Must Have Homeschool Supplies

Whether you are new to homeschooling or a seasoned pro here is a great list of  homeschool supplies you’ll want to snag before back to school starts for homeschooling, plus some great tips!

Homeschool Supplies

Are you wondering what supplies do you need for homeschooling? Although some supplies vary based on what curriculum you are using, and some are similar to that of public school children, there are some supplies you may forget to pick up that you will want to have on hand for going back to school as a homeschooler. So, don’t miss shopping for these homeschool supplies!

When to Buy Back to Homeschool Supplies

• Buy curriculum early (late sprint/early summer) or at conventions for the best deals (free shipping and convention pricing)
• Buy supplies like crayons, notebooks, etc. in early September when stores clearance out  the back to school supplies and you’ll save 5o-90%
• Buy learning games and manipulatives as you need them or they go on sale. We buy most of ours on Amazon where we’ve found the best prices

Homeschool School Supplies

I highly suggest getting your crayons, pencils, and glue at the back to school clearance sales [Items noted below in blue]. Everything else is usually cheaper (and more convenient) to buy online from Amazon. I’ve provided links so you can just fill your cart and be good to go!

1. Bible
2. Globe (we like this hands on one we can toss and play with too) plus our US Wall Map and World Wall Map
3. Planner (we use this free one)
4. 3 Hole Punch
5. Laminator
6. Page Protectors (to make worksheets reusable and to keep printable games together)
7. Dry Erase Markers
8. personal size dry erase boards (we use these for solving math equations, spelling tests, and lots of other things!)
9. electric pencil sharpener (trust me you’ll be glad you aren’t using a small hand one!)
10. Kids Dictionary and Thesaurus (must for 1st grade on up)
11. Stapler
12. Scissors
13. Ruler
14. Tape Dispenser
15. Paper Clips
16. Sticky Notes (to keep our place in text books, jot quick notes, etc.)
17. Pencils (lots!)
18. Good Eraser (the ones on the back of pencils just don’t cut it)
19. crayons, markers, colored pencils
20. bingo markers
21. Flashcards (Target dollar section or free printable Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division)
22. Glue (we use both the purple stick and white liquid glue)
23. Nature Journals (we use sketchbooks)
24. Workboxes
25. Bookshelves (we love the expedite from IKEA)
26. Home Learning Year by Year by Rebecca Rupp (great resources plus a must if you design your own curriculum)
27. lined paper for writing (or print free ones here)
28. Homeschool to Do Punchcards for Kids (free!)
29. Reading Book Lists (by grade and book level)
30. printer (to print my 500+ free printables worksheets and games!)

Favorite Homeschool EXTRAS

I love having some fun, educational games and hands on learning manipulatives to supplement their education and make school FUN! Here are a few of our favorite homeschool stuff

• Unifix Letter Cubes (great spelling manipulative)
• Uniifix Cubes (math manipulative; counting, grouping in 10s)
• Geo Puzzles (geography)
• Magnets (science exploration)
• Microscope (science)
• Telescope (science)
• Snap Circuits (science)
• Building Sets (Lego, K’nex, tinker toys, Magnatiles, Lincoln logs, blocks, Zoob)
• Puzzles (we love sturdy Melissa & Doug ones)
• Tanagram
• Sing to Learn (math, language arts, history, geography, science, and more!)
• Liberty Kids (Revolutionary War cartoon series for kids)
• Magic School Bus (science cartoon series for kids)
• Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego (educational computer game)
• Alphabet (for PreK/K) – wallcards, puzzles, blocks, magnetic letters
• Camelot Jr,, Rush Hour, Chocolate Fix, IQ Twist, Hide and Seek Pirates, and other logic games
• Reading the Easy Way (lots of fun sight words games, readers, worksheets, and more)
• Alphabet Stamps (learning letters and spelling practice)
• Smencils (art and other special papers)
• Playdough or Think Putty (keeps hands busy)
• Word on the Street (a word game that is fun to play as a family or as part of school to enrich vocabulary and practice spelling)
• Ticket to Ride (This is a game we like to play as a family in the evenings too! It is great for helping kid learn US Geography as well as processing skills)
• Catan Histories: Settlesr of America Trails to Rails (This is another family favorite board game. It also teaches not only US Geography, but the whole westward expansion /pioneer time in history. Kids about probability and critical thinking skills too)