Affordable Homeschool Character Curriculum Under $150
Free and low-cost character education and social-emotional options for homeschool families, compared by price, format, ages, and faith orientation.
Character education is a priority for many homeschool families, but it rarely gets a big share of the curriculum budget. After math, reading, science, and history, there is often little left. The good news is that you do not need to spend much to teach character well, and there are solid options at every price point from free to about $150 a year.
This guide compares affordable homeschool character curriculum options, explains what you get at each price level, and helps you decide what is worth paying for and what you can do for free.
Disclosure: This guide is published by Be The Buffalo, one of the options listed. We have tried to describe every option, including ours, accurately and with sources. Prices were checked in October 2026 where noted and change often, so confirm current pricing with each publisher.
What Makes a Character Curriculum Worth Paying For?
Before comparing prices, it helps to know what you are paying for. A free resource can be just as good as a paid one. What usually separates them is not quality but convenience.
💰 Paid curricula usually give you
- A planned sequence for the whole year
- Ready-to-use lessons with little or no prep
- Printables, songs, stories, or activities included
- Age-specific versions
- Support or updates
🆓 Free resources usually give you
- Good content you organize yourself
- More flexibility
- More planning time on your end
Research on school-based social-emotional learning suggests that programs work better when they are sequenced, active, focused on specific skills, and explicit.[1] Whether free or paid, look for those features.
Annual Cost Comparison
How homeschool-friendly options compare to school-priced programs
Affordable Options at a Glance
| Option | Price | Format | Ages | Orientation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Library books + DIY plan | Free | Picture books, discussion, real-life practice | Any | Any |
| Kindness in the Classroom | Free | Downloadable lessons | Pre-K to 12 | Secular |
| Greater Good in Education | Free | Library of practices | Pre-K to adult | Secular |
| Virtues Project Educator’s Cards | $19.95 | 52 virtue cards with activity ideas | Not specified | Secular & interfaith |
| Character First | $9.99–$284.71 | Digital curriculum, 30 traits | Adaptable | Secular (Christian-compatible) |
| We Choose Virtues | Varies | Card-based virtue kits | Young children | Christian (non-religious version avail.) |
| Be The Buffalo | $149.99/yr | 40-week curriculum with activities, songs, stories, printables | K-5 (3 age bands) | Secular |
Sources: Character First and Virtues Project pricing from published listings checked in October 2026;[2][3] Kindness in the Classroom and Greater Good in Education from their websites.[4][5] We Choose Virtues pricing could not be confirmed from a current source.
Free Options
A Library-Based DIY Plan
The cheapest option is also one of the most effective for young children: a weekly theme, a picture book from the library, a short conversation, a song or game, and lots of real-life practice. See our free homeschool character education resources and our homeschool kindergarten character plan.
Trade-off: Free, flexible, and effective, but you do all the planning.
Kindness in the Classroom
A free, structured kindness curriculum from the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, organized around six kindness concepts for Pre-K through high school.[4] Some lessons use picture books you may need to borrow or buy.
Trade-off: A ready-made sequence for free, but focused mainly on kindness and written for classrooms.
Greater Good in Education
A free library of more than 350 research-based practices from UC Berkeley, covering social-emotional learning, character strengths, and mindfulness.[5]
Trade-off: High-quality activities, but no built-in sequence.
Low-Cost Options
The Virtues Project Educator's Cards
$19.95
A deck of 52 virtue cards with descriptions and activity suggestions, usable at home, in classrooms, or in groups.[3] The Virtues Project describes itself as secular and interfaith.[2]
Trade-off: Inexpensive and flexible, but a tool rather than a full curriculum.
Character First (Individual Units)
From $9.99 per unit
Character First offers elementary curriculum materials for 30 character traits, with digital downloads ranging from about $9.99 to $284.71 depending on the option, plus a free online learning center.[2] Buying individual trait units keeps costs low.
Trade-off: You can start small and add traits, but buying the full set costs more.
Picture Books for Specific Frameworks
Many families build character lessons around a single well-chosen book series, such as picture books that teach habits or virtues one story at a time. Costs are similar to any children's book, and libraries often carry them.
Mid-Range Options
We Choose Virtues
A card-based virtue program for young children, built around short daily practice. The cards include Bible verses, and a non-religious version is also available. Pricing varies by kit, so check the publisher's current prices.
Trade-off: Simple daily routine for young children; less structured than a full curriculum.
$149.99 per year · First 4 weeks free
A 40-week character education and social-emotional learning curriculum for K-5, organized into three age bands (K-1, 2-3, 4-5). Each week includes short interactive activities, stories with Benny and Bella the buffalo, original songs, a guide for the adult, and printables, in English and Spanish. The first four weeks are free with no credit card, so you can try it before paying.
$3.75
per week
40
weeks
3
age bands
2
languages
Trade-off: The most complete option on this list, with a full-year sequence and no prep, but it costs more than DIY or single-tool options, and it has not yet been independently evaluated in a published study.
For Comparison: School-Based Programs
Many well-known character and SEL programs are designed and priced for schools, not families. For example, classroom kits for programs like Positive Action have been listed at around $400 to $450 per kit, and school licenses for programs like Second Step cost thousands of dollars.[6] See how much does an SEL curriculum cost for details. For most homeschool families, the options above are a better fit.
How to Choose
If your budget is $0:
Use a library-based plan, Kindness in the Classroom, or Greater Good in Education.
If you want a simple tool to add to what you already do:
The Virtues Project cards or a picture-book series.
If you want to focus on one trait at a time:
Character First individual units.
If you want a faith-integrated option:
We Choose Virtues, or a secular curriculum you connect to your family's faith.
If you want a full year with no planning:
Be The Buffalo, after trying the free four weeks.
If you teach multiple ages:
Look for options with age-specific versions so siblings can work on the same theme at their own level.
Questions to Ask Before Buying
Does it cover a full year, or just a few traits?
How much prep does each lesson take?
Is it designed for my child’s age?
Does it include practice, not just reading?
Can I use it with more than one child?
Does it fit our family’s values and faith orientation?
Can I try it before buying?
What to Avoid
Paying for what you will not use.
A beautiful curriculum on the shelf costs more than a free plan you follow.
Buying a school program sized for a classroom.
Many school programs are expensive and hard to adapt for one or two children.
Worksheets without practice.
Character grows through real-life practice, not just filling in pages.
Assuming more expensive means better.
Price often reflects convenience and format, not effectiveness.
Final Thoughts
You can teach character well on any budget. Free options like library books and Kindness in the Classroom work well for families willing to plan. Low-cost tools like virtue cards add structure without much expense. Full curricula cost more but save planning time and provide a complete sequence.[1][7]
Choose the option you will actually use every week. That is the one worth the money.
References
- [1]
Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students' social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405-432.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01564.x - [2]
HomeschoolPicks. (2026). Character education programs for homeschool (prices checked October 2026).
https://homeschoolpicks.com/electives/character-education-programs-homeschool/ - [3]
The Virtues Project. (2026). Virtues Cards: Educator's Edition.
https://www.virtuesproject.com/store/decks-educators-cards - [4]
Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. (2026). Kindness in the Classroom curriculum.
https://randomactsofkindness.org/pre-k-lesson-plans - [5]
Greater Good Science Center, UC Berkeley. (2026). Greater Good in Education.
https://ggie.berkeley.edu - [6]
EPISCenter, Penn State. (n.d.). What Positive Action (PA) materials are required and what are the associated costs?
https://epis.psu.edu/node/746 - [7]
Cipriano, C., Strambler, M. J., Naples, L. H., et al. (2023). The state of evidence for social and emotional learning: A contemporary meta-analysis of universal school-based SEL interventions. Child Development, 94(5), 1181-1204.
https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13968
Try a Full Year of Character Lessons Free for Four Weeks
Be The Buffalo gives homeschool families 40 weeks of short, no-prep character and social-emotional lessons for K-5, in three age bands and two languages, for $149.99 a year. Start with four free weeks, including 12 printables, with no credit card.
Sign Up Free