Little ones at home
Preschool and kindergarten at home, free: what to teach at 3, 4 and 5, a calm daily rhythm, two free plans, and how to teach older children with a baby or toddler in the house.
Homeschooling a 3-, 4- or 5-year-old is mostly reading aloud, talking, playing and short games, not desk work. No state Peabody has checked makes school compulsory before age 5, so preschool at home is your choice, and kindergarten is required only where school starts at 5. The CDC's milestone checklists show what most children can do at each age.
Checked October 29, 2026.
This is a plain-words summary, not legal advice. Laws change: check your state's current law (each state page links to the statute) and its education department before you act.
Start with your child's age
- Preschool at home: what to teach at 3, 4 and 5What most 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds can do (from the CDC's milestones), what to do with them at home, a daily rhythm, and how much screen time the WHO advises.
- Kindergarten at home: what it covers and whether it's requiredWhat a homeschool kindergarten year covers, how long a day takes, and the age each state's compulsory school law starts, from Peabody's checked state law pages.
- A free Pre-K homeschool plan, week by weekFour nine-week terms for a 4-year-old: rhymes, first sounds, letters, counting and shapes, with read-alouds and play, built on Peabody's free preschool games and first books.
- A free kindergarten homeschool planPeabody Year's 180 free kindergarten days, the shape of a week, and which free Peabody books, sound games and math lessons go with each part of the day.
- Homeschooling with a baby or toddler in the houseA loop schedule built around naps, quiet bins that are safe for under-3s, jobs a toddler can do beside you, and what the WHO says about screens and sleep at 1 and 2.
Do I have to do anything official for a preschooler?
Usually not yet. Homeschool rules are tied to your state's compulsory school age, and no state Peabody has checked starts it before 5. The kindergarten page lists the age for each state, in the state's own words, with a link to its law page.
What does a good day look like at this age?
Short and mostly playful. A few together times of 5 to 15 minutes (a book, a sound game, counting things on the table), time outside, a meal you make together, and a lot of play. The preschool page has a daily rhythm you can print and change.
Free things to use, all made by Peabody
- Preschool learning games: calm games where every question has three big answers to tap. Words are said aloud, so no reading is needed.
- Reading level 0 and beginning reader books: first books with a picture on every page, to read together.
- Pre-K math and kindergarten math: short lesson parts that can be read aloud.
- Activity Book and coloring pages: sheets to print, with an easy size for small hands.
- Peabody Year: kindergarten: 180 days, each with a checklist to print.
Peabody's kid site is free through the end of 2026 and needs no account. Peabody Homeschool itself is free, with no ads. Peabody Parents, the sister site for families with little ones, explains what a Pre-K child learns and what a kindergartner should know by the end of the year.
Sources
- CDC: Milestones by 3 years (checked October 29, 2026)
- CDC: Milestones by 4 years (checked October 29, 2026)
- CDC: Milestones by 5 years (checked October 29, 2026)
- Peabody's state homeschool law pages (each lists its statutes and education department pages) (checked October 27, 2026)