How to Have Preschool at Home

Simple tips to have preschool at home. 

Wondering how to have preschool at home? When my oldest was a toddler, I started to want to do some type of preschool at home. Since this was before the days of Pinterest, I spent a lot of time searching the internet. There were so many ideas and I instantly felt a little overwhelmed. We set forth on our journey of preschool at home, both learning a lot.

Now, as a mom of three, I have learned some simple tips to help preschool at home be an enjoyable time for everyone. 

This post contains affiliate links. View my policy.

Tips for Having Preschool at Home

Your Child Will Be Okay

Repeat this with me. Whatever your child is struggling with, they will be okay. I spent two years at home trying to teach my son the ABCs, numbers, and how to write his name. It was a struggle. A week into kindergarten and he instantly picked up on things and has been thriving ever since.

While there can be reasons why your child is not picking up on things, sometimes it is just because they need a little more time to mature. Relax, take a deep breath, and know that your little one will eventually learn how to write his name.

Have Fun

You are having preschool at home so you get to create the environment you want! This does not have to be a reproduction of the classroom. Be creative and have fun with this time!  Laugh together, sing songs, dance around, and celebrate. 

Plan it Out

I quickly learned that creating my own curriculum, stressed me out. It took all of the joy out of the preschool journey. I knew I needed to find a curriculum to use. With my son, I used Confessions of a Homeschooler, which I loved. With my daughter, I used The Peaceful Preschool. 

My favorite part is the weekly grid that is for each letter. Every activity is laid out and we can print the grid to put on my clipboard or on our fridge. All of the stress of planning is gone. I look at the plans and write down what I need to gather- so simple.

I also used Learn and Play Calendars from Everyday Learn and Play and The Five Senses and Lifestyle Homeschooling. 

Figure out what you need to do to plan out your preschool. Do you want to browse Pinterest and come up with a plan? Or would you prefer following a plan?

Download a free copy of my planning grid to use! 

Have a goal.

What do you want your child to learn? Colors, shapes, letters, numbers, counting? Write it down and then plan activities accordingly.  We did a slow introduction through things through play. 

Establishing a goal will help you stay focused and remember your why for doing what you are doing.

Use what you have.

It can be easy to start looking at Pinterest ideas and get overwhelmed with thinking you need to go out and buy all these supplies. Stop right there- look around your home for items you may already have.

Muffin tins are great for sorting. Blocks are great for teaching colors, counting, and patterns. If you do want to purchase some items, the Dollar Store always is full of options. Keep an eye out on the Target Dollar Spot as it can have great resources.

If there are some items you would love to have, make a list, and slowly purchase the items as your budget allows. In the meantime, think about ways you can use what you do have. When we did not have Do-a-Dot markers yet, we used stamp pads with their finger to make the dots or you could use Q-tips with paint.

Give yourself grace.

Something I have learned as a mom is that I need to keep my eyes straight ahead and constantly pour out grace. We will see friends doing great things with their kids, and we can learn and glean from that but we have to stay focused.

We each have unique gifts and can use these to be the right moms for our kids. As you start the journey of preschool with your little one, remember to take what works for you and use that. When you find out that things do not work well, let them go and move on.

Are you ready to start preschool? You can do this mama! I cannot wait to hear how it is going for you. If you have any other tips about preschool, please share them below! Check out our school board where we will be pinning lots of fun ideas.

Check out my favorite resources for preschool!