Best Homeschool History Resources: Top 10 Websites and Apps for Kids
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Homeschooling offers a unique opportunity to make history engaging, interactive, and meaningful for kids. With the right resources, you can spark curiosity about the past while fostering critical thinking and a love for learning. At Presidents For Kids, we’ve curated a list of the 10 best homeschool history websites and apps to help parents and educators bring history to life. These resources are packed with interactive lessons, videos, games, and more, tailored for homeschooling families. Whether you're teaching ancient civilizations or modern U.S. history, this directory has you covered!
Why Choose High-Quality Homeschool History Resources?
History isn’t just about memorizing dates and names—it’s about understanding the stories, cultures, and events that shaped our world. The best homeschool history resources make learning dynamic with hands-on activities, living books, and digital tools that cater to various learning styles. These websites and apps provide flexible, engaging content that aligns with homeschooling goals, helping kids connect with history in a way that’s both fun and educational.
Top 10 Homeschool History Websites and Apps
Overview: Freedom Homeschooling offers a comprehensive collection of free history and social studies curricula for all grade levels. From ancient civilizations to U.S. government, their resources include lesson plans, worksheets, and digital textbooks.
Why It’s Great: The site organizes resources by grade and subject, with clear labels for secular or Christian content, making it easy to find what fits your homeschool. Their newsletter keeps you updated on new additions.
Best For: Budget-conscious families seeking complete, high-quality history curricula.
2. Homeschool History by Notgrass
Overview: Created by Notgrass History, this platform provides engaging history, government, and geography curricula with a focus on making learning fun. It includes videos, games, and supplemental resources.
Why It’s Great: The site is designed for homeschoolers, offering free and paid content that complements their structured curricula. It’s perfect for parents who want ready-to-use materials with a storytelling approach.
Best For: Families looking for a mix of digital and hands-on history resources.
3. The World History Encyclopedia
Overview: An extensive online encyclopedia with articles, videos, maps, and teaching resources covering world history from ancient times to the present.
Why It’s Great: This ad-free, scholarly resource is ideal for in-depth research and self-directed learning. It’s perfect for supplementing any history curriculum with reliable, detailed content.
Best For: Middle and high school students exploring global history topics.
4. Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool
Overview: This free Christian homeschool curriculum offers 180 days of history lessons for grades 1–8, covering ancient history, early American history, and modern times.
Why It’s Great: Lessons integrate online books, videos, games, and printables, making it easy for kids to work independently. The site also allows parents to customize grade levels.
Best For: Christian homeschoolers seeking a structured, no-cost history program.
Overview: A video-based history curriculum by Professor Larry Schweikart, offering American and world history courses with lifetime access.
Why It’s Great: Engaging video lectures, teacher guides, and hands-on activities cater to diverse learning styles. It also includes AP test prep for high schoolers.
Best For: Visual learners and families preparing for advanced history exams.
6. OER Project
Overview: Offers free online world history courses, including Big History, AP World History, and more, designed for middle and high school students.
Why It’s Great: Courses include interactive activities, videos, and teacher resources, making complex historical concepts accessible. It’s a great fit for project-based learning.
Best For: Secular homeschoolers seeking rigorous, standards-aligned history courses.
7. Smithsonian’s History Explorer
Overview: Developed by the National Museum of American History, this site offers free K–12 resources featuring artifacts, activities, and cross-curricular lessons.
Why It’s Great: It brings U.S. history to life with primary sources and hands-on projects, perfect for integrating history with other subjects.
Best For: Families wanting to explore American history through museum-quality resources.
Overview: An animated series available on YouTube, focusing on the American Revolution through engaging stories for elementary and middle school kids.
Why It’s Great: This fun, visual resource makes history accessible for younger learners. It’s ideal for supplementing U.S. history lessons with historical fiction.
Best For: Elementary students who love animated storytelling.
Overview: A free resource offering lesson plans, activities, and primary sources focused on a people’s history of the United States, emphasizing diverse perspectives.
Why It’s Great: It encourages critical thinking and explores lesser-known narratives, making it a valuable tool for inclusive history education.
Best For: Secular homeschoolers interested in social justice and diverse historical viewpoints.
10. Crash Course
Overview: A popular YouTube channel offering free video series on U.S. and world history, government, and economics for middle and high school students.
Why It’s Great: Fast-paced, engaging videos break down complex topics with humor and visuals, perfect for sparking discussions and deeper research.
Best For: Older students who enjoy dynamic, bite-sized history lessons.
Tips for Using These Homeschool History Resources
- Mix and Match: Combine resources to suit your child’s learning style. For example, pair Crash Course videos with Zinn Education Project activities for a multi-faceted approach.
- Incorporate Hands-On Learning: Use Freedom Homeschooling’s worksheets or Smithsonian’s artifact-based activities to create interactive projects like timelines or lapbooks.
- Leverage Free Trials: Many platforms, like Wild World of History, offer sample lessons. Test them out to ensure they fit your homeschooling goals.
- Encourage Critical Thinking: Resources like the Zinn Education Project and OER Project promote discussion and analysis, helping kids connect history to today’s world.
- Preview Content: Especially for YouTube-based resources like Liberty’s Kids or Crash Course, review videos to ensure they align with your family’s values and standards.
Why These Resources Stand Out
These websites and apps were chosen for their accessibility, engagement, and educational value. Whether you’re looking for free resources (Freedom Homeschooling, OER Project), video-based learning (Wild World of History, Crash Course), or primary source-driven lessons (Smithsonian’s History Explorer, Zinn Education Project), this list covers a range of approaches. Many are secular or offer secular options, while others, like Easy Peasy, cater to Christian families. Each resource is designed to make history memorable and meaningful for kids of all ages.
Start Exploring History Today!
With these top 10 homeschool history resources, you can create a rich, engaging history curriculum tailored to your child’s interests and your homeschooling style. From interactive websites to captivating videos, these tools make history come alive. Visit Presidents For Kids for more educational resources, including fun facts about U.S. presidents and activities to spark your child’s love for history!