Favorite Homeschool Resources from Experienced Homeschool Moms

I asked a handful of experienced, respected homeschooling mamas to share with me their favorite homeschool resources. This extensive list is FULL of gorgeous books, subscriptions worthy of investment, fun games, and so much more to help you spread the feast of learning in your home!

The links below may be affiliate links, meaning I earn a small compensation at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure policy here.

One of the positive things to come from months of staying home during this season of pandemic, is the daily video chatting a group of friends have been able to do through the app, Marco Polo. It has literally been a lifeline for each of us on hard days, and just generally a good source of fun on easy days.

I share this with you now, because this mega-list of awesome homeschooling resources is entirely thanks to a question prompted by one of my friends in the group. We were each asked to share what brings us joy in our homeschool, and SHARE everyone did! We probably maxed out the number of allowed video messages that day with our favorite homeschool resources.

Ask a homeschooling mama to talk about books and such and TALK SHE WILL!

This list is unique because it’s not like lists I’ve put together before (favorite audiobooks, favorite fast family games, favorite morning time resources, etc). These are not just what we have loved. There are SO MANY AMAZING IDEAS HERE! (CAN YOU TELL HOW EXCITED I AM ABOUT THIS??!!)

I will personally be shopping from this list for a long time to come, and I hope that you find it exciting and helpful too!

Favorite Homeschool Resources from Experienced Homeschool Moms

Below you will find a very extensive list of resources that have been tested and approved. Not only that, but remember, this list was inspired by the question: “what is something that BRINGS YOU JOY in your homeschool?” We all know that there is a big difference between just an ordinary book, and one that is so full of beautiful illustrations and well-written text that we all want to return to it again and again.

Because this is such a long list, covering so many different topics, you won’t find pictures of thorough descriptions of every item. But, you can click on any link and find more information to learn more about each resource.

Keep reading to see favorite homeschool resources for…

Subscriptions
Memberships & Programs
Bible
Books (including picture books, nature books, books on U.S. & world geography, poetry, etc)
Art & Music
Manipulatives & Hands-On Learning Toys
Math
Game-Schooling
Curriculum
A few general, helpful tips
Food for Mom’s Mind & Soul

Of course, there’s no way we could or should try to acquire every item on this list! But, this is a great place to “shop” from when you’re looking for gift ideas, new ways to bring fun and inspiration to your homeschool, or looking for a specific resource on a subject topic. Don’t forget to save this list for future reference, and if you enjoy it, consider sharing these ideas with homeschooling friends.

Favorite Homeschool Resources ::

Subscriptions

Yesteryear Gazette (subscription) (read and discuss as a family)
Letters from Afar
Francis the Goat & Friends (elementary level, comes with a sticker)
The Charm Post (fairy tale mail from around the world)
Honest History (more expensive, but high-quality, quarterly subscription)
Mighty Kind (“a magazine to inspire a global community of kids who care”)
Wildflower Girls Magazine (“a creative magazine for girls”)

Memberships & Programs

Read-Aloud Revival (book clubs, author access, kids workshops, community forums, online resources, and more)
Wild Explorers Club (“an adventure club for kids”: magazines, earn badges,
Junior Ranger (with the National Parks Service– learn, get badges, interactive & printable online activities, and more)

Bible

Crew & Co. Easter Story Cards (correspond with Jesus Storybook Bible), Matching Cards (beautiful illustrations on one side, 20 essential verses from Romans on the other), Giving Thanks cards (30 days of giving thanks, counting practice)
Tiny Theologians Flashcards: “ABCs of God’s Names, ABC’s of God’s Attributes, ABC’s of Theology, etc)
Tiny Theologians Scripture Memory Cards
Christ At the Center flashcards (36 cards summarizing the books of the Bible and each points to Christ)
Kids Reads Truth Names of God Matching Cards, ABC Bible Flashcards (pictured above)
Jesus Storybook Bible
The Biggest Story picture book & The Biggest Story ABC board book (pictured above)

Books

STORY PICTURE BOOKS ::

Big Books (Big Book of Bugs, of Birds, of Blue, of Blooms, of Beasts) (pictured above)
Big Sticker Books (Big Sticker Book of Bugs, of Birds, of Blue, of Blooms, of Beasts)
The Street Beneath My Feet (foldout pages that give you a fun peek at what is below the surface we stand on!)
The Skies Above My Eyes (the follow-up to the Street Beneath My Feet)
Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons (sweet picture book that explains character words in ways kids can easily understand)
One Smart Cookie: Bite-Size Lessons for School Years and Beyond (a follow-up for older children with “bigger” words)
Quick As A Cricket , Audrey Wood (such a fun book to read together and act out!)

NATURE ::

ZOO Ology
Animal Encyclopedia Activity Journals (Marine Animals, Land Mammals, Jurassic Animals)
Nature Anatomy, Farm Anatomy, Food Anatomy, Ocean Anatomy (Love this collection! Short descriptions and beautiful illustrations)
The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing & Journaling
Fun with Nature & More Fun with Nature (kid-friendly description, illustrations, and activities for birds, plants, reptiles, and much more)
Crinkleroot’s Guide to Walking in Wild Places, Jim Arnosky (wonderful picture book about taking nature walks) (plus much more in the Crinkleroot collection)
Outdoor Secrets
This beautiful nature series by Dianna Aston (A Rock Is Lively, A Seed Is Sleepy, A Nest Is Noisy, An Egg is Quiet, A Butterfly is Patient)
Bees, A Honeyed History (One part science, one part cultural history, and countless parts fascination)
Trees, A Rooted History (Part botany, part history, part cultural anthropology)
The Wondrous Working of Planet Earth: Understanding Our World and Its Ecosystems (brilliant and beautiful illustrations of the world’s ecosystems and animals)

U.S. GEOGRAPHY ::

The 50 States (explore the country through a collection of infographic maps)
National Parks of the U.S.A. (maps and facts about 21 national parks)
My America: Poetry Atlas of the U.S.A

AROUND THE WORLD ::

MAPS (amazing collection of beautifully illustrated maps from around the world that feature natural, cultural, and historical elements)
This Is How We Do It (day in the life of children from around the world)
Material World: A Global Family Portrait (photos of families and everything they have in their homes from around the world)
People

POETRY ::

Favorite Poems, Old & New
Sing a Song of the Seasons (a nature poem for every day of the year)
The Lost Words (words from the natural world that were removed from the dictionary, replaced with indoor/tech words. The authors are trying to create a grassroots movement to bring these words back)
My Wonderful Nursery Rhyme Collection (also the My Fabulous Fairy Tale Collection)

Art & Music

Watercolor with Me (In the Forest, In the Ocean, In the Jungle) (pictured above)
The Usborne Book of Famous Paintings
The Usborne Book of Famous Composers
Book of Beasts Color & Discover (“A compendium of monsters, critters, and mythical creatures to color.”)
13 Artists Every Child Should Know (an excellent introduction to some of the world’s greatest artists)
Van Gogh and Friends Art Game (illustrated book that discusses Post-Impressionism and artists, along with a 36 card deck with which to play Go Fish or Concentration)

Manipulatives/ Hands-On Learning Toys

These toys and manipulatives are great for keeping hands busy during school, read-alouds, quiet times, etc.

Math

Musical Multiplication (from The Good & The Beautiful)
Life of Fred (story math)
Bedtime Math Book 1, Book 2, Book 3

Game Schooling

UNO
Spot It (Numbers and Shapes, ABC’s, First Words, Frozen, Animals, Camping,
Super Tooth
Cobra Paw (similar to dominoes)
Zingo
Alphabet Go Fish & Alphabet Bingo (by Peaceable Kingdom)
Left Center Right
Story Cubes (Expansions: Prehistoria, Clues Action, Sports)
Qwixx (dice game)
Chips
Sleeping Queens
Bananagrams
Ticket to Ride: First Journey
Carmen Sandiego USA Junior Edition
Hisss
Dutch Blitz
Flag Frenzy
Suspend (Melissa & Doug)
Super Genius: Addition, Multiplication, Reading
Boggle Jr.
Race Across the USA (pictured above)
Qwirkle
Rack-O

Curriculum

Ideas

Buy a book from every place you visit (in-person) so you can revisit (through books)
Use menu covers for memorization work, morning time pages, etc
Keep what you want to get used accessible and visible

For Mamas :: Food for Your Brain & Soul

Eden & Vine (“cultivating beauty and truth”)
Commonplace Quarterly (“magazine for the Charlotte Mason educator”)
Wild & Free Magazine (tons of inspiration, ideas, recipes, and access to online resources)
For the Children’s Sake (a brief but inspiring overview of many of the principles of a Charlotte Mason education)
Last Child In the Woods (classic book about the importance of children spending time in nature; not homeschooling related)
The Call of the Wild & Free: Reclaiming Wonder in Your Child’s Education (practical ideas, inspiration, and encouragement to find freedom in creating a homeschool that best suits your family)