Footprints Homeschool Curriculum Customer Reviews

Barefoot Days & Kaalvoetpret (Preschool / Kindergarten)

Designed for ages 4 to 6, Barefoot Days and Kaalvoetpret offer a gentle, play-based introduction to homeschooling filled with nature exploration, storytime, art and hands-on fun.

“A gentle and joyful start to our homeschooling journey.”

“Barefoot Days has been such a sweet blessing for our family. It gives us just the right amount of structure without overwhelming my little one. The activities are meaningful, fun, and so easy to implement!”

~ Megan K.

“Pure joy and wonder for little ones!”

“If you want to protect your child’s early years and foster a love for discovery, this program is perfect. My 5-year-old looks forward to storytime and hands-on projects every single day.”

~ Lize-Mari

“Die mooiste herinneringe vir ons gesin.”

“Kaalvoetpret is presies wat die naam sê — vreugdevolle, speelse leer in ons eie taal. Dit het vir ons gesin soveel mooi herinneringe gegee en my kleintjie se nuuskierigheid oor die natuur behoorlik geprikkel.”

~ Annelize Marais

“What a rich life you’re helping mothers create at home!”

“We loved your Kaalvoetpret! Loved the simple introduction to great artists and prints, loved the introduction to studying composers and the nudge to go slow and listen to one artist and piece for several weeks until you recognise it. Loved the poetry, loved the picture books. What a rich life you’re helping mothers create at home! I have learned so much and am thankful for the gentle approach to Charlotte Mason that your programs have made manageable for me!”

~ Hanneke Barlow

“Taking ‘Regular Moms’ by the hand with quality Charlotte Mason education.”

“I wanted to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for the incredible programme [Barefoot Days] you guys have developed. My children (7yo & 3yo) and I are thoroughly enjoying it, and they have expressed that these are the best reading books they’ve ever had! It is worth every cent… The thoughtful design and engaging content is truly making our homeschool experience delightful and enriching…Moreover, I want to extend a heartfelt thanks for taking us ‘Regular Moms’ by our hands and guiding us through this Charlotte Mason-style curriculum. Your support and guidance make all the difference in our homeschool journey.”

~ Mubeena Parker

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Footprints – The Early Years & Voetspore (Ages 8–14)

Designed for ages 8 to 14, Footprints – The Early Years and its Afrikaans counterpart, Voetspore 1 – Die Vroeë Jare, take families on an engaging journey through South African history and geography using living books and hands-on discovery.

“Changed dreams I didn’t even know I had into a magical reality!”

“Footprints has changed dreams I didn’t even know I had into a magical reality!”

~ Hanneke Barlow

“A deep, mind-blowing journey in knowledge and wisdom.”

“We chose to do the Footprints curriculum over two years….really allowing the things to take root and focus on deeper learning. It has been absolutely amazing and watching my son grow, deepen in knowledge and wisdom. It has absolutely blown my mind. My dad who was the biggest critic (he is a retired principal) was absolutely blown away and won over somewhat. In fact most of the older members in my family hail from the educational sector and they are amazed at the growth.”

~ Annuska

“Changed our lives and enabled our homeschool lifestyle!”

“Thanks so much for my new life!!! Your curriculum has changed our lives and enabled us to have this lifestyle and know my kids are learning loads.”

~ Elanza le Roux, KampTravel

“Sparks spontaneous conversations and gets the cogs turning long after storytime!”

“Our boys have a natural love for history and this curriculum absolutely speaks to them. Long after we have finished a story a conversation often spontaneously starts going back to something in one of the stories, I can see that the cogs are turning and they’re thinking!”

~ Wendy Botha

“An absolute dream for overseas and local families alike.”

“Wendy, we are LOVING it! It’s an absolute dream. Being from overseas I’ve been torn about what to teach for history, geography, social studies and the like… My husband, who grew up in SA, is learning new details that I’m sure were intentionally overlooked when he was in school. We cannot wait to do more! I am starting to feel my negative relationship with history classes coming undone and my own sense of curiosity returning. THANK YOU!”

~ Julie Estey

“Getting up early for maths just to have more time for Footprints!”

“My kids got up early this morning to do their maths so they had more time in the morning for Footprints. They love it!”

~ Rox Brummer

“Receiving the curriculum in person stunned my expectations!”

“I opened our box this morning, and I was speechless. I did Little Footprints with my children a few years back. We enjoyed it so much. Ever since you announced the Afrikaans Voetspore, I was literally dreaming of buying the curriculum. We finally took the step, and WOW!! I am speechless. My husband asked me if I had to review this on Google what would I say? My answer was short and sweet ‘WOW’. I looked through the curriculum on the internet, but receiving it stunned my expectations.”

~ Estelle Botha

“A treasure in our own mother language.”

*”As an Afrikaans family we’ve been using your Little Footprints and Footprints programmes… Voetspore is by far the most enjoyable because it’s in our own mother language. I can’t describe to you how nice it is to open Voetspore and just read to my children in Afrikaans and I don’t have to translate all the time.” *

~ Mrs. Badenhorst

“‘n Ware tuisskool-skat!”

“Voetspore is een van die beste toevoegings tot ons tuisskool wat ons kon maak. Ons is mal oor al die lewendige boeke en oulike idees in die handleiding! ‘n Ware tuisskool-skat!”

~ Heidi Kluever

“Hands-on learning that makes history come alive.”

“We are doing Footprints. You cannot go wrong. My boys LOVE the stories. And you can research the topics as much as you want. There are no time limits, you work at your own pace… It’s very hands-on… definitely our favourite part of our homeschool day.”

~ Candice S.

“Undoing negative history memories and sparking family curiosity.”

“We are LOVING it!!!! It’s an absolute dream. Being from overseas I’ve been torn about what to teach for history, geography, social studies and the like. I’ve been piecing things together but decided that since we are living in SA long term I actually just want my daughter to be most familiar with where we are. She actually made a comment to me about the San and how she wishes she could live back then. It brought me such great joy because I know it means she is enjoying the lessons. We want to go deeper into some of these lessons and plan to do so. My husband, who grew up in SA, is learning new details that I’m sure were intentionally overlooked when he was in school. We cannot wait to do more!!! I am starting to feel my negative relationship with history classes coming undone and my own sense of curiosity returning. THANK YOU!”

~ Julie Estey

“We have grown together — no stress and happy learning kids!”

“We love every aspect. It is an adjustment. Once you find the routine the kids and parents learn so much together. We have grown together. We love all the books, tasks, hands-on. It opens their imagination. There is no stress and happy learning kids.“

~ Shannon Strauss

“So THRILLED to see my son excited about BOOKS!”

“I am so THRILLED to see my son excited about BOOKS!”

~ Colleen, Eastern Cape

“Big excitement opening the box and thoroughly enjoying lesson one!”

“A big thank you for our wonderful parcel we received on Friday. Wow!!!! There was big excitement in our house when we opened the box!!! We just finished our first lesson this morning and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you, thank you!!! Looking forward to the rest of this wonderful curriculum.”

~ Jean-mari van Vuuren

“Falling in love with literature again and seeing a change in my children.”

“I would just like to congratulate and thank you both for such an outstanding contribution to homeschooling. Absolutely love Footprints, it’s made me fall in love with literature again and I have seen such a change in my children and am so thankful for their appreciation of books.”

~ May Coomer, The Farm School, Ballito

“Calmed our fears and granted us confidence on an unknown path.”

“This multifaceted curriculum has taken a big burden off our shoulders and hearts (and pockets)… We are the ‘first’ HOMEschoolers in our family and friends circle… and it is a very daunting unknown path. But listening to you and Shirley has calmed us, and granted us confidence into the unknown (following your Footprints as far as we can).”

~ Judy-Lynne Lange

“Energized once again to do something fun for both parent and child!”

“I am delighted with the books and your work material. I feel energized once again to do something which is fun for both me and my child, thanks!”

~ Marjo, Zambia

“The courier delivered the box today. We are all in homeschool heaven!”

“The courier delivered the box today. We are all in homeschool heaven. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.”

~ Margaret Lesley

“No more daily battles — my kids can’t wait for our lessons!”

“We started home-education in 2017 and boy, did I think it was a big mistake! Every day was a constant battle, but this year is totally different. My kids are loving the story of Ghamka and guess what? No more problems. They can’t wait for our daily lesson. Thank you so much Wendy and Shirley!”

~ Tina Prokopis

“Enriched by Footprints — the heroes and heroines have become our friends!”

“I just wanted to let you know that I think the Footprints programme is outstanding and we are so enjoying it. I am especially very appreciative of all the effort and extras you have put into the manual. You have it all there for me. We have all been enriched by Footprints. I have learnt with the kids and we have enjoyed all the books immensely. Even Andrew, our 5-year-old has enjoyed them and he loved hearing about the ‘whopper’ and The Big Hole at Kimberley. It has been a special experience; the heroes and heroines and families have become our friends; we identified very strongly with many of them.”

~ Pam, Sedgefield

“A very interesting and comprehensive course.”

“You have put together a very interesting and comprehensive course.”

~ Miriam, Private schoolteacher, USA

“Thank you for the tremendous work you did to make South African history fun!”

“I was really excited when I heard that something similar existed for South-African history. Thank you for the tremendous work you did to make South-African history fun!”

~ Missionary family, Peru

“A wonderful, rich learning experience — I highly recommend Footprints!”

“Footprints curriculum package is a wonderful, rich learning experience for those who can read the amazing ‘living-books’, research online and go on some relevant outings!… I highly recommend Footprints On Our Land!”

~ Nadene Esterhuizen, Practical Pages — click to view some of her family’s inspiring learning activities using Footprints

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Nature Quest & Natuurskattejag (Ages 8–14)

Created for nature lovers, Nature Quest and Natuurskattejag invite families to step outside and explore South Africa’s rich biodiversity through hands-on nature study, science experiments and creative journaling.

“A wonderful outdoor adventure for the whole family.”

“Nature Quest has completely changed how we look at the outdoors. My children are observing birds, plants, and insects with so much curiosity now. It makes science feel like an exciting discovery rather than a subject.”

~ Sarah M.

“Engaging, practical, and so easy to use.”

“The outdoor activities and journaling prompts are fantastic. It gives us a purposeful reason to spend time in nature while learning real scientific concepts.”

~ Claire B.

“‘n Ongelooflike avontuur in die natuur.”

“Natuurskattejag het ons gesin se natuurstappe verander in ware ontdekkingstogte. Die kinders leer soveel van Suid-Afrika se fauna en flora op ‘n speelse, praktiese manier!”

~ Marietjie V.

“Loving the integrated approach, stories, and hands-on projects.”

“We are loving both Nature Quest and Footprints. I’m loving the integrated learning approach, as well as the story-based foundation. Just wanted to let you know. The kids were so excited about their own Notebooking pages and they are currently decorating their treasure chests.”

~ Jessica Stanier

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A unique journey with each child — and a renewed understanding of our history!

Nadene Esterhuizen, published on Homeschool Western Cape on Facebook

“I’ve used and re-used our Footprints into the 21st Century (now updated as Footprints – The Last Century) three times with each of my high schoolers. It has been a unique journey and approach with each child, one I highly recommend.

My eldest did almost all the assignments, my middle child worked very independently, finding value here and there, and I am currently working through the curriculum again together with my youngest teen. Because we do a lot of the reading together, I have really LOVED the course this round! This time we are stretching it out over 2 years, taking our time to enjoy the journey.

As an adult studying our history through Footprints, I’ve been struck by how strongly I feel emotionally, about some of the literature! During my childhood and teen years, we were fed such terrible propaganda. It has been a delight to read of other’s perspectives and experiences through the wonderful collection of literature, and I find a renewed understanding of our history.”

Stepping into history, making memories and “connecting the dots”!

From Wendy Botha, October 2014

“I am doing Footprints with our boys Joshua (age 11) and Matthew (age 8) and we are loving it.  The boys are so enjoying the stories and the concept of stepping into history with the characters that it is almost impossible to put the books down, the end of each chapter is met with cries of “Oh no! Please don’t stop, just one more chapter!”.  At this stage we are doing all the books as read alouds so as to cover the work together.

We’ve also incorporated the lap books and find them very enjoyable too.  As we work through the various activities outlined in the Footprints manual, we’ve had great fun.  For first-time bread bakers we did a pretty good job, in our opinion, but alas not the same can be said for our ginger beer … it was more like ginger BEER, think we left it to ferment a tad too long (we added ginger beer as part of experimenting with yeast and what it can do).

 Our boys have a natural love for history and this curriculum absolutely speaks to them.  Long after we have finished a story a conversation often spontaneously starts going back to something in one of the stories, I can see that the cogs are turning and they’re thinking!

Our further studies and interests take us to other faraway places and periods in history and it is so interesting to hear as one of the boys will piece together where another part of history fits in with what was happening in South Africa at the time, or whether a specific incident in history happened before or after the arrival at the Cape, using the start of South Africa as an anchor.

 We have just finished Land of the Watching Eyes and have been blessed with an opportunity to visit Cape Town in October as Matthew has qualified for SA gymnastic finals.

We have extended our trip by a few days and plan on visiting as many of the sites suggested in the Footprints manual as we possibly can fit in.

 Thank you Wendy and Shirley for putting together this most amazing curriculum.

Thank you for your time and effort in inputting into various Facebook groups and the tuisonderwys group (I only know of the ones I have joined, I am sure your sphere stretches much further), always ready to offer a word of encouragement, Godly direction and sharing your years of research and personal experience.”

Making history come alive, the highlight of the day

From Kathleen, September 2010

“We have been doing Footprints for about a month now. I must say that we enjoy it very much. As a child, I hated history at school, especially South African history but now I can’t wait to discover more.

Footprints has made the history come alive. My son was imagining something today about the Khoi-Khoi people and shared it with me in his playtime. What I like too is that they identify with Ghamka and his people and feel sad for them when bad things happen – what a good way for them to learn to see things from a totally different point of view.

My daughter who is only in Grade 1 understood the water cycle once we did the experiment of the water bowl in the sun and explained it to me. There is nothing like that feeling when your children understands something and you know that for life it’s embedded in their brain because they didn’t just hear about it but made it and drew a picture of it.

From a mother’s point of view, Footprints is the highlight of our school day – I love discovering more about the people of the past and about our country! And we’ve all discovered things about our family tree that I never knew!”

Enriched by Footprints — where history’s heroes became our friends

From Pam, November 2006

“Dear Wendy and Shirley

We have nearly completed our Footprints journey; I plan to read the last 2 books during the holidays. We have all been enriched by Footprints. I have learnt with the kids and we have enjoyed all the books immensely.

Even Andrew, our 5-year old has enjoyed them and he loved hearing about the “whopper” and The Big Hole at Kimberley. We are going to be in the Cape in February and will have a Footprints Holiday.

Jess and David are looking forward to seeing the places we have read about. It has been a special journey for us as a family as it has been the start of our homeschooling journey as well. I have to share with you something which I have been aware of ever since we started with Footprints which was October last year.

Life IS sometimes stressed and pressurized, but I was always aware, whenever I bent down to find the Footprints manual and the current book we were busy with, of a strange feeling of peace. Maybe it was due to the relief that we would now all be working with material that we all enjoy and derive pleasure from.

I like to think that it is also due to the prayer that has gone into the Footprints program and the fact that you both walk closely with God. It has been a special experience; the heroes and heroines and families have become our friends; we identified very strongly with many of them.

The timeline of South African history is very clear in both Jess and David’s minds, not because of any drilling on my part, but purely because each book evoked each period so vividly that it left an enormous and very clear impression.

Mark and I both have clear recollections of learning History at Primary School; it was very dry and boring and we are so glad that our kids have had this experience. A fun family activity which we enjoyed with my folks was our 1820 settler supper. Somewhere in the book Strangers in our Land, we read that the family was living off pumpkin fritters and mielie bread. We baked them as you suggested and then decided to have a dinner and invite the grandparents.

One thing led to another and when we all sat down together that night we had candlelight, wooden eating utensils (arranged by Mark), menus made by kids, wors and milk tart made by Granny. We had toy snakes crawling around us positioned by Andrew and most fun was we were all dressed up. Granny and Granddad arrived dressed like 1820 settlers and we all rushed around, raided our dressing up closet and all found something suitable.

The boys were chuffed to be armed with toy guns and Mark even found his old bayonet much to David’s delight. We had a lovely supper and pretended we were the Smith Family, newly arrived from England. Jess and David had a lot to contribute even down to wondering when their carrots would grow as they had planted them 5 foot deep.

Andrew eventually got scared with all the talk about wild animals and insisted we switch just one light on. It was a magical evening for all of us and one which made very special memories. I am sad that we are nearly finished with the program. We plan to do Sonlight next year and are excited about that, but we will definitely come back in a year or two for the next Footprints program.

Pam” 

Unbiased history, captivating stories and an anchor for our homeschool journey

Shirley Royal, early 2000s

“When I first started home schooling, I looked at various curriculum, and felt most drawn to a literature-based, Christian-centred program like Sonlight, but I was concerned about the fact that there was such a strong emphasis on American History.

When I heard about a South African curriculum called Footprints on Our Land which had a similar emphasis to Sonlight, I was immediately interested. Once I looked a little further, I was delighted to find that Wendy and Shirley had prioritised good quality literature, and ensured that the perspectives on the history of our country were as unbiased as possible.

It was only after I purchased the package, and began using it, that I could apply the real acid test however … which was to gauge the response from my son!! And he has thoroughly enjoyed discovering his heritage in this beautiful country through the captivating stories in the Footprints curriculum. Many days he begs me to read more than the chapter or two of recommended reading, because he simply can’t wait until the next day to see what happens!!

I have often thought that I would enjoy putting my own curriculum together for my sons, but practically it is impossible – so I have really enjoyed using Footprints as a starting point, and allowing it to inspire all sorts of wonderful and exciting journeys of discovery. We have found that many of the suggested activities in the parent guide have been done with gusto, but most times they lead into a delightful tangle of tangents, during which we’ve learned more about our world and each other.”

An unforgettable history journey that ignited our family’s love for learning

Kerry in the UK, early 2000s

“Dear Wendy and Shirley

I just wanted to let you know that I think the Footprints programme is outstanding and we are so enjoying it. I especially am very appreciative of all the effort and extras you have put into the manual. You have it all there for me.

For example, just yesterday I was wondering how I could make a melktert – and then I found your recipe! Again, when we did one of the books, it talked about baking bread. My son had asked me what yeast was and hey presto, there was your answer, complete with an easy, child-friendly method to make bread AND experiments! Perfect!!!

It is so easy on me and I do appreciate that – especially as we do not have available the usual SA library resources or even places to visit, and yet, we are able to make much of it and enjoy it. With four children aged four and under and two older ones, we are limited as to how much we can go “out” anyway so your book and the other books that I have been able to find here have made it very Mom-friendly too!! ? I also have appreciated how we have been able to pick it up and let it drop as needs must (we had twin boys 9 months ago) with no loss of interest or damage.

The little picture disc and book reviews that the boys do after each story have really helped develop their ability to remember the stories and our discussions and condense information to the salient points. The first time we did the summary, it took them ages to write, with me coaching every step of the way. (It was torturous – I groaned inside, wondering if it would be like this all the way through!!!) But now, they can just sit down and do it.

It is by far and away my older boys’ favourite “to do” and we have access to art courses, science work, etc and yet they always choose the SA books.(I confess, both my husband and I are right up there with them– we have recently cut down dramatically on TV and use that time in the evening, when the littlies are finally in bed, to read aloud.

It is truly a family thing!) It may seem most odd to be living in the UK doing a SA History programme but I really do believe that God wants us to embrace our culture and our heritage as a reflection of who He is, and this enables us to do this so well. So, thank you! And be encouraged!

Kerry “