Many new moms considering homeschooling for their families often start asking questions about school around the age of 3. They want to know when to start, what to expect, and what to invest in to make their homeschooling journey enjoyable. These questions are valid and essential to explore when tackling something as important as your child’s education. Below I will share the 10 proven tips for homeschooling your 3-year-old. If there is only one thing you take away from this letter is that 3-year-olds were made for play!
1. Is My 3-Year-Old Ready for Homeschooling?
One of my favorite things about homeschooling is I can see the kid’s curiosity lasting through every age and stage. At 3 many kids are eager to learn about the world around them! I used the ages of 3-5 to learn more about my child. I discovered how he learned best and what things he was interested in.
When moms ask if their child is ready for homeschooling at 3, I think they are thinking about traditional bookwork. Most three-year-olds are not prepared for even an hour of formal book work but they could handle a fun game, reading books together, or taking a trip to the zoo. If I could start my homeschool journey over I would have waited until my oldest was 6 before starting formal lessons and would have focused more on reading books, playing games, and learning about his interests.
2. What Does a Typical Day Look Like?
If you want to homeschool your 3-year-old I would recommend putting together a general routine or flow that can be followed most days. I wouldn’t make a strict structure since most three-year-olds may be taking naps, potty training, or having a hard day.
When it comes to creating a homeschool day for a 3-year-old I would advise having lots of picture books on hand. I had a basket of books in every room during this stage. Sitting down to read a book together would help us pivot our day, stretch my child’s ability to focus, and expose them to beautiful language. I also used this time to strengthen their fine motor skills and hand muscles. We did this through scissor skills, play-doh, and fine motor skills activities. Some of my favorite games for this age were sorting games, memory games, and matching games.
3. Do I Need a Curriculum for homeschooling a 3 year old?
At 3 years old, everyday activities offer plenty of meaningful learning opportunities. Simply pointing out colors, shapes, letters, and numbers throughout the day, chatting about a book you just read, or enjoying a nursery rhyme together can be incredibly valuable.
Some moms piece together free worksheets and activities to create a fulfilling homeschooling experience, but I don’t think it’s necessary at this age. If you prefer more structure, there are certainly curriculum options available, but I’d encourage you to focus more on building a strong connection with your child and sparking a love for learning rather than stressing over a curriculum.
4. How Do I Teach Letters and Numbers in a Fun Way?
At three years old I wanted to expose my children to letters and numbers so they could recognize them and my my job to teach them how to read and count easier in the long run. I wanted to teach letters and numbers in a way that didn’t feel like school but was a fun part of the day. I leaned into singing songs, matching games, and eye-spy games with letters or numbers.
I would use opportunities as they came up to bring my child’s attention to a letter or number for example if we were in a parking lot for Dollar General we would take a moment to recognize all the letters in Dollar General, point out that they were all uppercase, and count how many letters there were. This was a fun and practical way to build letter and number recognition. Try to keep your tone playful and avoid being too pushy if they forget a letter or number – truly taking the learning one day at a time and trusting that their little minds will be able to bring it all together.
5. How Do I Balance Homeschooling My 3-Year-Old with My Older Kids?
When I needed to balance homeschooling my oldest child while still providing a fun learning environment for my 3-year-old I would start my day focusing on my 3-year-old. We would spend the morning reading books and playing the games she had picked out. After an hour or so she was ready to play independently or take a nap.
This nap allowed me to pivot my day toward teaching my oldest. I would take advantage of nap time and when she woke up we would spend the afternoon doing all the fun things together such as play-doh, games, and reading. My oldest still enjoyed these activities and my youngest loved having her big brother join in the fun. I try to remember that homeschooling is not school at home but an opportunity to bring learning into our home together as a family and every subject/topic does not need to have a separate grade/age assigned.
6. Must-Have Supplies for Homeschooling a Preschooler
You probably have most of the needed supplies on hand to homeschool a 3-year-old. I would stock up on crayons, Markers, play-doh tools(we made our own Play-Doh), picture books(or get a library card), building blocks, fine motor toys, and educational games. I wouldn’t spend a lot of money on quality materials at this age since so much of it will be a beautiful chaotic mess!
7. How Do I Keep My 3-year-old Engaged Despite a Short Attention Span?
I read something once that told me I could expect 2-3 minutes per age of my child for their ability to concentrate. So if you homeschool a 3-year-old you could expect a 6-9 minute learning window. If you go into your homeschool journey being aware of these you can set realistic goals and expectations for your 3-year-old. I would try to build focus over time by providing a regular schedule and providing enjoyable learning opportunities that they wanted to focus on. This is where learning your child’s interests come into play if you know what interests your child you can find relevant books and games that are more likely to hold their attention.
8. How Can I Encourage Socialization for My 3-Year-Old?
The definition of socialization is to behave in a way that is socially acceptable. When it comes to socializing your 3-year-old I do not encourage hanging around a lot of other 3-year-olds since they are still learning how to behave in a way that is socially acceptable. Instead, I would bring my kids to family and friends. I would give them opportunities to ask questions, practice making eye contact, and point out what different body language means.
I tried to practice socialization around friends and family who would be able to help me call out inappropriate behavior and pivot it to something more acceptable. For example if my 3-year-old really wanted a cookie at grandma’s house and was told no this might result in a full-blown fit of screaming and crying.
I would use this opportunity to dive deeper and help her communicate. We would talk about why screaming and crying didn’t tell grandma anything specific about how she was feeling, we would brainstorm some alternative ways to voice displeasure and would offer a solution that would benefit both the 3-year-old and grandma.
Typically it would be a lot of coaching on my part but now my 6-year-old can negotiate like her life depends on it. An example of what this sounds like is, ” Grandma it makes me sad I can’t have a cookie right now because it looks very tasty.” Grandma would say something along the lines of, “I know these cookies look really good and I am sorry not having one makes you feel sad but we are making dinner right now and I don’t want you to spoil your dinner.” My 3-year-old would then have an opportunity to throw a fit again or think of a solution.
This takes a lot of time, repetition, and coaching on everyone’s part but we all settled on cookies after dinner.
9. What If I Feel Like I’m Not Doing Enough?
Hey there momma I know this feeling all too well. I am going to be honest if you are reading this blog you are probably doing more than enough. You want to learn how to teach your 3-year-old at home which is such a brave thing to do. I want to remind you that all moms struggle with this feeling and wonder if they are doing enough and it is a perfectly normal experience.
If you’re struggling with this feeling, I encourage you to put on your comparison blinders. Every child develops at their own pace—some 3-year-olds will eagerly absorb everything, while others will be more focused on play. Both are completely normal and perfectly okay.
Remember, you’re not on anyone else’s timeline. Your homeschooling journey is unique to your child and your family. Trust the process, embrace the season you’re in, and know that the most important thing right now is fostering a love of learning through connection, curiosity, and play.
10. How Can I Make Learning Fun Without Pressuring My 3-Year-Old?
If you want to know how to make learning fun for your 3 year old take their lead. They will always communicate what they think is fun and you will have the opportunity to turn that fun activity into a fun learning opportunity. If you are going to take one thing away from this post let it be that 3-year-olds are meant for play, exploring, and fun. Focus on creating a fun-filled childhood and then you will of successfully homeschooled a 3-year-old.
If you’re feeling like you’re not doing enough, I want you to take a deep breath and remind yourself—you are. The fact that you’re here, researching how to best support your 3-year-old’s learning, shows just how much you care. And that alone means you’re doing more than enough.
At this age, the most important thing isn’t worksheets or structured lessons—it’s play, exploration, and connection. Your little one is learning every single day just by experiencing the world with you. Reading together, asking questions, playing games, and exploring outside all lay a strong foundation for a lifelong love of learning.
So when doubt creeps in, step back and focus on the simple joys of this stage. There’s no rush—formal academics will come in time. But this sweet season of curiosity, wonder, and play? It’s fleeting. Cherish it, trust the process, and know that you are giving your child exactly what they need. ❤️
Still needing some more ideas? Check out my post about indoor activities for the preschool years here.