By Age And Stage
Homeschooling Preschool & Kindergarten
The little years go fast, and they matter. These are my favorite resources for preschool and kindergarten: what little ones really need, the curriculum I’d choose again, learning toys worth the money, games, shows and apps we love, and books and faith resources for little hearts.
Disclosure: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend resources I’ve personally used and trust.
What Little Ones Really Need To Know
Here’s my personal take on what your preschooler needs to know, to help you decide what to focus on, plus the curriculum I’d choose if I could go back.
Preschool Curriculum I’d Choose Again
Preschool should be full of good books, play and time outside. But when you’re in the thick of it with little ones, a few intentional tools take the guesswork off your plate. If I could go back, these are the ones I’d choose.
Purely Preschool
Month-long themed units for under $5 each, like seasons, insects and transportation. You read quality books together, talk about real life skills and get simple ideas for purposeful play.
Apologia Preschool Science
It isn’t about memorizing facts. It leads little ones to explore and wonder at God’s world through questions, games and simple reading, and you choose how much to do. It works for kindergarten too.
Use code LIFEINTHEMUNDANE10 for 10% off.
See Preschool Science (aff link)
Mathematical Reasoning (Pre-K)
Colorful, hands-on books that gave my little ones a workbook like their big siblings without being hard. The pre-K level builds subitizing: seeing a small group and knowing how many.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
What Your Preschooler Needs To Know
Not a checklist, a feast: poems, songs, fingerplays and Aesop’s fables. We picked a poem and a song or two to enjoy each day. Check your library or ThriftBooks too.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
LeapFrog Videos
A lifesaver for all six of my kids. While I taught the older ones, my preschooler watched and reviewed letter sounds, blending, numbers and shapes. I love the older ones best.
Find Them On Amazon (aff link)
Smart Start Math (Pre-K And K)
Each week starts with a story that teaches the math idea, then fun pages that build on it. My preschooler and kindergartner absolutely loved these.
Pre-K Book · Kindergarten Book (aff link)
Kindergarten Curriculum We’ve Used
Kindergarten is a balance: starting a little formal learning while reading and play stay at the center. Most of our kindergarten work takes an hour or less a day, and we go at each child’s pace.
Christian Light Kindergarten
Our daughter worked through CLE’s Kindergarten 1 and 2 workbooks. A straightforward, step-by-step start to phonics and early reading.
IEW Primary Arts Of Language (PAL)
Phonics, poetry, handwriting and beginning writing with lots of games and hands-on activities. Reading and writing come separately, so you can start each when your child is ready.
See PAL At IEW (aff link)
Get Ready For The Code
The Explode the Code primers (Books A, B and C) make sure little ones have mastered beginning letter sounds while they practice early handwriting.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
Math With Confidence (Kindergarten)
A gentle introduction to math: one short workbook page a day, and the rest is hands-on games and activities with counters and real money.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
Memoria Press Kindergarten Enrichment
Lessons built around classic picture books, with questions to ask, crafts and even field trip ideas, so I don’t have to pick every book myself.
Want to see everything we use? Visit my Favorite Curriculum page, or start with how to choose curriculum.
Learning Toys Worth The Investment
These are my favorite learning toys and manipulatives for preschool and kindergarten, the ones I think are actually worth your money. Many of them grow with your kids, too.
Wooden Calendar Board
Weather, seasons, months, days of the week and telling time, all on one board with no pieces to lose. It’s small enough to use anywhere in the house.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
Counting Bears With Sorting Cups
Count, sort by size and color, and use the tweezers for fine motor practice. There are so many ways to use them. I truly consider these a must-have.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
Pattern Blocks
Shapes beyond the basics, like trapezoids and hexagons. Name shapes and colors with little ones, then print free pattern pages as they grow.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
Monkey Balance Game
Each number weighs the same as that many monkeys, so numbers connect to real counting and even early addition. The monkeys are small, so stay close with younger ones.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
Boggle Jr. Or A Spelling Match Game
My preschoolers match the letter cubes to the word on the card, and readers hide the word and spell it. The inexpensive spelling match games work the same way.
Boggle Jr. · Spelling Match Game (aff link)
Magnetic Tiles
Our favorite quiet toy for read-aloud time, and loved by every age. Magna-Tiles are amazing but pricey, so we use a budget brand that has held up well.
Budget Set · Magna-Tiles (aff link)
Kid-Size Musical Instruments
Playing along to music builds rhythm skills, which help with early literacy. We keep ours put away and pull them out for fun times.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
Lacing Beads And Cards
Great for fine motor skills and early patterns like blue, yellow, blue, yellow. Melissa & Doug sets are sturdier, but Dollar Tree lacing cards work too.
Lacing Beads · Lacing Cards (aff link)
Junior GeoStix
Flexible sticks that snap together to make shapes, letters and pictures, with design cards to copy. Best for older preschoolers and kindergartners.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
Games For Little Learners
Games teach turn-taking, listening, early math and letter skills without feeling like school. These are some of our favorites for toddlers, preschoolers and kindergartners.
Roll & Play
Our physical therapist recommended this years ago, and it’s still a favorite. No little pieces, the cards store in the cube, and it works on fine and gross motor skills.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
Seek-a-Boo
Lots of movement for little wigglers. Start with just a few picture circles and add more as they grow, and older kids can match beginning sounds.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
Sneaky Snacky Squirrel
Early learning plus pincer grasp practice with the squirrel tongs. Quick and easy to play, and the rest of the series is great too.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
Pizza Palace Listening Game
Great for listening and memory. My two-year-old worked her way up to five or six toppings, and my older kids enjoyed it too.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
Zingo!
Picture bingo that gets very competitive with everyone, not just the little kids. It’s a great start on recognizing words.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
Spot It!
Works for readers and non-readers, younger and older kids. It comes in a small tin that’s easy to toss in a bag.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
Shows, Videos And Music For Little Ones
Screen time can still be learning time. These are our family’s favorites for little ones, and you’ll find my ratings and notes on each one in our libraries.
Numberblocks
The favorite with my littles. Addition, math facts and skip counting that don’t feel like learning, and they’ve learned so much just by watching.
Alphablocks
The phonics side of Numberblocks. Letter sounds plus reading and spelling rules, taught in a way that doesn’t feel like school.
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
Emotional regulation and how to be a good friend, through simple songs and reminders we still use every day.
Signing Time
American Sign Language through songs, stories and puppets, with other learning woven in. One of our favorite seven continents songs comes from it.
Jack Hartmann
Music, motion and memory together: counting, letters, sight words, months and more, with moves to match.
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
Fred Rogers gently helps young children understand their feelings, try new things and learn about the world around them.
Music To Sing Along With
Wee Sing Children’s Songs And Fingerplays
Classic children’s songs and fingerplays to sing and act out together.
Seeds Kids Worship
Scripture set to music, so little ones can sing God’s Word and hide it in their hearts.
Psalty The Singing Songbook
Fun, faith-filled Kids Praise! songs with Psalty the singing songbook.
Apps For Little Learners
A few apps we’ve loved for little ones, especially for early reading practice.
Reading.com
My absolute favorite reading app. It’s fully scripted with no prep and made for parent and child to do together, and that’s where I saw real growth.
Teach Your Monster To Read
A fun supplement to your reading curriculum with no pop-ups, free to play on the website. There’s no limit on how many kids can use it.
Khan Academy Kids
A free, ad-free app my three youngest love. It’s fun without being so game-heavy that they play more than they learn.
Books For Little Listeners
Reading is such a critical learning tool for preschoolers, but it can be hard to find good-quality books. These are my favorite places to look.
Read-Aloud Revival
Fantastic free booklists full of quality literature, plus a great podcast wherever you listen.
Honey For A Child’s Heart
Booklists for every age, with a description of each book and room to track what you’ve read.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
Aesop’s Fables For Children
Short, classic fables with simple lessons, just right for little listeners.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
First Chapter Books To Read Aloud
When your little ones are ready for longer stories, these short, funny chapter books are a perfect first step. Starting a series means you don’t have to find a new book every time.
Mercy Watson
A funny pig who gets into all sorts of mischief. Real chapters make kids feel grown up, but they’re short with lots of pictures. A great start around ages 4 to 6.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
The Precious Ramotswe Series
Gentle little mysteries for about ages 4 to 7, starring young Precious in Botswana. A wonderful series to read straight through.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
My Father’s Dragon
A beginner chapter book series full of adventure and silly characters. Each chapter is almost its own story, and my girls loved it as much as the boys.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
Character, Manners And Faith
Crossroads Of Character
Helps little ones think through everyday choices and what it looks like to choose well.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
Richard Scarry’s Please And Thank You Book
The Busytown friends show little ones good manners in a fun, silly way.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
My ABC Bible Verses
A Bible verse for every letter of the alphabet, each with a short story to help little ones hide God’s Word in their hearts.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
Hide ’Em In Your Heart
Steve Green’s Scripture songs. We use them to help our kids memorize Scripture.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
God Made Me Series
Picture books from New Growth Press that show little ones how God made them and the people around them.
See It On Amazon (aff link)
Good News For Little Hearts
Picture books for ages 3 to 8 that follow an animal family through big feelings like worry, anger and sadness.
See Them On Amazon (aff link)
More Bibles and devotionals for little ones are in my Teaching Your Kids About God hub.
Free Printables For Little Ones
These are free from me. Just tell me where to send them, and they’ll land in your inbox.
Christian Character Study Guides
Free guides for picture books like the God Made Me and Good News for Little Hearts series, to talk through character and big feelings together.
Visual Bible Memory Pack
Illustrated Bible verses that help little ones see, say and remember God’s Word.
Morning Menu Printable Pack
Our morning menu pages, including the Truth Chart, a calendar page and a prayer page, to start your day together.
More Preschool Videos
Simple unit studies and real-life tips for homeschooling with little ones underfoot.
Want My Preschool Workshop?
My Homeschooling with Preschoolers workshop is inside the Made2Homeschool community, along with many more.
There’s a free plan, so you can look around before you commit.