School supplies aren’t just for kids who go to school. I mean, you do write with pencils and paper in your homeschool, right? Whether it’s the first of the school year, or you’re needing to spice up your homeschool supplies, I’ve got a must-have list that will make your homeschooling year a breeze.
Two homeschool supply pro-tips
Before we get to the list, here are two pro-tips to remember when thinking about homeschool supplies.
#1 Take advantage of sales on electronics, printers, and other items that aren’t typically seen as “classroom supplies.”
If you’re like us, you use at least one of these electronics everyday. From tablets to the printer to the laminator, it seems like someone always needs a plug. And if one of these electronics isn’t working, it can cause some real frustrations to our school day.
Yes, they can be pricey, but if you shop around a bit, you’ll most likely find a sale on one of these items. Plan ahead for popular sale days like Black Friday or “back to school” promos.
Printer – We use our printer for everything from curriculum sheets to papers to projects. It seems like there’s literally always something to be printed. And it can be super frustrating not to have a dependable printer. Which is why I love these two homeschool powerhouses. Both have cheap generic ink options that work very well AND have long-lasting quality: Brother color printer and a black and white laser printer.
Pencil sharpener – I’ve got some pencil sharpener stories. Sharpeners that chew up pencils for breakfast. Sharpeners that jam. Sharpeners that decide they’d rather be a paper weight after 5 uses. But FINALLY after a long, 3 year search, I found a 4-kid-tested pencil sharpener that doesn’t eat pencils and is super affordable. Here’s to a year of sharpened pencils.
Laminator – Not a necessity, but definitely a joy of our homeschool. This Scotch laminator is the perfect complement to a homeschool. (It’s generally half off around back-to-school time, too!)
A few other things you might consider are technology needs like an ipad or computer. Apple participates in the tax free weekends AND they offer an educator’s discount which is available to homeschool families. Also, don’t forget shoes, clothes, backpacks, and water bottles that you might use for co-ops or sports. And hit up the college dorm aisles for inexpensive storage solutions for your school room.
#2 The second trick is to buy as much as you might need for the whole year.
Don’t be skimpy. If a box of crayons is on sale for $.50, stock up. It might cost $2.34 in a few weeks. I could think of a lot of ways I’d rather spend that money and I know you can too. Since I don’t want to be caught without, I tend to overestimate new items. I’ve pretty much got it down to a science! There is rarely any waste because we can always use any extras the next year.
OK, now with those pro-tips secure in your homeschool supply repertoire, let’s get to the list.
My Annual Homeschool Supplies Shopping List
Ticonderoga pencils – Yes, I am a brand snob on this one. Once I switched to these pencils and stopped buying the cheap versions, I always found that at the end of the year we STILL had pencils. They weren’t all broken or missing erasers anymore. I promise, you won’t go back to other brands. I buy 8 or so boxes of 30 to cover all 4 kids.
Glue sticks – We generally need 5 per elementary student, 20-30 for a kindergartner or preschooler.
Mini white boards – Teachers have been using chalk boards for centuries because they work. While white boards are a little more modern, they are equally useful. They keep little hands busy, which is always a plus. But perhaps their largest benefit is that they save money. There is no need for a worksheet when you have a white board. I save the paper for things that I need to document and use the white board for practice. This class pack is a great deal!
Scissors – buy 2 pairs of the appropriate size for each kid every year. Since they are cheap, I don’t fret if they get lost, rusted, or damaged throughout the school year.
Bottles of glue – We buy about 5 bottles per year for the whole family.
Binders – I buy 1.5 inch binders for each child.
Computer paper – We can easily go through 10 packs of this a year. I find that it goes on sale at Wal-mart often enough that I don’t need to buy that many at a time.
Wooden rulers – 1 per student. I buy wooden only because the plastic ones usually don’t have all of the measurements on them.
Big pink erasers – 3 or 4 per student. Don’t waste your time on pencil erasers. Go big. This way you can save pencils even when the eraser runs out and you can erase with less likelihood of ruining the page.
Crayons – 5 boxes per elementary student, 10 boxes for kindergartner or preschooler. You want to buy enough of these during the sales. They are significantly cheaper. And you can always save what you don’t use for next year.
Colored pencils – 4-5 packs per student or 1-2 mega packs. I really prefer that my kids use these over crayons and markers when they are notebooking. The pencils are much neater and don’t bleed.
Sharpie markers and highlighters – The truth is, these are kinda for me, but if they’re on sale, does anyone ever have enough?
Composition notebooks – We use 2 of these per year, per student. When in doubt, buy more. We use these for devotions in the morning, as well as math practice.
Post-it notes – My kids use these to mark their places in books and/or write me a note about their work.
Toddler box items – I don’t have a toddler anymore, but when I did I would stock up on things to occupy my toddler while the older kids did their school work. You could pick up some inexpensive puzzles, play dough, or other appropriate activities and put them in his/her own special box, only available to him at school time.
Homeschool Planning Boot Camp
If you’d like a bit more help planning your homeschool year, you might want to check out my free Homeschool Planning Boot Camp! In 5 days you could have your entire year planned and ready to go! Click the image below for all the details.
What would you add to the list? Leave a comment and let us know!
Heather says
I would add cardstock and dry erase markers for all those laminated activities 🙂 maybe even velcro dots. I laminate like crazy! I will have a kindergartner and 3rd grader this year with an 18th month old to keep things interesting. My littles love dry erase activities and center games they can do over and over.
Kim Sorgius says
Perfect!
Kelly Free says
Wow Heather! This fall will be my first year homeschooling my soon-to-be 5 year old. I also have a 2 year old. Any tips on wrangling him while big brother is doing school work?
LOVE this list btw!!
Amanda says
Have your two yr old join in once in a while :). With your oldest only being in kindergarten it will give your two year old a chance to learn a little too and they like it believe it or not :). This is our third year our twins love it. Good luck :).
BGJ says
Make a music videos playlist with music your 2yo may like, things like simon says things that make you move and sing, play in you homeschooling pc when you need to really be one on one with your 5yo. Hope this help.
REEM says
WOW I LOVE TO SEE THIS PINEREST IT HAVE COOL THINGS SO HAPPY THAT WHAT PROJECT I WILL HAVE JUST COPY AND TO THANKYOU.
Heather says
I love, love, love this list! Thank you so much. I cant wait for my son to b old enough to start. Im so excited!!
Dusti says
Great list! I would add a three hole puncher,2 inch binders, subject dividers, tape, and a stapler! Those are items I use on a regular basis. I keep all my kids completed work in 2 inch binders organized by subject with subject dividers. It’s nice to look back and see the progress they make in a year, my kids even enjoy looking at the completed work from previous years and remembering different activities that we did!!
Po Tim says
Kim,
That’s a great list. I love it, and I would like to include this link in my next coming blog post. You are welcome to come visit at http://fortunecookiemom.com
My blog is mainly focused on learning & homeschooling Chinese. I also create printables and learning Chinese resources as well.
Thanks.
KLA says
Cardstock and dry erase markers YES! But some of your list seems overkill to me. Maybe it’s because my kids are spaced out and have different needs but two boxes of twistable crayons and three boxes of colored pencils fit the year is plenty for our house. Can’t seem to keep enough glue sticks though lol
C.R. Runchey says
I like this list but I also find lots of stickers and craft stuff for science and art projects when they are supper cheep this time of year.
Kim Sorgius says
Great idea!
Tammy Plaster says
My friend went shopping with me the other day & thought I was crazy buying all I did. I have a 5th & 6th grader & help purchase for my 3rd & 4th grade niece & nephew.
I bought like 10 packs of crayons ($.25), 10 colored pencils ($.50), 10 markers ($.50), glue ($.50), 20 composition books ($.50) & 50 spiral notebooks ($.17).
I like to be prepared when I need it & not have to pay more after the season.
If I have extra, we will use it or donate it.
Sandy M. says
Dry erase markers, tape. One thing that I wanted to tell you is that if you buy a good pair of scissors, there is usually a lifetime warrenty on them. So you would be looking at just buying a few different sizes (depending on the number and size hands using them) and if there’s a problem, contact the company and they send you a new pair.
Leslie says
I find if I wait till school starts, most of all of this goes even cheaper as they want to clear stuff out for Halloween. I agree with Ticonderoga pencils-we just won’t use any other kind other than my older kids prefer the mechanical pencils because they are great for sketching and are always sharp so if you have older kids, load up on those too. My kids won’t use pencils and I find they prefer colored pencils and skinny markers. Spend the extra bucks for three whole puncher, a good electric pencil sharpener and stapler. We also stock up on highlighters, dry erase markers, stickers and glue sticks. Buy the good glue sticks-they are worth the extra money. Then also look for cheap, small marked down toys esp. During holidays and put them in a surprise box. We use those as motivators for the younger kids. They don’t care if it’s a spider ring from Halloween or a wind up Santa. Anyway, great list! Also buy a few extra of art pads and pencils ect as they make fast and easy birthday gifts.
Michelle says
I would agree with whomever in the comments mentioned binders, 3-hole punch, cardstock. I would pick up some extra printer paper. Seems we go through a lot of that. (I can’t remember if that was mentioned.) As for the crayons, colored pencils, and such, my kids have never gone through that much per year. I would play it by ear, or pick up extras when they start clearancing out supplies.
Maddie says
I have just started blogging about homeschooling and I stumbled ( by Gods will I’m sure) to your blog. What an amazing resources you offer. Thank you, you are truly inspirational.
april says
this is by far the best list i’ve found so far. thank you. that seems like a LOT of glue sticks, crayons and pencils though! do you really go through that many per student?
Kim Sorgius says
We go through quite a few, but it definitely depends on the type of curriculum you use!
Jennifer Boyer says
Thank you for this list! Im starting my first year of homeschool with my 1st grader. In kinder, they had us buy an INSANE amount of everything mentioned above for the classroom from each parent! So none of it seems like overkill to me. Im excited to get started!
Sheila says
This is by far the best homeschool advice and compiled information I’ve seen on Pinterest. I should say to fit my needs as a 3rd year, homeschool mom.
Christine says
I noticed you said you use the notebooks for devotions in the morning. I’m looking into something like a devotion journal for my 10 year old. Would you mind sharing what you do with the notebooks exactly?
Kim Sorgius says
This is what we use: http://bit.ly/2LITjDr
Suzanne says
Thanks, Rachel. That link has been updated!
Cathy Blake says
I would add index cards. They are useful for so many things! I’d also add looseleaf paper, folders, and White Out for myself.