Has homeschooling become boring? Do you need something to freshen it up? Why not look at online and offline game-based homeschool curriculum options? This post discusses video game curriculum, reading programs, math options, writing, and composition picks like Night Zookeeper and Phonics Museum. So get a coffee and a credit card because you’ll love these options!
I hope you enjoy reading this blog post. If you want to do my course on how to homeschool, click here.
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BEST Game-Based Homeschool Curriculum (Video Game Curriculum & Offline Options)
Below, let’s look at some of my favorite options for games to play with your kids.
I’ll cover these options and more in this post:
- Night Zookeeper – online
- Time 4 Learning – online
- Waldock Way – offline
- IXL – online
- Phonics Museum – online
- Montessori Toys – offline
- Lapbooks – offline
- Reading Games with All About Learning Press – offline
Game-based curricula encourage interest-based learning.
And anything encouraging interest-based learning means your child’s learning is going to take off!
Night Zookeeper – Gamification Teaching Reading and Writing
With Night Zookeeper, your kids can learn to compose before they can even read or write.
This secular program features many games and fun activities to get kids learning without even knowing it!
Its speech-to-text function helps them learn before writing and keeps them learning as they unlock various levels on the platform.
This program is top-rated and effective; many parents use it instead of screen time.
Buy Night Zookeeper here.
Time 4 Learning
Time4Learning is a secular, all-in-one, online game-based homeschool curriculum.
This program has the primary curriculum plus a fun virtual playground (pictured below). Children can play and learn without even knowing it. The learning games in the playground motivate children to learn.
The playground features:
- action games
- typing games, science games,
- fun and logic games,
- brain games
- ABC games and
- more.
There are different games encouraged for primary and high school ages.
Buy Time 4 Learning here.
Waldock Way – Physical Games
The Waldock Way is a secular unit studies curriculum worth exploring.
It encourages a hands-on and child-led approach to learning.
Waldock Way uses many physical games (like board games) to enhance the curriculum.
The Waldock Way provides a framework that allows students to explore their interests while integrating various subjects into cohesive units.
This flexible curriculum fosters creativity and curiosity, making learning a personalized and engaging experience.
Buy Waldock Way here.
IXL
IXL is an all-in-one secular homeschool curriculum option.
IXL also features many learning games in addition to its complete curriculum.
They offer fun learning games for each grade level.
Below are the preschool ones:
And here are some of the Year 3 ones (there are lots more).
As you go up levels, there are more and more games. And they become more complicated.
You can get a 7-day free trial here or get 20% off their curriculum here.
Phonics Museum and Reading Eggs
Another couple of game-based homeschool curriculum programs that teach reading are Phonics Museum and Reading Eggs.
I used to use Reading Eggs, but my son quickly got bored.
Later, I tried Phonics Museum, and we loved it!
It is made by Veritas Press, which is a Christian company, but the reading program is secular.
I originally switched from Reading Eggs because I found out the reading books were quite woke – which isn’t something we’re encouraging in our Christian homeschool.
Additionally, PM is a classical program, which means it teaches at a higher level, incorporating teaching about famous artworks.
In this video game curriculum, your child takes a walk through a museum. They learn a bit about history, famous paintings, and many other things.
There is a focus on other things besides just reading.
Having said this, PM has the odd tech issue where I have to go out of the game and then go back in for it to work.
But every time I’ve done this, it’s worked again without an issue.
We’re about halfway through PM, and I’ve had to do this three times. So that’s pretty good. Reading Eggs is technologically much better.
You can buy both programs as paper-based versions or fun online game-based homeschool curricula as apps.
Buy Phonics Museum here or get it as an app or Reading Eggs here.
Montessori Toys and Educational Games
You can’t go past Montessori toys if you want to teach with a game-based homeschool curriculum.
These are wonderful for elementary-aged homeschoolers, as children can learn through experiences.
You can learn lots of different things, including:
- Geography and Culture
- Art and Craft
- Mathematics, Language, Science,
- Pouring & Transferring
- Washing & Cleaning
- Polishing
- Manipulatives & Woodworking
- Sewing & Weaving
- Food Preparation
- Yard & Garden
- and more!
This option is great if your child loves a more hands-on homeschool curriculum.
Buy Montessori Toys here.
Lapbooks
Another way to incorporate some fun into your homeschool is by using lapbooks.
These aren’t games.
They’re a fun way to document everything your student is learning by creating small booklets.
You can put the small booklets together at the end in a folder or mega-book to create a fun record of what you’ve studied.
Lapbooks remain a beautiful keepsake and a great way of reviewing material after completing a course.
These are a great option if your child is very crafty!
Children can either make lapbooks themselves or buy them.
Buy lapbooks from Knowledge Box Central.
Reading Games with All About Learning Press
Look at All About Reading and Spelling to make learning fun with a game-based homeschool curriculum.
They include lots of offline reading games.
They’ve also made a special product on top of their regular fun curriculum called Reading Games with Ziggy the Zebra.
The curriculum features lots of word tiles and games, and the whole program is just a lot of hands-on fun!
Buy All About Reading and Spelling here.
The Downside to Online Game-Based Homeschool Curriculum
I love the sound of an online game-based homeschool curriculum (or video-based curriculum).
They definitely have their place.
However, I like to alternate this with offline games.
Firstly, because looking at screens for too long can damage young eyes.
Secondly, I want my children to interact with the offline world and not be stuck to a screen their whole lives.
So check out both options on this page.
So…
As you explore these options, I hope they will inspire you and provide a refreshing addition to your homeschool curriculum. Additionally, if you’re looking for more ideas on how to make learning fun, feel free to join my YouTube channel, “How to Homeschool,” for more homeschool curriculum reviews.
