| Whether you are just starting out with getting | | | | from fellow homeschoolers or friends. Remember |
| homeschool supplies or continuing to add to your | | | | less is better. If you get too many books, it's |
| resources, these are some items that I think no | | | | easy to get overwhelmed. |
| homeschool should be without. | | | | 4. Arts and Crafts. Any time you can use |
| 1. Paper and lots of it. There are so many | | | | hands-on resources, your child will probably learn |
| different kinds of paper. Get a nice variety for | | | | more and remember it better. Let your children |
| your child to use. I suggest colored paper, lined | | | | paint, draw or create something from nothing. It |
| paper, big and small paper and any variety of | | | | can be about what you just read about or some |
| paper you can think of. You don't necessarily | | | | area of life that they are interested in. You can |
| have to pay retail for all of it either. Sometimes | | | | find lots of arts and crafts supplies at thrift stores |
| businesses have extra paper from their computer | | | | and garage sales. Many craft stores offer great |
| printer that they don't use. Keep your eyes open | | | | coupons where you can get the supplies you |
| for different sources of free paper and then buy | | | | need for less. |
| what you weren't able to get for free. | | | | 5. Math manipulatives. Children learn math first by |
| 2. Pens, pencils, markers or any other kind of | | | | playing with objects. You can purchase a fancy |
| interesting writing utensil. There are so many | | | | set of math manipulatives or you can use M&Ms, |
| unique pens and markers available made mostly | | | | raisins, coins, or anything else you can think of to |
| by Crayola. Here again, you don't have to spend a | | | | help your child learn math concepts. |
| lot of money. Many businesses give out pens and | | | | 6. Puzzles and Games. Children learn so much |
| pencils at fairs and meetings. Children enjoy | | | | from playing games. They learn math skills, social |
| getting a new set of markers or pens for | | | | skills, and facts about the world around them. |
| birthdays or back to school presents. | | | | Whether you play one game a day or play games |
| 3. Books and resources. Whether you use a | | | | one day a week, make sure you don't leave |
| packaged curriculum or make up your own list of | | | | games out of your weekly plan for |
| books and resources to use, your house will have | | | | homeschooling. Puzzles can help the brain develop |
| a collection of books. If you're just starting out, | | | | for later math skills. You can also use puzzles to |
| don't feel like you have to buy everything for all | | | | reinforce geography skills. We use United States |
| 12 years at one time. Sometimes it's good to buy | | | | and world map puzzles and then race each other |
| enough for just a few months at a time. Free | | | | to see who can get the puzzle done the fastest. |
| books are available too at the library or borrowed | | | | |