Resources, groups & field trips
A grown-up page. Everything here is free to read, borrow or join, or has a reduced rate for home-educating families. Links go to other people’s websites — we do not run them, so do check them yourself before signing up or paying anything.
Curriculum & free lesson libraries
Places to borrow, mix and match. You do not need a full boxed curriculum to teach well — most families build their own from two or three of these.
- Khan Academy
Worldwide
Free maths, science and reading practice from early years upward, with progress tracking.
- CK-12 Foundation
Worldwide
Free, adjustable science and maths textbooks you can read online or print.
- OER Commons
Worldwide
A big library of open, teacher-made lessons you are allowed to copy and adapt.
- Project Gutenberg
Worldwide
Tens of thousands of free out-of-copyright books — wonderful for read-alouds and poetry.
- LibriVox
Worldwide
Free volunteer-read audiobooks — good for listening learners and car journeys.
- NASA for Educators
Worldwide
Real mission data, images and hands-on activities straight from the source.
Education law & your rights
Rules differ enormously by country, province and state. Always read the official government page for where you actually live, and check the date on anything else.
- Ontario — Home schooling policy (PPM 131)
Ontario, Canada
The official notice-of-intent rules for families home educating in Ontario.
- Canadian Home Based Learning Resource
Canada
Province-by-province summaries of Canadian home education requirements.
- Coalition for Responsible Home Education — state laws
United States
Plain-language summaries of each US state's home-schooling law.
- UK — Home education (GOV.UK)
United Kingdom
The official rules for educating a child at home in England.
- Australia — state registration bodies
Australia
Start here, then follow the link to your own state or territory authority.
Finding co-ops, groups & support
Most families find their people locally rather than online. Libraries and community centres often keep a noticeboard of home-school meet-ups.
- Your public library
Local
Free story times, maker spaces, museum passes and often a home-school noticeboard. The single best free resource there is.
- Kids Learning Connections
Ontario, Canada
A friendly Ontario home-school group that organises workshops, field trips and shared learning days — a real example of families learning together.
- 4-H Clubs
Canada, US, worldwide
Hands-on clubs in animals, gardening, engineering and public speaking. Low cost, all ages.
- Scouts & Guides
Worldwide
Outdoor skills, camping and community service — a common social anchor for home-schoolers.
- Forest school & nature groups
UK, with sister groups worldwide
Weekly outdoor learning days that pair beautifully with our Science and Movement rooms.
Field trips & home-school rates
Many museums, theatres and science centres now offer a reduced home-school or educator rate — it is often not advertised, so ask when you book. Bring proof of home education if your region issues any.
- Stratford Festival — student & home-school tickets
Stratford, Ontario
Reduced-price tickets for home-schooling families, plus study guides for the plays. Wonderful alongside reading Shakespeare aloud.
- Science centres & museum home-school days
Worldwide
Find a science centre near you. Many run dedicated home-school days at a lower price, and reciprocal passes let one membership cover several centres.
- National & provincial parks education programmes
Canada (most countries have an equivalent)
Guided walks, junior ranger booklets and free or cheap entry for school groups.
- US National Park Service — for teachers
United States
Free lesson plans and fee waivers for educational visits, including home-school groups.
Sharing, borrowing & swapping
Home schooling should not depend on a budget. These are ways families make the cost close to nothing.
- Buy Nothing Project
Worldwide
Neighbourhood gift groups — a good place to ask for microscopes, recorders and readers.
- Toy & tool libraries
Worldwide
Borrow science kits, instruments and equipment instead of buying them.
- Open Library
Worldwide
Borrow scanned books free, one reader at a time, from the Internet Archive.
You are not stuck at home
A common worry is that home-schooled children are lonely. In most cases the opposite is true: they meet through shared workshops, daytime field trips, sports, music lessons, and community groups. Online planning lets a small number of families create a rich calendar together — each parent runs one or two events a year, and the children get many teachers, friends and places to explore.
Parents take turns running workshops
One parent might lead a science morning, another a nature walk, another a pottery class. Each family contributes a little, and the children get a wide range of teachers and experiences.
Group field trips during the day
Museums, farms, theatres and stables are quiet on weekday mornings and often welcome a block of home-school families at a lower rate. The trip is part of the school day, not an extra.
Social life across ages
Home-schooled children often spend time with babies, grandparents, neighbours and friends of many ages — not only one classroom of same-age peers. Many families find they are more social, not less.
Shared buildings and co-op days
Some groups rent a community room or church hall one day a week for classes, shows, potlucks and parent meetings. It gives children a sense of belonging and routine without a full school schedule.
Groups like Kids Learning Connections show what this can look like in real life — families sharing the work, the cost, and the joy of learning together.
Daytime learning — the home-school advantage
Here is a quiet secret: riding stables, rinks, gyms and music teachers are nearly empty while school is in session, and many are delighted to fill those hours with home-schooling families at a reduced rate. For home-educated children these are not after-school extras — they are the physical education and arts part of the week, happening in the daytime when the teaching is calmest and the spaces are quietest. Ask anywhere like this:
Horseback riding stables
Weekday group lessons are often much cheaper than weekend ones. Ask about a term-long home-school block — horses, balance, care of animals, responsibility.
Ice rinks & skating lessons
Look for 'daytime public skate' or a home-school skate programme. Rinks are empty mid-morning and instructors are usually glad of the work.
Gymnastics & trampoline clubs
Many clubs run dedicated home-school classes during the day at lower cost. Strength, coordination and confidence, in small groups.
Swimming pools & lessons
Ask the leisure centre about quiet daytime lane time or a home-school lesson rate. Water safety counts as real physical education.
Chess clubs & tutors
Clubs often meet in libraries or cafés and welcome a daytime junior group. Strategy, patience and gracious winning and losing.
Music teachers & instrument lessons
Teachers with empty daytime slots frequently offer a daytime discount. Pairs with our Music rooms — recorders, piano, choir.
Climbing gyms & dance studios
Both are quiet before 3pm. Ask about a weekly home-school session — several families together usually gets a group price.
Martial arts & archery
Dojos and ranges often run daytime sessions for home-educated children. Discipline, focus and calm — with safety rules first.
Gather a few families first — a standing group of six or eight children on a quiet Tuesday morning is worth real money to a venue, so the discount goes further. Always check instructor qualifications, safeguarding and insurance, and never pay for a whole term before a trial visit.
Ask about home-school rates
The Stratford Festival offers home-school tickets, and it is far from alone. Theatres, museums, galleries, science centres, pools, climbing gyms and music schools very often have an educator or home-school price that never appears on the website. A short, friendly email usually gets it:
“Hello — we are a home-educating family (and part of a small local group of around eight children, ages 5 to 12). Do you offer a school or home-school rate for visits, and is there a weekday that suits you best? Thank you!”
Ask on a quiet weekday, mention your group size, and ask whether they have a study guide — many do, and it is usually free.
Suggest a group
Anyone can suggest a co-op, club or support group. Nothing appears on this page automatically — every suggestion is read by a person first, and only groups that meet the pledge below are listed.
- Welcoming to every child regardless of race, faith, disability, language, family shape or income.
- No material that mocks, excludes or spreads hatred about any group of people.
- Honest about cost — anything paid says so up front.
- Safe for children: adults supervised, clear safeguarding, no unverified private contact.
- Truthful about what it teaches, and open about who runs it.