A Simple Guide To Unschooling The Early Years

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When my kids were preschool and early school-aged, I faced a question every parent thinks about at some point: How do I start homeschooling? For us, the answer was unschooling.

I’ve always believed that children learn best when they’re curious, engaged, and allowed to explore at their own pace. But I’ll admit, in those early years, I was nervous. Could my kids really learn everything they needed without a traditional plan?

Over time, I discovered that learning doesn’t need to be forced or formal, especially in kindergarten, first, and second grade.

Life itself (our daily routines, our homestead, and our little adventures) provided a rich classroom. The key was offering opportunities, observing what sparked their curiosity, and being ready to follow their lead.

In this post, I’ll share our unschooling journey during those early years: what worked, what I learned, and practical ideas for helping your own children thrive without a rigid curriculum.

Table of Contents

Why Unschooling Works for Us

Unschooling fits naturally with our lifestyle and parenting philosophy. It allows me to trust my children to explore what they need in their own time while keeping our days flexible.

For example, one day when O was little, she became fascinated by shadows while playing outside. That curiosity turned into a hands-on lesson about light, perspective, and even a bit of math as we (informally) measured lengths and compared sizes. Moments like this happen all the time! Learning is truly everywhere, not just at a desk.

By observing what sparks their curiosity and providing resources when interest arises, unschooling turns everyday life on the homestead into a rich, engaging classroom.

Our Short Experience in Public School

I’ll save the full story for another time, but I want to be honest: my kids did spend a short time in public school during these early years.

It wasn’t a great fit for us, and I was relieved when we returned to homeschooling.

If you’re in a tough spot right now, know that you’re not alone—and I truly believe you can create the life you want for your children.

How to Start Unschooling Kindergarten, First Grade, or Second Grade: A Step-by-Step Guide

For those of us who went to traditional schooling (most of us), it can be difficult to approach a school year without any kind of plan, even if you know it’s best for the child.

That was my experience anyway! My preschool planning was more detailed because I felt like I needed to have more structure.

Though if I could do it over again, I wouldn’t have bothered. I realize now that preschool (and even up through second grade) doesn’t need to be structured learning years.

We continued unschooling past second grade, but even if that’s not your plan, I strongly encourage allowing these early years to be as unstructured as possible.

How can you have unstructured learning without chaos? I go more into detail about that in another blog post.

But for now, here is a quick breakdown of how I recommend planning Homeschooling kindergarten, first grade, and second grade.

Observe Your Child’s Interests: Pay attention to what your child naturally gravitates toward. This will give you clues about what to explore next.
Create a Learning-Friendly Environment: Have books, art supplies, and other learning tools easily accessible.
Engage in Everyday Activities: Use daily routines as learning opportunities. Cooking can teach math and science; gardening can introduce biology and responsibility. You can even sort socks with your early school-aged child and they’ll learn colors and numbers!
Stay Flexible: Be prepared to change plans based on your child’s interests and mood. The key is to facilitate learning, not force it.
Join a Community: Look for local homeschooling groups or online communities to share experiences and get support.

This is a simple way to plan your homeschooling kindergarten, first, or second-grade days. The simplicity can be misleading and you may feel like you aren’t doing anything. But I challenge you to find the learning that’s already happening!

Here’s how I looked at the learning that was already happening around my kids:

What Can Be Learned on the Homestead?

As homesteaders, there is a lot we can learn from our everyday lives. And there are countless learning opportunities across different subjects:

Math

How many eggs are in the basket? How many chickens do we have? How many hens? How many roosters? Which measuring cup is 1/2 cup? How can we put a whole cup into our recipe if we only have a 1/2 cup measure? What time is it? When will it be time to eat lunch/feed chickens/pick vegetables? How many zucchini did we find?

Math is everywhere on the homestead! I don’t usually ask direct questions like a quiz, but these topics naturally come up in conversation. For example:

O: We have lots of chickens.

Me: Do you know how many?
And she may decide to count them or ask me to count them with her. This approach makes learning feel like a natural part of life rather than a formal lesson.

Science

How are chickens born? What do chickens eat? When do they sleep? Why do vegetables grow? How can we make them grow? Why are vegetables good for our bodies?

These questions lead to hands-on exploration and discovery.

Language

We talk every day, so language learning is always happening. O learned how to read “yes” and “no” because she kept asking me to read those two words to her (she obviously recognized them!).

Encouraging curiosity-driven questions from your child, like “What does this sign say?” or “How do you spell that?”, integrates literacy into daily life.

Physical education

Running, jumping, and playing. This one’s easy. We don’t need a gym class to get moving—nature provides plenty of opportunities!

Art/Music

I’m an artistic/musical person, so this comes naturally. We just do it every day.

Kids are also great at using drawing to work through thoughts and emotions, so as long as there is paper and crayons/markers available, they will do art. We also sing while we work or play, which makes music a part of our daily rhythm.

What Can Be Learned at Local Events, Activities, Museums, etc.?

We are part of a homeschooling group that organizes field trips and playgroups. We also have a membership to our local children’s science museum. These outings are not only fun but also rich with learning opportunities:

Social Skills: How to interact with other people and make friends easily.
Real-life/Hands-on Skills: Activities like making cider, understanding gravity at the museum, or learning to drum.
Safety: Learning that in crowds, we have to stay close to each other.
Cultural Awareness: Different cultures listen to different music, and each festival or event brings new things to explore.

Every outing becomes a chance to learn something new, whether managing money, understanding different cultures, or exploring science concepts hands-on.

What is the Child Interested In?

We will always learn more when we’re interested in the subject matter, so I look at what each child is already interested in.

When O was little, she was into dinosaurs. When we went to the library, I looked up some dinosaur books to check out (as well as other topics). Learning happens when the girls are engaged with something they love.

O learned how big dinosaurs were, what they may have eaten, how long ago they died, etc.

She also had dinosaur figurines that she could count, float in water, and balance on the table. There’s so much learning happening!

What Might They Be Interested In?

I also consider what they might be interested in and get books and other materials on those topics in case they become interesting to either child.

For instance, I might find books on different animals, seasonal topics like apples or pumpkins, or upcoming holidays.

Keeping a variety of materials on hand means that we can easily pivot to a new topic when interest wanes, keeping learning fresh and exciting.

Resources We Used for Unschooling K-2

Here are some of the resources that have been invaluable in our unschooling journey:

Library: I choose books for both girls based on their interests or what I think they might like, so I can strew them. They also choose some for themselves. Libraries are treasure troves of learning materials and can cater to all sorts of interests.
Starfall: A website with learning games for kids. The age range is preschool to 2nd grade. We used this occasionally for fun and educational screen time.
Craft Subscription boxes: I prefer to buy the one-off boxes when they’re available versus getting a subscription because we can choose the themes.
Children’s Museum: As I mentioned, we have a membership to the science museum, so we can go whenever we want, which is great for impromptu learning days. Hands-on exhibits make learning interactive and fun, reinforcing concepts in memorable ways.

Embracing Flexible Routines

While unschooling doesn’t typically involve a strict schedule, having a loose routine can provide a helpful rhythm to our days.

In our home, we like to have a general flow, but we stay open to change based on our interests and the opportunities that arise. This approach keeps our days dynamic and responsive to what sparks joy and curiosity in the moment.

Our Flexible Daily Routine

When the girls were K-2 aged, we started our days with some essential tasks and then let the rest unfold naturally. Here’s a glimpse of what a typical day might have looked like, though it often changed:

Morning Routine: We woke up, got dressed, and enjoyed a family breakfast. This was also a time for morning chores, like feeding the chickens and tending to our garden. These activities naturally led to discussions and questions—perfect learning moments!
Open Exploration Time: After breakfast, we had a block of time that was completely open for exploration. Sometimes we jumped into hands-on projects in the garden, visited a local park, or started an art activity. If one of the girls was particularly interested in something—like dinosaurs or outer space—we might have focused on that for a bit, looking up books, doing crafts, or visiting a museum.
Midday Break: Around midday, we took a break to relax and recharge. We might have read together, had a snack, or enjoyed some quiet time. Other times I took time to myself while the girls had screentime or napped.
Afternoon Adventures: In the afternoons, we often went on little adventures. This could have meant a trip to the library, a playgroup with other homeschooling families, or just exploring our backyard. Learning happened naturally as we encountered new things and ideas. Sometimes this was swapped with the morning exploration time.
Evening Wind Down: As the day wound down, we prepared dinner together and talked about our day. This often led to more learning opportunities, like practicing measurements while cooking or discussing a story we had read earlier.

Instead of sticking to a strict schedule, we focus on having a variety of experiences available. This way, we’re ready to dive into whatever piques the girls’ interest at any given moment, while also allowing for downtime and rest.

By keeping our routine flexible, we honor the unschooling philosophy of child-led learning while still providing a comforting rhythm to our days.

Final Thoughts on Homeschooling the Early Years

I hope sharing our experiences helps you feel more confident about your unschooling journey. Remember, there’s no right way to homeschool—just what works best for your family. If you have questions or want to share your own experiences, leave a comment below!

A Simple Guide to Unschooling the Early Years