✨Tools That Build a Curious Home
Every once in a while, I stumble on something small that makes our homeschool run smoother, feel richer, or spark a kind of delight I didn’t expect.
Not a curriculum.
Not a grand system.
Just… a thing.
A tool that earns its shelf space because it quietly changes the way my kids learn.
After years of homeschooling (and two decades teaching before that), these are the items I return to again and again—the ones I genuinely recommend spending a little money on. They create atmosphere, spark curiosity, and unlock learning in ways worksheets never will.
I hope they bring your home as much joy as they’ve brought ours.
PS. I don’t earn a penny from these recommendations—they’re simply things that have genuinely made our lives better, and I love passing along what works.
If you want to support my work and help me keep creating resources like this, you can become a paid subscriber below.
A Globe & Large History Map — Because Kids Learn Better When They Can See the World
If I had to choose only two physical learning tools for childhood, these would be them.
Kids understand the world so much better when they can see it, spin it, put their finger on a place. A globe turns geography into play; a giant timeline history map anchors history in physical space. Suddenly history stops being abstract. It becomes movement, land, and lived human story.
Our world map was repurposed from a kit that was sent to us (it’s not fancy). Our history timeline map is HERE, they have smaller version. Our globe is HERE. I got a globe that shows the terrain, which helps kids understand history too!
For more on how I use these items to teach history in a beautiful, curious way, you might like to read Google Maps Can’t Teach Your Kids This and The Best Way to Teach History.
A Home Library (Even a Humble One)
Books everywhere. Within reach. On low shelves. Stacked sideways. Leaning in baskets. A home library doesn’t have to be expensive or aesthetic—it just needs to exist.
Books summon learning. A child wanders, pulls something down, and suddenly we’re ankle-deep in planets or poetry or prairie life. That kind of serendipity is impossible to plan, but easy to nurture if the books are simply there.
If you do nothing else on this list: build the home library.
If you need help getting started, you might enjoy reading How to Build a Home Library.
Backpacks Packed for “Anywhere School”
One of the most underrated homeschool hacks: have a backpack for each kid that is always ready.
This year we survived a home renovation. I spent a lot of days picking up and heading to the library or the park. This became so grounding for us to get out of the mess and into a serene place.
Now, my kids backpacks are always packed with their school books. Whenever, we feel like taking school on the road - there’s no friction, no stress, just grab your bags, let’s go!
A National Park Pass (and the Junior Ranger Program)
The best $80 you will spend all year!
We got this on a whin a year ago, and it turned into some of the most incredible experiences of our lives! We saw so many parks and monuments all over the country.
National parks give kids something a book can’t manufacture: awe, wonder, and true immersion.
Bonus: The Junior Ranger booklets turn every hike, museum, and vista into a self-guided nature and history lesson. My kids LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the junior rangers. We’ve done them all over the country.
PS. If you have a 4th grader, they get a free pass for the year!
Roadside Geology Guides — Turn Every Drive Into a Science Field Trip
These are absolute gems!
I really didn’t expect to like these, but this book now has a permanent place in our car. Whenever we are driving anywhere, I’m reading about ancient volcanos, ocean beds, and million year old rocks.
These book turn every road trip into a geology field trip. They have them for most states, you can check them out HERE.
A Beginner Telescope — To Fill Your Kids With Wonder
Magic. Pure magic.
This is the priciest one on the list, but it has brought so much joy to our lives. We’ve watched solar eclipses (with an add-on), observed huge sun spots, Saturn, and even the moons of Jupiter.
You don’t need an expensive one. Even a small, beginner-friendly scope lets kids see so many incredible things. HERE is the link to the one we have, but it was a gift so you might find a better one out there!
Remember astronomy is a gateway to thinking bigger about our world.
Audiobook Service — These Never Tire of Reading to Your Kids
Audiobooks are the unsung heroes of our home.
They make car time educational.
They make cleaning time peaceful.
They expose kids to complex language above their reading level.
We use our library card to access Libby which has a TON of audiobooks. I did break down though and buy Everand. It allows us to access audio books immediately instead of waiting - which sometimes the library requires.
The point is: audio books multiply the amount of reading your family gets to do and are well worth having around!
Binders — The Simplest Way to Preserve and Celebrate Work
This one isn’t fancy, but boy has it saved us!
Kids produce mountains of work. If you don’t create a home for it, you drown.
Last year, I bought binders in bulk. Each major theme—Art, History, Science—and slide in the best drawings, notes, maps, narrations, projects got a binder. By the end of the year, the binders become a kind of portfolio and memory book, which was really special.
Bonus, the act of flipping through their own work is motivating, and acts like review as they walk through memories of last year.
A Dedicated Learning Space (However Small)
When my kids were little, we did most of school on the floor in my lap. But as they’ve gotten older, having a dedicated space has been hugely helpful to set the mood and tone for school time.
This does not need to be a classroom or even a full room.
It can be a table, a window ledge, a corner with a basket.
But a place cues the brain: this is where we focus.
Crafting the below homeschool space (one of the reasons we renovated the house) has already paid big dividends in their learning.
Khan Academy
You’re probably not using Khan Academy enough. Most people think about it for Math - but my 8 yo is taking Earth Science and my 11yo is taking world history. We did art history as a family last year. It’s pretty awesome.
If you have a struggling math student, I highly recommend using it to shore up skills from past grades.
Paper Dolls — A Tactile Way to Explore History & Literature
A surprising favorite.
OK - full disclosure - I’ve got girls. But they LOVE to make these dolls, cut them out, and play with historical figures. They are pretty amazing.
HERE is a link to them with the Well Trained Mind.
“How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare” — A Joyful Encounter with the Bard
This book is a true treasure!
If you’ve ever wanted to bring Shakespeare into your home but felt intimidated—start here. It gives you scripts, phrases, scenes, and a simple, delightful method that works beautifully with kids. HERE is a link to the book.
In our home, it unlocked a world of story, rhythm, and language my kids now adore.
I’ve added to this book and talk about how I helped my kids fall in love with Shakespeare in my post 8 Year Olds Can Learn Shakespeare.
✨Final Thoughts
You don’t need a room full of gadgets to build a rich, beautiful life with your kids. You just need a handful of well-chosen tools that shape the atmosphere and invite curiosity.
These are the ones that have made a difference for us.
May they bring a little more beauty, ease, and wonder into your days♥️
PS. I’d love to help you lead your children to greatness. Consider becoming a subscriber below.
Please everyone who looks at the comments, add your ideas!!!
I love your posts and have grandkids that are doing creative schooling as my daughter feels overwhelmed by homeschooling but is using a charter homeschool program where her kids get to go to a kid led school
But not enough academics in it and a farm school outdoor program. So I am always looking to fill in the gaps with other curriculums. Your posts are one of my favorite on substack. Thanks for this post I will be gathering what I can for their holiday presents.