One of the best things about homeschooling? You don’t need to drop hundreds of dollars on supplies every August. Most homeschool families can get started with items they already have at home — and fill in the gaps without breaking the bank.
After years of curating resources for homeschool families here at Free Homeschool Deals, we’ve put together this essential homeschool supplies list with our tried-and-true picks in every category. Whether you’re a brand-new homeschooler wondering what you actually need, or a veteran looking to upgrade your setup, this list has you covered.
Scroll to the bottom for a FREE printable checklist you can take to the store or use for online shopping!
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Writing & Drawing Supplies
These are the supplies your kids will reach for every single day. Buy quality here — cheap pencils and crayons create frustration.
Pencils: Ticonderoga #2 Pencils are the gold standard. They sharpen cleanly, don’t break constantly, and the erasers actually work. Buy the 96-pack at the start of the year and you’re set.
Ticonderoga #2 Pencils, 96-pack on Amazon
Colored Pencils: Crayola Colored Pencils (50-count) give you a great range of colors at a reasonable price. For older kids doing detailed work, Prismacolor Scholar colored pencils are a worthwhile upgrade.
Crayola Colored Pencils, 50-count on Amazon
Crayons: You can’t go wrong with the classic Crayola 64-count box with the built-in sharpener. For toddlers and preschoolers, the Crayola Triangular Crayons are easier for little hands to grip.
Crayola 64-count Crayons on Amazon
Markers: Crayola Broad Line Markers (20-pack) for everyday coloring. For finer work, Crayola Super Tips Washable Markers (50-count) are fantastic — and washable means less stress when the cap gets left off.
Crayola Super Tips Washable Markers, 50-count on Amazon
Dry Erase Markers: Expo Low-Odor Dry Erase Markers work great with the whiteboards below. The chisel tip set gives you versatility.
EXPO Low-Odor Dry Erase Markers, 8-pack on Amazon
Erasers: Pink Pearl erasers for pencil work, plus a good pencil-top eraser set. The Pentel Hi-Polymer erasers are excellent — they erase cleanly without tearing paper.
Pentel Hi-Polymer Erasers, 4-pack on Amazon
Glue: Elmer’s Washable School Glue Sticks (30-pack) disappear fast in a homeschool. Stock up during back-to-school sales. Keep a bottle of Elmer’s liquid glue on hand too for heavier projects.
Elmer’s Glue Sticks, 30-pack on Amazon
Scissors: Fiskars Kids Scissors for elementary ages. For preschoolers just learning to cut, the Fiskars Training Scissors with the spring-action handle make a huge difference.
Fiskars Kids Scissors on Amazon
Paper & Notebooks
Between printables, worksheets, journaling, and art projects, you will go through paper. Buy in bulk.
Printer Paper: A 5-ream case (2,500 sheets) of standard 20lb white copy paper will get you through several months of printables. If you print a lot of color resources, consider stepping up to 24lb paper — it handles ink better and doesn’t bleed through.
Amazon Basics Copy Paper, 5-ream case on Amazon
Cardstock: Keep a pack of white cardstock on hand for printables you want to last — flashcards, game pieces, file folder games, and anything you plan to laminate. The Neenah Premium Cardstock (96 brightness) gives you crisp, vibrant prints.
Neenah Premium Cardstock, 250 sheets on Amazon
Construction Paper: Tru-Ray Construction Paper holds up better than cheap brands — the colors don’t fade as fast and it’s thicker. The 240-sheet assorted pack covers all your bases.
Tru-Ray Construction Paper, 240 sheets on Amazon
Composition Notebooks: Buy a stack of marble composition notebooks for journaling, copywork, nature study journals, and math work. They’re incredibly cheap during back-to-school sales (often under $0.50 each). Grab 10-12 and label them by subject.
Mead Composition Notebooks, 6-pack on Amazon
Lined Paper: For younger kids, wide-ruled is essential. The Mead Primary Journal with the half-blank, half-lined pages is perfect for kids who are learning to write — they can draw a picture on top and write about it below.
Mead Primary Journal on Amazon
Printing — Your Homeschool’s Secret Weapon
If you’re using free printables (and if you’re reading this site, you probably are!), a reliable printer is one of the most important investments in your homeschool. The right printer pays for itself by saving you money on curriculum — many of the thousands of free printables we share here replace expensive workbooks.
Best Overall for Homeschool: The Brother MFC-J4335DW is our top recommendation. It prints, copies, scans, and faxes. It has an ink tank system (INKvestment Tank) which means dramatically lower ink costs compared to traditional cartridge printers. For a homeschool family printing 50-100+ pages per week, the ink savings alone are worth the upfront cost. It handles cardstock well too.
Brother MFC-J4335DW INKvestment Tank Printer on Amazon
Budget Pick: If you need something more affordable upfront, the Brother HL-L2350DW is a black-and-white laser printer that’s incredibly reliable and cheap to operate. Toner cartridges last thousands of pages. Perfect if most of your printables are worksheets and text-heavy resources. Add a separate cheap color inkjet for the occasional color print.
Brother HL-L2350DW Laser Printer on Amazon
For Heavy Color Printing: The Epson EcoTank ET-2850 uses refillable ink tanks instead of cartridges. The included ink prints up to 4,500 color pages. If you print a lot of color printables, flashcards, and educational games, this printer will save you hundreds in ink costs over its lifetime.
Epson EcoTank ET-2850 Printer on Amazon
Ink Tip: Whatever printer you choose, always check for compatible third-party ink or toner. For Brother laser printers especially, high-yield compatible toner cartridges can save you 50-70% compared to name brand.
Whiteboards & Dry Erase
Whiteboards are one of the most-used tools in our homeschool. Kids love writing on them (it feels less permanent than paper), and they’re perfect for math practice, spelling tests, quick grammar exercises, and brainstorming.
Lap-sized Whiteboards: A set of double-sided dry erase lap boards (9″x12″) is essential. Get one per child. One side blank, one side lined is ideal.
Dry Erase Lap Boards, set of 4 on Amazon
Large Whiteboard: Mount a large whiteboard in your school area for teaching, daily schedules, and family announcements. The 36″x24″ magnetic whiteboards are versatile — you can use magnetic letters and numbers on them too.
Amazon Basics Magnetic Whiteboard, 36×24 on Amazon
Organization & Storage
A little organization goes a long way toward keeping your homeschool running smoothly — and keeping you sane.
Binders: One 1.5″ binder per child per year holds a lot of work. Use divider tabs to separate subjects. This is also the simplest portfolio system for states that require documentation.
Avery Durable Binders, 4-pack on Amazon
Sheet Protectors: Buy a box of 200. Slip worksheets, reference sheets, and daily schedules into sheet protectors and kids can write on them with dry erase markers — instant reusable worksheets. This is one of the best homeschool hacks there is.
Amazon Basics Sheet Protectors, 200-pack on Amazon
Laminator: A laminator takes your printables to the next level. Laminate flashcards, game pieces, chore charts, daily schedules, and any resource you want to reuse. The Scotch Thermal Laminator is affordable and reliable. Pair it with a multi-pack of laminating pouches.
Scotch Thermal Laminator on Amazon
Scotch Laminating Pouches, 200-pack on Amazon
Pencil Sharpener: Do yourself a favor and buy a quality electric pencil sharpener. The cheap ones jam, eat pencils, and die within weeks. A good one lasts years. The X-ACTO School Pro is a classroom workhorse.
X-ACTO School Pro Pencil Sharpener on Amazon
Storage Bins & Caddies: A rotating art supply caddy keeps colored pencils, markers, scissors, and glue sticks accessible to everyone. Sterilite plastic bins (the clear ones with lids) are perfect for storing curriculum, manipulatives, and supplies by subject.
File Folders: Manila file folders are perfect for file folder games — one of the most popular hands-on learning tools for homeschoolers. Keep a pack of 100 on hand.
Amazon Basics Manila File Folders, 100-pack on Amazon
Math Manipulatives
Hands-on math tools make abstract concepts concrete. You don’t need all of these — pick what fits your kids’ ages and curriculum.
Base Ten Blocks: Essential for teaching place value, addition, subtraction, and regrouping. A basic set with units, rods, flats, and a cube covers K-4th grade math.
Learning Resources Base Ten Blocks on Amazon
Counting Bears: Rainbow counting bears are incredibly versatile for preschool through early elementary. Use them for counting, sorting by color, patterns, addition, and subtraction. Add sorting cups for extra activities.
Rainbow Counting Bears with Sorting Cups on Amazon
Pattern Blocks: These colorful geometric shapes teach geometry, fractions, spatial reasoning, and symmetry. Kids also just love playing with them.
Learning Resources Pattern Blocks, 250 pieces on Amazon
Dice and Playing Cards: A bag of assorted dice (6-sided, 10-sided, 20-sided) and a few decks of playing cards fuel hundreds of math games. Incredibly cheap and endlessly useful.
50-pack Assorted Dice Set on Amazon
Magnetic Tiles: Magnetic tiles are a homeschool favorite for building, geometry, spatial reasoning, and creative play. The PicassoTiles 100-piece set is the best value.
PicassoTiles 100-piece Magnetic Tiles on Amazon
Reading & Language Arts
Library Card: Free! Your single most valuable homeschool resource. Many libraries also offer digital lending through apps like Libby and Hoopla.
Book Baskets or Bins: Keep themed book baskets around your home — one for the current read-aloud, one for each child’s independent reading, and one for the current unit study topic.
Magnetic Letters: For preschool through early elementary, magnetic letters on the fridge or a magnetic whiteboard make spelling and phonics practice hands-on and fun.
Magnetic Letters and Numbers, 130-piece set on Amazon
Bob Books or Easy Readers: If you have a beginning reader, the Bob Books sets are excellent phonics-based readers that build confidence.
Bob Books Set 1: Beginning Readers on Amazon
Science & Nature Study
Magnifying Glass: A must for nature study, bug observation, and developing scientific curiosity. Get a real glass one, not a cheap plastic toy.
Carson MagniGrip Magnifier on Amazon
Nature Journal: A blank sketchbook for nature journaling. The Canson Mixed Media sketchbook handles both pencil drawings and watercolor washes.
Canson Mixed Media Sketchbook on Amazon
Basic Science Kit: A simple set of beakers, test tubes, pipettes, and a magnifying glass covers most elementary science experiments. You can also build your own kit with items from the dollar store.
Art Supplies
Watercolor Paints: Crayola Washable Watercolors are perfect for everyday art. For older kids ready to explore real watercolor techniques, the Prang semi-moist watercolor set is an affordable step up.
Crayola Washable Watercolors on Amazon
Paintbrushes: A variety pack with different sizes covers most projects.
Artlicious Paint Brush Set, 25 pieces on Amazon
Playdough: Play-Doh is a homeschool staple for preschool through early elementary. Use it with our LEGO printables, alphabet mats, and math activities. The 36-pack gives you plenty of colors.
Budget Tips: Homeschool Supplies Without Breaking the Bank
Shop back-to-school sales. Late July through mid-August is when prices hit rock bottom on school supplies. Stock up on composition notebooks, pencils, crayons, glue sticks, and folders even if your homeschool year doesn’t start until September.
Check Dollar Tree first. You’d be surprised what you can find — composition notebooks, flash cards, poster board, craft supplies, and basic school supplies for a dollar each.
Use printables instead of workbooks. This is the whole philosophy behind Free Homeschool Deals! A $50 printer cartridge and a ream of paper gives you access to thousands of free worksheets, games, and activities that would cost hundreds in store-bought workbooks. Check out our Ultimate FREE Homeschool Printables List and our How to Homeschool for FREE Complete Guide.
Buy in bulk and split with friends. Many supplies are cheaper in bulk. Split a case of paper, a box of glue sticks, or a set of manipulatives with another homeschool family.
Reuse and laminate. Laminating worksheets and game pieces means you print once and use them for years — across multiple children. Sheet protectors with dry erase markers work the same way for daily practice sheets.
More Free Homeschool Resources
- Ultimate FREE Homeschool Printables List — 100+ free resources by subject
- How to Homeschool for FREE: Complete Guide
- FREE File Folder Games for Homeschool — Use with your manila file folders!
- FREE LEGO Printables & Challenges — 60+ LEGO learning resources
- Easy Homeschool Meals Menu Plan
- FREE Printable Chore and Routine Cards
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