FREE STUFF

  • Scholarships for International Students - Databases are dedicated to listing scholarships for international students in specific countries. You should also consider searching the free databases of scholarships on the FinAid site, since some of them include scholarships for international students. The FastWeb database, in particular, has good coverage of the awards available for international students.

    A word of caution: If a scholarship has an application fee, don't apply. If you have to pay money to get money, it is probably a scam. For more information about scholarship scams, the unclaimed aid myth, and related topics, see the Scholarship Scams section of the FinAid site. 
  • Contests & Scholarships for USA Students - The Internet's most comprehensive database of educational contests and scholarships for homeschooled students. Entering and winning contests is a wonderful way to broaden a child's horizons and create a stronger college application.
  • Educational Field Trips - A searchable database of educational fieldtrips around the country and in your local area. Select a link or click on the map to find museums, zoos, aquariums, planetariums, historic houses, nature centers, cultural centers, and other educational facilities in your state or province.
  • Free Homeschool ID Card - Use the free Homeschool ID card templates to create your homeschool ID card. Then, print your card at home, or order a professionally printed, sturdy plastic (PVC) ID card from the Co-op for only $7.95 (and $5.95 for each additional card in the same order).  Please join the Co-op in order to use the free or paid ID card service. Membership is FREE and confidential.
  • Handwriting For Kids - Interactive and printable handwriting sheets. (T,Y)
  • School Express Handwriting - Free printable handwriting sheets (T,Y)
  • Kindness Unit (excerpted from The Organized Teacher's Guide to Building Character) - 26 page unit on kindness, a book excerpt with graphic organizers, book recommendations, activities, and more (T)
  • Parliament Tutors - Offers students free, custom, full-length prep tests designed by tutors! You can print out the exam and plug in your answers online to get a complete score report along with answer explanations. The students will love it! (O)
  • Homeschool 101 Supplement - From Special Needs to Homeschooling High School, this nearly 200 page supplement is full of resources for dozens of topics. Don't let the name fool you - it's not just for beginners! It is available in both digital magazine format and downloadable PDF. (T)
  • Free Notebook Resources - An assortment of free notebooking pages, lined paper, homeschooling charts and printables organized by subject. (T)
  • Free Software for Foreign Language Learning - Vistawide provides free information and resources for foreign language learners and enthusiasts of all ages. Whether you're a lifelong speaker of foreign languages, a beginning language learner, or someone who hasn't yet taken the plunge, you're sure to find something here to satisfy your interest and curiosity. The page I've featured is a list of software for learning foreign languages (25 choices including ASL), but the site has many more resources to explore. (Y, M, O, T)
  • Free Christian History Timeline eChart - This "Christian History Time Line" eChart shows the years from Christ's birth until AD200, and includes important dates, events, people, and places. More samples (this is a selection from a book from Rose Publishing) are available with free registration. (T)
  • Type Online - Practice typing online; speed and accuracy (M, O, T)
  • SENSE-LANG.ORG - Online free touch typing program, keyboarding tutor and Free Typing Games. (M, O, T)
  • Evaluate Schoolhouse Test - Create tests and quizzes with eight different question types: multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blanks, matching, short answer, list, order, true/false, long answer. The only limitation to the evaluation is that tests print with banners. Otherwise, the software is fully functional. (T)
  • The Journey InsideSM - Take an interactive journey to learn about what is inside your computer. (M, O, T)
  • Design and Discovery- Interest youth in design and engineering with this free curriculum; it provides a hands-on, inquiry-based experience with identifying and designing creative solutions to everyday problems. (M ,O, T)
  • Dissection Alternatives Loan Program- The National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS) encourages students to find alternatives to sacrificing animals for dissections. The organization offers a loan program with dozens of three dimensional plastic models, computer software programs, color transparencies, videotapes and other materials. The library includes frogs, cats, perch, shark, rats, starfish, fetal pigs and humans. (T)
  • Backyard Conservation- "Backyard Conservation" shows you how conservation practices that help conserve and improve natural resources on agricultural land across the country can be adapted for use around your home. These practices help the environment and can make your yard more attractive and enjoyable. Most backyard conservation practices are easy to use. America's farmers and ranchers have been using these practices successfully for decades. Backyard Conservation - cover. Download the publication in English. (Y, M, O, T)
  • Agriculture Fact Book 2001-2002- From the United States Department of Agriculture. Download the full Fact Book in pdf File Size 2.98MB (PDF files require Adobe Acrobat) (M, O, T)
  • WRAP KID'S CORNER: What you can do to prevent Air Pollution- Download Complete WRAP Kid's Handout (9.5MB) PDF (Y, M)
  • USDA Food Safety Mobile Coloring Book- Meet Thermy™, BAC, and some other characters on these pages while you learn four important food safety steps: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill. Tell grown-ups to use Thermy™, a food thermometer, when they cook! (PDF Only; 4MB) ()
  • George Washington Carver Coloring and Activity Book- From the Department of Agriculture with art work submissions by the National Park Service and the American Peanut Council. (Y, M)
  • Sustainable Agricultural Resources and Programs for K-12 Youth- Sustainable Agricultural Resources & Education (SARE) Program for K-12 Youth (Y, M, O, T)
  • Pi Poster- (Y, M, O, T)
  • Greg Landry, M.S. - Free Online Science Seminars and Newsletter- "Anatomy and Physiology of the Pancreas" "SAT and ACT - What You Should Know" "There's Life in the Blood" "So, You Want to be a Doctor - What it Takes and What to Expect" "What I've Learned from Cadavers.. about Life, Death, and Anatomy" "Working Toward Academic Excellence - A Practical and Biblical Guide" "Teaching the Sciences - 6th - 12th Grade" "Top 10 Academic Mistakes Homeschoolers Make - and How to Avoid Them" "Sports Scholarships for Homeschooled Students - How to Get Them" "The Urge (to go) and Other Rarely Thought of Human Body Characteristics" (Y, M, O, T)
  • Fish and Wildlife Resources- From the Division of Fish and Wildlife: includes information on hunting, fishing and endangered wildlife. It also boasts of maps, photos and cool stuff. (T)
  • Free sample issue of Homeschooling Today- You can subscribe right now, or try Homeschooling Today risk free! (T)
  • ScrapandLearn.com- The best of notebooking, lapbooking, unit studies and scrapbooking and made a system of learning that will let your student’s creativity and individuality shine through. A FREE download for a Resource List in the bottom left hand corner. Resource changes periodically. (Y, M)
  • Live and Learn resources- Live and Learn Press offers many lapbook resources (called Learn 'N Folders) and their freebie page includes several PDF downloads for free, including an Apple Learn 'N Folder, How to Fold a ShutterFold Book, and an All About Me Folder. If you join their Yahoo group (the link is on the page), you also get folders for Thanksgiving, St. Patrick's Day and Fourth of July. (Y, M, O, T)
  • Free Lapbook Unit Study- I love the products from In the Hands of a Child, and I love them even more when they are free! Each quarter the site offers a free resource. You will need to create a free account in order to download the quarterly unit. (Y, M, T)
  • Posters/Charts (PDF files)- Links to all pages that contain high-quality PDF files that print well as small one-page charts or as large posters. (Y, M, O, T)
  • Computer Programming for Homeschool Students- Earn College Credit while Learning OOP, Java, and XML. (O)
  • Free educator guides for Walden Media movies- (M, O, T)
  • Leader's Guide for EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed- This is a large file that may take several moments to download (or several minutes if you are on dial-up). The colorful guide will help you sort through some of the information from the movie about the origins of life from a Creationism and/or Intelligent Design perspective. (O, T)
  • OnScreen DNA Lite free download- Teach how DNA works, using 3D animations and on-screen tutorials. (T, O)
    Science and Our Food Supply- Investigating Food Safety From Farm to Table Free curriculum kit for your Middle Level or your High School Classroom! (M, O, T)
  • The Lesson Machine Free Samples- (T)
  • ArtBug Mail- This is a new resource for homeschooling families, designed by a homeschooling family in BC, Canada. Frëë art tutorials and art software designed especially for 4 – 10 year olds are available from their website. A private online art gallery service for children (allowing them to easily archive their own work) and the first completely safe art email service for children as young as four years old are offered as a low-cost resource but are not required to access the free resources. (Y)
  • Dissection Alternatives- From Dissection Alternatives.com This websie provides students with an alternatives to dissecting animals. Many organizations now offer free loan programs through which teachers and students can borrow non-animal alternatives at no charge. (Y, M, O, T)
  • Ambleside Online- Ambleside Online is a free curriculum designed to be as close as possible to the curriculum that Charlotte Mason used in her own PNEU schools. The curriculum uses as many free online books as possible, and there is no cost to use this information or join the support group. (T)
  • A to Z Teacher Stuff: free downloads- Free downloads in a variety of topics. Each product in the store also has a free sample you can use to view pages from an item before you buy. (Y, M, O, T)
  • Partnerships for Endangered Species Recovery (Poster)- Offers a full size version of an artistic "Recovery Poster" in PDF. (Y, M, O, T)
  • Free Messianic Haggadah - (Y, M, O, T)
  • Free Aviation Resources - Teaching resource materials offered directly by NCAE members. (T)
  • America's Heritage: An Adventure in Liberty - From American Heitage.org. A curriculum supplement written by teachers for Kindergarten-12th grade. (T)
  • Homeschool Tracker Basic Edition - Homeschool Tracker is a free software program for homeschoolers to track assignments, grades, attendance, and more. It is fully customizable for your students, your resources, and your subjects. (T)
  • Free Movies - When school's out, kids around the country come to selected Regal Entertainment Group theatres for our Free Family Film Festival. It's a fun-filled nine weeks of movies for kids and their parents. Since 1991, Regal has provided this service to the community, and best of all it's FREE! Selected G & PG movies start at 10AM each Tuesday and Wednesday during the festival. First-come, first-served seating is limited to theatre capacity. The Free Family Film Festival is safe, lots of fun and a great way for kids to spend a weekday morning in the summer. (Y)
  • COREPlus from Download Learning - "COREPlus is an exciting collection of FREE educational software programs that makes it easy to learn all about history, geography, science, fine art, and more." There is nothing to download, just set your browser to allow pop-ups from www.downloadlearning.com (Y, M, O, T)
  • It's a Wild Ride - It's A Wild Ride takes you on a tour of an interdisciplinary math, science, and language arts project where students apply the laws of motion, use linear equations, and write technical reports as they design an ultimate roller coaster to save the local amusement park from bankruptcy. (The CD is 15 minutes in length.) (Y, M, O, T)
  • Water Resources Outreach Program - "Water-resources topics of all completed posters are drawn in a cartoon format by the same cartoonist. Posters are available in color or black and white. The back sides of the color poster JPEG files contain educational activities: one version for children in grades 3-5 and the other with activities for children in grades 6-8. The black-and-white posters are intended for coloring by children in grades K-5. (Y, M, O, T)
  • Free park day for active duty or active reserve military - Anheuser-Busch is honored to salute the men and women of our armed forces and their families. Members of the military and as many as three direct dependents may enter any one of Anheuser-Busch's SeaWorld, Busch Gardens or Sesame Place park. (Y, M, O, T)

 

  • File Folder Game - Want a fun and effective way to review spelling words or the phonograms? All you have to do is sign up for the free spelling newsletter at All About Spelling and you can download this game. Have you heard of file folder games? They are a good way to review facts. All you need are the game board and some flashcards. You can use them to practice spelling, phonograms, math facts, geography facts, or any other subject. (Y)
  • Globalmania eBook- From Knowledge Quest, this eBook promises to teach world geography in just 7 months. I have used other KQ products and they are high quality. Globalmania makes use of an organized plan and online resources to help students master world geography. It also includes several quality world maps. The eBook is a PDF download that will require going through the checkout process but does not require any payment information. Checkout will show a $0 due and will process the order without payment. (Y, M, O, T)
  • Free Internet Safety Kit- Did you know that two in five online teens (42%) said they’ve posted information about themselves on the Internet so others can see it and contact them? And nearly half of the teen respondents (47%) to a 2005 survey by Teen Research Unlimited admitted that they’ve used code words to alert others online to a parent’s immediate presence—an effort to disguise a conversation about which a guardian might not approve. More than one in four (28%) said they use such lingo daily. In an effort to protect children by informing parents, the Polly Klaas Foundation has created an Internet Safety Kit. When parents obtain the free Internet Safety Kit, they will be offered a free download of Wired with Wisdom ($19.95 value). Wired with Wisdom grew out of the real need many parents express to catch up with their technologically sophisticated children. In this swift-moving online age, parents often feel overwhelmed or under-qualified to address children’s Internet habits. Together, the Internet Safety Kit and Wired With Wisdom provide busy parents practical, workable solutions to help manage their family's Internet safety, including email, personal websites, chat rooms, social networking and instant messaging as well as recognizing and avoiding online predators. (Y, M, O, T)
  • Free 400 Science Experiment Guide - (Y, M, O, T)
  • Free SAT exam school- "Our Online SAT school is the most comprehensive collection of Free SAT study resources on the web offering practice exams, study guides, flashcards, quizzes, cram sheets, articles, links and tips to help you succeed on the SAT exam!" (O, T)
  • History Mini-unit study Newsletter from Learning Through History- Receive a mini unit study on a topic within one of these four historical periods on a monthly basis: Ancient History, Medieval Period, Renaissance to Revolutions, Modern World. Also includes a VCR Alert! section, highlighting a can’t miss historical programs on television for quality family viewing and a Recommended Resource for each issue. (T)
  • Freebies from Teacher Created Materials- Free monthly activities including calendars and teaching tips can be found at the TCM website. The best find is the free weekly lesson plans, activities, and brain teasers. All of the archives are posted as well, so there are hundreds of free printout resources! (Y, M, O, T)
  • Free Holiday Sampler Download- Free from Teacher Vision, the Holiday Sampler contains worksheets about: ·Christopher Columbus ·Election Day ·Halloween Pumpkin ·Hallowed Areas ·Happy Thanksgiving ·Which Ones Are Your Turkeys ·Make and Play the Dreidel Game (T,Y,M)
  • Life Of the Forest Freebies- International Paper's complete "Life of the Forest" educational series includes 10 full-color full-size posters showing various important stages in the life of the forest, a matching set of 10 teaching guides with in-depth information pertaining to each poster and its subject matter, and a 16-page booklet featuring over-sized, full-color illustrations depicting the cycles and stages of forests. Perfect for kids! (T,A)
  • Parties with Purpose- If you think your children are more self-focused than they should be, then this idea is for you. Watering Can Press is the company that publishes The Hero Book and The Giving Book, and they have developed party planning guides to accompany both books. You can download these free guides in PDF format. (Y, M, O, T)
  • NASA Teaching Materials- Extensive database of downloadable educational materials searchable by subject, grade level and product type (Y, M, O, T)
  • Free Stuff from Learning Magazine- A variety of free materials are available from industry associations, publishers, and more. Some is just samples or catalogs, but there are several free offers as well. (T)
  • Textbook Revolution- "Textbook Revolution is the web’s source for free educational materials. This is a student-run, volunteer-operated website started in response to the textbook industry’s constant drive to maximize profits instead of educational value... At Textbook Revolution, you’ll find links to textbooks and select educational resources of all kinds. Some of the books are PDF files, others are viewable only online as e-books. Most books are aimed at undergraduates, but there are at least a few resources at every level, from kindergarten to post-doc. All of the books are offered for free by their respective copyright holders for online viewing." (Y, M, O, T)
  • PrayKids Magazine Lessons- Don't miss these excellent downloadable lessons on prayer from NavPress. The lessons are created in a magazine format with a companion Teacher's Guide on the website. This quality publication is a great way to introduce your children to biblical concepts. (Y,M)
  • Mineral Information Institute Free Resources- Five lessons are free online and you have the option to order posters for about $2 each to complement the lessons. The following lessons are available: A Study of the Earth, Everything We Have Comes from Natural Resources, Everyday Uses of Minerals, Creating a Universe, and Natural Uses we Use. (Y, M, O, T)
  • The Paperback Swap- Free paperback books (Y, M, O, T)
  • Create paper- Recently I needed a template for a specific kind of lined paper that would be dark enough for my daughter to see if another piece of paper was placed on top of it. I was getting frustrated pretty quickly, since despite my searches I wasn't finding anything. This site has an interactive PDF creator that will create just about any kind of paper you need. (T)
  • Free award-winning audio book series - "Runt the Brave"- From Clear Water Press.com (Y, M, O, T)
  • Life Prep for Teens: The Car Purchase Project- Life Prep for Homeschooled Teenagers is a curriculum that teaches teenagers skills and values they’ll need in the adult world they’re about to enter. It walks them through processes like researching a place to live, figuring out health insurance and understanding budgets. (O)
  • Free Wordsearch Software Download- Download page for crossword, word search, math, map and bingo worksheet. Note that some are free programs and others are 30 day evaluation copies. (T)
  • The Math Worksheet Site- TheMathWorksheetSite.com is an online math worksheet generator where "you can create an endless supply of math worksheets. The intuitive interface gives you the ability to customize each worksheet to target a student's specific needs... (Y,M)
  • Free online communication convention- Have you ever ended a conversation thinking - "Why did I say that?" Strengthen your communication skills at the Say What You Mean Convention. (T)
  • Online educational software- This free math, phonics and science worksheets and games website for elementary grades includes customizable games and worksheet generators. (Y,M,T)
  • Free typing games- "We at freetypinggames.net are committed to bringing you high quality, fun and interactive free typing games. Our free typing games have 25 different typing lessons including homerow and 10 key to choose from." High scores earn a place of recognition on the web site. (Y,M)
  • Design and Discovery: Experiencing Engineering Through Design- "Looking for a way to get students interested in engineering? Design and Discovery is a free program that includes a complete, downloadable and reproducible curriculum as well as related resource materials and an implementation guide. (M,O)
  • The OCTA-TETRA Construction Set- FREE geometric construction set instruction Booklet? E-mail: uncledan@homespun4homeschoolers.com (Y,M)
  • Dover Teacher Sampler- Welcome Teachers! Sign up for the Dover Teacher's Sampler and each week we’ll send you an email with fun and educational projects and activities -- puzzles and brain-teasers, science projects, stories and poems, nature illustrations, and much more. Dover’s been publishing children’s books for over 40 years and we have more than 2,000 titles for Pre-K to 12th grade. Sign up for your FREE weekly samples now. It’s easy as 1, 2, 3: (T)
  • Kid's Typing Skills- Another Windows download (Y, M, O, T)
  • MIT's Free OpenCourseWare Project- A free and open educational resource for faculty, students, and self-learners around the world. OCW supports MIT's mission to advance knowledge and education, and serve the world in the 21st century. (T)
  • Free Publications from the US DOE- Order Free US Department of Education Publications (T)
  • National Gallery of Art Loaner Program- Connect art and curriculum by borrowing free learning materials from the National Gallery of Art’s Division of Education. (T)
  • Free NASA Publications- Free Posters, Lithographs, Fact Sheets, Brochures and Interactive educational resources (T)
  • Free Planet Protectors Club Kit- From the EPA (T)
  • Schoolhouse Tech- Schoolhouse Tech sells software, but they have lots of free stuff on the site as well, including wordsearch software, mathfacts worksheet generator software, and articles. (T)
  • Free copy of Home Education magazine- (T)
  • Free comic books from the Fed- The Federal Reserve System has 7 comic style publications available for free through their publications catalog. Titles include The Story of Money, The Story of Banks, Once Upon a Dime, The Story of Foreign Trade and Exchange, The Story of Consumer Credit. (Y, M, O, T)
  • Using Live Insects in Elementary Classrooms- Funded by the National Institutes of Health Science Education Partnership Award. This program combines the use of live insects with math and sciecne activities for kids grades K-3. (T,Y)
  • National Parks Service- Curriculum based Programs in your park (Y, M, O, T)
  • Handwriting worksheets- Online handwriting worksheet maker; basic print, D'Nealian, and cursive available (T,Y)
  • Bruce's Typing Tutor- Freeware. This is a typing tutor appropriate for both beginners and advanced typists. It also contains a game in which each letter must be typed before it hits the floor. Windows only. (Y,M)
  • 10 Finger Breakout- Downloadable typing tutor game () (T,A)
  • NASA's New Online Robotics Course- (T)
  • Science Museum Reciprocal Program- Visit a science center or museum—for free! The ASTC Passport Program allows members to sample some of the world’s most exciting science centers and museums when they’re on vacation or visiting family and friends. (T)
  • Free Education Resources from the US Postal Service- The National Postal Museum offers a variety of materials and services for educators and students. School tours and Curriculum Guides (Y, M, O, T)
  • Learn2Type- "Typing Test & FREE Typing lessons at Learn 2 Type - the leading FREE Web site that helps you master the skills of touch-typing. Whether you're a typing expert or just a 'hunt & peck' beginner, the interactive exercises in this Typing Tutor automatically (M,O,T)
  • GeoSpy- From NationalGeographic.com. An online geography game. (O)
  • Science Freebies- The Howard Hughes Medical Institute offers "a variety of award-winning publications, videos and other materials-all free. Explore the frontiers of biomedical research and learn what's new in science education. Watch a video on laboratory safety. (O,T)
  • Fill in the 50 States- Can you place all 50 states on a blank US map without outlines with no errors? I couldn't! (Y, M, O, T)
  • Make a Farm Printable- If the younger children in your house are getting stir-crazy, try this printable Foldup from Own and Mouse Software. You download and install the software, then print the pages and let the kids cut, fold, and tape. You can also download Make a Town. (Y) - See more