Homeschool Preschool Curriculum for the Unschooling Parent 

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Let’s talk about preschool curriculum.

When we chose an unschooling approach to learning, that meant stepping away from a traditional curriculum. Instead, I focused on offering experiences, following my kids’ interests, and creating space for natural learning to unfold. Still, I’ll admit—I’ve always liked having some kind of plan.

Back when my kids were preschool age, I really craved structure. I wanted something to help me feel grounded, even as we explored a more flexible way of learning. This post was originally written during that time, so you might notice it leans a little more structured than some of my other unschooling posts.

I’ve updated it with my current perspective, too, now that we’ve been on this journey a while. Let’s jump in!

A Personal Journey with Unschooling

I remember when my daughter O was preschool age; I felt a bit lost without a structured curriculum. I craved the predictability that a traditional curriculum could provide (I was a public school kid, so it felt comfortable!). 

But as we embraced unschooling, I realized that learning doesn’t have to be confined to a specific set of lessons. 

We went apple picking one morning since O was quite interested in apples. O started asking questions about how apples grow and why some were redder than others. 

This spontaneous curiosity led to an impromptu lesson on plant life cycles and the different apple varieties. 

That’s when I truly saw the magic of unschooling and when I finally released control over her learning for good. 

How I Plan Our Homeschool Preschool Curriculum

I like to have a basic plan in place for our preschool, not because I don’t think O will learn everything she needs to without formal preschool (she will), but because it helps me to be present in her learning, which is a good skill for me to practice too.

Unschooling is all about recognizing that learning happens naturally, especially for preschool-aged children. At this age, they are incredibly curious, eager to explore, and open to discovering the world around them. 

By following their lead, I’ve noticed that O learns best when she is genuinely interested in what she’s doing. It’s not about sticking to a rigid schedule but rather being present and ready to dive into whatever piques her interest.

Here is how I do it.

I Ask (or Notice) What Topics O is Interested In

I like to start by observing or asking what my kids are currently fascinated with. When she was younger, O loved school buses, cowboys, farming, and pretending to be a mommy. I noticed these interests and planned activities around them while leaving plenty of room for her to explore freely. 

For example, when she showed an interest in farming, we visited a local historical farm. She was enthralled by the milking demonstration and the tour of the old farmhouse, and we ended up spending hours there, much longer than I had anticipated!

Incorporating Natural Learning into Daily Life

Unschooling means finding learning opportunities in everyday life. Here are some of the ways we incorporate this into our unschooling preschool “curriculum”:

• Family Trips and Nature Walks: Every week, we make it a point to go for a hike or walk. Being in nature is a great way for O to learn about the environment around her. I encourage her to notice little details, like the colors of leaves, the patterns on rocks, or the way a caterpillar moves. These moments spark conversations about science and nature without feeling like a lesson.
• Community Events and Outings: At least once a month, we plan a trip to a museum, fair, or local event. Recently, we visited Billings Farm, where O learned about farm animals and historical farming practices. It was a hit! These outings often introduce her to new ideas and activities she wouldn’t have encountered at home.
• Everyday Activities as Learning Opportunities: Activities like apple picking, pumpkin picking, or even swimming can be educational. For example, while apple picking, we counted the apples, discussed their colors, and talked about how they grow. It’s all about being creative and seeing the learning potential in every experience.

Using Free Resources for Preschool Learning

While I don’t believe that worksheets are necessary at this age, sometimes they can be a useful tool. For instance, on a particularly restless day, a printable coloring page might help O settle down for a bit, giving me a chance to regroup. 

We also tried a nature journal, which didn’t go as planned—but that’s okay! I quickly realized that the journal didn’t matter as much as putting “investigating nature” into O’s mind. 

The real value was in the conversations we had about the things we observed in nature, not the journal itself.

The Value of the Library in Unschooling

Our local library has been a fantastic resource for us as unschoolers. Storytime sessions can be wonderful for developing early literacy skills, especially if the librarian encourages questions and discussions. 

When choosing books, I don’t stick rigidly to themes but rather pick what feels right in the moment. I used to choose specific books to get out at the library because I believed there was a perfect book for each topic. But now I’m much more comfortable with getting whatever books fit the theme or topic — because there is no perfect book!

Sometimes I select books that align with O’s current interests, and other times, she chooses them all herself. The library is also great for discovering new topics and ideas we hadn’t thought of before.

For the library books she liked best, I would go online and search for matching activities or come up with one myself. I try to make these as open-ended as possible.

Creating a Learning-Friendly Environment

One thing I’ve found essential is arranging our home environment to encourage exploration. I strive to create a “YES” space where O and Q can explore without constantly being told “no.” This means organizing toys and materials in a way that promotes independent play and learning. 

For example, I group toys by type—blocks for building, art supplies for creativity, and outdoor toys for physical play. Rotating toys helps keep things fresh and exciting, allowing O to discover new ways to play and learn. Too many toys can truly be a nuisance.

That being said, I am not perfect. Our shelves get messy sometimes. The important thing is that I try to be intentional about our space.

If you take a look at the toys you already have, you probably have something for every subject area. Blocks for spatial awareness, art supplies for creative expression, manipulatives for math, outdoor play for science, etc.

Organize the toys into centers if you like, or use Montessori-style trays to display different materials. This is how I made sure O and Q had access to materials for all subjects when they were younger. 

I just like having a plan to fall back on when everyone is restless. This is what we had planned for September when O was 4 years old.

Planning Our Unschooling Preschool

If you’re like me and like to operate with lists and visuals, I’ve got you! Here is what it looked like when I planned unschooling preschool when my two were little:

Preschool themes 

Whatever each child was interested in. This list is from when O was 4 and her interests were:

• Apples
• School and Buses
• Harvest/Fall

Then I wrote out all of the categories I wanted to touch on and listed what we had done or would do under each category. This helped my schooly brain relax.

Books

• The Apple Pie Tree
• School Bus

Art

• Apple stamps
• Melted crayon animals

Math

• Counting apples, tomatoes
• Colors of apples and tomatoes from the garden (which ones are ready to pick?)

Science

• Picking, eating, and baking with apples
• How things grow

Social Studies

• Farmers grow apples
• Bus driver, teachers, what do they do? (Notice the school bus passing each day.)

So easy!

Final Thoughts

This is what our unschooling preschool plan looked like when I had 2 small kids. I hope it gives you some ideas about how you can make learning part of each day, and I hope it also shows you that you’re probably already doing lots of learning!

Want to Learn More About Our Homeschooling on the Homestead? Check Out These Posts:

• A Better Way of Strewing (Easier and Less Wasteful) 
• What is Deschooling (and How Can I Do It?)
• 12 Tips on How To Start Unschooling
• How Do Kids Learn When They’re Unschooling?
• Is It Possible to Homeschool and Work Full-Time? An Honest Perspective
• How to Create Your Unschooling Curriculum (5 Easy Steps!)
• A Simple Guide to Unschooling the Early Years
• 9 Ways Fewer Toys Can Boost Learning in Your Homeschool