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The Essential Homeschool Supply Checklist

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I always see a whole bunch of back-to-school supply checklists at the beginning of the school year. Those lists are great, but what about homeschoolers? Do you have a homeschool supply checklist? Maybe you are a new homeschooling mom and wonder what you REALLY need? (Check out my post on How to Homeschool!)

homeschool supply list

What are your essential supplies? Today I am going to share with you some of our favorites that make our homeschool life easier. I also have a little checklist of supplies that I stock up on each year at back-to-school time. Some of these are bigger ticket items, but we literally use them almost daily.

One of my all time favorite places to stock up on supplies is through Discount School Supplies. They have an awesome selection of art supplies and learning resources that we love. Plus they always have great back to school sales! Back-to-School Basics! Set the stage for a vibrant, nurturing space for early learners - SAVE $10 OFF ANY ORDER OF $50 OR MORE! Plus Get Free Shipping On Orders $99 Or More Using Code: COUPON10 - At Discount School Supply!

Check out how Our Homeschool Room is set up, too!

My Essential Homeschool Supply List:

This is literally the stuff that I use ALL OF THE TIME in our Homeschool.

pencil for homeschool

PENCILS– Lots and lots of pencils. Get good durable ones like Ticonderoga because they sharpen better and write better.

dry erase markers

Big Dry Erase Board or chalk board & dry erase markers

mini dry erase board- homeschool supply

Mini Dry Erase Boards or white boards (bonus if they have lines for writing practice)

We also recently got these fun Boogie Boards~ They are LCD writing tablets.  I bought the generic, less expensive ones and got one for each of my kids. We are planning to use them for handwriting and math and other things when they need to write.  My kids are obsessed with them!!

laminator- great homeschool supply

Laminator &  Laminator pouches – These may not seem essential to you, but it is so nice to be able to make things re-usable or more durable!

dry erase pouch

If you don’t want to invest in the laminator, these dry erase pouches are also a wonderful addition!

laser printer and copier for homeschool

Laser Printer or another good printer- Laser printers are expensive to purchase initially, but saves $ in the long run. Ink lasts forever! White printer paper will also be used endlessly.

kid iPad case

iPads– Definitely a bigger expense, but worth trying to budget in! If you already have one, I highly recommend tases kid-proof cases. There are some amazing learning apps! (See my post on our favorites)

heavy stapler

Heavy Duty Stapler (don’t forget the staples!)- we have to staple big packs of paper often. It comes in handy for sure.

electric pencil sharpener- homeschool supply checklist

Electric Pencil Sharpener (It’s worth it to buy a GOOD one! The one linked was probably our fourth one. This one has lasted years now!  I searched for the one with the very best reviews.

plastic crates for homeschool supply storage

Plastic Crates or bins- We use these to store each child’s books. But any good storage bins or shelves will do!

cube storage shelves for homeschool supplies

We also like using cube storage shelves for our crafts and other supplies.

large paper rolls for homeschool

Big Rolls of Paper– great for art and craft projects, tracing bodies, using on an art easel, etc.

world map for homeschool

World Map– We use this often to look up locations we are studying in history or geography lessons!

globe for homeschool

Globe– easy to pull out for lessons!  My kids love looking at out globe.

three-hole-punch

3- Hole Punch & a Single Hole Punch. You’ll use these all of the time for putting papers and things into notebooks!

microscope for homeschool

Microscope– these are awesome to have for science lessons and for studying nature finds! Don’t forget some slides to look at, too!

post it note page markers

Post-It notes (I especially love the page markers) I use these as book marks in all of our lesson books and read-aloud books & they stay put!

tempera paints

Tempera Paints & other art supplies including: Watercolor paints, crayons,  markers, colored pencils, watercolor paper, construction paper, paint brushes, etc.

spiral notebooks

Notebooks with lined paper, so many of them! I buy a bunch when they are cheap at back to school time.

composition notebooks

I buy both spiral notebooks and composition notebooks.

file folders

File folders & a file box or cabinet to organize all of the papers you will accumulate.

3-ring binders for homeschool

3-Ring Binders– we like the ones with the insert fronts so we can put labels in them.

sketch pads for art in homeschool

Sketch books

A few other important basics you’ll want to have: Rulers, scissors, sharpie markers, note cards and sketch tape, glue bottles & glue sticks.  You likely already have these things on hand, though!

I also have a list of the typical school supplies we use up each year and continue to purchase. These are things I usually stock up on during the back-to-school sales in August. I made a little Homeschool Supply Check-list for you to print out and use.

Homeschool Supply Checklist- Teach Beside Me

More Homeschool Support:

How to Homeschool in 10 Easy Steps

How to Choose a Homeschool Curriculum

Homeschool Preschool

The Ultimate Printable Homeschool Planner

Have a leftie?  Check out Left-Handed School Supplies for Kids

Want more Homeschool Tips & Tricks? Check out my podcast: Called to Homeschool. 

You can watch us on YouTube, too!

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8 Comments

  1. I love this! There are so many great resources on here and tips. I need a new pencil sharpener, I got the cheapest electric I could find and it is not very good 🙁 Thanks so much for sharing! Popping over from the blogging homeschoolers group, I will schedule to pin as well 🙂

  2. What a fabulous list of supplies!

    We love our world map. We have it in a plexiglass frame (so we can write on it with dry erase markers) and it’s hung in our kitchen.

    I also love our whiteboard and laminator and printer. I’ve been wanting an electric pencil sharpener but I was wondering if it was a “luxury”. Maybe I should purchase a good one after all.

    Pinning this to my Deliberate HOMESCHOOLING board.

    Thanks for sharing.
    xoxo

  3. I bought the laminator a couple years ago because everybody said homeschoolers just had to have one. I’ve used it *once* in all that time. Not worth it for me, but everyone’s different. I wasn’t thrilled when my husband brought home a white board and put it up in my school room, but that, I use ALL the time.

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