How to Organize your own Home Preschool Schedule with Cheap and FREE Resources

Wondering how to create your own home preschool schedule for your kids?
It might seem overwhelming at first, but it’s actually easier than you think! With a little planning—and the help of some affordable or even free preschool resources—you can set up a simple, fun, and effective learning routine right at home. Whether you’re using printables, themed activities, or hands-on play, your preschool can be up and running in no time. Best of all, you can tailor it to your child’s needs, pace, and interests.

Preschool from home

I’d love to send my kids to a formal preschool—you know, where they can make friends, learn cool stuff, and get out of the house for a bit (okay, mostly that last one—kidding… sort of). But preschool can be expensive and often out of our budget, so we stick with good old-fashioned home preschool.

That idea can feel overwhelming. A lot of people have high hopes and big plans, but struggle to actually make it happen. The good news? Preschool at home can be super simple. Kids love simple. They don’t need flashy or new every time—they thrive on repetition and play.

If you’re in the “I-want-my-kid-to-do-preschool-but-can’t-afford-it” club, you’re in the right place. There are tons of great, free or cheap resources out there, and I’ve gathered a bunch to help make preschool doable—and maybe even fun—for both of you.

Let’s dive in.

This post contains affiliate links.

What do kids need to be taught from a Home Preschool?

I think one of the first burning questions of any parent who is about to preschool their child is “what the heck do they need to learn?”. What is going to get them prepared for Pre-K or Kindergarten? What do they need to know right now?

Well, according to the experts, some of the things kids should be learning now are:

• Learning Letters
• Practice writing his/her name
• A few Sight Words
• Numbers
• Making Decisions
• Be familiar with holding and looking at a book
• Master Eating
• Memorizing their name
• Listening Skills
• Let them fail

You can read more about what things to learn in the article Things Your Kid Should Know Before Kindergarten. They also go into more depth on each of these points.

Some other common topics are colors and shapes, but it really is just simple things. And, most of these things come naturally to them if you are just a decent  parent. All the other things are just bonuses. A kid can survive school without doing preschool, so if you’re doing any kind of preschool, you’re already a step ahead of the game.

Where to get Preschool curriculum, lessons, and resources?

Now that you know what you’re looking for, it’s time to actually find it so you can start teaching. The good news? There are so many resources out there. I’m going to walk you through the free ones, the cheap ones, and even some full-on curriculum options you can buy (some of which cost a pretty penny, just a heads-up). I’ll also touch on some online and digital learning tools that can help make preschool at home even easier.

Where to get FREE printables and curriculum for preschool

Make your own

One option would be to just make your own curriculum. If you know what they need to learn, you could create printables and activities based around learning that knowledge. If you are super creative and have a lot of time on your hands, this could be a good option for you.

However, I think most of us don’t have time to make our own preschool curriculum. Below are some free resources for making a curriculum. Because it is FREE, it will take a little more time on your part to put together and organize it all, which is totally doable. If you’re looking for some direction on what to do with the free printables you already have, look at the schedule options listed below.

Paper Scissors Craft

I have to do a plug-in for myself. I do have a few FREE preschool printables in my store. They are mostly activity based. I do have a counting printable that you can get for FREE here. I also have some FREE Q-tip painting preschool activity sheets that include numbers and letters, here.

Teacher’s Pay Teachers (tpt)

Teacher’s pay teachers is an online marketplace for people to sale an endless supply of digital educational products. We’re talking worksheets, coloring pages, printables, or sets of printables, you name it. You can find any level, any grade, or any subject. Just type in FREE Preschool worksheets, preschool activities, or preschool curriculum, and you’re bound to find what you are looking for. You could also search for specific worksheets like “free preschool alphabet printable”. It’s an overall great resource.

Side note: I do believe you have to have an account with them to buy/download things. 

I have to do a shout out to my sister who actually makes her own products on TPT geared toward 5-6th graders on her page Teaching in An Organized Mess. If you have kids that age, you should check her out.

Easy Peasy All-in-One Home School

Easy Peasy All-in-One Home School has curriculum for just about every age. They have a preschool program that goes through the alphabet, a letter a week, as well as, shapes, colors, sight words, and motor skills practice. They also have a transition program from preschool to kindergarten. You can buy the workbook version, or you can download the black and white version for free.

Progressive Phonics

Progressive Phonics is a free program that helps teach kids to read, even as young as three. It’s a super easy program to follow. It is something you could use as the reading portion of your preschool.

ABC Jesus Loves Me

ABC Jesus Loves Me is a preschool curriculum from 0-5 years. They have a very basic FREE version that gives you weekly lessons with all the activities, supply lists, songs, and crafts to do. It is bible oriented, so if you love Jesus, this is a good one for you!

Stay At Home Educator

The stay at home educator website provides free weekly preschool lessons for parents. All you have to do is sign up for their newsletter, and they send you everything weekly.

Education.Com

Education.com has a great FREE digital and printable library to access all different topics and learning activities for all ages and grades.

The Measured Mom

If you sign up for her email list, you can get access to her freebie library, which has tons of preschool printables.

Letter of the Week

You can teach your kids all about the alphabet for free, with Brightly Beaming Resources.

Homeschool for Me

This is a great resource for any age, but they have tons of preschool content.

You can find free printables just about anywhere online—you just have to know what to search for. Try something specific like “free letter A preschool printables” and you’ll almost always find something that works. It might not be as fancy as a paid version, but it’ll get the job done!

Piecing together free resources might take a little more time and effort, but the upside is—it’s FREE! Plus, it gives you the flexibility to customize things to fit your child’s needs and your own style.

(Need a simple schedule to start with? Check below!)

Where to get cheap printables/curriculum for preschool

Paper Scissors Craft

Again, a little plug, I have a lot of preschool Q-tip painting sheets that are geared for learning and motor skills. They are my most popular product. I have Q-tip Weather Printable for learning the weather, Q-tip Counting and Numbers printable, Q-tip Alphabet printable, and a Q-tip printable that has a little bit of all of them. I also have a paint by letter for learning the alphabet and letters. You can check out all my Preschool printables, here. 

Amazon

Teach your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons is a book highly recommended by many moms. If you wan to get a jumpstart on your child’s reading, check out this easy book. Once they get reading down, everything else comes easier!

There are several other preschool workbooks on Amazon that might strike your fancy.

Teacher’s Pay Teachers

Again, Teacher’s Pay Teachers is a great resource for cheap printables, not just free ones. Actually, this is where I recently bought some preschool printables and worksheets. It was $25 for 2,000 pages of printables. I decided to use them to create my own preschool curriculum and schedule. Here is the product I purchased.

Reading the Alphabet

You can find little products all around for preschool. This one is Reading the Alphabet which helps young readers learn sounds, letters, phonics, handwriting, syllables, and motor skills. It may not be a while curriculum, but it would be great to get your own little preschool going. It’s only $35.

Education.com

I will add this again, too, because it has a premium option with access to special features. It’s only $8 a month, or cheaper if you sign up for the annual plan.

Busy Toddler

Busy Toddler has it’s own Play preschool, where all the learning happens through play. It’s only $39, and is pretty in depth. It has great reviews. I have a friend who is using it and loves it.

Highlights Book

One year I based all my lessons around the Highlights Preschool book. It was super easy, and I didn’t spend too much time on it each day, but it’s a great preschool book. It’s great for supplementing preschool.

Where to get more in depth (maybe not cheap) preschool lessons

The Good and The Beautiful 

We used this program when my kids were in K and 4th grade. They do have preschool things as well. They actually have a digital option that is A LOT cheaper, and you can even find some FREE digital options as well.

Joy School

I used Joy School a few years ago when my daughter was in preschool, and I really loved it. The curriculum is well thought out and super easy to follow. It’s definitely on the pricier side—about $150—but that gives you lifetime access to everything, so you can reuse it with each of your kids when they hit preschool age. The lessons are simple, fun, and focus a lot on fostering a love of learning and natural curiosity.

When we did Joy School, I joined a group with about six other moms and their kids. We took turns hosting each week, which was amazing. The kids had a blast, and we all got a break while still getting to be part of their learning. If you can find—or create—a group like that, I highly recommend it.

The Preschool Box

Maybe you just want to do preschool a few times a month, and that’s great. No where does it say that preschool has to be done so many times a week. You can make it your own. If you only have a few times a month for it, do it. I think anything helps, and preschoolers are always willing to learn. One way you can do this is through The Preschool Box subscription.

If you need some other ideas for great educational subscription boxes, you can check out my post The Best Craft Boxes for Kids and Toddlers. Craft boxes are a great addition to any preschool.

Learning Box Preschool

This is a more expensive option, and it’s normally used for public preschools, but if you ordered the box, you get all the supplies and lessons shipped to you.

Mother Goose Time

Mother Goose Time is a monthly subscription that includes all the supplies and lessons you need. They also have a theme each month that is centered around their learning. Their mission is to teach researched based curriculum.

If you’d like a more in-depth list of some of the best preschool curriculum out there you can visit homeschool.com.

What online and electronic resources are there for at-home preschoolers

I wanted to make electronic and online resources separate from all the other resources because not everyone has access to a computer for their toddler, or multiple computers, or wants their toddler doing preschool on a computer. However, if you can make it a part of your preschool, here are some online resources:

Epic

Epic is a great reading resource that my family uses. It has a huge digital library of books. It is great for all ages, you can see my review for it here. It is a monthly subscription.

ABCYa

This is actually a website that I just learned about, but it has a lot of educational games for all subjects: math, science, or English. It also has some non-educational games as well. They have a free and paid version.

Explore.org

Another website that I recently learned about. This is an awesome site for anyone, including adults. It is a website full of live cameras all around the world. You can watch the elephants in Africa, the bears in Alaska, or the little kitties at a sanctuary. I love watching it, and I think it is extremely educational.

ABCMouse

ABC Mouse is a popular online learning site. They have programs that cater to as young as 2 years old. They do have a low monthly fee. They usually have annual sales, and a free 30 day trial. You can check them out at Abcmouse.com

Time for Learning

Time for learning has a subscription preschool. You get all the lessons and helps to keep your preschooler on track.

I’m sure there are a ton more online resources, but these are the ones I am familiar with, use, and enjoy.

How to organize preschool topics into a home preschool schedule

Now that you know what to teach and where to find it, the next question is—how do you actually teach it?

I put together a simple preschool schedule that works well for me, and I thought I’d share it in case it helps spark some ideas for your own routine. You definitely don’t have to follow it exactly—feel free to tweak it to fit your family’s needs—but hopefully it gives you a helpful starting point.

I only do preschool twice a week for about an hour to an hour and a half. I wanted something manageable that wouldn’t feel overwhelming. Right now, I’m teaching my son and my nephew—they’re both 3 (though my son’s almost 4), and this schedule works great for them.

Here’s what our preschool time looks like:

Home Preschool Schedule

5-10 Minutes Welcome to Preschool

During our welcome time, we get the wiggles out. We usually sing a couple of songs, play follow the leader, and then find our spots on the floor. You could have blankets or big carpet circles so that they actually have a spot. Most kids sit better when they have a specific spot.

10-15 Minutes Discussing the Day

Next we go over what day is it, what is tomorrow, what was yesterday. We review the year, season, and month. We talk about the weather. We got outside or look out the window and talk about what the weather is like. Then we dress our little bear in clothes that is fitting to the weather. (I have a bear print out with paper clothes to dress him). Some days this is short, and some days we go into detail about a day, or the weather, or Mr. Bear. All of these things have a visual with them. I have a paper for each one of the days and seasons. I have little suns, rain, and clouds to look at and pick the weather. It is all visual.

I have a board that I tape all my visuals to.

5-10 Minutes going over the rules

Kids really do learn from repetition. We have about 7 cards with pictures of the rules of our classroom. We do a quick review of them with visuals before every class. This way they know the expectations every time and it helps them for when they will be in a real classroom. You could make this fun by acting them out or letting them hold the cards.

5 Minutes What did we Learn

We spend the next few minutes talking about what we learned the day before. What letter did we go over and what did we talk about. They usually need some guidance with this one.

10-15 Minutes learning a new concept

I like to introduce a new concept each week. Since we only do preschool twice a week, we stick with the same theme for the whole week. Repetition is key—kids really learn by hearing and doing things over and over again. Our weekly theme could be anything from emotions, listening skills, and the changing seasons to animal sounds or other fun topics. Honestly, anything goes.

I usually plan my themes about four weeks in advance and print off all the materials I need at the beginning of each week. A lot of my ideas come from printable packs I’ve purchased—they cover tons of different subjects and make planning way easier.

If I want to teach something that’s not in my printables, I’ll either make a simple one myself or find something online (there are so many great free or inexpensive options out there). I can’t just stand up and lecture my kids—it doesn’t work. I need to show them something and get them actively involved.

For example, if we’re learning about emotions, I might start with emotion cards and have the kids act out the faces. Then I’ll ask them to think of something that makes them feel sad, and we’ll talk about why. We might discuss healthy ways to express our emotions, what’s okay and what’s not. And to finish it off, we’ll do a simple craft—like making a paper plate with a smile on one side and a frown on the other.

The goal is always to keep it fun, hands-on, and meaningful.

5-10 Minutes Reading

I try to read a book each lesson. I also try to make it a book about the concept or letter we are learning about. This is where Epic comes in handy a bunch.

15-20 Minutes Learning about the Alphabet

I follow the idea of learning a letter a week. Then once we complete the letters, we do numbers and than shapes and colors. Each day we talk about the letter of the week, what it looks like, what it sounds like, how to write it, and what words start with that letter. Sometimes we write the letter out. I try not to just trace letters all the time, cause that’s boring. I usually try to create a craft based around writing out the letter. For example, we did painting with toy cars for the letter A.

After we discuss the letter, we do a craft. There are so many different crafts out there that you can turn into a learning-the-alphabet craft. I’m hoping to make a post about that soon, but in the mean time you could do Q-tip painting, car painting (as mentioned above), sidewalk painting, rock painting, or paint by letter.

That’s it!

It is so simple and requires little prep time on my part. I try to do really simple and easy crafts with supplies I already have on hand, or with very little supplies.

Again it usually takes about 1 hour to 1-1/2 hours, but sometimes, if I’m not in the mood, I just shorten it. I try to stay consistent so that they have some consistency, but sometimes life happens.

You can download my Home Preschool Schedule printable/cheat sheet so you can have it readily accessible.

Don’t Stress Over Teaching at Home Preschool

As parents, it’s so easy to stress about our kids’ education. We wonder, “Am I doing enough?” or “Why isn’t my child picking this up as fast as Johnny?” Maybe you’ve even thought, “I haven’t prepared them for kindergarten—they’re going to fall behind.”

Take a deep breath. Don’t stress.
All children grow and learn at their own pace—and that’s okay! You don’t need to be ahead of the curve or compare your child to anyone else. If you’re spending even a little intentional time with your child each day, you’re making a real impact. You’re investing in their future, and that matters so much more than hitting milestones early.

Kindergarten will teach them plenty. Right now, your focus can be on nurturing their curiosity, encouraging their growth, and making learning feel fun and positive.

You don’t need a perfect preschool setup to get started. Just do what you can, when you can. Creating a love of learning is far more important than checking every box. Keep it simple, keep it joyful—and trust that you’re doing great.

Related: Tips and Tricks for Crafting with Young Kids: It doesn’t have to be Hard

Related: 11 Crafts and Activities that your Toddler will Love and Engage in

Related: How to do Q-tip Painting with Your Toddler