Preschool & Kindergarten

SUPPORT FOR YOUR CHILD’S EARLY YEARS

Unschooling Preschool & Kindergarten

Preschool enrollment, kindergarten readiness, learning letters, the pressure to get started can arrive while your child is still happily exploring the world through play.


You want to give them a good beginning. But that doesn’t have to mean introducing lessons earlier or preparing them to spend their days in a classroom. There’s room for movement, curiosity, conversation, and learning together at home.


Sue Patterson’s resources and support help you understand unschooling in these early years and work through the questions that come with choosing a different path.

Woman holding two smiling toddlers in a leafy outdoor setting
Woman holding two smiling toddlers in a leafy outdoor setting

START WITH THE BASICS

What Does Unschooling Look Like for Young Children?

Your child is already exploring how things work. They build, pretend, ask questions, repeat favorite activities, and try new things. Unschooling supports that curiosity without turning their days into a preschool or kindergarten program.


Your role is active: play together, read aloud, answer questions, offer materials, and help them explore beyond what they already know. Give them time to move, make a mess, revisit an interest, and enjoy being little.

WHEN THE PRESSURE STARTS

You Don’t Have to Follow Everyone Else’s Timeline

When other families begin choosing schools, staying home can feel like a decision you have to defend. Questions about falling behind or missing opportunities can make you doubt a life your child is enjoying.



Learning about unschooling gives you something more useful than another readiness checklist. It helps you look at your child’s interests and needs, understand your own expectations, and decide what to offer next.

Does this Sound Familiar?


  • Will they fall behind without preschool?
  • Should we start lessons when they turn five?
  • What if all they want to do is play?”
  • How will they make friends?
  • What am I supposed to do with them all day?
  • How do I explain this to my family?

WHEN YOU NEED SUPPORT

You Don’t Have to Figure This Out Alone

You know your child, but other people’s certainty can be hard to withstand. It helps to have somewhere to ask questions without being pushed toward a school program.


Get practical ideas for your days together, learn more about play, and talk through the concerns that keep coming up. Sue offers resources you can explore on your own and support when you want a conversation about your family.

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FIND YOUR NEXT STEP

Get Help With Unschooling Little Ones

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Seasonal Unschooling

Let's tap into the seasons instead of pushing a school agenda on our little ones. Learning shows up all around - we just have to notice
(and count!) it.

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365 Days of Deschooling

Sometimes we need ideas! And all our own school conditioning pushed aside real life learning that's happening every day. This will help you see it again!

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Everything Counts - Kids!

Shift your perspective and begin recognizing the learning woven through play, conversations, hobbies, and everyday life.

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Learning Math without a Curriculum Course

Explore how learning happens without lesson plans or school assignments. Build your understanding of unschooling and feel more confident supporting your child’s curiosity.

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Creating Confidence Community

When everyone is talking about school readiness, it can be hard to trust play and curiosity. Get encouragement from Sue and connect with parents who are choosing a different path through the early years.

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Private Coaching

with Sue

Wondering whether to skip preschool or kindergarten, or whether play is enough? Sue can help you work through those worries, rethink early academic expectations, and explore how to support your young child.

What Changes When You’re Not Alone

Hear directly from families who have found confidence, connection, and steady support inside Unschooling Mom2Mom.

Learn More About Unschooling Pre-School & Kindergarten

Three children in costumes, with headline text: “When All They Want to Do Is Play Pretend.”

When All They Want to Do is Play

By Sue Patterson • September 14, 2022
Sue Patterson shares all the learning that happens when kids are playing pretend with their toys.

Following Kids’ Interests

By Sue Patterson • June 21, 2022
Following Kids' Interests - When you start to explore unschooling, you hear a lot about kids following interests. And initially, for a lot of people, they think of 1-2 things they’ve seen their kids interested in - Lego, playing make believe, Fortnight or Minecraft. And they can’t wrap their brain around that being “enough.” Read More
Podcast cover with photos and title “Unschooling and Playtime” on teal and yellow background

Unschooling and Playtime

By Sue Patterson • September 14, 2021
Are your kids wanting to play all the time? And you're worried about when they're going to start learning? This podcast helps you see how unschooling and playtime is connected.
See All Pre-School & Kindergarten Blogs

But What About...?

Questions About Unschooling Preschool & Kindergarten

  • Is my child too young to unschool?

    No. You don’t have to wait for school age to support learning through curiosity and everyday life. These early years give you time to understand unschooling while continuing to play, explore, and connect with your child.

  • Do I need a preschool or kindergarten curriculum?

    You don’t need a curriculum to make your child’s days educational. Read together, play games, explore outdoors, make things, and follow their questions. Sue’s resources offer ideas for enriching that life without turning it into school at home.

  • What if all they want to do is play?

    Play is full of things children are figuring out. Pretending, building, experimenting, and playing with others involve ideas and skills that adults can easily overlook. Give play time and attention rather than treating it as something to finish before learning begins.

  • Should I start teaching letters and numbers?

    You can enjoy letters and numbers together without creating formal lessons. Read favorite books, play with magnetic letters, sing rhymes, count things, and explore games. Respond to your child’s interest without making each activity a test of what they know.

  • How will my child make friends without preschool?

    Help them meet people through parks, libraries, neighborhood connections, homeschooling groups, and activities they enjoy. Shared play gives friendships somewhere to begin. A classroom isn’t the only place to find company.

  • Is kindergarten required?

    That depends on where you live. Check the kindergarten, compulsory attendance, and homeschooling requirements that apply to your family. Choosing unschooling doesn’t remove the need to meet those requirements.

  • How do I help my child stay safe online?

    Keep conversations about their online experiences open. Help them protect personal information, recognize uncomfortable interactions, set boundaries, and ask for help. Taking their friendships and interests seriously makes it easier for them to bring concerns to you.