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Homeschooling

Bowerstead Homeschool Planner Review

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from homeschooling, it’s that the actual teaching is often the easy part.

It’s the keeping track of everything that can get overwhelming. This is where the Bowerstead online homeschool planner comes in!

What did we do on Monday? Did we finish that lesson? How many days have we completed? Where did I write down that note about something my child learned? What books did we read? What about attendance? And if you have multiple children, somehow all of those questions multiply.

I’ve tried different ways of keeping our homeschool organized over the years, but I recently came across something that caught my attention: Bowerstead, a homeschool planner and record-keeping system designed specifically for homeschooling families.

And after looking through everything it offers, I can see why it could be such a helpful tool for a busy homeschool mom.

Even better: I have a 30% off offer for my readers!

What Is Bowerstead?

Bowerstead is an online homeschool planner and record keeper that puts your homeschool plans, lessons, notes, school days, courses, and records together in one place.

Instead of having one notebook for lesson planning, another place for attendance, random notes on your phone, and a folder full of papers that you hope you remember to update, Bowerstead is designed to bring those pieces together.

The goal is pretty simple: spend less time tracking your homeschool and more time actually enjoying it.

Bowerstead works on the web as well as iPhone and Android, so your homeschool information can be available whether you’re sitting at your computer or planning your day from your phone. (Bowerstead)

Try Bowerstead with 30% off →

Why I Think Homeschool Moms Will Like It

One of the biggest reasons I homeschool is because I want our days to have flexibility.

I don’t want homeschooling to feel like I’m constantly filling out paperwork and checking boxes.

But at the same time, I do want to know what we’re accomplishing.

That’s where a homeschool planner like Bowerstead makes sense to me.

It gives you a place to plan your week, organize subjects and lessons, mark lessons as completed, keep notes, record school days, and preserve those little moments you don’t want to forget. (Bowerstead)

And honestly, I love the idea of having those things together.

Because homeschool isn’t just about checking off a textbook lesson.

Sometimes the most meaningful learning happens when your child asks a question during a nature walk, finally understands a math concept, finishes their first chapter book, or spends an afternoon building something.

Those are the things I want to remember, too.

Bowerstead homeschool planner

Bowerstead’s Homeschool Planning Features

1. Plan Your Homeschool Week

Bowerstead has a weekly planner where you can lay out your subjects and activities and see your week at a glance.

You can add lessons and activities and mark them off as you complete them. (Bowerstead)

For me, this is one of those features that could make Monday morning feel a little less chaotic.

Instead of asking, “Okay… what are we supposed to do today?” you can open your planner and see what’s on the schedule.

2. Keep Your Curriculum Organized

You can organize what each child is learning by subject and add individual lessons to your curriculum.

Then, as you work through the year, you can check lessons off as they’re completed. (Bowerstead)

I especially like this for families who use a mix of curricula.

If you have one child doing one math program, another child using something completely different, plus reading, science, history, nature study, and all the extras that naturally happen in a homeschool, it can be helpful to have one place to see everything.

3. Keep Homeschool Notes in One Place

This is probably one of my favorite concepts.

Bowerstead lets you keep notes for your family or individual children and pin important notes so they’re easy to find. (Bowerstead)

Because how many times have you thought:

“I need to remember this.”

…and then completely forgotten it two weeks later?

You could use notes for things like:

  • Questions your child wants to research
  • Books they want to read
  • Curriculum notes
  • Ideas for future lessons
  • Things your child is struggling with
  • Things they’ve suddenly mastered
  • Field trips
  • Co-op activities
  • Nature study observations
  • Important reminders

Those little notes can become incredibly valuable when you’re looking back at your homeschool year.

4. Capture the Moments That Don’t Fit in a Lesson Plan

This is another feature that stood out to me.

Bowerstead allows you to capture moments—including photos and notes about things your children are learning and doing. (Bowerstead)

And I really like this because homeschooling is so much bigger than a checklist.

Maybe your child finally identifies a bird you’ve been studying.

Maybe they build an amazing Lego structure.

Maybe your preschooler recognizes all of their letters.

Maybe your child reads an entire book independently for the first time.

Those moments matter.

Being able to keep them alongside your homeschool records means you aren’t just documenting what you taught. You’re also preserving some of the story of your homeschool.

5. Track Homeschool Attendance

If keeping track of homeschool days is something you struggle with, Bowerstead can help with that, too.

You can record your school days and keep that information organized within your child’s homeschool records. (Bowerstead)

This can be especially helpful if you’re someone who looks back at the end of the month and thinks:

“Wait… how many days did we actually homeschool?”

No more guessing.

6. Keep Grades, Courses, Credits, and Hours Organized

As children get older, homeschool record-keeping becomes increasingly important.

Bowerstead can organize information such as courses, credits, hours, grades, and GPA, and it can generate a parent-issued transcript. (Bowerstead)

That could be particularly helpful for families with middle school and high school students who are beginning to think about transcripts, credits, co-ops, college applications, and other documentation.

And honestly, I’d much rather have that information recorded as we go than try to recreate an entire high school transcript from memory years later.

7. Manage Multiple Children

If you homeschool multiple children, you know how quickly things can get complicated.

One child is doing math.

Another is reading.

Someone needs help with handwriting.

Someone else has a science project spread across the kitchen table.

Bowerstead allows one account to hold every child at no additional cost, with an individual view for each child. (Bowerstead)

That makes it much easier to keep everyone’s work separated while still having the whole family under one account.

8. Use It on Your Phone or Computer

Another thing I appreciate is that Bowerstead isn’t tied to one device.

You can plan and keep records on the web, iPhone, or Android. (Bowerstead)

That’s important for me because I’m not always sitting at my computer when I’m homeschooling.

Sometimes I’m at the kitchen table.

Sometimes we’re outside.

Sometimes I’m sitting on the couch while a child reads.

Having access to your homeschool planner from your phone makes it much easier to actually keep up with your records instead of telling yourself you’ll “do it later.”

We all know how that goes. 😂

Bowerstead online homeschool planner

Is Bowerstead Good for Homeschool Record Keeping?

I think this is one of the biggest reasons to consider Bowerstead.

Homeschool record-keeping can feel intimidating because every state has different requirements and every family has different goals.

Bowerstead doesn’t claim to replace knowing your state’s homeschool requirements. Instead, it gives you a place to organize your records and create reports and portfolios that you can adapt to your needs. (Bowerstead)

And that’s an important distinction.

You should always check your state’s current homeschool requirements yourself. But having your own organized records can make that process much easier.

See what your state’s homeschooling requirements are below.

What About Homeschool Transcripts?

If you have an older homeschool student, this is a feature I’d pay particular attention to.

Bowerstead can gather courses, credits, hours, and grades into a parent-issued homeschool transcript. (Bowerstead)

Instead of waiting until senior year and trying to remember everything your child has taken, you can keep those records organized throughout high school.

That alone could save a homeschool mom a LOT of stress later.

Is Bowerstead Worth It?

For me, the biggest appeal isn’t that Bowerstead has a bunch of fancy features. It’s that the features are centered around something homeschool moms actually need: keeping our homeschool organized without making homeschooling feel like paperwork.

I don’t want another complicated system that takes hours to learn. I want somewhere I can open up, see what we’re doing, check things off, make a note, and move on with our day.

That’s the appeal of Bowerstead to me.

It brings the planning and record-keeping together while still leaving room for the flexibility that makes homeschooling so special.

How Much Does Bowerstead Cost?

Bowerstead currently offers monthly, yearly, and lifetime options.

At the time I’m writing this, the regular U.S. pricing is:

  • Monthly: $9/month
  • Yearly: $79/year
  • Lifetime: $249 one-time

Every plan includes the full set of features, and Bowerstead offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. (Bowerstead)

And here’s the exciting part…

🎉 My Followers Get 30% Off Bowerstead!

If you’re ready to simplify your homeschool planning and record-keeping, you can get 30% off Bowerstead through my link. Try it for 30 days, with a money-back guarantee if you change your mind.

That’s a pretty great opportunity to try it for yourself and see whether it fits your homeschool.

My Take as a Homeschool Mom

I think sometimes we make homeschooling harder than it needs to be.

We buy the curriculum.

Then the planner.

Then the attendance tracker.

Then the notebook for records.

Then the folder for portfolios.

Then we have notes on our phone and pictures sitting in our camera roll.

And somehow we’re still trying to remember what we did three weeks ago. 😂

What I like about Bowerstead is the idea of bringing those pieces together.

Your homeschool doesn’t have to be perfect.

Your planner doesn’t have to be beautiful.

You don’t have to document every single thing your child does.

But having a simple system for recording the important things can give you peace of mind.

And for me, that’s really what homeschooling organization should do.

It should make our lives easier—not give us another thing to keep up with.

If you’re looking for a homeschool planner that combines daily planning, curriculum tracking, notes, homeschool records, attendance, and transcripts, I think Bowerstead is definitely worth checking out.

Ready to Try Bowerstead?

Get 30% off Bowerstead here:

Happy homeschooling, mama. ❤️


Frequently Asked Questions About Bowerstead

What is Bowerstead?

Bowerstead is an online homeschool planner and record-keeping platform that helps families organize daily homeschool plans, curriculum, lessons, notes, school days, courses, grades, and homeschool records in one place. (Bowerstead)

Is Bowerstead a homeschool planner?

Yes. Bowerstead includes a weekly homeschool planner where families can schedule subjects and activities, add lessons, and mark them complete. (Bowerstead)

Can Bowerstead track multiple homeschool children?

Yes. One account can include multiple children without an additional charge. (Bowerstead)

Can Bowerstead create homeschool transcripts?

Yes. Bowerstead can organize courses, credits, hours, and grades into a parent-issued homeschool transcript. (Bowerstead)

Does Bowerstead work on a phone?

Yes. Bowerstead says it works on the web, iPhone, and Android. (Bowerstead)

Does Bowerstead have a free trial?

Bowerstead does not currently offer a traditional free trial. Instead, its plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee. (Bowerstead)

Can I cancel Bowerstead?

Yes. Bowerstead says subscriptions can be canceled through the account settings, and cancellation does not require a phone call. (Bowerstead)

Is Bowerstead a good homeschool record-keeping tool?

It can be a useful option for families who want to keep homeschool planning and records together. However, homeschool requirements vary by state, so families should always verify their own state’s current requirements.


Get 30% off Bowerstead:

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through my link, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only share products and resources I think could genuinely be useful to homeschool families.


Want More Homeschool Printables?

If you’re looking for ways to make your homeschool days a little easier, I also have my Homemade Homeschool Club, where I share a new collection of homeschool printables and resources each month.

It’s designed for busy homeschool moms who want useful, ready-to-print resources without having to spend hours searching for them. You’ll get access to the members-only library, monthly printable bundles, and additional homeschool resources that you can use throughout the year.

So if you’re working on getting your homeschool more organized this year, Bowerstead can help you organize your homeschool planning and records, while the Homemade Homeschool Club gives you ready-to-use resources for your actual homeschool days.

And if you’re already a member, I’d love to know: what’s your favorite printable you’ve used so far? ❤️ Comment below!


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