Our 12 Homeschool Must-Haves (+ Free Printables!)

From one homeschool mom to another… you don't need all the things, but you do need a few core tools to prepare for a smooth, joyful school year!

As a homeschooling mom of four going on our eighth year, I'm sharing my no-nonsense, real-life list of things you actually need and will use again and again — from the books and curriculum that anchor our days, to the simple systems that keep me sane, to the free printables that make it all easier. (Yes, that includes our free Bible-based homeschool curriculum — because if you're building your must-have list, that one's non-negotiable for us!)

Grab a cup of coffee and let's walk through all 12, one by one.

1. Great Books!

Real, good books — not dry textbooks. The kind of books you genuinely enjoy reading together and that will naturally turn your children into avid readers!

📚 Looking for specific titles? Check out our top book recommendations here.

2. Core Biblical Curriculum

Consider me a little biased on this one! When I couldn't find exactly what I wanted for our family, I felt the Lord calling me to create it. When you're homeschooling multiple children and looking to hit all the essential bases, you need a curriculum that just works.

That It May Go Well is our free-to-download, Christian homeschool curriculum. We use it as our core foundation for almost everything!

3. Math That Doesn't Drive You Crazy

Yeah… math. Sending giant hugs to all you math mamas out there! I am not one of you. If I were, our core curriculum might have included math — but alas, God did not create me with a natural love for numbers.

Math-U-See has been our long-term go-to. It works exceptionally well for us, and its 30-lesson format pairs perfectly with the 30-week structure of our core curriculum. We strayed for one year to try something else and immediately came right back. It's worth the time and energy it takes on my part to ensure our kids get the solid foundation they need.

4. Helpful Resource Books (Like an Atlas!)

If you value a Biblical worldview, a Christian atlas is a worthwhile investment for every homeschool home. We love having both a great world atlas and a US atlas on hand for quick geography lookups during our morning read-alouds.

5. A Plan for Your Days & Your Heart

This might seem like a no-brainer, but creating a realistic plan for how you're going to run your homeschool days is worth a few hours of your time.

I don't just mean the academic schedule. I mean planning for the reality that you are simultaneously mom, wife, teacher, cook, chauffeur, and manager of your home! A little bit of intentional planning on the front end is worth avoiding that future "I quit, I'm throwing in the towel" meltdown.

Start by seeking the Lord and pondering His specific calling for your family:

• What really matters most?

• What is essential, and what is secondary?

• If a crazy day happens, what is okay to let slip?

“Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.” — Proverbs 19:14

From one wife to another: your marriage cannot take a backseat to homeschooling. Let the floor be dirtier than you want, disperse the chore burden with your kids, but don't sacrifice your personal relationship with Jesus or your husband for the sake of checking off school boxes.

📄 Download our Free Weekly Planner and our homeschool-specific Parent Plan Book here!

6. Basic Supplies

Keep it basic — you truly don't need to buy out the store!

• Pencils

• A high-quality electric pencil sharpener (Hint: If you plan to homeschool for more than a year, invest in a good one! My husband bought us a heavy-duty sharpener years ago and it has been worth every single penny.)

• Notebook paper & colored pencils

• Scissors, glue, and a ruler or tape measure

• Basic art supplies

7. A Simple Way to Organize Said Supplies

Decide ahead of time where those supplies will live. For us, the answer has almost always been simple, functional furniture right in the main living space of our home.

🏠 See our simple homeschool space setup here.

8. A Few Fun Hands-On Options

A few hands-on learning options are fantastic additions if your budget allows. Keep in mind that homeschooling doesn't have to cost a fortune — read our guide on homeschooling on a budget here.

However, a couple of fun extras are just plain fun! A globe, a simple letter/number chart, or hands-on tools bring lessons to life.

Two of my favorite low-cost ways to make hands-on learning happen:

1. Felt: Cut felt into shapes, letters, or story characters for endless low-cost activity sets.

2. A Laminator: Laminating printables makes them reusable for multiple kids or dry-erase practice.

9. Input From Your Kids

If your kids are old enough to talk, they're old enough to weigh in on what they want to learn!

While we expose them to core topics that might not be on their radar yet, allowing their strongest interests to drive extra unit studies creates incredible momentum. When our oldest son showed a sudden, deep interest in learning about coffee, we ran with it! You might be surprised by what sparks their curiosity.

10. Incentives & Blessing Charts

This single tweak transformed our school year. We implemented a basic star chart system with simple rewards, and it was wildly effective for both our 3rd and 6th graders.

🌟 If you use our Rainbow curriculum line, you'll find these charts right at the end of every book. Otherwise, find the carts below the video!

Video How To for Blessing Charts + Homeschool Burnout (It's real!)

Download these photos to use our blessing charts with your kids!

11. A Plan for Feeding People & Managing the House

No judgment if your homeschool lunch plan includes frozen burritos, bagged salads, or frozen pizza! But if your goals lean a bit more home-cooked, setting up a simple meal rotation makes a world of difference.

When crazy days throw off the schedule, leftovers or a simple meal system keep everyone fed without stopping school mid-day.

🍲Our Free Weekly Homeschool Meal Rotation for Breakfast & Lunch!

12. A Realistic Strategy for Younger Siblings

If you have toddlers or preschoolers, this may be the most important item on the list! How you handle younger siblings depends entirely on their stage:

• Ages 0–1 (Babies): Babywearing and naps sum up the strategy. One lovely benefit of audiobooks or oral reading is that you can nurse and listen at the same time.

• Ages 1–2 (Toddlers): Containment, snacks, and low-key sensory activities. We love booster seats with trays that strap right to a dining chair so toddlers have a seat at the table with the big kids. Break out special activities — like stickers, painters tape, playdough, kinetic sand, or "school-only" toys — strictly when you need focused teaching time with older siblings.

• Ages 3–4 (Preschoolers): Simple, gentle preschool! Having their own "special school book" makes little ones feel included. Our preschool videos were born out of my need for extra help while managing multiple kids and navigating a long toddler phase with our daughter who has Down syndrome. The video practice gave her wonderful repetition while giving me hands-free minutes to work with our older boys.

  

💛 Read more about our journey homeschooling a child with special needs here.

BONUS: Seasonal & Holiday Favorites

Who doesn't love a little seasonal fun to break up the routine?

• Thanksgiving Unit Study: Check out our Mini Thanksgiving Bible Study for Moms & Kids. It's filled with meaningful connections and activities — and makes a perfect 5th-week unit study if you're using our core curriculum!

• Biblical Feast Days: Our family loves celebrating the Biblical holidays and feast days throughout the year.

• For Spring, check out our Passover Activity Pack to learn about Jesus.

• For Fall Biblical Feasts (Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles), grab our Free Biblical Feasts Activity Guide! It's the exact resource I wish I had when we first started honoring God's feast days with our kids.