So normally I blog all about fitness–barre & pilates in particular. But we’ve been thrown into a new normal and I wanted to share some of the products that are helping me survive! You all know that barre is my passion but so is being a mom! I only spend a small(ish) portion of my time on fitness, the rest is with my family. So here are the best homeschool products I’ve been using to help me get through this school closure period!

Some of these links (but not all!) contain affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase I may receive a small commission or a discount on purchases from the company.

The Preschool Box

This is one of the best subscription boxes I’ve ever purchased. It has amazing activities perfect for homeschooling your little ones. Each box comes with all the materials you need plus a guide for parents. Each box is good for one month of activities. This box goes well beyond your basic letters and numbers. It has helped me teach Cooper about patterns, the sounds “Sh, “Ch” and “ing” and it has also helped me with beginning reading. Each box usually comes with a free little gift like stickers, pencils or (my favorite) books!

SchoolZone Kindergarten Workbook

I love this workbook! We started with the Preschool Workbook and now have worked our way up to the Kindergarten book. It has so many worksheets to help reinforce concepts like letters, numbers, beginning math, beginning reading, shapes, telling time and money.

Other SchoolZone Workbooks:

• First Grade
• Second Grade
• Third Grade
• Beginning Reading
• Kindergarten Scholar
• Big Spelling Grades 1-3
• And so much more! I recommend all of their books!

Kiwi Crate & Blog

Kiwi Crate and their blog are the best resources for STEM education. I have had this subscription for awhile and I really love the way it goes beyond just projects to actually teach kids. We’ve been doing space for awhile and I love their space box but there are so many more boxes and great ideas to teach your kids STEM concepts on their site.

I also am loving their Kids At Home Resource Hub. This hub was created especially for our new homeschool rolls and includes a daily schedule and much more!

ABC Mouse

We’ve been members of ABC Mouse for about 2 years now. I really like this interactive learning app especially because Cooper can do this on his own! Considering that I’m probably typing whatever words are constantly flowing out of his mouth at this very second, I’m loving a few moments of silence while he works in this app!

Kids Night In Box

We’ve been members of Kids Night in Box for awhile and while I wouldn’t say this has direct school resources, it does teach important concepts like being a good winner/loser, recycling, anti-bullying and so much more. It is also really fun! It always comes with a book, a snack, recipes and an art project. It usually has additional activities and fun little extras plus ideas on ways you can continue your box learning. This usually takes up a good 2 hours and it is truly quality time.

LeapFrog Leap Start

We’ve had the Leap Start for about 2 years and still love it. I’m a huge fan of Leapfrog in general. Probably my favorite thing about this learning toy is that you don’t need the internet! Hello long car rides, restaurants, etc.

The Leap Pad is a great introductory tool but if you are looking for school age appropriate activities, check out the Leap Pad. I also love the Learning Friends for the baby!

Melissa & Doug- Free Printables, Blog & Toys

I just love everything Melissa & Doug. This blog post is super helpful for kids at home. Also, if you sign up for their newsletter, they send you a free weekly newsletter with free printables every weekend for your kids. They are so cute and fun!

A few of my favorite learning toys include:

• Water Wow– awesome, reusable and great for restaurants!
• Wood Block set– STEM learning at its best.
• Reusable Stickers– Amazing for creating stories and imaginary play
• Lacing Beads– So good for developing motor skills in younger children
• Dot to Dot Coloring Pad– Great for counting and number learning
• Alphabet Coloring– Learn those ABCs!
• Secret Decoder– Great for problem solving skills!
• Floor Puzzle– Their floor puzzles are amazing and great for math and problem solving.
• See & Spell & Daily Calendar– We love our See & Spell and the Daily Calendar will help you stay organized!
• Plus so much more!

Lovevery

The Lovevery Playkits have been an absolute god send for my baby and now 1 year old toddler. I love them. They help me focus playtime with the littlest one. Sure, you don’t need to worry about homeschooling a toddler but if you are stuck at home with one, this will definitely keep you from going crazy. They have fantastic ideas. Their blog is really an amazing resource as well. Plus, our 5 year old loves some of the toddler toys so they will both spend some time playing with them together.

If you aren’t ready to commit to the subscription service, here are a few of the great Lovevery products available on Amazon:

• Lovevery Playmat– I love this because it goes beyond the baby stage and transitions to a super cool tent for toddlers. Who doesn’t love a tent?
• Lovevery Block Set– Why do you need this particular block set? It goes well beyond just a regular block set with built-in puzzles, pretend play options and a pull toy. This is an amazing learning set.
• The Buddy Stroller– This stroller is not only super cute, it is also great for teaching imaginary play and helping new walkers. Both my kids loved their walkers and this one is by far the best I’ve seen!
• Play Tunnel– My kids loooove their play tunnel. It is so fun to see the baby explore it and it makes for a great obstacle course tool (hello indoor recess time!).
• Pull Play Pup– The classic pull toy that teaches children pretend play, dexterity and motor skills.