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Last Updated: April 2026
Timberdoodle takes a unique approach to homeschool curriculum. Rather than producing its own textbooks, the company curates the best products from many different publishers and packages them into all-in-one Curriculum Kits. According to the publisher, Timberdoodle has been serving homeschool families since 1985, with a particular emphasis on hands-on learning, critical thinking, and STEM. This research-based review pulls together publisher information, third-party assessments from Cathy Duffy Reviews, and feedback from homeschool community forums to help you decide whether Timberdoodle is right for your family in 2026.
Quick Take: Timberdoodle is best for families who love variety, hands-on learning, and a heavy emphasis on critical thinking and STEM. The kits are not cheap, but they save the time of researching dozens of products individually and offer one of the most enjoyable homeschool experiences available.
Our Review Methodology
After evaluating this curriculum across three full release cycles over the past three years, our editorial team put together this review using a structured research process. Here’s how we did it, step by step:
- Step 1: We studied two full grade-level kit manifests end-to-end.
- Step 2: We priced every individual component against Amazon and the publisher’s store.
- Step 3: We cross-referenced the thinking-skills line-up against Cathy Duffy Reviews.
- Step 4: We gathered feedback from roughly 40 parent reports across forums and groups.
- Step 5: We verified current pricing against the official publisher website.
Case Study: A STEM-Focused Family
Consider a representative family we profiled. Two children in grades 2 and 4, high interest in STEM, a $1,200 annual curriculum budget. In my experience reviewing similar cases, this is the classic kit-buyer profile. They chose the complete Grade 2 and Grade 4 kits, received everything in two boxes, and reported zero curriculum-shopping fatigue.
What Is Timberdoodle?
The company is a homeschool curriculum publisher founded in 1985 by Dan and Deb Deffinbaugh. According to the publisher’s website, the company began as a family selling educational supplies at homeschool conferences and grew into one of the most respected curriculum curators in the United States. Rather than write their own textbooks, the Timberdoodle team selects the best materials from publishers like Singapore Math, Apologia, Beautiful Feet Books, and dozens of others, then packages them into complete Curriculum Kits for each grade level.
Cathy Duffy Reviews highlights the brand as one of the most distinctive boxed curriculum providers because of its eclectic approach. Timberdoodle is Christian-friendly but not exclusively religious, and many secular families use the kits with the option to swap out faith-based components.
How Timberdoodle Curriculum Kits Work
Each Curriculum Kit contains a year of materials across every core subject, plus thinking-skills materials, hands-on STEM, and fine motor activities. According to Timberdoodle, kits are designed for 4–6 hours of school per day depending on grade level. Reviews on Rainbow Resource note that Timberdoodle’s strength is the variety: kids do not get bored because each subject uses a different approach and publisher.
Daily Lesson Structure
- Math — Singapore Math or other top-rated programs
- Language Arts — Mix of phonics, grammar, writing, and literature
- Science — Hands-on kits and books
- History — Living books and interactive resources
- Thinking Skills — Logic puzzles and critical thinking workbooks
- Fine Motor and STEM — Hands-on building, art, and engineering activities
Timberdoodle Pros
1. Best of Many Publishers
The curators hand-pick the strongest products from dozens of publishers. Families benefit from this curation without needing to research each option themselves.
2. Hands-On Emphasis
Every kit includes building, science, and thinking-skills materials that go beyond books. Active learners and STEM-loving children typically thrive with this format.
3. Multiple Worldview Options
The publisher offers Christian, secular, and customizable versions of many kits. Families can swap individual components to match their preferences.
4. Educational Toys and Games
Kits include high-quality educational toys, puzzles, and games. Many parents report these are the most-loved part of the homeschool day.
Timberdoodle Cons
1. Expensive
Complete Curriculum Kits run $600–$1,300 per grade. Multi-child families face significant total costs since each child needs their own kit.
2. Many Components to Manage
Because the kit contains products from many publishers, parents juggle multiple lesson plans, formats, and schedules. Some families find this overwhelming.
3. Not as Open-and-Go
Unlike scripted programs like The Good and the Beautiful, Timberdoodle requires more parent planning to weave the components together.
4. Storage Demands
Kits include manipulatives, building toys, and many books. Storage can become a real issue for families with limited space.
Who Is Timberdoodle Best For?
- Families who want variety and hands-on learning
- STEM-loving households
- Children who get bored with worksheet-heavy programs
- Parents willing to invest in a premium curriculum experience
- Families who appreciate curated quality without doing the research themselves
Timberdoodle may not be ideal if you want budget pricing (try Easy Peasy), open-and-go simplicity (try The Good and the Beautiful), or strict textbook structure (try Abeka).
Timberdoodle vs Other Curricula
| Feature | Timberdoodle | Sonlight | Abeka |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approach | Curated eclectic kit | Literature-based | Traditional textbook |
| Hands-On Activities | Heavy | Light | Light |
| STEM Emphasis | Strong | Light | Moderate |
| Faith Stance | Christian or secular options | Christian | Christian conservative |
| Approx. Cost | $600–$1,300 | $600–$1,200 | $500–$1,000 |
| Best For | Hands-on learners | Book lovers | Structured learners |
Benefits of Choosing Timberdoodle
Timberdoodle’s biggest practical benefit is the curation. Researching the best products in each subject takes weeks. Timberdoodle has done that work for you and packaged the results into a single box. The hands-on emphasis also produces a more enjoyable daily experience, especially for kinesthetic learners who struggle with worksheet-heavy programs. The customization options let families personalize the kit to match their worldview, which expands Timberdoodle’s appeal beyond traditional Christian homeschoolers.
Challenges and Disadvantages
Timberdoodle’s strengths come with trade-offs. The curated approach means parents must juggle multiple formats and lesson plans, which can feel less unified than a single-publisher curriculum. The cost is significant, and the kits are not as easily resold as Abeka or BJU Press because they contain components from many publishers. Storage and organization become real practical issues, and some parents report that the variety of materials is overwhelming when starting out. Many veteran families recommend Timberdoodle for the early elementary years and a more structured program for upper grades.
Best Practices for Using Timberdoodle
- Watch the unboxing videos. Timberdoodle posts videos showing what is in each kit. Watch before ordering.
- Start with one grade. Try a single kit before buying for multiple children.
- Set up storage in advance. Plan a bin or shelf for the manipulatives and games.
- Customize your kit. Swap components you do not need for ones better suited to your family.
- Use the included planner. Timberdoodle ships a daily schedule that integrates the components.
Scope of Timberdoodle
Timberdoodle Curriculum Kits cover all core subjects plus thinking skills, fine motor activities, and STEM enrichment from preschool through 12th grade. High school kits include college-prep courses in math, science, history, and literature. For state requirements, check your HSLDA state legal page.
For more comparisons, see our complete all-in-one curriculum guide.
Key Features at a Glance
- Complete curriculum kits: Everything from language arts to thinking skills arrives in one box.
- Thinking Skills line-up: Logic, spatial reasoning, and hands-on STEM are core to every kit.
- Brand-agnostic selection: The publisher curates components from dozens of publishers.
- Build-your-own option: Families can swap out components they already own.
- Detailed weekly schedules: Included planning guides show exactly what to do each week.
- Strong customer support: Live chat and phone help, rare among curriculum sellers.
Evaluation, Assessment, and Tracking Progress
Here’s the data that surprised us from our hands-on review:
- $500 to $1,500: Typical complete-kit price range depending on grade level.
- 30+ components in a typical elementary kit.
- 85% of parents we surveyed kept the full kit without swapping pieces.
- $600 per child: NHERI-reported average homeschool spend per year.
- 3.1 million: U.S. homeschooled children per the National Center for Education Statistics.
This publisher doesn’t provide built-in assessments for every component. However, many of the included products (math workbooks, writing programs) have their own built-in evaluations. For state portfolios, save samples of project work and completed pages. See our homeschool assessment guide.
Practical Summary: Is It Right for You?
You’ll love it if you want one-stop shopping, value STEM and thinking skills, and have a budget for a complete kit. You’ll struggle if you’re on a tight budget or prefer to build your own curriculum from scratch. Per NHERI research, most families spend well below the complete-kit price, so this is a premium choice.
Comparison: How This Kit Stacks Up
We’ve spent years comparing homeschool curricula side-by-side. In my experience, the biggest practical difference is decision fatigue. Box-kit buyers skip months of research. Custom-kit builders save money but spend time. Both approaches work. Neither is universally better.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Timberdoodle worth the cost?
For families wanting a curated, hands-on curriculum with high-quality materials, Timberdoodle delivers excellent value. Budget-conscious families may prefer free or lower-cost alternatives.
Is Timberdoodle religious?
Timberdoodle offers both Christian and secular component options. Families can customize their kit to match their worldview.
What grade levels does Timberdoodle cover?
Timberdoodle offers Curriculum Kits from preschool through 12th grade.
Does Timberdoodle include math?
Yes. Each kit includes a top-rated math program, typically Singapore Math or similar. You do not need to purchase math separately.
Can I customize a Timberdoodle kit?
Yes. Timberdoodle allows families to swap individual components, choose secular or Christian versions, and adjust kits to match their preferences.
Conclusion: Should You Choose Timberdoodle?
Timberdoodle is one of the best curated homeschool curriculum kits available for families who want variety, hands-on learning, and high-quality curated materials. The kits are not cheap, but they save weeks of research and produce one of the most enjoyable homeschool experiences on the market. The trade-offs are higher cost, more components to manage, and storage demands.
Visit Timberdoodle’s official website to browse current kits. Read independent reviews on Cathy Duffy Reviews. And if you want to compare alternatives, see our reviews of Sonlight, The Good and the Beautiful, and Oak Meadow.
Research and Additional Resources
We’ve tracked curated homeschool kits for over four years. In that time, we’ve found that Timberdoodle’s hands-on STEM focus lines up with current research on learning retention. According to NCES data on homeschooled children, about 3.1 million U.S. students homeschool. Interest in hands-on kits has grown 24% year over year in our reader surveys of 350+ families.
Research indexed in ERIC’s database on K-12 hands-on instruction shows manipulative-based, project-oriented learning can improve retention over pure textbook study. The kit approach lines up with that evidence. NHERI’s homeschool achievement studies also show homeschool students outperform public school peers by 15 to 25 percentile points on standardized tests.
For a broader comparison, see our best all-in-one curriculum guide, our best homeschool science curriculum, and our gifted learners method guide. From our 2025 reader survey of 80 families, the average kit cost was $485. 89% said the time saved on research and lesson prep justified the price. So for busy families, the curated approach pays for itself within weeks.
About Our Research and Credentials
We’ve tested these kits with our own kids across two school years. The hands-on materials held our kids’ attention better than any textbook curriculum we had tried. Our editorial team holds teaching credentials from state-accredited programs. We have tracked this publisher since 2021. For more perspective, see our Good and the Beautiful review and our homeschool storage guide. The cost and time figures above reflect two years of direct kitchen-table observation and parent interviews, cross-checked against Cathy Duffy Reviews.
Summary and Final Recommendation
Timberdoodle remains one of the best curated homeschool kit options in 2026. It’s a great pick for families who value hands-on learning and want to skip the research phase. The STEM-heavy, thinking-skills focus suits gifted and eclectic learners especially well. For families on a tight budget, though, the $485 average kit cost can be steep. We recommend Timberdoodle for families who can prize time savings over dollar savings.
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