Just a generation ago, homeschooling was considered fringe, and homeschooling parents were often left to fend for themselves when it came to educational materials for their kids. Their choices were generally to budget way too much for overpriced commercial materials from publishers, or to make it all up themselves.
Today, though, homeschooling is much more common, and homeschooling parents have many more options, from free homeschool websites to downloadable homeschool software.
In fact, the internet has revolutionized homeschooling. Parents and their student-children have access to all of the knowledge in the world – literally – and the number of homeschool websites for kids means no shortage of guidance. Free educational websites for homeschoolers are all over the internet, and all kinds of great, free homeschooling resources for homeschool kids and their parents.
Best Kid Stuff has listed 50 free homeschool tools that can be useful for parents. Some are educational games, some are web publications, some are videos; educational, free homeschool apps and audiobooks are there too. They’re all free, and they’re all backed by reputable, trusted publishers and content creators.
Also, Check Out Our Do-It-Yourself Homeschool Curriculum Sample (with full week example)
1. ABC Mouse
ABC Mouse is among the best homeschool resources for pre-kindergarten students, thanks to its easy-to-learn, fun lessons. Take note, too, that it’s explicitly designed for young learners aged 2 through 8 years old. ABC Mouse provides more than 825 progressive lessons for children as they progress through ten levels starting at preschool and ending at second-grade learning.
2. ABCya
ABCya is the brainchild of two New Jersey educators who wanted to create an easy to navigate app that gamified online learning tools for homeschool students using innovation and clever educational options. Seven years after its inception, ABCya’s Math BINGO rocketed to a top educational app that was highlighted on Apple’s website making it one of the best homeschool websites.
3. BBC for Kids
The legendary British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) offers its innovative interactive homeschool websites for kids designed to entice children to learn about history from many perspectives. Creative activities are proved that allow young learners to meet famous people of the past or play historical games that reinforce the knowledge gained. And if you’re looking for homeschool sites that seamlessly tie up with the educational television shows on the BBC channels, then check out BBC Kids.
4. Bill Nye
The free Bill Nye website is designed for homeschoolers with a curiosity for science and who are looking for ways to connect with the science community, as well as other students with similar interests. The Bill Nye educational site is a learning adventure that includes the original episode of Bill Nye, the Science Guy, which ran for five years in the 1990s. Aside from being one of the best resources for homeschooling science subjects, children love the sense of humor that comes with the lessons – and laughter makes learning even more fun!
5. Brain Pop
Since 1999, BrainPOP has provided creative, engaging activities to help understand the challenging concepts of the world to young learners. Innovative activities include animated movies and educational games that have been designed by educators with backgrounds in diverse educational settings. BrainPOP is available in English, French, Mandarin, and Spanish, a versatility that makes it one of the few international online resources for homeschooling.
6. Choosito
Permantently Closed. Choosito is a specialty search engine that is funded by the federal government’s National Science Foundation and primarily used by teachers to find educational resources for student standards. Choosito’s artificial intelligence algorithmic search engine helps educators and homeschoolers find the information they need. The ease of use combined with the comprehensive information available makes it one of the best homeschool websites. The ease of use combined with the comprehensive information available makes it one of the best homeschool websites.
7. Codecademy
Codecademy is a one-stop online learning tool for homeschool students with a career ambition of becoming a professional coder. Codecademy provides coding programs in Data Science (SQL, PYTHON), Computer Science (CMD LINE, PYTHON), or Web Development (JAVASCRIPT, HTML/CSS). Codecademy has served upwards of 45 million students and it’s among the most accessible free online resources for homeschooling, thanks to its easy sign-up and other kid-friendly features.
8. CommonLit
CommonLit.Org offers a reading program that is integrated into public school curriculum (over 70,000 schools) and has free online resources for homeschooling students that offers digital lessons and a method in which to track a student’s progress over time. CommonLit.Org’s unique learning digital lessons and videos are now available in Spanish. This is also among the most recommended free educational websites for homeschoolers for reading and writing improvement, thanks to its treasure trove of literature. Teachers and parents can build lessons around the stories featured on the website, if necessary.
9. Disney Junior
Disney Junior is the Disney Company’s website dedicated to young learners. The large variety of jigsaw puzzles, educational videos for homeschool, and games offer free homeschool learning sites for kids with fun and engaging content. Young learners have the opportunity to join the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or play Jane & the Never Land Pirates. Let’s face it – homeschooling 5 year old kids isn’t fun for parents because children crave social interaction. But with Disney Junior, children find the interactive videos fun so they are encouraged to learn more.
10. Duck Duck Moose
Duck Duck Moose offers award-winning online learning tools for homeschool students of toddler age. Duck Duck Moose is a member of the nonprofit Khan Academy, an organization dedicated to the provision of world-renowned educational activities that are engaging, fun, and free to help toddlers as they mature to children.
11. Duolingo
Duolingo is a fun and efficient program that makes learning a new language appealing and entertaining. Duolingo provides tools that offer personalized learning, motivating rewards, and immediate grading to offer quick gratification to mastering the lessons. Due to the popularity and effectiveness of the application, it is now available in classrooms across the country.
12. Exploratorium
Exploratorium is located in San Francisco and operates as a public educational lab that offers visitors a unique experience through the reinterpretation of one’s perception of art and science, etc. In the mid-1990s, Exploratorium developed mobile apps for students and adult learners to safely follow a solar eclipse, the science of music, and the voyages of discovery beneath the ocean. The mobile apps mean an interactive homeschool tool can be accessed right on your child’s tablet or laptop. Such ease of access can encourage children to learn more, even beyond the scheduled homeschooling time.
13. Fun Brain
Since 1997, Fun Brain has been offering dynamic homeschool websites for kids from pre-kindergarten through the eighth grade. Fun Brain provides a safe environment for children to access interactive and entertaining reading materials, videos, games, and a playground in the areas of literacy, math, problem-solving, and reading. So, if you’re looking for an exceptional 2 year old homeschool curriculum free of charge, be sure to place Fun Brain on your shortlist.
14. Girlstart
Girlstart was developed with a mission to empower girls in the STEM areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Girlstart provides online learning tools for homeschool students and STEM resources to professional educators. The fact that its features appeal to both students and teachers makes it one of the exceptional free homeschool apps – many apps are designed for one or the other only. Girlstart seeks to encourage curiosity and creativity through its varied educational plans and activities.
15. Glogster
Glogster offers interactive, engaging virtual canvas from its cloud-based platform. Glogster provides hands-on learning experiences designed to maximize a student’s creative abilities using images, graphics, text, and audio, among others. Proof of its status as one of the top homeschool websites: The programs offered by Glogster is now used in more than 200 countries across the globe.
16. Grammar Ninja
Grammar Ninja is offered by the National Education Association (NEA) for young learners from kindergarten age to the eighth grade. A student progresses throughout the game by correctly identifying parts of speech – i.e., noun, adjective, etc. Grammar Ninja is customizable with a simple sentence-creator add-on and is one of the best resources for homeschooling. We particularly liked the homeschool videos for kindergarten students because these combined fun lessons and learning activities suitable for this age.
17. Highlights Magazine
Highlights Magazine was established in 1946 specifically for children with the slogan “Fun with a Purpose.” These time-proven classic educational books offer activities from the tiniest of learners to students twelve years old. Highlights Magazine continues its tradition of offering hidden pictures, fun puzzles, and school success bundled packages.
18. History Channel
The History Channel’s online presence offers the same quality history programming, new and classic shows from the channel’s history. The programming provides a digital learning experience to particular topics like Appalachia, Big Foot, Hamilton, and Hot Rods, to name a few. The History Channel also provides access to the many stories that have shaped the current country. The combination of history lessons and current events makes The History Channel among the most information websites for homeschoolers to use. Plus, the shows can be connected to the curriculum of elementary, middle school and high school students.
19. How Stuff Works
How Stuff Works provides professional insight into a variety of life and educational topics that include the automobile, technology, science, health, money, home/garden, and culture. How Stuff Works offers homeschooled students videos, quizzes, and podcasts (like Weird & Wacky) to support their educational experience. This is truly among the most interactive and informative homeschool learning websites that parents and students must look into, especially when the lessons become less exciting.
20. IXL Learning
IXL Learning can be considered as among the earliest homeschooling resources. It was created by a simple website implemented in the frontier days of the internet to provide educators with ready-made (and customizable) study materials that were shareable to other educators around the world. IXL Learning has been shown to optimize a student’s performance by providing real-time data analyses to allow for the improvement of a student’s reading and math abilities.
21. Khan Academy
Khan Academy provides a variety of homeschool learning websites for kids from preschool age to students in the 8th grade. With its easy-to-understand yet effective lessons, it’s a highly recommended free online homeschooling for kindergarten resource, especially for parents who are just beginning the homeschooling journey with their children. Parents with older children, furthermore, will find the advanced lessons to their liking, too. The available activities that are available in Math, Computers, Humanities & Arts, Science/Engineering, and Finance/Economics, plus college-level testing prep courses. The applications provided by Kahn Academy offers personalized learning for homeschool students and professional educators.
22. MarcoPolo
MarcoPolo offers award-winning lessons and activities for young learners in the areas of math, arts, technology, science, and engineering. MarcoPolo’s program is a valuable tool for educators and homeschooling parents as it encourages more healthy dynamics between a child and their parent. MarcoPolo offers more than 2,500 educational activities and more than 425 lessons at what MarcoPolo calls their World School. Be sure to look for the awesome homeschool curriculum for 7 year old children since it can complement your child’s existing curriculum.
23. Merriam-Webster’s Word Central
The dictionary is undoubtedly among the must-have homeschool tools! Without it, you and your children will be lost for words – or at least, lost as to the meaning of the words. Merriam-Webster, one of the best home education resources, was established in 1828 as a reference book publisher. More than 190 years later, Merriam-Webster now provides a smart word accessible website that offers students of all ages the opportunity to build their word and language usage skills. Self-assessment games and challenges, like Robe-Bee and BIGBot, help students/parents/teachers begin to recognize the areas in need of improvement for each student.
24. Mr. Nussbaun Learning + Fun
Mr. Nussbaun Learning + Fun is a resourceful complement for teachers and homeschooling children’s parents that is best coordinated with traditional studies for students from kindergarten age to eighth grade. Among the reasons for its status as among the best free sites for homeschooling is its interactive, experiential learning through role-playing games reinforce current teachings. Parents/Educators have access to useful and engaging education concepts to develop exceptional skills for young learners.
25. National Geographic Kids
Of all the homeschool websites free featured on this list, National Geographic Kids is perhaps the cream of the crop. Not only is it a well-known brand but the challenging experiments, fun games and interactive format result in an attractive package. National Geographic Kids is a digital tool that complements the popular children’s magazine of the same name. Young learners have the opportunity to learn, explore and experience the world through the website’s wacky weekend program, brain-busting science experiments, and playing action games like Zeus the Mighty or Snowboarding Arctic Fox.
26. Nick Jr.
If you’re looking for a familiar homeschooling for 3 year olds free resource, then look no further than Nick Jr! This is a popular offshoot from the massively successful Nickelodeon program. Nick Jr. offers games and homeschool videos for kindergarten age kids and beyond using the family Nickelodeon characters of Dora, Blue’s Clues, and Thomas and Friends, to name a few. Students can choose to play matching games, search puzzles, and proprietary solve-it games.
27. Ology
Ology is provided by the American Museum of Natural History for kids studying the many facets of the field of science. The website’s name Ology, translates to ‘the study of’ which is what the company offers. Interactive and engaging content is available in physics, zoology, the earth, the brain, biodiversity, water, marine biology, to name just a few.
28. PBS Kids
Another homeschooling platform is PBS Kids which offers young learners games and videos from the channel’s beloved series like Clifford the Big Red Dog and Arthur. The website provides access to educational e-books from Caillou and Elmo for kids and picnic recipes for parents of homeschooled children. WordGirl builds vocabulary skills, while The Cat in the Hat offers engaging learning experiences for science students.
29. Reading Bear
Reading Bear offers free homeschool websites for kids that systematically develop the rules and concepts of the written English language. Videos or slideshows demonstrate new phonic concepts using technological innovations and engaging content to young learners who are just learning how to read. Videos and quizzes test a student’s understanding and help guide the student to future success.
30. ReadingRockets
ReadingRockets, a top honor winner of the Library of Congress Literacy Awards program, provides free educational resources to assist young ones (pre-kindergarten to third grade) in becoming better readers. Parents of homeschooled children will find a guide to teaching the concepts of writing and reading from this valuable reading education site.
31. Scholastic
Scholastic Magazine is a publicly-traded company that was established in 1920, nearly 100 years ago. Scholastic offers engaging educational delivery methods that encourage personal achievement through the development of each student’s literacy abilities. Academic apps and games are designed for students aged 3 through 12. The homeschool games online free are also known for their challenging gameplay and rewarding results.
32. Science News for Students
Since 2003, Science News for Students provides free access to award-winning science news that is easily located as it is indexed into age-appropriate categories through its award-winning website and science magazine. The content is written to the level of the reader and customizable for classroom educators.
33. Science Toys
Science Toys provides a comprehensive and informative website for students studying science. There is a plethora of information regarding microscopic things, small computers, electronics, explosives, and gut reactions. For a hands-on experience, the SciToy catalog offers inexpensive ‘at-home’ kits and projects.
34. Scratch
Scratch is a program that allows your creative minds to learn to program their own stories (that are interactive) to share with the Scratch community. This no-cost option offers specialized guidance for parents and educators in more than 140 countries and 40+ languages. Students have the option to select from a variety of activities as they learn to code.
35. Seussville
Seussville is the digital presence of the beloved children’s author, Dr. Seuss. Students work through their studies, progressing their way through games and activities that bring to life the characters from the Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs & Ham, to name just a few. Parents and educators can find insightful tips and guidance for helping students get the most from all Seussville has to offer.
36. Sheppard Software
Sheppard Software provides a digital educational platform that makes learning fun for learners of all ages – from preschool through adulthood. Sheppard Software includes activities to teach about science, animals, geography, reading, and math, among others. The Sheppard Software website boasts a number of visitors that exceeds 20 million.
37. Spelling City
Spelling City offers vocabulary confidence-building activities and lessons specifically designed for children being homeschooled. Included in the customizable gameplay are projects regarding phonics, spelling and vocabulary development, engaging educational games, and exciting self-study options. Progress reports are issued regularly.
38. Starfall Education
Starfall Education was established in 2002. Starfall Education’s interactive learning content is free to students learning to read, to understand language arts, and to master math. The varied audiovisual, multi-sensory options are geared for students from preschool through the third grade. The resources are regularly used in classrooms and by homeschoolers.
39. Story Bots
Story Bots is the digital website of Netflix’s wildly popular programming giant, Ask the Story Bots. Story Bots answer a child’s most pressing questions (presented by celebrities) like ‘Why can’t we eat dessert for every meal?’ They offer Story Bot books and music options to keep the most curious student busy for hours.
40. Storyline Online
Storyline Online is an award-winning children’s literacy website that is dedicated to inspiring a lifelong love of reading to each child. The educational website is viewed by 100 million viewers each year and offers children’s books narrated by celebrities (i.e., Annette Benning, Kevin Costner, etc.) and professionally illustrated to engage young learners.
41. Storyplace
Storyplace was established in 2000 and is a free, online educational resource that is used by educators and parents as a digital preschool library that offers engaging activities that are accessible digitally on a computer or another digital device. Storyplace uses five activities to raise a lifelong reader through – writing, reading, talking, singing, and playing.
42. TEDed
TEDed is a digital platform that offers TED talks to young learners about countless subjects regarding how to be a coder, or why arthritis has yet to be cured. Additionally, TEDed encourages youth to refine their own unique ideas and offers a viable platform to share these ideas with other TEDed members or viewers.
43. The Learning Station
The Learning Station was the brainchild of professional educators (early childhood education & music) and is among the top educational music-related websites across the globe, with more than 30 award-winning video/audio releases. The Learning Station has created hundreds of children’s music videos that are now a part of the young learner’s curriculum.
44. The Old Farmer’s Almanac for Kids
The Old Farmer’s Almanac for Kids brings to digital life a publication that has been bringing practical, applied science and knowledge to people for more than two centuries – since 1818. Students have the opportunity to explore the concepts of moon phasing, weather, and the night sky (to name a few) using original interactive videos, games, and books.
45. TIME for Kids
TIME for Kids is a digital educational platform that seeks to empower and inspire creative and curious minds to the field of journalism. The available grade-specific content (including current topics) is designed for young learners between kindergarten through sixth grade and is currently read by more than 2 million students.
46. Turtle Diary
Turtle Diary provides an award-winning education collection of activities, worksheets, videos, and lessons that provide a wonderful complement to a young learning curriculum. Turtle Diary’s program uses technology to develop a customizable study plan for early learners being homeschooled or in traditional classrooms.
47. Tynker
Tynker offers a multitude of educational games, videos, and activities (for children five or older) with a keen interest in learning to program a computer and code. The digital website offers coding lessons and activities for students in high school should they wish to learn ‘real-world coding.’
48. XtraMath
XtraMath is a nonprofit organization that is a math-related digital platform that offers activities and lessons that help students master math facts and fundamentals, with no fee. Homeschooled students can choose from many engaging lessons that help young minds master the basics of math.
49. ZooNooz – The San Diego Zoo Global
ZooNooz is the online magazine of the San Diego Zoo, offering all kinds of information and articles about animals, plants, climate, and more. It’s a fun and simple online resource, with colorful pictures and clear, readable text for kids.
With so many free homeschool websites and apps, parents will become confused about the best ones for their children. Keep in mind that while an app may be effective for Tom, it may not be as effective for Dick and Harry.
You, the parent, must take your time when choosing the best homeschool websites and apps for your children.
Consider your unique approach and goals in education for your children, as well as their age, intelligence and learning style. You may, for example, prefer the standard curriculum over the eclectic style where a formal curriculum and informal learning are combined. Your children may also be of different ages and learning styles so the homeschooling tools they use will likely be different. Don’t worry – all of the websites and apps featured here are free so your children can have as many resources on their laptops as they need.
Look for tools and resources designed to grow with your children’s needs. The Khan Academy is a prime example since it offers lessons from pre-kinder to the eighth grade. This means the advanced lessons build on the lessons that came before it and, thus, children enjoy a seamless transition from one grade to the next.
Remember, too, that even the best homeschooling resources for parents are only tools and, as such, their effective and efficient use lies in the hands of parents. You should consider collaborating with other parents and the teachers, asking your children about their experiences with these resources, and making the necessary adjustments.
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