If you’re reading this with one eye on your homeschooler’s math page and the other on a toddler climbing the couch again, you are not alone. Homeschooling with toddlers underfoot is one of the most beautifully challenging seasons, and I promise—it can be done. It might look a little messier and noisier than you pictured, but with a bit of flexibility, preparation, and grace (lots and lots of grace!), this season can be a sweet one.

Here are a few tips to help you THRIVE while you homeschool with toddlers, not just survive!

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Start the Day with Together Time

Before diving into lessons, fill those little love tanks—including your toddler’s. Homeschooling with toddlers in the mix doesn’t have to mean keeping your toddler independently occupied while you can tend to the older kiddos. There can still be lots of “togetherness” in your learning time – toddlers included!

Spend the first part of the day snuggling everyone on the couch with a picture book, singing a few worship songs, or eating breakfast together without any rush. When your toddler starts the day feeling connected to you, they’re often much more content during independent play later on.

One of my absolute favorite parts of our homeschool day has become our Morning Basket time. (CLICK HERE to read all about what we include!) While it used to seem daunting to me, it’s become such a delightful chance for the whole crew to connect at the kitchen table over good stories, Bible devotions, and a hot drink – or chocolate milk if you’re a toddler!

Create a “School Time” Basket for Your Toddler

Homeschooling isn’t just for the big kids, y’all! Over our many years of homeschooling, I’ve found that homeschooling with toddlers is one of my absolute favorite seasons! There are so many fun hands-on resources that are developmentally appropriate for this age, and they’re just SO excited to learn like their older siblings!

Just like your big kids have school supplies, your toddler can, too! Fill a small basket with special activities for them to use during school time. I like to pull this basket out while my older homeschooler is working on independent work.

When preparing to homeschool with toddlers, I try to include both items my toddler can work on independently and learning activities we can do together. Doing homeschool with toddlers can truly be a blast! To put together your own basket, think about including:

• Simple puzzles and matching mats
• Nursery Rhyme activities
• Coloring activities
• Picture books
• Sensory bins (a bin of rice with scoops and little toys is magical!)
• Thematic Math and Literacy printables

Rotate the items every few weeks to keep them fresh and exciting! If you’d like some inspiration for your toddler and Preschool themes, click the button below to grab our FREE Preschool curriculum map that includes 45+ engaging themes for little learners!

Use Nap Time or Quiet Time Wisely

If your toddler still naps, bless it. For some families, this can be a great time to get down to business on the school subjects that require the most brain power and attention. I heavily relied on this time when my youngest was a napping baby. Not only did tackling tough subjects during nap time give my oldest and I a chance to connect one-on-one, it also allowed us to get our work done during a time we had to be home anyway. Getting work done during nap time meant we were free birds to run around out of the house all afternoon – a freedom we were definitely missing!

A quick note for tired Mommas – using nap time for school is definitely helpful for many families who are homeschooling with toddlers. But it’s also a very beneficial way for YOU to get some rest time during the school day! So if you need to use your toddler’s nap time as you own mental break – GO FOR IT. That’s the beautiful of homeschooling – you do whatever works best for you and your family!

Tag-Team the Teaching

One of my favorite parts of homeschooling with toddlers hanging around is getting the chance to see bigger siblings interact with the littles! There are so many ways to foster family connections when you homeschool with a toddler. Here are some of our favorites!

• Let your big kids take turns reading aloud to their toddler sibling while you prep lunch.
• Give older siblings a “teacher helper” job and let them show their brother or sister how to sort colors or build with blocks. It reinforces learning and gives your toddler attention at the same time!
• Let them PLAY! Don’t forget – play IS learning for our little ones, and even for our big kiddos! It’s always such a sweet reminder of how little are “big kids” still are when I see my 3.5 year old and 9.5 year old playing restaurant, doctor’s office, building forts… These are the moments, y’all!

Use Smart Screen Time

Okay – now I can be a bit of an idealist sometimes, but you wanna know what else I really try to be? PRACTICAL. And sometimes the most practical thing you can do when homeschooling with toddlers is to bust out the screen time.

That’s right – I said it. I 100% understand the goal of minimizing screen time for littles, especially with certain personalities who become more attached to the screens than others. But I also don’t believe that screens have to be our enemy. When used as a TOOL instead of a babysitter, screen time can be a smart move while preparing your homeschool with toddlers.

Whether you need to tackle a tough school subject with an older child or your toddler could use a little of their own cool down time, there are so many helpful learning apps for little ones. Click the button below to read about some of our favorites!

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Momma, this season won’t last forever. It is certainly hard work, but homeschooling with toddlers running around is one of the sweetest times. And honestly, it’s part of what homeschooling is about – integrating learning and family life in a way that blesses the entire family. Including your littlest learners in the homeschool fun will be such a blessing to them in the long run, and fill your heart with precious memories.

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LET’S HANG OUT!

I’d love to chat and get to know you better! You can find us below in some of our favorite places to hang out. Can’t wait to chat with you about your family’s homeschool learning journey!

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SAVE THIS POST FOR LATER!

Was this post about homeschooling with toddlers helpful? Make sure you can come back to this post as much as you need by saving it for later on Pinterest! Click the image below to save this pin to your toddler activities boards! Then, CLICK HERE to read about more of our favorite toddler and Preschool activities!

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