Morning Basket for Teens: Our Lunch Crate Alternative

When my kids were teens, I made a simple change that ended up working really well for our homeschool: I replaced our Morning Basket with a Lunch Crate. If you’ve ever tried to make a morning basket for teens work and found yourself forcing it… you’re not alone. Sometimes it’s not the idea that’s wrong — it’s just the timing.

I must confess, I like my coffee hot, my house quiet, and my brain slowly booting up while I make a to-do list, toss a load of laundry in the washer, and know that I’m not needed by anyone just yet. Does this sound like you too?

The name has changed over the years, but the heart of it hasn’t: coming together as a family to learn something that’s meaningful and enjoyable.

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In the preschool years, most call it Circle Time. Early on in our homeschool journey, it became Learning Together Time. Eventually, it morphed into the ever-popular Morning Basket.

And now?
It’s our Lunch Crate—basically circle time for high schoolers—and I absolutely love it!

What Is a Lunch Crate? (And How Is It Different from a Morning Basket?)

If you’re familiar with Circle Time or a Morning Basket, the Lunch Crate will sound very familiar.

At its core, the Lunch Crate is simply a dedicated time of day when everyone in your homeschool gathers to learn the same thing. That’s it. No fancy setup required. The only real difference? We moved our morning basket for high school to lunchtime.

What goes into it will look different for every family—and it can change from year to year or even month to month. The key is flexibility.

The Lunch Crate works best when:

• It’s consistent
• It’s low-pressure
• And most importantly, it’s fun

This is where we fit in the “extras”—the things that matter but often get pushed aside by core academics.  I think of it as the kind of learning that feels more like connection than coursework.

Why Lunchtime Works (Especially With Homeschooled Teens)

If your family is one full of morning people, I’d absolutely recommend doing this first thing in the day. Morning time can be a wonderful way to set a positive tone before the rest of the work begins.

I am not that person.

In our home, mornings are best spent on independent subjects. My teens dive into math, writing, or grammar first thing, while I ease into the day—starting laundry, sipping coffee, making my to-do list, and prepping behind the scenes.

By midday, we’re all ready for a break. They’ve accomplished real work. I’ve handled grading, copies, or lab supplies. (And I’m finally ready to talk). 

Coming together feels like a reset, not an interruption. If your homeschool has ever felt stuck in a rut, this kind of midday reset can make a big difference.

I share more practical ideas in my post on 20 ways to beat the homeschool blahs.

Our Lunch Crate time usually lasts about 30–45 minutes. It’s a natural pause in our homeschool routine and has become one of my favorite parts of the day.

And if I’m being honest, in my attempt to be a cool homeschool mom, Lunch Crate just sounds way more fitting for teens than Morning Basket. Who doesn’t want to be at least a little cool?

The ones who are too cool for school.
Homeschoolers, obviously.

Still Doing “Circle Time”… Just Grown-Up

While we’re no longer reviewing the days of the week or filling out a weather chart, I still believe shared learning time is just as important with older kids.

There are so many worthwhile things we want our teens to be exposed to — books, ideas, conversations, and skills—but they don’t always fit neatly into a credit or curriculum, and a morning basket for teens (or in our case, a Lunch Crate) gives space for those things.

It’s also been a great way to finally use my ever-growing collection of “ohhh, this looks fun” resources that I’ve gathered over the years—without feeling guilty that they don’t count as “real school.”

How I Keep Our Lunch Crate Simple

One of the reasons the Lunch Crate works so well for us is that it isn’t rigid.

I use a simple homeschool loop schedule to keep everything moving without pressure.

On a planning page, I jot down:

• What we’re reading and where we left off
• Bible memory verses
• A few quick learning games we rotate through
• Supplies or ingredients we may need
• Ideas we skipped and want to come back to
  

Things come up. Time runs short. Some days we only do one thing—and that’s fine. Having everything written down means nothing gets lost, and we can easily pick up where we left off.

If you’re still figuring out what kind of homeschool rhythm works best for your family, I break down several types of homeschool schedules here.

The Lunch Crate Isn’t One More Thing

The Lunch Crate isn’t meant to be another subject or another box to check.

It’s a gathering point.

It’s a way to enjoy learning together without pressure.
A built-in pause.
A reset in the middle of the day.

If it feels enjoyable, you’re doing it right.

In my next post, I’ll be sharing what actually goes into our Lunch Crate, along with lots of easy ideas you can mix and match for your own family.

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