I collected a variety of books in a large wicker basked I had lying around. Any vessel that suits you will work. For me, I easily found a few different levels of I Love Islam books lying around. We just bought almost $100 worth of them for our enrollment in the local Sunday School which was a short-lived effort. I also put in the basket this reading primer which we've used successfully in the past, a Quran with English translation next to the Arabic text, and a variety of smaller books from Ad-Duha Institute for any spare reading (mostly the translation of the short sura's that are adorable for younger children).
After deciding to pull my children out of the weekend school, I thought long and hard about what it was I wanted them to learn. They've tried just about a bit of everything when it comes to this type of thing: private lessons in someone's home, semi-private lessons at the masjid, sunday school, and way back in the early days, they were enrolled full time in private Islamic school. I decided I was done with outsourcing this subject and would take matters into my own hands (which I had tried before without much success). This time would be different thanks to this basket.... read on.
I decided to apply what I've learned from homeschooling to this subject. Daily lessons that were short and continuous would get the job done. I simply worked backwards from the time we had to leave the house everyday and established a start time. Everyone has to be at the kitchen table at that time dressed with shoes and jackets on, ready to go. The deal is that we meet for 10 minutes and then head out to the school bus stop. I start by reciting one short dua', or supplication, that I'd like them to have memorized and used to reciting with ease. Then I open that Quran, read one page in Arabic and then read the English translation (this amounts to about 5 verses). Close that up. Open this other book I have that is written for approximately KG kids, but it has short stories that teach a valuable core belief with each short lesson. We go through those and solidfy that little characteristic for the day. If not that boook, then I open up an upper level I Love Islam book and go through a chapter there. The end. We close with an oral recitation of Suratul Asr and then go walk to the bus stop.
We all benefit from starting our day remembering God, glorifying Him, and learning about Him. My children and I connect for those 10 minutes before scattering. And I feel good knowing that slowly, but surely, I am giving them and Islamic education.
On weekends we spend a little time doing written work around the table. This is for Arabic reading and writing, mostly. All I have to do is remind them that Sunday school took up about 3 1/2 hours of their day if they start to whine about having to open up their Arabic books! Half an hour around the kitchen table looks like a walk in the park compared to the alternative.
This method can work in your home, too. Pick a time of day that is consistent in its schedule or routine whethere it is breakfast, after dinner, or before bedtime. For us I picked the moments before we leave for the bus because that's when everyone is dressed and not in the middle of doing something else. Collect items you would LIKE to use and keep them in a tub next to your work space. I keep my wicker basket next to the kitchen table on a shelf. Do Quran for sure and then mix up the other topics. The kids have found this very intersting, and I can see them more interested that they ever were before in the subject. I print out coloring pages for my youngest to color while we all sit around the table.
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