Morning Basket is a fantastic way to expose your kids to a wide variety of topics through books and activities. It’s extremely popular among homeschoolers but many families new to this concept have many questions. Let’s break it down into small pieces and you’ll find that it’s really simple. Here are my top Morning Basket tips.
What is a Morning Basket?
Morning Basket is a collection of living books and hands-on activities that are fun, educational, and cover a wide range of ages. Many homeschoolers start their days with a few selections from their Morning Basket. While some of the books and activities may be geared towards a certain age, usually these can usually be enjoyed by all of the kids.
What types of books should I include?
This is the ONLY rule I follow and it’s a loose rule so it’s super easy. Ready? Here is the only thing you really should do with Morning Basket. Incorporate a wide variety of books every month. That’s it! Super easy. You don’t have to read every book every day. You don’t have to touch on every topic every day. The whole point of Morning Basket is to expose your kids to a wide variety of topics through books over the course of the year. I choose books for history, science, biographies, art, music, nature, poetry, and seasonal books. I also include chapter and picture read aloud books that don’t necessarily not fall into these categories. They’re just great literature that we want to share as a family. You can also use devotionals and memory work in your Morning Basket routine.
What is a Living Book?
A living book is the opposite of a dry textbook. It brings the story to life! Include mostly living books in your Morning Basket. Check out Simply Charlotte Mason’s definition of living books and also their book finder.
Should I use picture books or chapter books?
Younger kids will do better with mostly picture books but I still include a few for my 4th grader. A mix of both is great. Younger kids can be challenged with longer stories and older kids still love a quick story in a picture book. Who doesn’t love beautiful illustrations?
Can I use audio books?
Yes! Audio books are especially helpful as kids get older and the read aloud books get longer. This is a great way to give your voice a rest but try not to rely on them too much. Reading aloud to your kids is a bonding experience that audio books just can’t replace.
Do I need to buy all these books?
No! While I think owning a lot of books is fantastic, I also LOVE our library. I buy books that I know we’re going to revisit or use for an extended period of time. This year we are really enjoying collections of short biographies and poetry. I own several of these books and they’ll each be used throughout two or three months. A few will even be used all year. I get the other books from the library or the curriculum we’re using.
Related Post – How to Plan a Morning Basket – FREE Planner!
Morning Basket Books- August 2018
Can I use our curriculum books for Morning Basket?
Yes! We use literature based curricula and I include some of those books in our Morning Basket. However, the books I choose are living books. These are chapter books that either complement our history lessons or are used to teach language arts. Don’t include curriculum textbooks.
How often should I change out the books?
I recommend changing them out every month once kids are able to listen to longer chapter books. This is usually around 2nd or 3rd grade. Those chapter books may take a few weeks to get through so it’s not necessary to change out the basket every week. With younger kids, you may want to change out the books more often because it doesn’t take as long to read picture books. You’ll end up with a huge pile of picture books if you try to cram a month’s worth of them into a basket.
Should I include art?
You can include art with a structured art program like ARTistic Pursuits, nature study journaling, “how to draw” type books, picture study, art videos like Chalk Pastel, or even just child-led inspiration. I like to include a selection of art and craft supplies and let the kids decide what to create with them. I do a structured art activity once a week but every family is different. Find what works for your family and be free to change things up.
Should I include music?
Include music through books, listening, or even a structured program like Squilt. I read books during Morning Basket time but listen to music throughout the day. You can play music quietly in the background during meals, clean up time, free play time, and in the car. I love Amazon Music and Tidal for this. There are many playlists for every time period which makes it easy to find the music you’re reading about in books. However, matching the music to the books isn’t necessary. Actually, it may be very difficult for the earlier time periods covered in books. Just like books, expose your kids to a wide variety of music throughout the year. I read from a book once a week but have music playing every day. There are no rules here. Find what works for your family.
September Morning Book Basket
How do I get ideas for books to include?
You can check out my monthly posts about the books we use in our Morning Basket. Look to books that you want to read with your kids or are already scheduled in your homeschool year. You can find fantastic book lists from literature based curriculum companies such as Sonlight, Bookshark, Build You Own Library, and Brave Writer. Also check out Read Aloud Revival and Pam Barnhill. Simply Charlotte Mason has a very handy book finder tool. Most of the seasonal and holiday books that I include are books I find displayed in our library. Also, look in your own library. Do you have any books that coordinate with what you’re studying in history or science? Are there any seasonal books that you haven’t read in a while? I always scan our shelves to see what gems are right in front of us.
What activities and games should I include?
Many of the activities people include are chosen to keep little hands and bodies busy while listening to the stories. These can be puzzles, coloring, play-doh, LEGOs, busy bags, stencils, drawing, and clay. Some families like to include activities designed to help little kids with fine and gross motor skills. I also like to include games. We have many board and card games and I’m trying to be more intentional about playing them regularly. Putting a game with our Morning Basket is a great way to remind us to make time to play it. Mad Libs are also a great Morning Basket addition.
Do I have to do it in the morning?
No. It’s a wonderful way to start your homeschool day, but many families sprinkle these books and activities throughout the day and even right before bedtime. I read chapter books during breakfast while the kids are eating and picture books on the couch at different times during the day. (l eat while they’re off playing for a bit). It’s perfectly fine if your routine changes. If you have to leave the house early on certain days, don’t stress about getting to your Morning Basket before heading out the door. It’s also perfectly fine to skip days. You don’t have to do it every day if that doesn’t work for your schedule. Find what works for your family and make changes as needed. Some families prefer to call it simply Book Basket instead of Morning Basket.
Do I have to put everything in a basket?
No. Social media is filled with beautiful basket displays packed with amazing books but you can toss these books in a box or keep them in a stack if that’s your preference. Don’t wait to start this until you find the perfect basket. Jump in now and beautify it later if you want.
Where should I keep the Morning Basket?
Don’t worry about hauling around the whole basket if you like to read in different places all over the house. You don’t need a rolling cart either. Keep it simple! Keep your Morning Basket materials in the main area where you think you’ll be reading these books and grab individual books when you head to a different area to read. For us, it lives by the couch but I’ll carry a book or two to the dining room to read during breakfast or I’ll grab a book and go outside.
Should I follow a schedule?
I can see how many new homeschool families may want a schedule of which books to read on which days but it’s really not necessary. You don’t have to decide in advance how many chapters of each book are covered every day or every week. You don’t have to decide which picture books to read on which days. It’s also completely okay if you don’t get to all the books you had picked out for the month.
This sounds like a lot! How long should this take?
Every family and every kid is different. Don’t make your kids sit for long periods of time unless, of course, their attention spans can handle it and they enjoy it. If you have books more geared toward different age groups, read the books for the younger kids and then let them run off while you continue reading to the older kids. You can also have the older kids do independent work while you read to your younger kids. If attention is fading, take a break and come back to the books later. By turning this into a regular habit, you can cover so much with small chunks every day…or even just most days. There’s no need to try to cram everything in a long stretch one day a week.
How can I make my kid sit still and listen?
Don’t make them sit for long periods of time. This is supposed to be fun and relaxed! Spread out the books over the day. I read during breakfast and sometimes lunch. It has become such a habit that my kids expect it and are disappointed if they have to eat without a story! This makes for a really attentive audience. The downside is that I often have to remind them to actually eat! Some kids listen better while doing something else. This is where those quiet activities I mentioned earlier become very helpful.
To Recap…
Expose your kids to a wide variety of topics with beautiful books throughout the year. Read small chunks everyday – or most days. Everything else is completely up to you! Don’t stress about it. There’s really no way to mess this up, so just jump in and enjoy some great books with your kids.
What’s in your Morning Basket?
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Morning Basket – October with Halloween Books!
I don’t love doing morning baskets regularly but occasionally I put together a themed one. Last year, we did a Christmas one, a Winter Olympics one and and spring one.
I used to do themed baskets and I really enjoyed it but my kids were quickly bored. Now I just add one or two to our morning basket. I leave a stack of the theme books off to the side for them to read on their own. I completely missed the fall books at the library this year but I snagged a bunch of Halloween ones early.