I know how hectic it can be when you’re getting the kids ready for a new school year at home, so I’ve put together my favorite back-to-school homeschool essentials from Walmart. As a homeschool mom, I’ve spent oodles of time finding the right back-to-school supplies to keep our days running smoothly, and I want to share what’s worked for us!Â
Walmart is one of the best places to shop for everything homeschool students need for a successful year—and the essentials you need to keep your homeschool classroom organized! Here are my must-have back-to-school supplies for homeschoolers, available at Walmart!
Reviews of Back-to-School Homeschool Essentials at Walmart
1. Best Pens: Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip Pens (6-pack)
These Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip Pens come in a rainbow of colors, making practicing writing much more fun for kids. Whether taking notes, doodling, or working on handwriting, the bright and bold colors keep my kids engaged and excited to learn. Oh, and the ink dries super quickly and won’t bleed through the page. No more messy smears!
2. Best Dry Erase Board: Pen+Gear Magnetic Dry Erase Board
Whiteboards like this one are a fantastic choice for your homeschool setup and a must-have for your back-to-school homeschool essentials! This board is the perfect way to make learning fun and interactive. I love that it has a handy marker holder that attaches right to the board and a magnet for keeping important notes or papers front and center!Â
3. Best Dry Erase Markers: Expo Low Odor Dry Erase Markers
We love these Expo Dry Erase Markers for practicing math, spelling, and sentence diagramming with their colorful, vibrant ink that kids love that is great for the whiteboard I recommended above. The low-odor formula is a bonus, making them safe to use in our home classroom. Plus, these markers are easy to wipe off, leaving behind no distracting smudges.
4. Best Scissors for Kids: Pen+Gear 5-inch Kids Scissors
Designed just for little hands, these Pen+Gear scissors from Walmart are perfect for all those fun school art projects. Whether it’s cutting construction paper or string, the blunt-tip blades keep things safe, so you don’t have to worry about accidents, and the easy-grip handles work for both lefties and righties. Plus, they come in several fun colors for your kiddo to pick from!Â
5. Best Crayons: Crayola Crayons (24-Count)
This set of Crayola crayons comes with all the classic colors kids need for everything from coloring books to art projects. I’ve been using Crayola crayons for years, and they really are the best! The double-wrapped, nontoxic design makes them safe and sturdy for little hands to use when coloring one of our free printable worksheets!
6. Best Markers: Crayola Broad Line Markers (10-count)
Crayola Markers are an absolute favorite in our homeschool! This 10-count set of broad line markers has all the classic and vibrant colors that preschoolers love to use, making them perfect for arts and crafts or coloring time. I also love that the colors don’t bleed through the paper, keeping our writing work and coloring projects nice and tidy.
7. Best Glue Sticks: Elmer’s Washable School Glue Sticks (3-pack)
These glue sticks are a must-have pick for back-to-school homeschool essentials, especially for those of us who have preschoolers who love to craft! These glue sticks come in a convenient three-pack and are perfect for all kinds of art projects—paper, cardboard, and pictures! The glue goes on purple, which makes it fun for the kids, and dries clear, so it won’t be noticeable on their finished projects.
8. Best Calculator: Texas Instruments TI-30XIIS Two-Line Scientific CalculatorÂ
For the high schooler in your life, you’re definitely going to need the Texas Instruments 30XIIS Two-Line Scientific Calculator. It’s ideal for everything from general math to algebra, geometry, and even statistics. It has an easy-to-read two-line display that shows both your entry and the calculated result. As a homeschool mom, I can tell you this calculator is essential not just for everyday math classes but also for the ACT and other tests like the SAT and AP tests.Â
9. Best Water Bottle: Thermos Stainless Steel Water Bottle
The Thermos Stainless Steel Funtainer Water Bottle is one of my top back-to-school essentials for keeping kids hydrated during co-op and field trips! This 16-ounce bottle is a lifesaver, keeping drinks cold for up to 12 hours! Its durable stainless steel construction makes it a great choice for kids who are rough with their gear. However, one of my favorite things about this water bottle is the covered spout that helps keep germs away! Plus, there’s a handle, which makes it easy for little hands to carry.
My kids use these bottles every day, so I use these Bottle Bright Cleaning Tablets to keep them clean. It removes all of the gunk and build-up that can form over time, and there’s no lingering soap taste. A win-win for everyone!Â
10. Best Tablet: Apple iPad (2021)
The Apple iPad has quickly become one of our favorite back-to-school homeschool essentials. The 10.2-inch screen is a good size for kids and this 2021 model is a bit more affordable than the latest one, but still works well for kids. Throughout my years of homeschooling, I can confidently say the iPad is the best tablet for a range of homeschooling activities. We use it with XtraMath to drill math facts, My Math Assistant for high school lessons, and even for viewing music during band, choir, or orchestra practice!Â
11. Best Flashcards for Sight Words: Scholastic Sight Words Flash CardsÂ
As a homeschool parent, I’ve found these Scholastic flashcards to be perfect for teaching basic sight words. The cards are colorful, with big, clear words that are easy for little eyes to see. Kids learn best through repetition, so you can use these cards regularly to help your kids recognize and remember their words. Plus, you can turn it into a fun game to encourage their love of language! With 54 cards covering essential words, these are a fantastic addition to your preschool back-to-school homeschool essentials list.
12. Best Board Game for Learning: Ticket to Ride First Journey
Ticket to Ride First Journey has been a wonderful addition to our game nights, and it’s become one of my most recommended back-to-school homeschool essentials. The game has a simple map and easy rules that make it a fantastic educational board game that teaches cross-country travel (for kids ages 6 and up). My kids love collecting train cards and connecting cities. The challenge of completing six tickets to win the Golden Ticket adds just the right amount of excitement! It’s a great way to sneak in some learning while having quality family time.
13. Best Filing Box: IRIS Letter Size PortableWeatherPro File Box
Homeschool comes with a lot of papers, and the IRIS Letter Size Portable WeatherPro File Box is an easy way to keep everything organized while heading into a new school year. It has a weathertight seal, sturdy lid, and latch, so I don’t have to worry about anyone’s papers or artwork getting damaged. The comfy handle makes it easy to pick up and move around even when chock full of papers. It’s just the right size to hold all our schoolwork papers, so everything stays neat and easy to find when needed!
14. Best Supply Storage: Mainstays 3-Tier Multi-Purpose Cart
The Mainstays 3-Tier Multi-Purpose Cart would be great for organizing a homeschool classroom. With its three levels of storage, it’s a great way to keep art supplies, workbooks, and other back-to-school essentials in one place. It’s made of sturdy plastic with wheels that make it easy to move around. With it staying organized can be so much more manageable!
15. Best Cubby: Your Zone Kids 4-Cube Storage Organizer
A cubby can be super useful for creating a designated school zone. This one features four cubes that would be helpful for keeping all the kids’ homeschool stuff—like toys, books, and supplies—neatly organized. I love giving each kid their own cubby to store their personal belongings like their back-to-school backpack, lunchbox, and more. Whether it’s in the playroom or the classroom, this organizer is a stylish and practical addition to any space, and it helps keep everything in order as you prep for a new school year!Â
Why You Can Trust Me
Hi! I’m Beth Gorden, and I’ve been homeschooling for nearly 20 years. Before starting our homeschool journey, I earned a double major from the University of Northwestern, with a focus on early childhood education and psychology. Over time, what began as a simple mom blog evolved into 123 Homeschool 4 Me, a site that now reaches over two million monthly visitors. I’m passionate about making learning fun and accessible for kids! Our site now offers over one million pages of free printable worksheets for parents, teachers, and homeschoolers worldwide.
When selecting the products for this post, I relied on my years of homeschooling experience! I have personally tested these products and gathered feedback from others to offer you the best back-to-school supplies for your homeschool classroom.
All of the products are from Walmart, an affordable place to get back-to-school supplies. My goal is to help make your back-to-school shopping experience as easy as possible and help you find the best resources for your homeschool journey, at budget-friendly prices.
Prices were accurate at time of publication.Â
