Anyone else have a mini meltdown when thinking about homeschooling? It can be SO OVERWHELMING! When it was time to start homeschooling my daughter, I had so many concerns:

"How much was this going to cost me?"

"Where do I even find what I need to homeschool?"

"Is there a guide on what to buy and what not to buy?"

Luckily, I was able to reach out to YouTube, some of my homeschool mom friends, and blogs and I got a good groove down. 

I didn't even have to spend a small fortune. Thank goodness! I want to share with you some of my Homeschool Must Haves! 

My Homeschool Must Haves

1. Curriculum

This is an obvious must have but, there are so many affordable, low-prep, options out there! We really enjoy The Good and the Beautiful! They are low-prep and very affordable! They even offer some free, printable curriculum! We love how family and nature centered the curriculum is. We also love how beautifully written it is! All the hands on activities are a great bonus too! 

 

2. Reward Chart and Daily Routine List

Having a good morning routine is essential for our homeschool day. I love to be able to get up and get some chores done while the kids are taking care of their morning routine. We use the Daily Routine Checklist to make sure our kids know exactly what they need to get done without having to ask me a million questions! 

I actually use 2 of the Daily Reward Charts in our home. I use one for rewards for chores and such around the house. I also use one in our school day to track good attitudes, habits, and good work! 

 

3. Small Dry Erase Board

I love keeping a small dry erase board and markers in my school cart. We school everywhere. Outside, inside, in the kitchen, in the car, at the part, pretty much anywhere. It is so handy to have a small board where we can just load it up and take it with us. I just buy these at the Dollar Tree so if we lose one, its no big deal. 

 

4. A board game

A board game? Really? YES!!! I have found that a board game really helps break up some of the more boring and monotonous work. I will tell my daughter to work three math problems or write two sentences, and then she gets to take a turn on the game. It may take longer, but it gets rid of some of the whining and complaining! 

5. Small Manipulative Blocks

These are some very inexpensive blocks that we use mainly for math but also for spelling sometimes. I also am able to pull these out for my 4 year old to help learn patterns, colors, counting and so much more! 

 

I hope this gives you some ideas and some hope for your homeschooling journey! 

 

Watch how I use these things here: