Backyard and Beyond is for the homeschool mom who wants her child's first year of real learning to be rooted in God's creation, not a desk.
Backyard and Beyond turns the world outside your door into 20 guided field trips, building real kindergarten skills through observation, hands-on discovery, and exploration. With a biblical worldview woven into every unit, your child doesn't just learn about creation; they learn to see God's hand in it. Backyard and Beyond is open-and-go with minimal prep, so you can show up confident for one of the most important years you'll teach.
Most kindergarten curriculums ask a five-year-old to sit still, watch, and repeat from a pile of textbooks. Backyard and Beyond is built around how five-year-olds actually learn.
Every lesson is built around observation, movement, and hands-on discovery rather than desk repetition because retention at this age happens through experience, not instruction. Skills are introduced and immediately reinforced through real-world moments, so your child understands what they’re learning.
Backyard and Beyond is written for the mom who wants to show up and teach, not spend Sunday night wondering if she's prepared enough.
Most materials are included in the curriculum set, with only occasional household items needed. Daily learning fits into 20–30 minutes, has enough structure to feel real, and is short enough to stay consistent.
And if a location or activity isn't accessible, built-in alternatives are available, so nothing stops you from showing up for your child.
Every unit includes biblical worldview prompts for family discussion, guiding your child to recognize God's order, creativity, and care in what they discover.
Bible references are provided so you can read and discuss passages in the translation your family uses, making faith part of the learning, not a separate subject.
Each Backyard and Beyond kit arrives complete with all the hands-on materials your child needs to explore, discover, and learn:
You don't need the perfect setup, a rigid schedule, or even a proper backyard to make this work.
Is Backyard and Beyond open-and-go? Yes. Open the book, read the parent instructions, and you're ready to start—no prep night, no planning ahead, no material hunting required.
How many copies should I purchase? One kit per child is recommended. Each child writes, tracks, and works directly in their own materials. Having their own set is part of what builds ownership and engagement in young learners.
What if we can't visit every location? Every unit includes built-in alternatives for locations that aren't accessible. The curriculum is designed to work with your real life, not a perfect version of it.
What Bible translation is used? We want kids in the Word for themselves, so we provide references rather than printed verses. Your family uses the translation you already love.
What does this curriculum cover? Do I need anything else? Backyard and Beyond is your kindergarten anchor. The hands-on, faith-integrated core of your child's learning year. Phonics and math slot in alongside it, by design.
Families will still add:
Backyard and Beyond builds the love of learning, observational habits, and a biblical lens. Your phonics and math programs handle the mechanics. They're built to work together, not in competition.
For a phonics program designed to align naturally with Backyard and Beyond, the Beginnings Reading Curriculum Kit fits right alongside it.
How long does the curriculum last? The 20-unit curriculum covers a full kindergarten year. Most families work through a unit in 20–30 minutes, two to three times a week. A consistent rhythm without the pressure of a packed daily schedule.
Planner B is available in the Bundle, or separately here.
I started off the school year with a different, very academically rigid curriculum for my kindergarten age kiddo. Slowly, it was draining all the fun and engagement out of what should have been an exciting time of learning. Thankfully, I found the Not Consumed curriculum. My kindergarten kiddo is sooo excited to do his work and is actually learning! We get out in nature (and can include his big brothers in his special field trips). What a beautiful way for my son to be able to continue on his academic learning journey. I'm so glad we found Not Consumed!
This is a wonderful gem of a learning and teaching all in a cool and sturdy book bag. I got this as an "extra" to keep my little guy busy and he loves it. Ii has become the start of our school day and often the end as well. There is so much to choose from, incorporates different styles of learning, and is visually appealing. I also like how you can start in any season of the year.
I bought this as a fun supplemental to pull out from time to time for field trips, it is great for that purpose but it is also an excellent all in one curriculum as well. It incoporates science, writing, reading, and more. I love that it always asks"what did you learn about God on this adventure?"
My 4 year old kindergartner LOVES the curriculum so far and I must say I do too!
My 5 yo loooooves backyard & beyond. We live in AZ and we started it in the summer so our adventures are on hold until it cools down but he has not wanted to put this book down. He loves learning about nature and it’s helped build his creativity while working on some educational goals at the same time. I love that it has lots of different types of activities/worksheets because then it’s not just a whole sticker book or only tracing letters, etc. A great mix with beautiful illustrations.
So excited for Backyard and Beyond! Using it with my boys as a summer curriculum. They are loving it and enjoy the backpacks, activities, and sticker books. A fun way to explore, learn and review in a relaxed way. Thank you so much for this resource.
I've wanted to get my kids out doing and experiencing the natural world more, but just haven't been sure where to start. This curriculum is gorgeous and will be a great way to hold myself accountable with incorporating more adventure in our lives.
I bought this curriculum so that we can cater to charlotte mason nature idea, but alsp with direction and activities. I love the idea of being outside and enjoying nature together as part of our school day and lessons that come from nature. This is field trip based so that also takes the pressure off me of planning field trips and lessons to go along with it! Looked through the curriculum last night and can't wait to get started this fall!
For me, the real value of this curriculum is the list of field trips and guidance on helping little ones connect to it before and afterwards.
The resizable stickers books keep kids busy for nice long stretches but they are challenging to peel off initially. I appreciate the activities but it still has a very workbook feel to it.
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