Little Footprints and Barefoot Days

What’s the difference between
Barefoot Days and Little Footprints?

Both Barefoot Days and Little Footprints are story-driven, Charlotte Mason-inspired programmes designed for children aged 4 to 8. They share a gentle, literature-based approach that nurtures curiosity, creativity and a love of learning through stories, play and hands-on experiences. The key differences lie in their focus and developmental emphasis.

Focus and Themes

• Little Footprints explores South Africa’s people, places, flora and fauna in depth. Every story and activity helps children build a strong connection to their country’s landscapes, wildlife and heritage.
  
• Barefoot Days features broader, more general themes that spark imagination and encourage exploration of the wider world, without focusing only on a specific country or region. It begins with a study of the child’s identity and then moves outwards in an ever-widening study of the child’s family, community, country and world.
  

Developmental Emphasis

• Barefoot Days includes a wide range of physical readiness activities, such as exercises for gross and fine motor skills, balance, coordination and visual and auditory perception. These activities help prepare children for more formal learning in a playful, engaging way.
  
• Little Footprints focuses more on cultural and environmental awareness, storytelling and creative exploration, weaving early learning into everyday family life.
  

Curriculum Coverage

Both Barefoot Days and Little Footprints meet and exceed the CAPS Life Skills requirements for the Foundation Phase by offering rich, integrated learning experiences that cover personal and social wellbeing, creative arts and physical education in meaningful, story-based contexts.

For children at Grade 1 level or higher, you only need to add a Maths and Phonics/Reading programme. Our Footprints programmes already cover the other learning areas through their carefully curated stories, nature study and practical activities.

Structure, Cost and What’s Included

• Barefoot Days consists of three volumes, which can each be purchased separately. Every volume comes with its own set of storybooks and activity guide. This makes it easier to spread the cost over time, as you can buy one volume (or more) at a time according to your budget and your child’s pace. Additional resources are available on an exclusive course webpage.
  
  
• Little Footprints is sold as one complete package, containing all the stories, poetry and reference books needed for the full programme, along with a large South African wall map. It’s a once-off purchase that gives you everything in one set, ready to use for a full year or more. Additional resources are available on an exclusive course webpage.

Flexibility and Order

You can use the two programmes in any order. Some families start with Barefoot Days to strengthen physical readiness before moving on to Little Footprints. Others begin with Little Footprints to build a love of South African stories and then continue with Barefoot Days for broader themes. Both paths work beautifully—the choice depends on your child’s interests and readiness.

In short, Barefoot Days builds strong physical foundations for learning through stories, movement and play, while Little Footprints deepens your child’s connection to South Africa through rich, story-based discovery. Together, they provide a joyful, well-rounded early learning journey that goes far beyond what traditional curricula require. We recommend that your children experience both of these programmes in their early years.

Below is a table that summarises the many similarities and differences.

Summarised Comparison:
Barefoot Days vs Little Footprints

Feature	Barefoot Days	Little Footprints
Age Range	4–8 years	4–8 years
Approach	Story-driven, Charlotte Mason-inspired, play-based learning	Story-driven, Charlotte Mason-inspired, play-based learning
Themes	General, imaginative and nature-inspired themes. Begins with the child’s identity, family, community, country and then a wider world perspective	South African stories focusing on local people, places, flora and fauna. Establishes a child’s identity and sense of belonging and pride in South Africa’s unique cultural and natural heritage.
Learning Focus	Strong emphasis on physical readiness – gross and fine motor skills, coordination, visual and auditory perception	Strong emphasis on cultural and environmental awareness, creativity and storytelling
Curriculum Coverage	Meets and exceeds CAPS Life Skills requirements for the Foundation Phase	Meets and exceeds CAPS Life Skills requirements for the Foundation Phase
Additional Subjects Needed	Add your own Maths and Phonics/Reading programme from Grade 1 onwards	Add your own Maths and Phonics/Reading programme from Grade 1 onwards
Structure	Consists of three separate volumes, each with its own storybooks and activity guide	Sold as one complete package with all stories, poetry and reference books plus a wall map
Budget Options	Flexible and budget-friendly – each volume can be purchased individually	Once-off purchase – includes all materials for the full programme
Included Materials	Storybooks included with each of the three volumes	Storybooks, poetry, reference books, and a large South African wall map included as a package
Flexibility	Can be used before or after Little Footprints	Can be used before or after Barefoot Days
Best for	Families who want to strengthen physical readiness and ease into learning with playful structure	Families who want to explore South Africa in depth through rich, story-based discovery

Take your Pick:
Barefoot Days or Little Footprints