With a family of 3 kiddos 5 and under, homeschool learning stations in Preschool and Kindergarten have become a must. My homeschooled Kindergartner and my twin Preschoolers love station time and I love the organization that lets me spend the week helping each one individually throughout the day.

Below are just 6 tips and tricks I use to help make homeschool learning stations with our homeschooled preschoolers and Kindergartener run smoothly.

1. Make stations that can last all week

When we first began stations, I tried to switch in the middle of the week. But, between co-op, therapy appointments, and just wanting to get the kiddos out into the world we found that stations failed this way. So, I began brainstorming ideas and resources that could last all week or be completed multiple times.

Here are a few ideas for week-long stations that my kiddos love.

• - Puppets (Check out my winter unit study with printable puppets)
• - Playdough with or without themed mats
• - Puzzles
• - Sorting
• - Patterning
• - Erasable books (We love Usborne!)
• - Beading
• - Stamps
• - Stickers
• - Coloring

 

2. Find Your Fit

When starting stations for your littles, there will be a lot of trial and error. You might find your “just right” fit early on, but more than likely it will take a bit to find what works for your family. 

For The Lanes, we found that using small green Ikea bins to help contain materials and creating about 5 stations for the week worked best. My kiddos sit at the table and then I rotate their bins as they request new tasks or seem to complete the old. 

Here are a few questions to ask yourself, as you begin brainstorming your stations.  

• - What kind of space can you dedicate to stations?
• - How many will you need?
• - What will time look like for your other kiddos?
• - How much “mess” are you comfortable with?
• - How can you contain the “mess” in a way that works for your family?

3. Change concepts, not materials

Sometimes my kiddos have a rough time getting familiar with a new station. Through trial and error, I found that by changing the way a material was used I could help my kiddos feel more independent with stations.
Here is an example. Each week, my kiddos have a playdough station. Some weeks, we use mats that go with our theme. Other weeks, we practice letters by rolling out shapes. But each week, Playdough is used to support our learning and is one of the stations.
By repeating a material but utilizing it in a different way, my kiddos feel able to tackle what is new because they are comfortable and familiar with the material.
Another example would be a stamp station. We utilize stamps frequently. Sometimes we have free use of the stamps but only in the color of the week. Other times, we use stamps that go along with our theme. And still other times, we use letter stamps to practice words or to work on letter recognition. Same material, but a new concept. 

Here are a few station ideas that can have concepts or theme changes, but use the same materials.

1. Playdough
   • - Roll out the shapes of numbers or letters
   • - Create objects on a themed mat
   • - Make food for a special meal or character
   • - Make # objects 
   • - Practice scissor skills, cutting skills, or fine motor skills
2. Stamps
   • - Add animals, vehicles, or objects to a scene
   • - Use letter stamps to create words
   • - Write numbers down one side and stamp an object that many times
   • - Match upper and lower case 
   • - Give free stamp time with a specific color (color of the week)
3. Beads
   • - Create a gift with beading
   • - Make jewelry 
   • - Bead with character or theme beads
   • - Work on patterning with beads and pipe cleaners
   • - Use the large Melissa and Doug beads with IV or aquarium tubing for an easier fine motor activity
4. Coloring Pages
   • - Use Color Wonder resources for mess free
   • - Print themed coloring pages with crayons
   • - Trace simple coloring pages with a light table
   • - Paint a coloring page with quick paints (watercolor box)

 

4. Have quality materials

For us, quality means a few things. One, is it durable enough for three kiddos 5 and under to use multiple times? Two, will we get a lot of use out of it for the amount we will pay? And three, will it engage my kiddos in learning new concepts? 

While I am just as big a fan of dollar stores as the next homeschool mom, sometimes spending a little more for a resource that is higher quality and will last longer is a better use of funds.
Here are a few of our favorite quality resources.

• - Learning Resource Math Counters
• - Crayola Crayons
• - Name brand Playdough
• - Usborne Wipeable Books
• - Wooden Montessori Style Toys
  • + Mushroom counters
  • + Leaf Puzzles

5. Gather Resources

Before each Monday, I gather all of the resources needed and put them in the green Ikea station bins we use. Then I place those stacked on the same shelf each week. I make sure to keep everything together and double check all the pieces before we start the week with the stations. 

I also create a chart with the learning stations for the week and each of the three kiddos, so that I can keep track of who has completed what stations. This is helpful, especially by the end of the week when I want to make sure each of my kiddos has at least spent time in each station once.

6. Have a Common Theme

Sometimes when we do not have a theme, stations can add a fun element. But my kiddos are the most engaged in learning stations when there is a common theme across each. While I occasionally will have a station or two without the theme integrated, most of the time the theme of each station will match our unit study or Morning Basket theme for the week/month.
For more unit theme ideas, check out my Pinterest board with idea pins and plenty of resources. Some of our favorite themes for preschool and kindergarten are listed below.

• - Mushrooms
• - Fairy Tales
• - Honeybees (Check out my unit study here)
• - Gardening
• - Winter (I have a great unit study for this one too!)
• - All the holidays/seasons

 

Homeschool learning stations are unique to every family. Starting your own homeschool station journey with your littles can be intimidating, but with the tips and tricks listed above you will be a pro in no time.

 

Have a tip for starting learning stations in homeschooling you would like to share? Post a comment below and share your ideas or resources with us.