Let me help you get started homeschooling with the ultimate list of 25 Homeschool Supplies You Can’t Live Without. This list includes basic items as well as my personal favorites that simply make homeschooling easier to manage. Whether you are new to homeschooling or have been doing this for years, this list is a great place to find items you may not realize will help make your homeschool journey easy.
25 Homeschool Supplies You Can’t Live Without
- Dry Erase Board: Grab a small dry erase board for each student and a larger dry erase board for yourself. Don’t forget you will need dry erase markers and a good eraser for these.
- Lined Paper: For younger students, you’ll want to grab the wider lined pages, but lined paper is a must for handwriting practice, doing math drills, and even simply taking notes.
- Sharpies: Not only do you want classic black, but you may find you like the fine point pens and markers in various colors to color code items in your classroom.
- Chalkboard: While I prefer the dry erase board, a chalkboard is also a great addition to your classroom.
- Tablet or Laptop: It’s almost impossible to do everything without having Internet access, so having a tablet or laptop available for your children to use for video coursework, educational videos, and even educational apps. A Kindle Fire is a great tablet option that is affordable and kid-friendly.
- Mechanical Pencils: You can go the route of regular pencils and a pencil sharpener, but I much prefer the ease of mechanical pencils. These along with erasers, pens, and the usual supplies are a must.
- Laser Printer: I find printing out worksheets and supplies for our classroom is one of the easiest ways to save money on curriculum. A quality laser printer is a must in my opinion. The Canon Laser Printer is a great brand and quality product that is affordable.
- Binders: Binders are a must in homeschooling. They are ideal for sorting and organizing lesson plans, printables, and tests your students have completed. Having several in different colors and sizes is a must.
- Laminator: This is a more expensive homeschool supply that I believe is a must. With so many holidays and common topics that you use year to year for education, a laminator is a great way to keep those printed manipulatives in good shape to use over and over again. The Swingline Laminator is a favorite that is affordable and quality.
- 3-Hole Punch: You’ll need this on an almost daily basis and a quality one is well worth the investment. The PaperPro 3 Hole Punch is an excellent choice.
- Filing Cabinet: At the very least, you’ll want to have a storage system set up for paperwork and any information you need to grab on a regular basis. I prefer filing cabinets over boxes, but choose what works best for you.
- Desks or Lapdesks: A table, desk, or a lap desk that your children can use to finish their work is a must. Flat writing surfaces are a must for working regularly.
- Kitchen Timer or Stopwatch: Being able to take breaks throughout the day is important. Setting a timer helps immensely. A stopwatch is also great for those timed tests or drills.
- Puzzles: Puzzles are a life saver when you need some busy work that is also educational. There are tons of different puzzles to invest in from toddler puzzles to brain game puzzles for older students.
- Craft supplies: Craft supplies are a must in your homeschool classroom. Construction paper, hot glue guns, glue, yarn, scissors, and even scrapbook supplies or stamps are all going to come in handy for various projects.
- Library card: Your local library is going to be a favorite resource and definitely one of the must-have supplies for your homeschool classroom.
- Washable markers: Markers are always fun to use, but make sure you are picking up the washable variety for your classroom. Trust me, it is worth it. You can spring for the Mr. Sketch Scented Washable Markers for even happier kids.
- Paints and canvas: While you can easily paint on paper, I much prefer buying inexpensive canvas (you can often find at Dollar Tree) so I don’t have to worry about it bleeding onto a table. Paints are a great tool in art classes and this makes it fun for your kids to learn and play.
- Flash Cards: Choose these according to the grade level and needs of your students. I love having tons of these on hand for fast and easy review over subjects when we don’t feel like sitting down for complete lessons.
- Bookcases or shelving: You’ll need some kind of storage unit or shelving for everything, and this will depend on the room you are using or if you have limited space.
- Shoebox totes: I love using the little shoe box totes for sensory projects, storing manipulatives, and even storing projects when we aren’t done yet but want to continue the next day.
- Measuring tools and rulers: Math tools for measuring are a must at all grade levels. Rulers, measuring tape, measuring spoons, measuring cups, and any container that can be used to measure something is going to be handy in your classroom.
- Globe: As you work through geography with your children, a globe is a must-have item. There are tons of options out there, but a standard globe is a must have.
- Maps: Just like a globe will come in handy, you’ll find that geography and even history will require use of maps for understanding. There are tons of options to choose from, but I love picking up maps from each state, country, and region. Filing them all in one large tote, and pick them up as needed.
- Patience: While not a supply you can purchase, this, above all, is a must in your list of homeschool supplies. Being patient with your children as you muddle through this job of homeschooling.
This list of homeschool supplies is a must for every classroom. Begin here for a great way to start your homeschool classroom for success this year.
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