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If you feel a bit overwhelmed with all the products available to home educators, you are not alone. I created this guide to help you narrow down the supplies you need. It’s pretty comprehensive so please pick and choose based on your own family’s needs. While it is tempting, you really don’t NEED all the ‘things’. If you are a minimalist, in a financial bind, or lack space, I will be posting a slimmed-down, budget-friendly supply list next month. The title is Inexpensive Tools and Manipulatives to Build Fine Motor Skills.

Many of these supplies are dependent on which Homeschool Method and type of curriculum you will be using. Read more about the various methods here. A family using an online school program will have different needs than a family strictly using paper or one which combines digital and non-digital resources. It’s a good idea to have a firm grasp of which method you will be using before purchasing items on this list. Obviously, no matter which method you choose you will need paper, some writing utensils, and a file system for storing portfolios/artwork, etc. so you could start with these. If you are doing online school much of what I have listed here is unnecessary. You will basically need a desk, headphones, computer, and internet connection!

What are my must-have supplies? Besides the obvious pens, pencils, and notebooks, I couldn’t survive without my Homeschool Planner (see the one I created below!), my printer/scanner, and I absolutely LOVE my laminator. My label-maker (Dymo brand) is pretty cool too! (It’s definitely not a necessity but my handwriting is quite messy!)

Also available, our English/Language Arts Planner Bundle $6.95

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WRITING UTENSILS

Pens – Black & Blue
Pencils – Buy good quality pencils! #2 HB is recommended (Tombow, Ticonderoga). Buy pre-sharpened if possible.
Highlighters
Markers (Felt Pens) – washable is best if your kids are young
Colored Pens – for fun (cause, why not? and for marking assignments)
Crayons
Dry Erase Markers

OFFICE SUPPLIES

Pencil Sharpener – have a couple manual sharpeners (I like the Staples brand with two hole sizes) as well as an electric sharpener
Quality Erasers – I find the large white ones work best (and last a long time)
Scissors – Regular-sized (for the parent)
Stapler and Staples
Staple Remover
Tape – scotch/clear and also painters’ tape- safe for walls, non-damaging
Ruler
Paperclips
Sticky Notes
Rubber Bands (aka Elastic Bands)
Thumb Tacks (aka Push Pins)
White-Out
Hole Reinforcements for loose-leaf paper
Page Protectors
Binder – one for each child and one for portfolio review records
Binder Dividers
A Three-Hole Paper Punch
Label Maker – I use my Dymo LetraTag almost daily!
Labels
Calculator
Protractor & Compass – for Math lessons
Poster Hanging Putty
Wide-Mouth Mason Jar – to hold pencils, markers, colored pencils, and more! Sold individually at Michaels.
Magnets – to display artwork or completed projects on the fridge!
Clipboards – for portable work on-the-go – storage clipboards are amazing!
A Timer – to help stay on task, tangible evidence for the amount of time a child has to get ready, etc.
Caddy, Basket, or Tote – to hold basic desktop supplies – cleaning caddies work well.

NOTEBOOKS & PAPER

Looseleaf Paper – lined paper, available in either wide rule or college rule

Specialty Paper – for young writers – with wider space and dashed lines – for beginning writers.
Copy and Trace Worksheets for handwriting practice

Notebooks – composition books or spiral bound notebooks – one for each subject for each kid
Graph Paper
Tracing Paper
Small Whiteboards – one for each child. These save paper when used for handwriting practice, calculating math problems, etc. We used whiteboard paddles from the Dollar Tree for our review quizzes- whoever wrote the answer first got a point.
Mixed Media Sketchbook – one for each child

CLASSROOM EQUIPMENT

Desk or Table
Desk Lamp
Chairs – one for each person
Foldable Desk – a bed tray works well as a small, portable desk! The best part, they take up little space- just fold and store!
Comfy Couch, Area Rug, Bean Bag seats, and/or Fluffy Pillows to create a cozy reading nook
White Board (and Dry Erase Markers, see Writing Utensils list)
A Rag or Eraser Brush – for Dry Erase Board
Cork Board (and Push Pins) to display art, posters, etc.
Wall Calendar
Medium-sized Basket or Bin – for morning work (sometimes called a morning basket)
Electric Pencil Sharpener – Xacto, Staedtler, Carl brand sharpeners are good brands. (But have old-school manual ones as well! – for travel, field trips, etc.)
Printer/Copier/Scanner
Printer Ink
Printer Paper – I buy mine from Walmart or Target
Paper Cutter (not necessary but handy if you are cut a large number of items)
Laminator & Laminating Pouches – lamination allows re-use of worksheets
Book Binder – for curriculum or making your own book of completed worksheets, etc.
Educational Posters – Letters of the Alphabet, Multiplication Table, Number Chart 1-100
Non-Digital Clock – teach kids to tell time, to help you stay on time & task
Bookshelf (or Shelves!)
File Cabinet/File Box or other Filing System
File Folders
Yard Stick
Magazine Files

Small Baskets
Rolling Cart – versatile, portable. It can be used for basic supplies, curriculum, or as a place to keep each child’s school supplies for organization & easy access.
A Globe – gives perspective to the map view of the world
Maps – a world map, a country map, a state or provincial map
Science Tools – a Scale, Microscope & Slides, Magnifying Glass, Telescope (your needs will vary)

ELECTRONICS

Computer, Laptop, Chromebook, or Tablet
Extra Charging Cables – like socks in the dryer, they are prone to being lost!
Headphones
DVD Player
Yoto Player or Toniebox

Bluetooth Speaker
Streaming Service
TV
Reliable Internet Connection – many libraries offer hotspot rentals
Digital Storage – for Completed Work – either Cloud Storage, USB, or SD Card

TEACHER SUPPLIES

Homeschool Planner – lesson plans, dreams for the year, goals, habit tracking, grades, hours if needed, passwords to learning sites, costs/expenses, books read, field trips, co-op contact info, groups, classes
Library Card – books, educational DVDs, free museum & activity passes, free hotspot and more! Here’s my blog about the “Library of Things”.
Homeschool ID – use for discounts at retailers & events. I wrote a blog with instructions to create your own homeschool ID cards. Read it here.
Bookbag or Backpack – for adventures & fieldtrips
Stickers or Rubber Stamps/Ink for rewards & chore charts
Crockpot – I am not kidding! Life is so much better when dinner cooks while you teach.

ART & CRAFT SUPPLIES  

Table Cover – I use inexpensive, washable acrylic mats or washable silicone mats
Art Smock or Apron
Pen & Pencils (and, as mentioned before – a good pencil sharpener)
Erasers
Crayons
Markers
Pencil Crayons (aka Colored Pencils)
Oil Pastels
Sidewalk Chalk
Watercolor Paint
Washable Paint
Finger Paint – when my kids were toddlers, we used pudding for safe, edible finger paint!
Glossy Finger Paint Paper

Paint Brushes
Paint Tray or Mixing Palette – one per child is best
Water Containers – with lid, non-tipping is best!
Artist Canvas
Construction Paper or Colored Cardstock
Origami Paper
Tissue Paper
Tracing Paper
Easel – optional – but many uses – magnets, paint, draw, answer questions with dry erase
Easel Paper Roll for large projects such as outlining body, making banners, giant wordsearch game
Kids-sized Blunt Scissors (age-dependent)
White Glue
Glue Sticks
Low-heat Glue Gun & Glue (use with caution, for older kids only!)
Polymer Clay
Playdough
Wix Sticks
Pipe Cleaners (aka Chenille Stems)
Beads, Perler Beads
Elastic String for Beads
Wood Blocks
Cotton Balls
String, Yarn, and/or DMC Thread (used for embroidery & making bracelets)
Egg Cartons
Toilet paper/Paper Towel Rolls
Popsicle Sticks
Clothespins
Paper Plates
Pom-Poms
Sponges
Cotton-tipped Applicators
Straws
Scrapbooks for memories – use as a yearbook
Specialized Craft Supplies – Older kids may want to learn to sew, embroider, knit, crochet, latch hook, do leather crafts, make jewelry, create candles. Supplies will need to be purchased as needed, or borrowed/share tools with a friend/family member or co-op group.

BOOKS

This deserves its own category!
They don’t all have to be purchased upfront! Besides retail stores, you can get them at the library, yard sales, from friends and family, thrift stores, and online used bookstores.

Books make great gifts for holidays and birthdays too – ask your friends and family!

Provide a wide variety depending on your children’s ages – from board books to encyclopedias.
An Atlas
Reference Books – especially if your goals is to be electronics free (or minimal use) such as a Dictionary, Thesaurus, or Encyclopedias

Books About Homeschooling for Parents
Books About Homeschooling for Kids

And… last but certainly not least – your CURRICULUM!

Unless you are pursuing the unschooling method, you will need curriculum to guide your study and track your goals. For more on curriculum read my blog Choosing Curriculum Part 1: An Overview.

Did I miss one of your favorites? Please share your recommendations in the comments!