When I first imagined homeschooling, I pictured myself and my children happily sitting around the table, reading books together and working math problems. But that didn’t work so well with a busy toddler and a fussy baby. My children learned to complete their work mostly independently. I’ve always been thankful that they learned to be independent learners, but I’ve never stopped wishing for bonding time. Then I was introduced to a homeschool morning basket. With a homeschool morning basket, we could carve out time for learning as a family before my children went their separate ways to complete their independent work.
Do you know what a homeschool morning basket?
A homeschool morning basket is more than a container full of books and activities. It’s an intentional way to gather all your children to work on something together. Many families use a homeschool morning basket to work on learning things that are not included in their core homeschool curriculum (such as poetry, music appreciation, Bible, nature study, etc.). Other families use morning baskets to teach a subject (such as science or history) to multiple children who are in different grade levels.
How can a morning basket improve your homeschool day?
A morning basket can improve your homeschool day in several ways. First, a morning basket can allow you to homeschool more efficiently. All of us homeschool moms have felt the time crunch pressure. If you are homeschooling multiple children, it can take a lot of time to work with each child one-on-one. A morning basket allows you to teach all of your children at once, thus saving you precious time.
Second, a morning basket can help you get your homeschool day off to a great start with a predictable routine. Many kids, including mine, thrive on a routine. There is something comforting about having a general idea of what will happen next. Routines are an important part of establishing a positive learning environment. Starting each morning with your morning basket will help your kids ease into the homeschool day and be ready to learn.
Third, a morning basket allows you to connect as a family amid busy homeschool schedules. As my kids get older, they are involved in more and more activities. Finding time to gather the entire family together is getting harder. Morning basket activities allow us to connect with each other regularly.
What do you do during your homeschool morning time?
Each family’s homeschool morning time is different, and you should tailor it to your family’s needs and values. In our homeschool, we start our days off with breakfast, a morning run, Bible reading, Bible memory work, and prayer time before diving into our school subjects. Sometimes we will also sing a hymn or recite catechisms.
A morning basket will also differ according to the ages of the children. Families with young children often review calendar concepts, note the weather, and practice the pledges. Many families with older children use a morning basket time to study poetry, expose their children to famous artists and composers, and study history and science topics. And children of all ages can enjoy read-alouds during homeschool morning time.
You don’t have to do everything in your morning basket every day. You could assign a day of the week to different things. For example, you could work on poetry on Mondays, art on Tuesdays, music appreciation on Wednesdays, science or nature study on Thursdays, and history on Fridays. Or you could put together a loop schedule. To make a loop schedule, make a list of everything you want to cover. Mark off what you finish and start the next day with the next thing on the list.
25 Ideas for Your Morning Basket
Your morning basket will be unique to your family and should reflect your homeschool goals and family values. You can also switch out resources throughout the year as needed. If you are not sure what to add to your basket, here are 25 morning basket ideas to help you get started.
Bible Time & Devotional Resources
In addition to a Bible, hymnbook, and photo album of missionary prayer cards, I sometimes add one or more of the following resources.
1. WonderFull: Ancient Psalms Ever New by Marty Machowski
A great devotional that helps kids appreciate and apply the book of Psalms. Targeted for ages 8–11.
2. The ‘Ology: Ancient Truths Ever New by Marty Machowski
Teaches kids theological truths in a systematic way. Targeted for ages 6–11 but adaptable for all ages.
3. The Big Picture Story Bible by David Helm
My favorite Bible-story book for young children that covers the basic storyline of the Bible. Best for ages 2–6.
4. The Child’s Story Bible by Catherine F. Vos
A story Bible for older kids that covers the narrative portions of Scripture in great depth. Targeted for elementary-aged children.
5. Kids’ Bible studies from Not Consumed
Not Consumed offers interactive, topical Bible studies for kids of all ages. You can purchase booklets written for different age levels.
6. Christian Heroes: Then & Now biographies
My family loves reading missionary biographies during read-alouds. These biographies are best suited for kids ages 7–12.
7. Missionary/church history stories from Bible Visuals International
Bible Visuals International offers many of its missionary stories in a family-friendly format that is great for read-alouds.
8. Bible Verse Coloring Book for Girls
I have four daughters, and this is a fun thing for them to work on while listening to a read-aloud.
9. Books of the Bible Coloring Book
This coloring book from Answers in Genesis helps young children learn the books of the Bible.
Science Resources
10. God’s Big Book of Animals (Master Books)
Entertaining and educational, this book is full of photographs and features fascinating facts about 60 creatures. Targeted for kids over 10.
11. Bugs: Big and Small, God Made Them All (Master Books)
Learn about different insects and how they fulfill God’s design. Best for teens.
12. Creation Astronomy for Kids (Creation Ministries)
Teaches kids about the universe with photographs, facts, and figures. Targeted for elementary ages.
13. Creation Kids Activity Book (Institute for Creation Research)
Teaches children about God’s design in creation through fun activities. Targeted for elementary ages.
Art Appreciation Resources
14. Art Gallery Sticker Book (Usborne)
Introduce little ones to different forms of art such as sculpture, photographs, paintings, and more through this sticker book.
15. How Art Works (Usborne)
Teaches how art is made and introduces students to famous works of art. Targeted for ages 9 and above.
16. Beneath the Swirling Sky by Carolyn Leiloglou A read-aloud fantasy novel that encourages kids to learn more about famous works of art. Best for ages 9–12.
17. Printables and digital lessons from the Museum & Gallery
M&G offers digital Homeschool Days for homeschoolers across the nation. Many of these art history lessons include printable resources that you can print and use at home.
History & Civics Resources
18. Dover coloring books
Dover has a wide variety of coloring books related to history topics. A great resource to keep students busy during a read-aloud.
19. A Father’s Promise by Donnalynn Hess
A historical fiction novel set in Poland during WWII. Best for kids ages 9 and up.
20. Avery’s Battlefield and Avery’s Crossroad by Deanna K. Klingel
Two historical novels set during the Civil War. Targeted for ages 12 and up.
21. In Search of Honor by Donnalynn Hess
A historical novel set during the French Revolution. Best for ages 12 and up.
22. This Dear-Bought Land by Jean Lee Latham
A historical novel set in colonial Jamestown. Targeted for ages 12 and up.
23. For Which We Stand by Jeff Foster
Teaches elementary students how the American government works. Targeted for ages 8–12.
Music Appreciation Resources
24. Ira Sankey: Singing the Gospel by Kelley Deegan Bruss
A biography of Ira Sankey, D. L. Moody’s song leader. Targeted for ages 9–12.
25. Stories of the Great Composers by June Montgomery and Maurice Hinson
Introduces elementary students to 13 famous composers from the Baroque and Romantic periods. Includes a listening CD. Best for upper elementary students.
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