The other day, a new friend stumbled across the Wildly Wondrous Homeschool Facebook page and watched some of my videos. The first thing she said was, "Wow, look at all those homeschool resources!"
I laughed, because she's not wrong. Part of that is ten years of hoarding, between homeschooling and teaching in my own classroom.
But the other part? Strewing, for the win.
So What Is Strewing, Anyway?
You know the old saying about why bother buying babies new toys when all they want to play with is the box it came in? It works for older kids too.
Strewing is a funny word, but it just means leaving interesting things out and about to spark your kids' curiosity. I'm always on the lookout for things my kids might enjoy and learn from.
To be clear, these are not things they have to do. They aren't on anyone's to-do list. Nobody's checking them off.
And it's not one more thing for you to plan or manage.
They're just there, available for your kids to pick up in their free time, explore, and maybe tumble into their next rabbit hole.
It's an invitation, not an assignment.
Think of it like snacks for their brains. You buy good food, leave it where it's easy to grab, notice what gets eaten and what doesn't, and adjust as you go.
Our Favorite Strewing Finds
Here are a few things that have earned their keep in our house:
Cheap stacking blocks. I grabbed a set at Ollie's for $4 and had no idea how much my kids would love them.
A cardboard fort building kit. I snagged it on a Black Friday deal a few years ago. My kids LOVE building with cardboard, and that kit has sparked more imaginative play than anything else in our house.
A nugget couch. Another imaginative play winner. I found one on Facebook Marketplace for under $50, and my kids played with it until the whole thing was in pieces. Money well spent.
Science kits. Crystal growing, gross experiments, "magic" tricks. I usually hunt for these in clearance bins or at places like Ross. We had a MEL Science subscription for a while, and those kits were a hit too.
A measuring tape. My kids have a weird obsession with measuring. They measure themselves, their rooms to plan new furniture layouts, and even their binders and computer bags to see how many stickers will fit.
A world map and a U.S. map. Anytime another country comes up, even my littlest runs to the map to find it like a puzzle. My oldest was inspired to cook recipes from around the world and mark each one on the map. We also get Universal Yums boxes, so we taste snacks from different countries and add those to the map too.
How I Make It Work
Strewing doesn’t take much, but a few small habits make a big difference.
Put it where they’ll notice it. If we’re exploring a topic and I know we have a great activity for it, I pull it off the shelf and set it on the table so they bump into it naturally.
Answer “I’m bored” with a nudge. When someone tells me they’re bored, I just point them toward whatever’s out.
Talk it up. At dinner I’ll say something like, “Hey, I found this cool thing. Maybe y’all want to try it out.”
What I Don’t Do
This part matters just as much.
I don’t add it to their schoolwork list.
I don’t push them to do it.
I don’t get disappointed when they aren’t interested.
Instead, I put my energy toward what they’re into right now and look for something else that might spark the same kind of curiosity.
Keeping It From Taking Over Your House
As a homeschool mom who tends to keep everything, I can tell you that a little system goes a long way.
Choose open-ended over single-use. Blocks, cardboard, maps, and a measuring tape get used a hundred different ways. A one-and-done kit gets used once.
Rotate. Not everything has to be out at once. Swapping things in and out keeps old favorites feeling new again.
Give creations a shelf life. When the kids build something, it can stay out for a set amount of time, then it makes room for the next creation.
Start small. Pick one or two things this week, leave them somewhere they’ll be seen, and then step back. You might be surprised by what grabs their attention, just like I was with those $4 blocks.
