Sunday, July 28, 2013

Homeschool Supplies






Student Items


#2 Pencils- My favorite is Ticonderoga Pencils that I buy in bulk from Costco

* Colored Pencils- My favorite brand is Staedtler, but we also use Crayola and Roseart if there is good deal.

* Beeswax Crayons- I really like Stockmar Crayons, but I also like using crayons we have made ourselves from broken pieces as in the picture above

* Glue Sticks- Costco sells Scotch glue sticks. They work really well and have lasted us a long time.

* Dry Erase Markers & Wet Erase Markers- We use these almost as much as we use regular pencils, trying to make our homeschool as Green as possible, we like to reuse worksheets by placing them into a Dry Erase Pocket or laminating them.

* Blank Flash Cards or Index Cards- These are a must have for studying key facts and making your own flash cards. We keep our flash cards together by punching a hole in them and using Book Rings.

* Student Scissors- I really have not had to replace scissors in a long time, because I buy good quality scissors like Scotch brand.

* Rulers- I have many different rulers. I like the wooden ones, especially a wood Yard or Meter Stick. We have the Flexible rulers. A good sewing Measurement Tape and a woodworking Measurement Tape are very useful. We also like themed Rulers like the I Love Islam ruler in the picture above or our African American Rulers. When visiting a National Park or a special place, we may pick up a themed ruler from there also.

* Protractor & Compass- These, like rulers, are essential for Math.

* Erasers & Pencil Sharpeners- I think Staedtler does it the best. It is just an overall good company and they know their pencils! I also think Prismacolor makes a decent sharpener.

* Markers- We do not use markers that often because I prefer colored pencils. We do have Crayola markers and the best time to stock up on markers is during Back-to School sales, where you can get a box as low as 50 cents.

3 Prong Folder- We used to use these all the time and 3 prong folders would have been on the top of my list last year. However, now I have a Binding System that we will use to bind most of our papers that will not be placed in a traditional binder or the recycling bin:)

* Traditional Binder- I love the flexibility of binders. We still use them to keep awards, math, history and other papers in categorical order. History papers can be added to a binder depending on where they stand on the timeline.

Arts & Craft Items

* Watercolor Pencils- My oldest son used to love these and Staedtler is the brand of choice.

* Watercolor Paint- Stockmar is the best! But Reeves is more affordable. I know that there are alot of people who do not let their children paint due to the potential mess. I think watercolors are a great compromise, get a cheap Crayola set and allow your children the freedom to paint almost mess free.

* Tempura Paint- I like the small 2oz bottles because they are easier to store, however the larger bottles of paint are definitely more Green and economical. Any brand.

* Paint Brushes- Any variety set is good for children. Loew Cornell has great value sets that do not loose alot of bristles or hairs.

* Paper Roll- Although Melissa & Doug  paper roll and Dispenser can be found anywhere on the net. If you are fortunate enough to have an Ikea nearby, that is where we purchased our Paper Roll and Dispenser in the picture above. Ikea also has an Art Easel, we once owned and love ♥

Pastels- Pentel or Cray-pas can be found inexpensively with vibrant color.

* Glue gun & Sticks- I was kind of a late learner when it came to the glue gun, but once I started to use one, oh the fun we have had!

* Clay- What is an art class without making push pots? We love Playdough and we make our own, but there is something just more intriguing about clay. Maybe because it comes from the earth and has been used by our ancestors for centuries.

* Sketch Book- Although we have these Mead Academie Sketch books, Amazon does not necesarrily have the best deals nor do I recommend Mead brand over any other. Whatever brand you can find, Pacon, etc,  for $2-4, I would buy them and save them.

* Construction, Tissue, Drawing Paper- Have you ever bought a pack of construction paper and the red looks like a fuzzy peach instead of a bright strawberry? Well, I have and so now I buy Tru- Ray & Sun Works. Dollar Store (generic- Dollar Tree, etc) is the best place to get Tissue paper. Discount School Supply, if you order over $79 for free shipping has the best deals on Drawing Paper, Watercolor Paper, and any other paper you desire.

* Craft Sticks- Although our arts & craft list could go longer we will end in Craft sticks (Popsicle sticks) as it is one of our main art supplies that needs replacement regularly.

My *TOP TEN* Personal Big Item Administration Supplies 
(that I have grown very fond of :)

1) Printer- I don't have a specific favorite, I just use what is available. Right now, I use this portable HP printer that is so small that it fits into our Ikea desk. But I would love a good laser printer like this Samsung Wireless.


2) Laminator- I use my Scotch Laminator for everything!



 3) Binding Machine- I absolutely love my GBC Proclick machine. The reason why I love it: is because we can make our own books and if we forgot to add something, this binding system can easily be opened to add more material. I just purchased it this year, so I have been living without it for a long time. However, it has made things easier for the upcoming year. I have used it to bind our Planners, Record Books, and Quiz Books. Not sure if you will like the Proclick system, you can purchase a cheap Proclick kit and watch this video.

4) 3-Hole Puncher- I used our Swingline 3 Hole puncher almost every homeschool day. We add things to binders and three prong folders.

5) Pencil Sharpener- We use a Pencil Sharpener everyday, even when we are not homeschooling :) I have a Westcott i-point but it did not get good reviews.

6) Label Maker- I have a wonderful Brother Label Maker, that I use to label many Homeschool supplies, especially our Montessori supplies.


7) Paper Trimmer- I really like my Purple Cow paper trimmer that I purchased from Costco. It is so much better than some of the other brands that I have used.


8) Dry Erase Board- We have two Magnetic Dry Erase Boards in our kitchen that we use for so many things, including teaching lessons, menu planning, and All About Spelling.


9) Stapler- Although, I don't use a stapler that often, when I do- I like a good one. And my Swingline Stapler has served me well.

10) Camera- Even if you don't blog, I think a camera is a must for every homeschooler. We use a camera to record daily activities, that we can later submit for proof. Especially for big projects a photo is a great way to save the item and save the space. The camera could be as simple as the one on your phone. I have been using my  Camera+ app on my *free* iphone4 lately to record our work on our Georgia Rental Home. I have used a Nikon DSLR and I have used many point and shoots, including Nikon Cool Pix. Right now I have a midsize Nikon P520, although I love the DSLR and want another one, the price of it and the bulkiness of it was the reason I took it back. I am thinking about getting a Canon DSLR next time.


We have also been having underwater fun with our Fuji Water Camera!

Our Homeschool Supply List is free to download, a blank supply list is also included.

Everything I make is completely free to use. We also accept and appreciate constructive criticism, please leave a comment. ♥ If you find our resources beneficial, Alhumdulillah, All praises are due to our Creator. The best gift we can receive from you are your du’as, prayers for our family. May God bless you and give you Tawfiq, success in your work to educate pious children. Using the Amazon affiliate links will give us a small commission to help support this blog. 
With all my love & du’as,
Kamilah Munirah Sayyidi

♥  Download the Free Printable
Homeschool Administrative Printables

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