Using Lapbooks in Your Homeschool for Hands-On Learning
This post may contain affiliate links.
Looking for a creative, hands-on way to reinforce your homeschool lessons? Lapbooks are a fantastic option! They combine reading, writing, fine motor skills, and visual learning into one engaging project—and they’re especially great for unit studies.
In this post, I’ll share our experience using lapbooks from A Journey Through Learning, how they work, and why they might be worth adding to your homeschool routine.
What Is a Lapbook?
A lapbook is like an educational scrapbook that organizes a subject using mini-books, flaps, diagrams, and foldables. You start with a file folder, fold it to create flaps, and glue additional folders as needed.
Students assemble their lapbooks as they learn, creating a personalized collection of what they’ve studied. It’s a great way to make lessons more interactive and fun!
Why Use Lapbooks?
- Encourages active learning and creativity
- Great for visual and kinesthetic learners
- Makes review and narration more engaging
- Works well for history, science, or literature units
- Simple and low-mess alternative to crafts
My kids enjoy them because it feels like they’re building something, not just completing a worksheet.
Supplies You’ll Need for a Lapbook
To get started with any lapbook, you’ll want to have the following supplies on hand:
- File folders (1–3 per lapbook)
- Scissors
- Glue stick or tape
- Colored pencils, crayons, or markers
- Stapler (optional, for attaching multi-page mini-books)
- Ruler (for clean folds)
- Printable lapbook components or templates
- Envelopes or zip-top bags (to store pieces before assembly)
- Optional: Clear page protectors or large zip pouches to store finished lapbooks
Our Review: Knights and Castles Lapbook
We tried the Knights and Castles lapbook from A Journey Through Learning. It’s designed for grades 2–7 and written from a Christian worldview. It covers:
- The fall of Rome and the start of the Middle Ages
- Feudalism, serfs, and peasants
- Knights, armor, and castles
- Heraldry and medieval life
Each lesson includes a short reading passage, followed by a hands-on flap or graphic organizer to cut, color, and glue into the lapbook. My 2nd grader was able to do most of it independently.
What’s Included In The Lapbook
Our PDF download (51 pages) included:
- Reading passages for each topic
- Clear instructions for where to place each piece
- Bonus printables like:
- Book log
- Biography book report pages
- Note-taking sheets
- Outline templates
- “What I Learned” reflections
You can purchase lapbooks from A Journey Through Learning as a:
- Instant PDF download
- Printed version
- CD format
While there’s no affiliate program attached to this product, I still think it’s worth sharing. Lapbooks are a wonderful resource for families looking to bring more creativity into their homeschool days. They’re especially great for review, narration, and making subjects like history or science feel more interactive.
If your kids love cutting, gluing, assembling, and creating—lapbooks might be the perfect fit.
