Homeschooling can be so much fun but can also be tough, especially when you have a toddler running around when you are trying to teach their older siblings. I homeschool two, a 6th grader and a 1st grader. Along, with them, I have a loving two-year-old, who loves to join in on all the school adventures. She always wants to be a part of it and be just like her older brothers. As sweet as it is, it was becoming complicated to homeschool with her, especially when she dropped her naps. So, today, I am sharing with you how to homeschool a toddler. I am going to share my 2 tips that have helped us tremendously!
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Include, include, include
So, my first tip that has helped us so much is to include her. When I am planning our homeschool days, I always try to find something for my toddler to do along with us, whether it be a coloring sheet or a book that goes with whatever we are learning about. I always set her up a spot at our homeschool table just for her. It has been so much easier by just including her. She feels important and a part of homeschooling.
Toddler Homeschool Box
Now, on some occasions, I cannot include her. For these days I pull out her homeschool box. She loves it because she can do whatever she wants in it and I don’t have to worry. I filled the box with puzzles, toys, books, and other things that can keep her busy for a moment. This has been our lifesaver. The rule for the box is it only comes out during homeschooling. This keeps it more exciting for her, along with keeping my sanity of less mess to clean up later. I will share what we have in our homeschool box below.
What’s in our Homeschool Box?
I just bought one of these containers for her from Walmart and it fits quite a bit of stuff. Also, I can lock it and it’s durable and she can’t really do any harm to it.
Books
I love to keep a couple of books in here that focus on the alphabet or numbers just to help her with recognition. Currently, we have Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and an ABC book. I love these both for letter recognition. The alphabet book also shows how to write letters. They are able to trace the letters with their fingers.
Puzzles
I love to keep wooden puzzles in this box too. These Melissa and Doug Alphabet and Number Puzzles are a favorite. My 1st grader used them and now she is too.
Toys
So, one of my favorite things to do is peruse the dollar spot at Target and find their wooden toys. I put these in here because normally she can build with them and play. It’s the best dollar I always spend because she will spend a long time playing with them.
Another favorite toy is wooden dolls. She plays with them forever too. We buy the plain ones and spend a day decorating them however we want. It’s so much fun.
Flashcards
I do keep flashcards, alphabet and numbers, in the homeschool box. She loves them and they keep her occupied for quite a bit of time. I love these flashcards because they are durable and she can’t rip them. Perfect for toddlers!
Notebook and Stickers
The last things I love to keep in this box are notebooks and stickers. Sometimes, I will open a page and let her do what she wants with it. She loves this activity. Another thing I will add is workbooks from Dollar Tree. This helps with her feeling included and we stay on budget as well.
I hope these two tips help you with how to homeschool with a toddler. You can check out my other blog post about how to homeschool with multiple children for more tips. For more homeschool inspiration check out my Instagram where I post daily about our homeschool adventure! Stay peaceful!