-12 through early college, grammar, science, history, AP®, SAT®, and more. It's all free for learners and teachers.
Is there an age limit on Khan Academy? ›Students age 13 and up can create their own Khan Academy accounts. If a student is under 13, however, we take extra precautions by preventing them from creating accounts on their own. We want to support you, as parents, in being involved in and aware of your child's online experience.
What age is best to homeschool? ›Elementary school (ages 5-11)
Your kids are more and more aware (and able to articulate) new thoughts, concepts, insights and experiences all around them. They may also assert more of their independence to you and your ways of thinking.
It's often thought that homeschool students find it harder to get into university, but with homeschooling rapidly rising in popularity, this is no longer the case.
Why do people homeschool? ›Some families choose to homeschool because their local public education system is lacking in areas they feel are important. Some families are unable to afford a private school setting. Religious beliefs and parents' desires to develop certain character qualities in their children also make the list.
Do homeschool skip grades? ›Homeschooling is flexible
There may be some exceptions because of particular states' laws or because you are choosing to homeschool through a charter school. Regular old homeschoolers typically don't need to consider their kids repeating and skipping grades, especially before high school.
A NSW Board of Studies' analysis found the average NAPLAN scores of students who were educated at home were about 70 marks higher than the NSW average, particularly in reading, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy.
Is homeschool easier than public school? ›Homeschoolers excel academically. According to the Homeschool Legal Defense Association and the National Home Education Research Institute, homeschoolers have higher GPAs and test scores than public school students. This increase can be as much as 15-30% higher!
Is homeschooling good for anxiety? ›
The truth is, homeschooling can provide a uniquely supportive environment, where anxious kids can be encouraged to try new things, and where their emotional and mental health can take priority over academics when that's helpful.
Do homeschooled students lack social skills? ›Most of this research finds that being homeschooled does not harm children's development of social skills, as measured in these studies. In fact, some research finds that homeschooled children score more highly than children who attend school on measurements of socialization.
Is homeschool healthy? ›Homeschooling is also believed to help minimize depression that many students experience due to traditional schooling. Bullying, challenging coursework, and awkward social interactions are primary factors in the depressive tendencies of students who attend brick-and-mortar schools.
Can I legally take my child out of school? ›No. It is not parents` right to take their children out of school for a holiday. By law, the power for leave to be granted for an annual holiday is discretionary.
Can you homeschool a 17 year old? ›Homeschooling high school doesn't have to break the bank. Many of the books and resources needed to homeschool a 17 year old are available for free or at minimal cost online, at your local library, via used bookstores, or by trading off with other homeschool families.
Can a child attend school part-time? ›As long as your child starts school by April in their Reception year then they are allowed to attend part-time, either for all of the year or for part of it. If you would like to do this: Apply for a school place during the winter before your child's 4th birthday.
Is online homeschooling a good idea? ›Online Homeschooling is a major time saver.
With online homeschooling, you and your child can take full advantage of flexible scheduling, automatic grading, and self-guided lessons. This is ideal for students who happen to be a night owl, or prefer to keep unconventional hours.
- PBS Kids. ...
- Sesame Street. ...
- Starfall. ...
- CoolMath. ...
- Make Me Genius. ...
- TIME for Kids. ...
- National Geographic Kids. ...
- The KIDZ Page.
Time4Learning is intended to be used as a homeschool curriculum, afterschool alternative to tutoring, and/or for summer learning to make up for learning losses. If you are looking for an online curriculum for classroom use, please contact Edgenuity for information.
Is Time4Learning a real homeschool? ›Time4Learning is a standards-based grade-appropriate curriculum with thousands of interactive lessons in math, language arts, social studies, and science. With automated grading, reporting and activity planning tools, homeschooling has never been easier.
Are homeschooled students happier? ›
Homeschoolers are happier than most kids for 10 reasons you might not have thought of. Homeschooling can provide a mentally, physically, and socially helpful environment for a happier child.
What websites Should kids avoid? ›- Twitter. Twitter is a social media popular among all over the world. ...
- YikYak. YikYak is an anonymous social media platform popular among young teenagers. ...
- Kik. ...
- Omegle. ...
- Chatroulette. ...
- 4Chan. ...
- Ask.FM. ...
- Tinder.
KidLit is a free online class is designed to help children develop their reading and writing skills. KidLit offers a variety of activities such as reading stories, writing stories, and playing games that help kids learn in a fun way.
Which is better ABCmouse or Time4Learning? ›The primary difference between the two offerings is the grade levels they target. Time4Learning's standards-based homeschool curriculum is available in pre-kindergarten through high school, while ABCmouse® is focused on interactive learning opportunities for preschool through 2nd grade.
What type of homeschooling is best? ›The Classical Method. The Classical method is one of the most popular homeschooling styles. It borrows the wisdom of time-tested educational practices dating from as far back as Ancient Greece and Rome.
Can you try Time4Learning for free? ›We receive a lot of questions about whether or not Time4Learning offers a free trial. Although we don't offer a free trial of our homeschool curriculum, we do provide a 14-day money back guarantee.