Ever try to plan out your homeschool day—listing every subject, estimating how long each one would take—only to end up overwhelmed and anxious? That was me when I was homeschooling just a first grader with a toddler in tow. I desperately wanted to cover all the beautiful, rich subjects I had dreamed of, but I also didn’t want to spend eight hours a day doing school.
That’s when I discovered the beauty of a loop schedule—a simple, flexible system that helped me fit more learning into our days without the stress or burnout. If you’re juggling homeschool with babies or toddlers (or just real life), a loop schedule might be the solution you didn’t know you needed.
What is a Loop Schedule?
You can really customize what a loop schedule is and how it will look in your home. My loop schedule has changed many times throughout the years. You can assign subjects to certain days for example you could do music on Monday, Tuesday you could do art, Wednesday you could have a cooking class. This way you are adding variety to your school but aren’t carrying the burden of all these subjects every single day.
Another option, instead of assigning subjects to specific days/times, you work through a list in order and simply pick up where you left off each day. I like this approach, especially with our morning basket work. I find it so freeing to set a timer for the amount of time I want to work on my list of supplemental subjects and whatever we can complete is enough and I know where to pick up the next day.
My favorite loop schedule option is focus on the said subject for 6 weeks and then loop back to another subject. In our homeschool we attend Monday- Thursday(review/makeup work on Friday) for 6 weeks and then take a week long break. Within 6 weeks we complete a unit of science and aren’t distracted with history. We enjoy our break and then when we return to school we drop science and loop to history for the next 6 weeks.
I am sure you have heard of time blocking which is extremely effective, especially in a public school setting. Students are able to block off their time throughout the day for the assigned subject. While a loop schedule is able to be effective we are able to customize what will work for our family and our season of life. Loop scheduling gives me the opportunity to plan for multiple subjects,avoid burnout, and introduce new subjects to gauge interest.
Example of a loop schedule:
A loop schedule is a flexible way to rotate through subjects without being tied to specific days or rigid time slots. You create a list of the subjects you want to cover and move through them in order, picking up where you left off each day. If you miss a day? No big deal—just keep looping.
Here are a few ways loop schedules can look:
Option 1 – Daily Variety:
- Monday: History & Art
- Tuesday: Science & Music
- Wednesday: Poetry & Nature Study
(And so on…)
Option 2 – True Loop:
- History
- Art
- Science
- Music
- Poetry
- Nature Study
- Cooking
(Work down the list a little each day—then start back at the top.)
Option 3 – Block Looping by Unit:
- Weeks 1–6: Science & Art
- Break
- Weeks 7–12: History & Music
(We do school Monday–Thursday and take breaks after each 6-week cycle.)
You can use this model for morning baskets, enrichment subjects, or even unit studies. The key is customizing it to your family’s season of life.
Benefits of a Loop Schedule
There are many benefits to instilling a loop schedule into your homeschool, but one of my most treasured benefits is the flexibility to tackle more subjects and less pressure to get them all done. As we know life happens, baby’s start teething, toddlers need extra snuggles, big kids need a brain break. With a loop schedule established you don’t have to worry about “falling behind” because there’s no strict schedule.
When I was listing out all the amazing subjects and lessons I wanted to cover and expose our kids too it would of easily overloaded our day. One of the big reasons we chose to homeschool was to give our kids more time to play and have a childhood full of fun and if I had overloaded our day with these subjects that would of been the opposite of what I intended. By looping subjects I can ensure that non core subjects are getting the consistent attention they need without doing too much daily.
Establishing a loop schedule is the ideal solution for families with babies and toddlers.While all parenting days are unpredictable that is especially true of the baby/toddler stage. When you have a relaxed homeschool rhythm you have room to take the unpredictable days with grace because you know the important material is covered.
An established homeschool loop schedule will help alleviate your overwhelm and hopefully reduce any of that pesky mom guilt of, “am I doing enough?” Once you establish a relaxed rhythm you will be able to feel productive without the rigid daily schedule many new homeschoolers make.
How to Create a Loop Schedule
Step 1: List the Subjects You Want to Include
Start with your dream list. Think beyond the core subjects—include art, music, poetry, nature study, etc.
Step 2: Decide What Belongs in the Loop
Daily must-dos like math and reading? Keep those out of the loop. Enrichment subjects go in.
Step 3: Create Your Loop List
Example for grammar stage learners:
- History
- Science
- Art & Poetry
- Nature Study
- Music & Handicrafts
Step 4: Set Realistic Time Expectations
Plan on 20–30 minutes per loop subject, adjusting for your kids’ ages and attention spans.
Step 5: Be Flexible
Give yourself permission to tweak your loop as your family’s needs shift. I’ve changed ours many times over the years—it’s one of the best parts of homeschooling.
Why I love Loop Schedules
Loop scheduling genuinely changed the way I homeschool. In those early years, I had big dreams—introducing my kids to art, music, nature, poetry—but I constantly felt behind. I thought I had to do everything every day or risk missing something important.
But with a loop schedule, I finally gave myself permission to slow down. I could add variety to our days without adding pressure. If we didn’t get to a subject on Monday, no worries—it just moved to the next day. That gentle rhythm helped me be more present with my kids and less anxious about checking boxes.
I stopped chasing the idea of a “perfect” schedule and embraced something that actually worked. And because we weren’t trying to do all the things every day, we had more time for play, curiosity, and connection. That’s why I keep coming back to looping—it’s flexible, forgiving, and full of grace. Exactly what homeschooling with littles should be.
Tips for Using a Loop Schedule with Young Kids or Babies
Looping with toddlers or babies underfoot? It’s doable—and even enjoyable—with the right mindset.
Start with short sessions. Kids’ attention spans are brief, and short, focused lessons are often more effective than long, drawn-out ones. If we only get 15 minutes into a nature study or a poetry reading, I consider that a win.
Try combining ages when you can. I love when my older and younger kids can do a subject together—it creates sweet moments of connection and allows the younger ones to be exposed to bigger ideas while the older ones get a chance to review.
A simple visual checklist or sticker chart can work wonders. My kids love knowing what’s coming next and checking things off our loop list.
I also recommend taking advantage of nap time or quiet play windows for some of your loop work. And above all, give yourself grace. The goal isn’t to finish the loop perfectly—it’s to keep showing up, little by little.
Common Questions About Loop Schedules
“What if I don’t get to everything?”
You won’t—and that’s perfectly fine. Looping is about steady progress over time, not daily perfection.
“Do I loop core subjects too?”
I recommend keeping math and reading as daily anchors and using your loop for enrichment subjects.
“Isn’t this too unstructured?”
Not at all! A loop can be as structured or relaxed as you want. The beauty is in its flexibility.
If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by all the subjects you want to cover—or worried you’re “not doing enough”—a loop schedule might be the gentle solution you’ve been looking for. It’s a flexible, guilt-free rhythm that works beautifully for families in the thick of early parenting or juggling multiple ages.
Want more encouragement and practical help for your homeschool journey?
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Looking for more inspiration?
Check out my curated monthly morning basket themes—they’re designed to enrich your days without adding stress. Together, we can build homeschool rhythms that are joyful, doable, and uniquely ours.
Let’s make it beautiful—but also sustainable.
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