The Ultimate Guide to the Best Homeschooling Supplies
Essential Tools for a Successful Year
Homeschooling can happen anywhere, anytime. Some of the best learning can happen just outside in nature. Observing, smelling, hearing and touching. Enjoying rich experiences together. Having deep conversations - or just silence, soaking up the beautiful world we live in.
At some time or another though, a homeschooling family will want to enrich their home environment by adding into it the best homeschooling supplies that will expand their children's minds even more. There is a plethora of never-ending ideas for what to line your shelves and cupboards with. The latest and greatest educational toy, game or puzzle.
Take a walk around any educational toy shop and you are bound to be overwhelmed with too many things to buy. But what are the essential homeschooling supplies? Well, here is a list from my experience of what I think are supplies that are worthwhile purchases.
Books, Books, Books...and a Library Card!
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss
One of the most important parts of any homeschool are the books. Peruse bookshops, second hand bookshops or books on sale. Go to the library regularly. Allow plenty of reading time in your day. Make sure your children see you reading and spend time reading to them. So many subjects can be covered with read alouds!
Basic Stationery Supplies
Writing Essentials
Pencils and Pens: Mechanical pencils, colored pens, and erasable pens.
Notebooks and Binders: For organizing notes and assignments.
Erasers and Sharpeners: Quality erasers and sharpeners.
Art Supplies
Colored Pencils, Markers, and Crayons: Encourage creativity with a variety of coloring tools.
Drawing Paper and Sketchbooks: For art projects and free drawing.
Scissors, Glue, and Tape: Essential for craft activities.
Paints, art shirts and clay: Don't be afraid to let them do messy art activities.
Extras
Painters tape is handy for little kids activities. It sticks to the floor and is so easy to remove without leaving behind it any reside. Busy Toddler has suggestions for using painters tape; animal line up, art activities or maths counting. Beth also has lots of suggestions for using this tape.
Post-it notes are handy for endless activities. Write letters on them for the children to find around the house, order letters and numbers, put words into a correct order for a sentence. It's fun just sticking them around the house with interesting words on them for the children to find.
Tickets can also be fun to use. We write words on the back to organise and collect into jars or into piles. It just makes it a bit more fun that just plain pen and paper.
Educational Tools and Manipulatives
Math Manipulatives
Learning maths always easier when they can visualise it. Here are some of our favourites;
Counting Bears: For early math concepts.
Fraction Puzzles: Visual aids for understanding fractions.
Attribute Blocks: We often use these during read-aloud sessions to kids little fingers busy.
Geoboards: For geometry lessons.
Maths Games: Any games which use maths concepts will do. Yahtzee, snakes and ladders, any dice games. We especially like the Orchard Toys games for little ones.
Language Arts Supplies
Playing games can be the most fun way to learn. These are just a snapshot of things we use in our house;
Games - banagrams, lotto/bingo, scrabble, boggle, upwords.
Puzzles - letter recognition
Magnets - Magnets are a fun way to learn when you can move the words around.There are quite a few different types, either just words, letters or poetry magnets can be fun too - even for the older children!
Science Supplies
I always have in a the cupboard a box full of 'sciencey' things for them to explore;
Fish nets
Magnets
Magnifying glasses, binoculars.
Science kits - National Geographic sell different types.
Funnels, cups, pipettes, straws, medicine syringes.
We have managed to go through many homeschool years without too many expensive supplies for science. Many families have a good quality microscope. We have a pocket microscope which they have all enjoyed. Birthday presents are the best way to add to your science collection.
Geography Supplies
Globe or Atlas: different atlases for different ages.
Geography books: we have loved this one but it is a bit outdated now.
Geography games: any games that teach them about different countries.
Technology and Digital Tools
Computers and Tablets
If possible, invest in a reliable computer or tablet to access online resources, educational apps, and virtual classes.
Printer and Scanner
A multifunctional printer and scanner are handy for printing worksheets, scanning completed assignments, and making copies of important documents.
Organisational Tools
Whiteboards or Chalkboards
Whiteboard or Chalkboard: For daily schedules, lesson plans, or brainstorming. We have both a large whiteboard on the wall and a small one which I use to teach from. When explaining new concepts a small one is very handy. Quick maths sums, spelling words, sample sentences.
Storage Solutions
Bookshelves: For keeping textbooks and reading materials organized.
Storage Bins: For art supplies, manipulatives, and other small items.
Filing Cabinet: To store completed assignments, records, and important documents. Or even a small accordion folder if you are short on space.
Comfort and Ergonomics
Desks and Chairs (or the Dining Table)
Sometimes the children have sat at desks but often we just use the dining table. This means I can move easily between children. As they move into high school they generally are fairly independent and want to be working at their own desk.
As for younger children sitting comfortably at the kitchen table, we have always used adjustable wooden chairs. These chairs are adjustable as they grow.
For some of the more wiggly children, it is handy to have a gym ball for them to sometimes sit on. One of my children actually worked best when not sitting on a chair at all! After many arguments to try and get him to sit I realised that the research shows that standing while working can actually be better for some children.
Physical Activity and Recess Supplies
Sports Equipment
Trampoline: Not essential but my kids have spent hours and hours on the trampoline.
Balls and Frisbees: For outdoor play.
Ropes: Good old fashioned rope ladders and ropes to swing from in trees.
Playground Games
Hopscotch Set - always have a set of pavement chalk available.
Hula Hoops & skipping ropes can be fun.
Bubbles - a fantastic way to get them outside and running around.
Enrichment and Extracurricular Supplies
Music Instruments
Introduce your child to music with instruments. They can be as simple as a drum, harmonica, kazoo, or tambourine. Or more expensive ones like a keyboard, guitar, or ukulele. Online tutorials and apps can aid in learning. Or just simply trying to play along to music or play in time to some simple tunes.
Cooking Supplies
Incorporate life skills into your curriculum with basic cooking tools. Teaching your child to cook can be both educational and fun. It is surprising how much they can learn from cooking; fractions, ratios, degrees, following instructions, motor skills.
Gardening Supplies
Start a small garden to teach responsibility, biology, and the joy of growing your own food. Basic supplies include seeds, soil, and gardening tools.
Fidget Toys
Any parent with wiggly, fidgety children knows the value of having fidget toys. These come in so handy during the school day. We use them mostly when I am reading aloud to the children. I keep a box of them up on the shelf and when it's time to read aloud I'll bring them out and they can choose what they would like. Some of our favourites are just the cheap ones from Kmart.
Curriculum Materials
It might seem strange that I am choosing to put this area last. It is important to remember that the richest learning experiences are generally that ones that the child encounters on their day-to-day activities. Don't get me wrong, textbooks and/or workbooks are important but they are not your best homeschool supplies. First, you must create a learning environment and attitude that is conducive to learning. Then match the curriculum to match the child's learning style.
Textbooks and Workbooks
There are a plethora of textbooks and workbooks that could be used in a homeschool. Cathy Duffy gives wonderful reviews of most homeschooling curriclula.
Online Resources
In addition to physical books, many online resources offer comprehensive curricula:
Khan Academy: Free resources for various subjects.
Euka: Full time education supplier in Australia.
Outschool: Live online classes on a wide range of topics.
Conclusion
Anything that excites your child to explore and learn will be a worthwhile investment. Try not to get 'shiny object' syndrome. These best homeschooling supplies are just some suggestions. Keep it simple and take your time to decide what will work for your homeschool. Equipping your homeschool with these essential supplies will help enhance a well-rounded and enriching educational environment. Don’t be afraid to explore new tools and resources as you go.
