Last year being my first year homeschooling, I hadn’t committed to any one curriculum. Many curriculums available for purchase were quite costly and I had no clue which methods would work best for my children. So I started with the basics; reading, writing and math. I have a fine arts background, so art too. Whether you have chosen a curriculum or like me, formulated your own, one thing is certain, you need supplies! I’d say frugality is proudly an attribute of mine so here are a few places to get supplies and learning aids on the cheap.
Target
The dollar bins at Target mid-August through early September are filled with Flashcards,workbooks, and other teaching tools. Prices range from $1-$3 per item. My favorite are the Flashcards. Perfect for pre-K -2nd grade(ish). The money flashcards are good for review even into 3rd grade. It I can also find a quick art project or paint kit in there too.
Dollar Tree
I like Dollar Tree over Family Dollar because all items are truly $1! Don’t call yourself a dollar store and charge me $5 for something. Anyway, the best things to find here are teaching aids. Alphabet charts to hang, stickers for motivation (my kids love when I give stickers for completed work or tasks), rulers, pencils etc. You can also get coloring books and cheap toys for special rewards or projects.
Walmart
This one probably doesn’t come as a surprise. The best savings are usually the first week in August when every other parent has received their school supply list and are on a scavenger hunt to find very specific items. I happily join them albeit stress free without the anal list. Here I rack up on crayons and glue sticks and scissors, eraser heads and the like.
Amazon
This is where I find unique items like math blocks or apple letters. Things like Bingo chips for learning games or other themes items for unit studies. Only thing is their prices fluctuate. But I got a bunch of cool stuff that my kids really enjoy. Like these puzzle beads pictured below:
The Home Depot
They usually have kids’ workshops every first Saturday of the month or something. Since it is on the Shabbat and kind of early for us we don’t go. It is free and there could be an opportunity for a Yah-centered object lesson depending on the activity so we aren’t completely opposed to it either. That said, if you go to your local store on any other day of the week and ask them for kid’s workshop kits, they will give them to you for FREE. Ask for the ASDS (Associate Support Department Supervisor- mouthful) or the store manager in their absence to make your request. If they give you a hard time like “Oh,they are only for Saturday-blah blah”, explain to them whatever your situation is- it’s Shabbat, you homeschool, hosting a craft day-whatever. If that doesn’t work they may consider hosting a private workshop on a different day which could be a field trip opportunity for your homeschool. They don’t typically like the private workshop route however because it pulls away from their resources (staffing). Lastly, be patient, it may take a while for them to find someone to pull them out for you. Hey, it’s FREE! Doesn’t cost you money but may cost time and breath. Make a day of it and go to two or three stores to build an art project stash. They usually have a variety of at least 2 or 3 different projects. Here are some kits we got:
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