10 Homeschool Must Haves
10 of Our Recommended Homeschool Must Haves
A list of homeschool must haves is the first thing you need when you finally take the plunge into the homeschooling world!
Luckily for I've compiled my ultimate list of homeschool must haves for absolute newbies!
One day you officially decide you’re going to homeschool your kids, the next your house is full of more homeschool stuff than you ever knew existed! It's an overwhelming time so it's ideal to have a list of homeschool must haves to help you get started.
It’s so easy to get sucked into buying things for your home school, and I know at the time of purchasing you have every intention of using your toys/tools/books but the unfortunate reality is that most people don’t end up using a lot of what they buy.
If I was at the beginning of my home educating journey now, I would pay very close attention to what I’m buying, In fact less really is more, especially when you are just beginning
Disclaimer: This site may use affiliated links when linking products. This doesn’t affect your purchase, however I get a teeny percentage so thank you for supporting me in that way. Having said that, I NEVER recommend something that we don’t use and love!
1. OK first and foremost you need stationary!
But wait, before you run out and buy a whole bunch, (like I did) make a quick list and buy with intention! (This is something I go on about a lot!)
A lot of these supplies you can buy in larger packs as it works out much cheaper (and you will be restocking regularly anyway) and just keep the extra put away until needed.
(These are the general items we use on a more regular basis, but you will definitely add to them as time goes on.
My list would be:
- Pencils (enough for 2 per child)
- Erasers, 1 each
- Pencil sharpener, 1 good quality one is enough.
- Rulers, 1 each
- Scissors 1 each. You can even get the different shapes ones, kids love those.
- Glue, both PVA (i.e gloopy glue) and glue sticks.
- Colouring pencils/felt tips/wax crayons. (Be careful not to overbuy because you end up drowning in them!)
- Stapler and staples
- Some general arts and craft supplies. If you don’t already have these at home you will definitely need some to help get your children creative juices flowing.
- (I've linked some of the items I would recommend.)
2. Next up I’d say a laptop/tablet/computer. With internet access.
Is this a homeschool must have? I think. These would be used for research, online subscriptions if you plan to get any, worksheets, you tube videos etc.
It's such a big help to have internet access so I would highly recommend it.
A tablet would be good for using apps to help with work. We use a few math apps just to get the kids faster at doing basic addition or timetables etc.
3. A printer and some paper.
We do a lot of printing in our house, however I do understand this isn’t something everyone can do, so other options are, either doing worksheets online (I.e using a tablet pen and filling in worksheets directly online, or writing out the answer on a paper whilst reading the worksheet online.
Printing is definitely the best way so if that’s possible I would highly recommend that.
4. Play dough.
Yes this is a homeschool must have? I know this seems a little random in this list, but I find play dough so versatile, especially with younger children.
It helps keep work a little more hands on and kids definitely are more keen with interactive work.
Its also great for busying your toddler with, while the older kids get on with their work.
We turn to play dough when we’ve been using our workbooks quite a lot and need something a little hands on.
5. Next, exercise books.
These are a game changer when it comes to keeping things organised.
With younger kids they’re probably not necessary but as they get older, I feel they are a good investment. They allow the kids to go back and see previous work/notes.
We get ours from Findel education.
6. White board/chalk board.
Having a board is super handy. It’s great having something for you to write on when explaining work and is ideal if you are working with more than one child as you don’t need to keep repeating yourself.
They’re also good for leaving work on so you can recap throughout the day.
If you have the room, it’s definitely worth paying a little extra and getting a large one. And I would say definitely make sure it's magnetic. We have a large one on our wall but unfortunately it’s not magnetic and I do regret not getting a magnetic one now. This one on amazon is very similar to ours but it’s magnetic yay!
I would also say get a basic a4 sized one like this one. It’s great to do some practice on as the kids are doing their work.
Pros and Cons of both
- White board is much neater and easier to deal with but you will forever be buying new markers as they run out fast.
- But beware! You will absolutely find some drawings on walls if you’re not careful (honestly kids are so sneaky when they want to be!)
- Chalk board is more budget friendly but the chalk debris you are left with will need constant cleaning. Having said that chalk is easy to clean off walls and furniture.
- One thing dislike is the large tip board markers so I would recommend these or these if you want just black ones.
7. Library card
I would say this is a homeschool MUST have!
There are only so many books you can squeeze into your house, so libraries are perfect because those books are going straight back once you’re done with them! (Win!)
Libraries are perfect when you are working on unit studies. e.g. if you’re working on layers of the earth, its worthwhile picking up some books from the library rather than buying a whole bunch of books per topic.
Also I feel like skills such a researching (without google) are being lost so it’s nice to give your kids that skill.
Also there’s nothing quite like the excitement of a new book!
We usually go to the library once or twice a week, that way we have regular new reading material. I would say this plays a huge role in keeping the kids off screens for most of the day.
8. Storage
If you’re thinking about homeschooling for the long term, this is a big one!
You will need somewhere to store their books/supplies. As a mum of 6, I can say with confidence there’s so much stuff! As the years go on, the supplies only increase! So you need to have some sort of storage system in place! This is a big homeschool must have. It's not about having a massive space, it's about having an allocated space.
Having said that, don’t get sucked into looking at all the pretty storage on Pinterest or Instagram. Not many of us have storage solutions that are Pinterest worthy. You need to find something that works for you and your family.
9. Planner
Homeschool must have alert! Ok I get that everyone works in their own way so this may not be for everyone. However! In order to organise your days/weeks I would recommend keeping some sort of plan/timetable so you can get something written down. It helps clear your brain of that mental load and gives you a clearer plan of what you’re doing.
Depending on the age of your children, a planner is great for the kids to have, they give them an idea of what their day will look like and they are much more likely to get started without a fight.
10. Maths manipulative
I would highly recommend something to help make maths a little more visual.
We use base 10 and I honestly can’t recommend them enough!
We also use maths cubes which are awesome but the base 10 are great for teaching place value and also addition etc when the child is first getting started. Foundation of knowledge is key so once they have a solid foundation, the rest becomes a lot easier.
When deciding which ones to get I would say you need some that help visualise place value, so - Units, Tens and Hundreds.
Bonus!
This one isn’t a must but I would highly recommend them.
If you follow me on instagram you will know how much I harp on about these but I really do love them.
These wipe clean pockets are so handy, they save you printing again and again. I use them for practice. Whether that’s timetables or writing and everything in between.
That completes my list!
I know I didn’t add workbooks/online subscriptions but I really feel like that more of a personal decision as everyone has different goals for their kids.
I haven’t used too many different types of workbooks but if this is something you would like me to talk about leave me a message below or DM me on Instagram and I’ll be sure to make that happen.
Home educating can get pretty pricey so being mindful of what you buy really helps! Sometimes when you’re out, you convince yourself to get something because you will need it one day and it’s on sale, but I would say you are more likely to save money in the long run if you buy what you need when you need it.
Buying because things are on sale can be a slippery slope, there’s always a sale somewhere!
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