One of my favorite parts of our homeschool day is morning time. Morning Time, or Morning Basket, is just a way for us to all start our day together and get our brains ready for learning. It allows us that transition time from breakfast and dressing, to tackling some of the more intense subjects like Algebra and Literature. Plus it's a good home for some of those items that might otherwise be overlooked, like poetry, composer study, and art. It also allows for family bonding as we're all learning together for this window of time. Mom may even enjoy a few more snuggles with the kids on the couch.
So grab a basket, or a shelf, and start planning what your morning time may look like. While most morning times will focus on books, there are a variety of items you may want to include in your morning basket. Here are 50+ items to get you started thinking:
Primarily Math Focused:
Wrap Ups-- Not only are wrap ups great for practicing math facts, they also get the body involved with the wrapping. And Wrap Ups can be checked independently while mom reads.
Math Flashcards-- Also great for practicing a variety of math facts, children can hop, skip, and jump while learning.
Math Dice-- Another great way for kids to practice simple math concepts.
Deck of Cards-- So many card games require math for play. Keep an extra deck handy for those days when you just need something different.
Play clock-- A basic play clock or office sign is fun for kids to play with as they learn time.
Math Manipulatives-- Shaped erasers, marbles, snap blocks, ... so many ideas for work on math concepts.
Simple Math books-- Simple math books for getting the brain warmed up... from basic addition to fun geometry concepts.
Sudoku books-- My middle schooler loves sudoku. Her ideal day would be if I cancelled math and handed her a sudoku book instead.
Logic book-- Fun mind benders style books will get the brain ready for deductive thinking. Or for a deeper study, check out something like Logic Detective.
Mini Dry erase board-- We use our primarily for practicing math problems or keeping game scores. But dry erase boards are also great for diagramming, spelling, copywork, etc.
Primarily Language Focused:
Read Aloud-- We consistently have a family read aloud going. Often it's a classic book, but we've also read historical fiction, missionary stories, and some science fiction as well.
Bible/ Devotional-- Start your morning with a chapter from the Bible as well as some time in a devotional. Two of our favorites are Indescribable and IAM.
Scripture Memory Box-- We use the Simply Charlotte Mason method for memorizing scripture. You can see how it works here.
Sight Word Flashcards-- Just like math, sight word flashcards are great for reviewing in the morning.
Word game-- Something small that's quick... travel hangman, mini boggle, and banana grams are all fun ideas.
Crossword/ Word Search books-- These are easy to pick up at any dollar store or drug store and come in a variety of levels.
Mad Libs-- We've been loving Mad Libs lately. Once a week, we take a break from our usual grammar work and fill our a couple of Mad Libs to enjoy together.
Poetry book-- Poetry should be accessible for children from a young ago. So a couple of Jack Perletzsky Shel Silverstein books are a great place to start. Eventually we ease into a wider variety of poets.
Story dice-- Story dice are a great way to help kids link together events and start composing stories. And they are just silly family fun.
Analogies book-- We added analogies books for our morning time last year and they've been a fun way to explore language together. Plus they've actually boosted my kids' reading.
Biographies-- There are so many influential historical figures to learn about: missionaries, presidents, poets, civil rights leaders, and more!
Thesaurus-- Thesaurus' are a great way to learn about synonyms and expand a child's vocabulary and comprehension.
Pocket dictionary-- The older my kids get, the tougher vocabulary we run into. Sometimes it's even a challenge for the homeschool mom.
Seasonal books-- We love to include seasonal books, even picture books, to celebrate holidays, season, and other side topics.
Notepad-- Keep a notepad handy for any questions you want to explore later, books you want to look up, or items for future morning baskets.
Gratitude Journal-- Keeping a gratitude journal together gives your child a chance to develop growth mindset as well as celebrate their joy with the family.
Primarily Science Focused:
Nature guides-- Nature guides are great for getting outside, but also wonderful for looking up flora and fauna as you read and study.
Nature items-- Shells, leaves, rocks, seeds... all are wonderful items to touch and hold while learning about the world. And may spark interest into other subjects.
Science book-- A variety of science books are wonderful for sparking interest and furthering study.
Science figures-- We love the life cycles sets that include butterflies, frogs, etc. But I also like to have a variety of animal figures for play and storytelling.
Magnet wand-- Magnetic wands are great fun and lead to some great discussions.
Cookbook-- A small cookbook or nutritional guide is fun to add for exploring new flavors, planning for tea time, talking about fractions and math concepts, and family fun.
Misc. Resources to Include:
Foreign language dictionary-- Having a foreign language dictionary is helpful when studying music and art. We also use it for learning a word each day or week. Or having a sign language book is nice for learning a little at a time.
Small game-- Something like Sushi Go, pick a small game related to your current study or just for fun.
Musical instrument-- Small instruments can be fun for learning about music and composers. Items you may include: tamborine, recorder, maracas, tin whistle, etc.
Watercolors and paper-- Nice quality watercolors are great for learning a new medium or simply creating while listening to read aloud or poetry.
Art books-- Art books are great for flipping through and discovering new artists and styles.
Chalk pastels-- We love the $5 chalk pastels from Michaels. We keep them in our morning basket for those mornings when we complete a lesson from You Are An Artist.
Clipboard-- Clipboards are wonderful for copywork, sketching, or art work.
Composer biographies-- We love short quick biographies for learning about famous composers. Check out the Who Was series as well as Getting to Know the World's Greatest Composers.
CD's/ Ipod-- CD's are essential for learning about new composers. Additionally playing soft music throughout the day can be beneficial.
Scrunch maps-- These maps take up very little space and are great for use in learning history, geography, and literary context.
Sticker by number books-- A twist on the classic coloring book, sticker by number books keep little hands busy during read alouds.
Coloring books-- Dover coloring books come in a variety of subjects to enhance learning. We love the birds coloring books especially.
Fidget toys-- Quiet fidget toys like Tangles are great for keeping little hands busy while learning.
Playdough-- Playdough is great for strengthening hands, employing the imagination, and working out the fidgets while listening.
Kinetic sand-- Kinetic sand is great for sensory play. Even I like to join in on this one.
Color pencils-- Another great art resource for coloring books, sketching, or even practicing spelling words.
Lacing cards-- Lacing cards are great for fine motor skills or keeping hands busy. This is also a great introductory activity for future handicrafts.
Puzzle-- Puzzles are wonderful spatial awareness and problem solving.
Handicraft-- Simple projects may include some sewing, felt crafting, knitting, origami, carving, etc.
Book of manners-- Morning is a great time to talk about manners to practice through out the day.
What are some of your favorite items to include in your morning basket?
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