As a homeschool mom, shopping for back-to-school supplies at the beginning of a new homeschool year is one of my favorite things! I love a fresh start with new pencils, crayons, and notebooks. And, it’s always fun to throw in a few supplies for myself, because, who doesn’t love new pens full of colorful ink?! To help you with your own back-to-school shopping, I have compiled an all-inclusive homeschool supply list for preschool and elementary aged students.
Be sure to keep scrolling to see my must-have homeschool supply list for the upcoming school year!
I have included links to some of my favorite tried-and-true school supplies below for convenience sake. But, you can also find many of these things at your local office supply stores, the dollar store, or big box stores. Don’t miss out on the back-to-school sales or the clearance sale when schools are back in session for the year!
*This post contains affiliate links. When a purchase is made through an affiliate link, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you! For more information, see Disclaimer.
Finding the right homeschool supplies
Before getting to the necessary supplies, let’s talk about where to find the best deals on school supplies!
Typically, school supplies are marked down in August, as most kids are going back to school at that time. Stores will often drop the prices drastically during those first few weeks of school to offload as much product as they can while the demand is highest.
So, to find the best deals, check with the big box stores (ie, Walmart, Target, Meijer, etc.) around the end of July through August. I typically find boxes of Crayola crayons for $0.50 and markers/colored pencils for less than $1!
I recommend stocking up on pencils, crayons, markers, colored pencils, glue sticks, highlighters, dry erase markers, notebooks, and pens during this time, so you have a collection to pull from all year long!
Essential Homeschool Supply List
The essential homeschool supplies that you will use most often throughout the year are:
Crayons
Colored Pencils
#2 Pencils (Ticonderoga pencils are the best! Avoid mechanical pencils at this age.)
Pair of scissors
Wooden Rulers
Broad and fine line Crayola Markers
Highlighters
Dry erase markers
Dry erase boards
Hole Punch
3-Ring binders
Stapler
Paint brushes
Watercolor sets
Watercolor paper
Construction Paper
Colored cardstock paper
Playdough
Wide Ruled Spiral Notebooks
Glue Sticks
Post-its
Page Protectors
Laminating sheets
Printer and printing paper
Restaurant menu covers for tracing (I use mine for morning time work).
Electric sharpener for pencils and colored pencils
Optional (but helpful) Homeschool Supply List
The following supplies are not essential for homeschooled students, but they are definitely useful to have on hand and can make the homeschooling journey a bit more fun!
If your budget allows, I would highly recommend considering at least a few of these extra supplies, but you definitely don’t need all of them!
You may also be able to find families who are willing to part with some of these items, especially games and manipulatives that their own children have outgrown.
Math Manipulatives
Dice
Coins & Paper Money
Various counters (bears, bingo chips, etc.)
Tangrams
Measuring cups
Kitchen scale
Yard stick
Meter stick
Flashcards with math facts (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions)
Math Games
Dominoes
Math War Game Cards
Cozy BomB Balance Board Game for Preschool & Kindergarten
Homeschool Supply List for Teaching Reading
Phonics flashcards
Library card to your local library
History/Science Homeschool Supply List
Globes
United States Map
World Map
Binoculars
Plastic jars with lids
Optional Organization Supplies
Homeschool planner (See this Homeschool Planner post for my favorite planner and how I organize it!)
Book Basket for library books
Plastic storage bins with lids
Cube storage with baskets (I like to use the top half for all our books and keep baskets for each subject’s materials on the bottom half.)
File folders
Great Homeschool Reference Books
Whether you are new to homeschooling, or you are in the thick of it and need a little extra inspiration, I highly recommend reading through some of these encouraging books by veteran homeschool authors!
For more information on these books, check out my post on Books for Christian Women and Homeschooling Moms.
My all-time favorite books about homeschooling for moms include:
–The Call of the Wild and Free by Ainsley Arment
–Homeschool Bravely by Jamie Erikson
– The 4-Hour School Day by Durenda Wilson
–The Unhurried Homeschooler by Durenda Wilson
–The Brave Learner by Julie Bogart
Printable List of School Supplies
Get a free pdf of this homeschool supply list delivered right to your inbox! Having school supply checklists on hand as you take inventory makes the process much smoother.
Just drop your email here and you’ll get the pdf version of this homeschool shopping list in your inbox!
Stock Up Your Homeschool Room and Prepare for a Great Year!
Whether you intend to homeschool in a dedicated room, or you plan to make yourself comfortable on the living room sofa, your homeschool journey is going to be unique to your family’s needs!
Just as each family, student, and experience is unique, so will be the materials you need to have a great school year.
So, I encourage you to evaluate your own goals and ideals for your homeschool, choose the curriculum and learning style that best suits your needs, and then decide what great tools you will need to make your vision come to life.
You certainly don’t need to spend a ton of money or have all the things on this list to be a successful classroom teacher. The beauty in homeschooling is that YOU get to decide what works for you.
I hope that by providing some ideas through this blog post, I have inspired you just a little to make the most of what you have, gather what you need, and share your passion of learning with a joyful heart to your family!
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