The Only Online Homeschool Planner You’ll Ever Need | A Homeschool Planet Review
Inside: There are many online homeschool planners to choose from but what’s possibly the best homeschool planner? I think it’s Homeschool Planet because of its features and automation as well as its ease-of-use.
Let’s talk about something close to my heart, planning. You know I love my paper planners but I’ve been on a quest for the perfect system to keep our homeschool ship sailing smoothly and I think I’ve found it.
Homeschool Planet is more than just a planner. It acts as a command center for everything related to homeschooling and beyond. It lets me plan lessons, track progress, and manage schedules all in one place. This is possibly the best online homeschool planner for me as a homeschool mom, and I’m excited to dive deep into why it might just be the answer you’ve been looking for, too.
This is a sponsored post. I was given the product to review and I might have been compensated for my time. I would never endorse or recommend programs we wouldn’t use ourselves. Read more about it in my Disclosure.
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How I ended up with a digital homeschool planner
Let’s get one thing straight: my paper planner and I are still in a committed relationship. I still use paper planners daily.
But…
I was on a quest for a lesson plan marketplace to lighten the load of planning when Marc’s journey through math took a detour. We decided to redo the entire Algebra 1 course (something he finished last year) at a brisker pace, fearing he forgot last year’s concepts. I shouldn’t have worried (but that’s for another post).
So, yes, adding a full course mid-year might seem a tad ambitious and I was scratching my head trying to cram it all in a semester. It was during this frenzied planning phase that Homeschool Planet caught my eye.
It wasn’t my first encounter with this homeschool lesson planner, but certainly the first where I took the plunge. And I am happy I did it.
Homeschool Planet wasn’t at all what I had imagined. It was way better! And now I have a new favorite tool to talk to you about.
What’s Homeschool Planet?
Homeschool Planet is the most popular online homeschool planner and with good reason.
This platform is more of a command center for your homeschool and it stands out for its ability to blend seamlessly into your life.
Homeschool Planet is designed to put your planning on autopilot, allowing you more time to focus on teaching, engaging, and exploring with your kids rather than getting bogged down by the minutiae of planning and organization.
The lesson plan marketplace was my siren call but I stayed for the features!
Main features of Homeschool Planet
Here are some of the most important features of his online homeschool planner. (Keep reading for more details.)
- Calendar Syncing Bliss: All your schedules, from dentist appointments to field trips, can be saved in one place. That’s the calendar syncing with Homeschool Planet. It’s a lifesaver. It syncs with the most popular online planners including iCal and Google Calendar.
- Lesson Planning Made Easy: This feature turned my late-night planning sessions into a breeze. With just a few clicks, I can map out our entire year, adjust as we go, and even keep track of progress.
- A Place for Everything: I’m talking books, websites, you name it. Homeschool Planet lets me keep all our resources in one spot, so I’m never scrambling at the last minute. I can even add PDF files.
- Empowering the Kids: Kids have their own logins, which means they’re learning to manage their time and tasks. It’s independence served on a silver platter.
- Record Keeping, Simplified: Transcripts, report cards, portfolios – it’s all there, easy to create and even easier to maintain.
- Make It Your Own: Change background photos, colors, color code it or even print pages out. You can toggle between views, add widgets, even save your shopping list in there, or e-mail your kids or your spouse.
- It Has It All: Homeschool Planet is more than a planner. It has a Resource Market filled with over 3100 lesson plans for most homeschool curricula out there. This is a feature that makes it invaluable for busy homeschool parents! No more trying to figure out how to adapt a 42-week resource into your 36-weeks school year. Let Homeschool Planet do it for you.
Homeschool Planet overview
The features Homeschool Planet has might seem overwhelming but I promise, if you are familiar with how online calendars work, you can figure it out in 10 minutes. They also provide handy tutorials for every single feature.
I was a bit scared I would spend more time figuring out the system than planning, but I had it all up and running in less than 15 minutes. I was shocked at how easy and intuitive it all was.
3 steps for planning your full homeschool year
Here’s how I set up our calendar for the FULL year with a few clicks:
Set your school year details: choose your start and end dates, how you want to split the homeschool year and your holidays.
Choose your subjects and categories: you can color code these, select which ones are core subjects and which ones are secondary.
Plan: buy ready-made lesson plans or create your own. Select your preferred days for a certain subject, grading, and press APPLY!
See? It’s really as easy as 1,2,3!
Resource Marketplace and FREE homeschool IDs
Let’s talk about the two things homeschooling parents wish they had more of: time and money.
The Resource Marketplace is a game-changer on both fronts.
The Resource Marketplace is a meticulously curated collection of over 3100 lesson plans centered around the best homeschool publishers.
Providing ready-made, comprehensive lesson plans, it cuts down on the hours spent planning and preparing. No more late nights trying to craft the perfect lesson plan from scratch. And because these resources are affordably priced, it’s a win-win.
But even with a pre-made lesson plan, the need for personalization is key. Homeschool Planet understands this, allowing you to adjust and modify any lesson plan you purchase.
And the cherry on top? Once you purchase a lesson plan, it’s yours forever, to be reused and adapted for each of your children.
As if the Resource Marketplace wasn’t enough, Homeschool Planet goes a step further by offering free homeschool IDs. These IDs are a practical tool for discounts and educational resources.
Safety and accessibility
The beauty of Homeschool Planet being a cloud subscription service is the layer of security it adds to your planning. All your data—lesson plans, schedules, grades, and resources—is safely stored online.
This means you’re protected against the heartbreak of computer crashes, lost devices, or accidental coffee spills that threaten your hard work.
Perhaps one of the greatest advantages of this platform is its universal accessibility. While it operates through browsers, making it platform-agnostic, it’s also functional on your phone. This means you can switch from planning on your desktop to checking your schedule on your smartphone without missing a beat.
Moreover, any data you input during your free trial seamlessly carries over once you decide to upgrade to a paid plan.
Forget erasers!
One of the most impressive qualities of Homeschool Planet is the ability to automatically readjust your entire plan with ease.
Unfinished assignments? No problem. You decide their fate—delete, mark as complete, do nothing, move all to the current day, or even double up on assignments. This rescheduling feature is a game-changer, eliminating the need for erasers and manual recalculations.
The platform’s intuitive design also allows for drag-and-drop rescheduling, making it simple to move lessons around as needed. Do you need to skip a school day and reschedule for the weekend? Do you need to double on the lessons for one day? NO PROBLEMO! Just update your homeschool schedule with a few simple clicks.
Make it your own
You can personalize your digital planner any way you want with the available widgets. From daily Bible verses and quotes to keep you inspired, to to-do lists, reading lists or even shopping lists that can be effortlessly emailed, you’ll always stay on top of your tasks.
I saw they even have a search tool widget within the planner which means you don’t have to leave the platform and search the internet. Pretty neat!
The ability to customize your planner with themes and colors is about creating a space that feels uniquely yours. It’s so fun because you can even upload your own photos to make it uniquely yours and kids can personalize theirs as well. Marc loves this feature and he changes how his planner looks every day.
Grading and assessments as you wish
Beyond lesson planning, this online homeschool planner offers a comprehensive grading system that allows you to choose the grading scale that best fits your homeschooling approach. Whether you’re tracking progress with letter grades, percentages, or a more qualitative assessment method, the platform provides the flexibility to implement the system that works best for you and your children.
You have the option of turning this on or off as you need and input your own preferred ways of grading.
Resources and books
The resource section is an awesome addition I love that proves once again how Homeschool Planet was created with the needs of homeschoolers in mind. Here, you can add links to videos, websites, PDF files, books, and more, creating a centralized hub of learning resources for your children.
You can also use this to save login information for various educational sites in one place further streamlines your homeschooling process, making it easy for kids to access the tools they need without the hassle of remembering multiple passwords.
Paper in a digital world
Whether you’re a bit old-school like me, have younger kids you’d rather not glue to a screen, or find the constant digital tether a bit much, Homeschool Planet has got you covered.
This digital homeschool planner allows you to print your plans in full color or simple black and white.
- Print by Day or Week: This feature is fantastic for creating a weekly binder for each child or for posting the day’s tasks on the fridge for everyone to see.
- Reports and Transcripts at Your Fingertips: Need a report for a co-op, a transcript for a college application, or just want to keep a physical record of your child’s achievements? Print them out directly from Homeschool Planet or save them as PDFs.
Homeschool Planet’s strengths and our favorite features
Homeschool Planet truly shines by addressing the unique needs and challenges that come with homeschooling.
What stands out to me the most is how smart and automated Homeschool Planet is. It takes care of the tedious tasks that can really bog down the homeschooling process. Tasks like calculating final grades, moving and rescheduling assignments, or keeping all our educational resources organized are handled effortlessly by the platform.
⭐️ Versatility and automatization
Homeschool Planet’s versatility and ability to adapt are standout features that have completely changed the game for us. No more erasing or scribbling out plans only to rewrite them. The platform’s flexibility means that as our family’s needs and schedules change, our planner can easily keep pace with minimal fuss. This adaptability is crucial for ensuring our homeschooling remains aligned with our life’s ever-shifting dynamics.
But what I find most impressive is the level of automation Homeschool Planet brings to the table. It’s this automation that I see as the planner’s main strength. For instance, the system takes care of all the recalculations needed when assignments shift or extend beyond their original timeframe. This feature alone lifts a significant burden off my shoulders, allowing me to concentrate on teaching rather than getting bogged down by the details of planning.
With Homeschool Planet, I’m liberated from the time-consuming chores of manually figuring out how many pages we need to cover each day or the headache of rescheduling a whole week’s worth of lessons due to unexpected illness.
Moreover, for those of us who still have a soft spot for physical planners, Homeschool Planet offers the best of both worlds. The ability to print out plans means we can enjoy the tangible aspect of crossing off completed tasks on paper.
If you want to design your own paper planner, grab my freebie template below and get customizing!
⭐️ Flexibility for all homeschooling styles
Homeschool Planet’s flexibility is a major win for families with diverse homeschooling approaches, including ours. Whether you’re focusing on one child or juggling the educational needs of several, Homeschool Planet molds to fit your specific situation.
It’s this adaptability that really stands out. The platform supports a wide range of homeschooling methodologies, from the more traditional, structured classical education to the freedom of unschooling and everything in between. This means no matter how your homeschool evolves over time—shifting from one approach to another or blending several—Homeschool Planet can keep up without missing a beat.
As eclectic homeschoolers, we initially worried that such a comprehensive planner might box us into a specific way of doing things. However, my experience has been quite the opposite.
Homeschool Planet has given us the room to blend different educational philosophies and tailor our schooling to our needs, interests, and pace. This level of customization and flexibility is precisely what makes Homeschool Planet a perfect match for our family, allowing us to plan not just our homeschool but also integrate life’s many other aspects seamlessly.
⭐️ Intuitive and user-friendly interface
The intuitive and user-friendly interface of Homeschool Planet genuinely makes diving into homeschool planning a breeze. Its design is so straightforward that even those of us who aren’t tech wizards can navigate through its features without any stress. This simplicity is a huge plus, meaning less time spent wrestling with how to use the software and more time dedicated to the actual planning and teaching that matter most.
I was genuinely surprised at how quickly I could get everything set up and running smoothly. It was a revelation to see how easily all the pieces came together, from setting up the school year to inputting daily assignments. And it wasn’t just easy for me. Marc jumped right in, too, and he’s taken to the checklist-style assignments like a duck to water. He loves being able to click each task as done, giving him a clear sense of accomplishment and progress through his day. This feature not only helps keep him organized but also fosters a sense of independence and satisfaction in ticking off completed work.
⭐️ Accessibility
I love that Homeschool Planet is cloud-based, allowing you to access your planner from anywhere, at any time. Whether you’re on a field trip, at a co-op meeting, or simply away from your desk, your plans are always just a few clicks away. This accessibility ensures that your homeschooling plans move with you, providing flexibility and peace of mind.
⭐️ Generous 30-day free trial and affordable
Exploring Homeschool Planet is risk-free, thanks to its generous 30-day free trial that doesn’t require a credit card. This trial period gives you ample time to discover the full range of features and decide if it’s the right fit for your family, all without the pressure of a financial commitment.
If you’re on the fence, let me nudge you gently towards giving Homeschool Planet a try. No credit card required. It’s user-friendly, incredibly intuitive, and honestly, just fun to use.
Understanding the budget considerations of homeschooling families, Homeschool Planet offers an affordable pricing model at under $8 per month or $69 per year.
What can be improved
Homeschool Planet has already made a big splash with its full suite of features and easy-to-navigate design. However, there’s always room to grow. Here are a couple of upgrades that I feel could take Homeschool Planet to the next level.
The Need for a Dedicated App
Today, everyone loves the convenience of apps for just about everything. Right now, Homeschool Planet works through your web browser, which is great, but an actual app could make things even easier.
Offline Accessibility
Being able to plan and check schedules without an internet connection is something many families would find helpful. Currently, you need to be online to use Homeschool Planet.
Is Homeschool Planet the best online homeschool planner?
This planner understands that homeschooling is a dynamic, sometimes unpredictable journey. Its features are designed not just to manage schedules but to adapt to the ebb and flow of daily life. The peace of mind that comes from knowing the logistical details are in good hands with Homeschool Planet means I can devote more energy to what really matters: engaging, inspiring, and educating my child.
Choosing a homeschool planner is personal, but if you’re looking for something that brings together flexibility, simplicity, and a touch of joy, then Homeschool Planet might just be your match.
Don’t forget it costs you nothing to try it out and they’ll even throw in a free lesson plan of your choice that you can try for 30 days. That’s plenty of time to get familiarized with the whole platform.
You would ❤️ LOVE Homeschool Planet if you:
- do your own curriculum and need a centralized, seamless way, to keep it all together
- want to keep track of all resources you’re using
- want to reverse plan, which means to record things after doing them
- need an annual portfolio assessment or to keep attendance records
- want ready-made lesson plans from your favorite curriculum providers
- are a flexible or a traditional homeschooler
- don’t want to carry bulky planners around
- need something accessible from anywhere
- want a platform to automatically adjust to your style
Final thoughts
We absolutely love Homeschool Planet and plan to keep using it for the foreseeable future.
This online homeschool planner has shown us its immense potential for the high school years ahead and I can’t wait to streamline those years.
The flexibility, resource management, and ease of adjusting schedules make it an invaluable tool as we start navigating more complex subjects and increased workload.
For those teetering on the edge of decision, let me gently guide you toward giving Homeschool Planet a try.
With its no-commitment, free 30-day trial, there’s nothing to lose and a lot to gain. Whether you’re planning for one child or juggling multiple learners, Homeschool Planet offers the tools, support, and peace of mind to make each day a little easier, a bit more structured, and a lot more joyful.
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