Homeschool Supplies - 6 Essential Items That Every Homeschool Should Have

Whether you are just starting out with getting homeschool supplies or continuing to add to your resources, these are some items that I think no homeschool should be without.

1. Paper and lots of it. There are so many different kinds of paper. Get a nice variety for your child to use. I suggest colored paper, lined paper, big and small paper and any variety of paper you can think of. You don't necessarily have to pay retail for all of it either. Sometimes businesses have extra paper from their computer printer that they don't use. Keep your eyes open for different sources of free paper and then buy what you weren't able to get for free.

2. Pens, pencils, markers or any other kind of interesting writing utensil. There are so many unique pens and markers available made mostly by Crayola. Here again, you don't have to spend a lot of money. Many businesses give out pens and pencils at fairs and meetings. Children enjoy getting a new set of markers or pens for birthdays or back to school presents.

3. Books and resources. Whether you use a packaged curriculum or make up your own list of books and resources to use, your house will have a collection of books. If you're just starting out, don't feel like you have to buy everything for all 12 years at one time. Sometimes it's good to buy enough for just a few months at a time. Free books are available too at the library or borrowed from fellow homeschoolers or friends. Remember less is better. If you get too many books, it's easy to get overwhelmed.

4. Arts and Crafts. Any time you can use hands-on resources, your child will probably learn more and remember it better. Let your children paint, draw or create something from nothing. It can be about what you just read about or some area of life that they are interested in. You can find lots of arts and crafts supplies at thrift stores and garage sales. Many craft stores offer great coupons where you can get the supplies you need for less.

5. Math manipulatives. Children learn math first by playing with objects. You can purchase a fancy set of math manipulatives or you can use M&Ms, raisins, coins, or anything else you can think of to help your child learn math concepts.

6. Puzzles and Games. Children learn so much from playing games. They learn math skills, social skills, and facts about the world around them. Whether you play one game a day or play games one day a week, make sure you don't leave games out of your weekly plan for homeschooling. Puzzles can help the brain develop for later math skills. You can also use puzzles to reinforce geography skills. We use United States and world map puzzles and then race each other to see who can get the puzzle done the fastest.