Resources in your neighborhood

When we first started homeschooling, I was bummed about the idea of the costs involved. And it really can be costly, depending on what you do. But it can also be free or nearly free if you know how to root out the golden resources in your neighborhood. I am not talking about curriculum, which can be very costly; you can get free curriculum all over the Internet, design your own, skip it and do your own thing, whatever. I’m talking about science kits, experiments, books, videos, games, the works—the real expensive stuff.

The library is an obvious resource. They have free books and videos just waiting for you. Find out about a teacher’s card if your library offers one. As a homeschooling parent, you should qualify. You can get more resources, more books at a time and sometimes even free printing.

Your local conservation department is a wonderful resource. We ordered an entire office sized box of stuff from ours for free—including shipping! They sent us coloring books, curriculum, posters, and all kinds of other free resources to use.

Local attractions are also worth considering. Call your botanical gardens, zoo, science center, nature center—anywhere you know, love and visit is game. Find out about what resources they have for the public or for homeschoolers. We can get materials absolutely free from some of these places. Others charge a small fee. We have a huge discovery kit from our botanical gardens right now that we’re renting for a tiny share with other homeschooling families.

What kinds of local resources do you use for your homeschooling?

Photo courtesy of Sara S.