Hi friends!
Two of my favorite topics these days… homeschool and thrifting. Ooooooohhhhweeeee! If you know me, you know how happy a good thrift find makes me. I want to shout it from the rooftops when I have a good haul. And fortunately, I have been very lucky on the homeschool front (Sum Swamp game BRAND NEW in packaging for $2… YUP!!!) I thrift not only to save money and keep within budget, but because it isn’t necessary to buy everything brand new. It’s not good for the environment and it’s not good for your wallet. There are treasures to be found in a secondhand shop… you just gotta be patient and keep looking.
I tend to go thrifting once or twice a month. I keep a running list on my phone of the things I am hoping to find. Of course, I end up finding way more than I may have been looking for, because you really never know what you’re gonna run into. But generally, I stick to the items listed below. I find that these are the most helpful for homeschooling purposes, are the easiest to sanitize, and are way cheaper than buying new.
If you want to jump on this thrifting bandwagon, here are the items to keep an eye out for.
Books
Okay let’s get the most obvious one out of the way. BOOKS BOOKS AND MORE BOOKS. ALL KINDS OF BOOKS! Poetry, living books, fiction, non-fiction, science, geography, history, cultural, chapter books, resource/field guides, sticker books… endless options, people. I have found so many great non-fiction books in particular… especially ones that focus on topics that would be considered “unit studies” and would be awesome supplements… like ancient Egypt, presidents, Who/What Was books, geology, an Atlas… I have also scored a whole lot of classics that will become our read alouds over the next few years. One of the books I was most excited to find was a collection of seasonal poetry. I see a very specific poetry book all over Instagram and basically it is a seasonal poem per day. It looks awesome but it is pricey – I think $30 or so. I found a similar one for just $1.25!!
Globe/Maps
I am still on the hunt for these myself, but globes and maps are staples for a homeschool room. I know I will find one eventually so keep your fingers crossed for me.
Games
Board games, memory card games, dominos, Jenga… so many games to collect. Like I mentioned above, I scored Sum Swamp brand new (an addition/subtraction game that is highly regarded). It’s usually about $20 and I got it for $2. Just double-check to make sure all the pieces are included before you buy. This is an inexpensive way to bulk up your game collection.
Manipulatives
Keep an eye out for math manipulatives, such as an abacus or small counters. Anything can be used for counting… even a package of fun erasers. I have seen counting bears at my thrift store before, too.
Baskets
If you don’t bring home a basket after every trip to the secondhand store, do you even thrift? LOL But for real… so many baskets at a fraction of the price of buying new. And you can never have enough baskets to store ALL THE THINGS.
Jars for Storage
Along the same lines as baskets, jars are also a good idea. You can use to store art supplies!
Office Supplies
The thrift shop I frequent has an entire section dedicated to office supplies. I grabbed my 3-hole punch there as well as a few paper trays. You can find staplers, file folders, accordion folders, binders, etc.
Art Supplies
There are usually a toooon of art supplies bagged up and grouped together… sort of like a grab bag. Take your time and browse because I have found some great things… like stamps, markers, extra pencils, paint brushes, etc.
Baking Sheets
I find cheap baking sheets and check to make sure they are magnetic because they work great if you have magnetic letters and numbers.
Muffin Tins
I have found various sizes of muffin tins and love to use them for science experiments or sorting.
Dictionary and Thesaurus
It’s good to have one of each for reference and you may be able to score them both.
Puzzles
I am a little iffy with puzzles if they have been opened because there is no way I can count to make sure all the pieces are there but I have come across puzzles that are still in packaging. Lots of Melissa and Doug puzzles, too!
Kitchen Timer
If you see one, grab it! I am still waiting to find one. I think this will come in handy when we want to time lessons.
