Homeschooling a range of ages is no small feat—especially when your youngest is a curious, energetic preschooler who wants to be in the middle of everything. Also, if you’re trying to teach older kids while keeping a toddler or preschool-aged child busy (and not a full-blown distraction), you are not alone. This season is beautifully messy, often chaotic, yet absolutely brimming with opportunities for growth, grace, and giggles! Whether you have a bunch of kiddos or just one, keep reading to learn all about what I find to be the perfect Homeschool Curriculum for Toddlers and Preschoolers: fun & play!
In this post, I’ll talk about how to approach a homeschool curriculum for your preschool-aged child through the lens of fun, play, and exploration. I’ll also share low-stress activity ideas, discuss how to balance your day, and remind you that flexibility is your secret weapon.
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If you are brand new to homeschooling, I highly encourage you to check out my very first Podcast Episode “The Heart of Homeschool”: Character Over Curriculum
The Power of Play in the Early Years
It’s easy to feel like you’re “not doing enough” with your preschooler when their learning doesn’t look like worksheets or structured lessons. But here’s the truth: play is learning—especially in the early years.
Drawing from the Charlotte Mason philosophy of education, the preschool years (often called the “early years” in CM circles) are best spent immersed in outdoor exploration, hands-on activities, stories, and free play. In fact, Mason encouraged delaying formal lessons until age 6 or 7, allowing children to develop at their own natural pace through the world around them.
So instead of a rigid curriculum, think of this time as laying a foundation: nurturing curiosity, developing habits, and giving your child the freedom to learn through engagement with their environment.
Small Chores – Teaching Basic Life Skills to Toddlers and Preschoolers
It’s so important in these little years to teach good habits. Do some household chores together. This could mean having the toddler put away their toys, some of the unbreakables from the dishwasher, or helping to assist with pushing clean laundry into the dryer. My little one loves being put to work and gives the biggest smile afterwards knowing he is doing something of importance! Have them help you in the kitchen. We want to build basic good habits and life skills so we can build on them as they get older!
Once the morning habits and chores are done, if your child is old enough, have your preschooler sit with their board books and begin school as a family. Having them look through books on their own doing “picture reading” is a foundational skill to eventually learning to read words.
Outdoor Time
“In this time of extraordinary pressure, educational and social, perhaps a mother’s first duty to her children is to secure for them a quiet and growing time, a full six years of passive receptive life, the waking part of it for the most part spent out in the fresh air.” -Charlotte Mason
Take them on hikes, to the local park or simply let your little one play in the backyard with a mud kitchen, water table , these no-spill bubbles, or chalk.
Read-Aloud Time
Let them snuggle close while you read aloud to older kids, or have a special book basket or bookshelf just for them. If you’re reading to your little ones, 10-15 minutes is idea; 20 at the most if they are really into it. Reading aloud to your toddler and preschooler is one of the most important things you can do and helps them to begin to have a love of reading from this experience of you investing the time: talking about the books as you read to them by point out words, pictures and letters. This is something quite simple you can do every day to help your preschooler learn to read.
Here are some of our very favorite board books for toddlers and preschool-aged children over the years:
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? ; Goodnight Gorilla ; Press Here ; Yummy Yucky ; We’re Going On A Bear Hunt ; Dear Zoo ; Goodnight Moon ; The Very Hungry Caterpillar ; Little Blue Truck ; Guess How Much I Love You
Ideas to Keep Your Preschooler Busy While Homeschooling Older Children
Balancing older children’s academics with a preschooler’s need for attention and stimulation can be incredibly challenging. Below are some low-stress, screen-free activities that allow your preschooler to stay engaged while you work one-on-one with older siblings. I like to keep them in the schoolroom for easy access. Of course, as with anything, do not leave a toddler unattended with any of the activities below. These are all meant to be done in close proximity to you!
Sensory Bins
Think rice, lentils, kinetic sand, or water beads with scoops and small toys. It’s quite easy to make your own – but if you are short on time, here are a few of my favorites you can buy:
Creativity For Kids Sensory Bin – These come in a variety of themes including Construction, Outer Space, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”, Ice Cream and a bunch more!
Chuckle & Roar Sensory Bin – Sand-based writing and drawing activities can be played on the lid. Inside of the bin, kids can dive into a multisensory exploration experience with paper filling and pom poms.
For Make Your Own Sensory Bins
Sensory Table – This is a great wooden play table with bins if you’d like to create your own sensory experience! Montessori-style, this also includes a chalkboard and whiteboard.
DIY Sensory Bins – These are great – again, a great 3-pack of durable plastic if you’d like to make your own sensory bins with sand, toys etc.
Sensory Scoops – These are perfect for DIY sensory tables and bins!
Busy Boxes – Fill a box with rotating items: puzzles, lacing cards, stickers, playdough, and chunky crayons. These are good to help toddlers and preschoolers stay engaged while you are homeschooling the older ones or have some things to get done! See some of my independent, open-ended toys that help provide long stretches of open play:
Play-Doh – A classic and relatively inexpensive
Chunky Crayons – These are 100% pure beeswax, non-toxic and food grade colors – which is good – you know, in case someone decides to take a bite out every once in a while!
Magnets – These are fun to let them play with on a cookie sheet
Magnatiles – These are a favorite of our family and sure to be a big hit with yours!
Usborne First Painting Books – These are the cutest! I just fell in love with them. The colors are really pretty too. This is NO-MESS painting. Just paint with water, and the books come with a brush.
Lacing Beads – These help to develop fine motor skills
Lacing Cards – This Eric Carle “Hungry Caterpillar” one is so cute!
Symphony Orchestra Books – We have a few of these. Our toddler just LOVES music and never gets tired of them.
Melissa & Doug Educational Puzzle – I love all of their puzzles but these beginner wooden pattern blocks are perfect for toddlers ages 2-4
Melissa & Doug Wooden Chunky Puzzle – Perfect for little hands and encourages hand-eye coordination. I love all of the different themes available!
Wooden Blocks – Building blocks for toddlers that have a storage container with shape sorter on top; colored or natural
Sorting Toy – Fine motor montessori-style game that comes in different themes
Crayola Color Wonder Mess-Free Coloring Kit – Mess-free?! Enough said.
Reusable Sticker Books – 3 books perfect for toddlers!
Do-A-Dot Art – These are a a lot of fun and are keyword: “WASHABLE”! There are even coloring books to match.
Montessori Busy Board Wooden Toy – I don’t know about your child, but my baby boy could push buttons and turn light switches on and off ALL DAY LONG. This toy is perfect.
Magnetic Doodle Board – A no-mess solution for drawing!
Remember: low-prep and low-stress is key. Your toddler doesn’t need a Pinterest-worthy setup—just something tactile, engaging, and safe!
Grace and Flexibility: Your Daily Essentials
Even the best plans will unravel when a toddler decides to go rogue. Some days, your preschooler will want to color quietly nearby. Other days, they’ll need extra snuggles, attention, or a full-on change of scenery. That’s okay.
Let go of the idea that a “perfect schedule” means sticking to the plan at all costs. Instead, embrace a flexible rhythm that allows you to adjust on the fly. Maybe that means shifting math to the afternoon, or reading history aloud during snack time. Some days, it may mean shelving formal lessons entirely and heading outside for nature play and a fresh start.
Your homeschool doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s. Give yourself and your kids grace—because you’re juggling a lot, and you’re doing a great job!
If you’d like a little peek into our Daily Homeschool Schedule, click HERE!
A Gentle Preschool “Curriculum” Inspired by Charlotte Mason
If you’re craving just a little structure, here’s a simple weekly rhythm inspired by CM principles:
- Daily Outdoor Time – Aim for 1–2 hours outside (weather permitting).
- Read Aloud – Picture books, nursery rhymes, and Bible stories.
- Habits Training – Focus on simple routines: tidying, obeying cheerfully, kindness.
- Creative Play – Blocks, dress-up, water play.
- Handicrafts – Simple activities like cutting, pasting, or stringing beads.
- Music & Movement – Sing folk songs, play rhythm instruments, dance.
- Free Play – Unstructured time to explore, imagine, and create.
This kind of curriculum doesn’t need a formal checklist—just intention and attentiveness. It allows your preschooler to thrive in the natural rhythm of family life, while still honoring their stage of development.
You’ve Got This—Even on the Hard Days
Homeschooling with littles underfoot is not for the faint of heart. There will be interruptions, meltdowns, and moments where you question if anyone is learning anything at all. This happens pretty often to be quite honest!
But woven into those moments is something sacred: your family doing life together. Learning together. Growing together. Messily, imperfectly, and beautifully.
So take a deep breath. Pray. Let your preschooler splash in a puddle. Laugh when the schedule gets tossed. Grab the snuggles while they’re small. And remember: this season doesn’t last forever!
My most favorite book by Sarah Mackenzie, Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakeable Peace is great at addressing how you can learn to lean on the Lord for the wisdom and strength for this homeschooling journey. I highly recommend it – it’s a relatively short book and I re-read it every year.
Final Word
Your homeschool preschool curriculum doesn’t need to be complicated to be meaningful. With a little play, a lot of grace, and a flexible mindset, you can create a joyful learning environment that works for your whole family!
You’ve got this, mama. 💛
For more Homeschool Inspiration, listen to my NEW PODCAST here! My first episode is called “The Heart of Homeschool: Character Over Curriculum”. Please LIKE & SUBSCRIBE!
Your blog is a constant source of inspiration for me. Your passion for your subject matter is palpable, and it’s clear that you pour your heart and soul into every post. Keep up the incredible work!