We picked up free home/interior design magazines at the library & my daughter will use them to cut out furniture, paint colors, etc for her interior design journal.
We also picked up the color samples at Lowe’s for this journal too. As well as a free sample of wood flooring.
A.S.
1. Library but specifically library book sales where you fill a bag of books for $5.
2. Thrift stores always have some good finds for books, games, science kits…
3. Group Buys. My favorite page is ASKhc on Facebook where you can get huge discounts on programs like vocabClass, CTC math, Night Zookeeper, Creating a Masterpiece, Typing programs and many more.
All of those programs are great for supplementing Fun-Schooling journals.
4. YouTube videos. Our favorite channels are Crash Course, Mr Demaio, Mark Rober, TED-Ed.
I.M.
We also have a subscription to CuriosityStream and I love it. It only costs me $20 a year for access to so many documentaries. It’s well worth the cost to me.
For listening pages we either use audiobooks from Libby (we get a free membership with our library membership) or podcasts on Pandora. I have a free membership to Pandora and there are tons of podcasts on there.
H.P.
We live in a very small town in a rural area. So we use Youtube, twinkl and our town library. We also have a lot of elderly people that love to teach kids. So we learn from them how to do woodwork, preservation of nature and farming. We also go camping and exploring at our nature reserve close to us.
E.B.
~~ Take advantage of the many Fun-Schooling sales & giveaways! ~~
~~ Stock up on your favorite school supplies during “back to school” sales.
~~ Be a tourist in your own town & hit up local free learning opportunities such as hatcheries, museums, farms etc.
~~ Go bird watching, its free! (don’t forget to bring along the Bird Watching Journal
) You can also do this when traveling to take note of the different birds you see.
~~ Keep an eye out for coupons (such as Michaels) when you need to purchase something that’s not on sale.
~~ Use free online learning resources like Khan Academy & Khan Academy kids
G.K.
Libraries are packed with so much more than books. We really enjoy their free events and classes!
Another idea is to take trips using public transportation. This is typically quite cheap and is a great way to learn about the world directly around us. A perk if you have the option to take a train or a ferry, two of my favorites when I was unschooled.
So much can be found online. Documentaries, DIY videos, how to’s, etc. Don’t sweat screen time limits so much if time spent in front of one involves learning.
Thrift stores! We find most of our homeschool supplies at thrift stores. From books to cheap electronics to take apart and investigate. I love a good thrift shop score!
Local parks, nature trails, and even local farms are great opportunities for learning and free.
Lastly, get together with a few friends and start a Fun-School co-op. Have fun together! This would be a great opportunity to take advantage of group rates or split costs for things like one of the million experiments kids often ask to do. It really is much more fun with friends!
B.S.
My 11 year old loves to watch vet shows (Dr. K’s Exotic Animal ER) for inspiration for her writing! [also check out Dr. Pol and The Bionic Vet]
L.W.
We love using the library, free/inexpensive museums, Little Free Libraries, documentaries, going out in nature.
M.D.
When I have to buy something, I always ask if there’s a military discount or a first responder discount; this has saved us money in the past even when I wasn’t expecting it! And if those discounts don’t apply then I ask if there is a teacher discount. I also use shopping rebate apps and that money goes into my school account for extras be it snacks, books, field trips, or just fun items like games or toys.
J.D.
We like nature centers! Most have a nice building with animals and other neat educational things to look at and do, plus they have great trails for a hike and exploring! We’re using the nature journal and survival journal this year.
C.V.
For my future chef:
For my future engineer:
S.B.