Simple Homeschool Morning Time Ideas (Morning Basket)
Starting your homeschool day on the right foot can really make a difference. Today, I will give you some simple homeschool morning time ideas. This will sort of be a relaxed and laid back morning basket routine. Starting your morning in a relaxed predictable way can bring great peace and stability to your homeschool. When children know what to expect day after day, they are better behaved and you can set them up for success in their homeschool day.
I also have a FREE Morning Menu Printable to plan out your homeschool morning time! Be sure to read to the end to snag it!
Homeschool Morning Time Ideas FAQ
First, I will answer some general questions about homeschool morning time and morning baskets. Then, we will dive in more deeply to the details of developing your own perfect morning time routine for your family.Â
What is a morning basket for homeschool?
The term and concept “morning basket” was originally created by Catholic homeschool mom, Jen Mackintosh. Pam Barnhill is also an extremely well-known Morning Basket source.
A morning basket or morning time consists of a predictable and enjoyable routine for the entire family to partake in at the start of the day. And guess what? You don’t even need a basket! You can think of it as a routine or rhythm to start your homeschool day off on a peaceful foot.
How do you start your homeschool morning?
Every family will start their day in a slightly different way depending on their needs. You will probably partake in breakfast, personal hygiene and getting dressed, and some chores or exercise.Â
Once the essentials have taken place, you can fit in your homeschool morning time.
How do you make a morning basket for homeschooling?
I have come up with 5 simple essentials for you to compile for your morning basket or morning routine. Some people also use the term “morning menu” to describe the components that the they will pick and choose for their morning time. Think of it as a wonderful spiritual and intellectual feast for your entire family to partake in! You probably already have all of these within easy reach, or you can switch them our by visiting your local library. My 5 morning menu components are:
- Prayer
- Scripture
- Catechism
- Something beautiful
- Read alouds
Also, you don’t need to keep everything in a actual basket! For me, the first 2 are done around the breakfast table. The remaining books are kept in the area near the couch where we homeschool. The important thing is to keep the components within easy reach where you will hold your morning time.
Need help planning your morning menu? be sure to sign up to receive a FREE Morning Menu PDF download below!
Simple Homeschool Morning Time Ideas in 5 Easy Steps
1. Prayer
Any day should immediately be directed towards the Lord. This truly makes a huge difference in the tone of our day. If you immediately offer your work towards the Lord, your day will be rightly ordered!
You can gather at your breakfast table or home altar for prayer. Some ideas for morning family prayer are:
- The Morning Offering
- Prayer to your Guardian Angel
- Hail Mary, Our Father, and Glory Be
- A decade of the rosary
- A prayer to a patron saint
- A novena
- any other seasonal prayers or other prayers your want to learn as a family
2. Scripture
Next, you can read scripture. Here are some options for morning time scripture:
- Read a children’s bible. Simply start at the beginning and read a story everyday.
- Read the daily Mass readings from your bible or from a publication like the Magnificat.
- Listen to the daily Mass readings on a free app such as the Amen app from the Augustine Institute. I love this option because mom can also listen and meditate. Simply open the app on your phone as everyone is finishing breakfast and have everyone quietly listen. If you have toddlers and babies strapped in high chairs during this time, that will help it go even smoother! Also, this specific app has a brief lectio divina after you hear the scripture. There is also a separate daily reflection to listen to from Dr. Timothy Gray.
3. Catechism
At this point, a change of scenery for the little ones can help. Consider doing parts 1 and 2 at your altar and/or breakfast table, and now move on to the couch. You could spread a cozy blanket on the floor for your little ones or have small tables and chairs. You could also gather in your homeschool room around your homeschool table if you have one.
Part 3 of our homeschool morning routine is catechism study. Similar to bible study, you can choose a catechism to read cover to cover. There are children’s versions of the Baltimore Catechism. Read a chapter a day or spend longer on each chapter if you want to delve deeper. If you have a child preparing for First Holy Communion, you may want to focus Catechism instruction on that.Â
You could also read one of these awesome lego catechism books! They may look cute and modern, but the content is totally traditional and sound!
You may also wish to allow your children to color or draw during this time. Check out my FREE Our Lady of Fatima Coloring book below!
4. Something Beautiful
After you start your day directed towards God, everything truly falls into place pretty well after that!
For this next section, you may rotate what resource(s) you use. This is the section that I call “Something Beautiful” (in addition to the beautiful prayers, scripture, and catechism that your already partook in!). You may choose one or more of the following for this part of your morning time routine: art, poetry, literature, foreign language, and/or hymn.
Choose to do some daily and rotate through the rest. Or, rotate through them all! The beauty of homeschooling is that you can choose what works best for your family.
Art
This is a great time to do family picture studies. Catholic Heritage has my favorite resource for this here. The prints are all so beautiful that we can tailor these to all ages. It sparks great discussion and interest among all of my children.
Poetry
Simply choose your favorite poetry book and read one each day! Discuss what parts your children liked best and why.
These seasonal nature poetry books are very beautiful and fun. They have a seasonal poem for everyday of the year.
We also love this Saintly Rhymes book and its sequel.
Literature
Literature study can be very relaxed or very structured. Simply choose a chapter book for your family to enjoy together! Some great choices are Stuart Little, Charlotte’s Web, Mr. Poppins Penguins, Winnie the Pooh, or any of your favorite children’s classics!
Catholic Heritage also has an incredible literature curriculum that covers some great classics as well.
Foreign Language
Choose any foreign language and choose it to be as formal or informal as you wish! You could read stories in another language, practice simple conversational phrases, or dive into a formal curriculum.
Hymns or Music Study
Again, this can be as formal or as informal as you wish. You could practice seasonal hymns or hymns in Latin that you want your family to learn. You could even do some formal studies on different composers.
5. Read alouds
This last section, again, is super flexible! Pick some classic seasonal picture books for your family to enjoy. A great resource is the Read Aloud Revival website.
You could also choose picture books that correlate with your science and history lessons. If your science and/or history curricula are book based, then just grab those books and read them together as a family!Â
Homeschool Morning Menu Free Printable
Need help planning your family’s morning menu or homeschool morning time? Be sure to snag the FREE Morning Menu template and sample below! Simply print it out and fill in your plan for the week!
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