Hi friends! I want to give some love to our favorite enriching homeschool resources today. Aside from our main curriculum, there are things that make our days run smoother and some that bring beauty and joy to us.
Now, when I say minimalist… it doesn’t mean the house is stark white and our shelves are bare. Minimalism to us is only having things that serve us in our season of life and being mindful and intentional with purchases. I do a lot of research and watch reviews on certain things before I make the commitment. This helps to keep the “extras” from overwhelming all of us. I made that mistake at the beginning of our homeschool journey… pretty much bought anything that seemed educational and what influencers were promoting and it only ended with a lot of time spent purging and guilt over not using something and more clutter. Now, instead of digging through stuff we don’t use, everything on our shelf has a purpose and is used!
Your list is not going to look anything like my list and that is the way it should be. Every homeschool is unique and every family will benefit from different things. I just wanted to share what is working for us in hopes that it will be helpful if you are looking for that something that could benefit your family. If you want to see a full list of homeschool favorites, you can visit my shop here.
But these below are the most used and loved right here. I will be sharing links through Amazon affiliates below so that you can reference what I am talking about or purchase if you cannot find anywhere else. But I did find some of this stuff at our local Dollar Tree!
Library card – It’s free and it is our most used homeschool tool. We take out at least 30 books each week, from picture books to chapter books to early readers, as well as movies, educational kits, and games.
Alphabet magnets – We love these for phonics/spelling activities.
Early readers – We get a lot from our library, but I like to have some classics on our shelves so that my daughter can continue to practice and have her own library to choose from. Some of our favorites are: Frog and Toad, Elephant and Piggie, Little Bear, Biscuit, Sophie Mouse, Mouse Soup, Owl at Home, and National Geo Kids. See full list here.
Math counters – I have a few different kinds to keep it interesting, such as these discs, fun mini erasers, glass accent gems, and linking cubes.
Pattern blocks – These are necessary for our math curriculum, but my kids also love to play with them every once in a while.
Pop-it 100s chart – I can’t tell you how much my kids use this and have learned their numbers 1-100 on it, skip counting, etc.
Yoto player and cards – This was gifted to us, but if it wasn’t, I would buy it myself. My girls love their ballet/classical music cards and nature sound cards the most. As they get older, I know we will be using it more for read aloud – they have so many classic stories! They also have a lot of educational options, including languages, science, history, and more.
Ticonderoga pencils – They are the superior pencil. That is all.
Board and cards games – On Fridays, we gameschool! Love having a library of educational games to play. Our favorites lately…
- Guess in 10: Animals Edition
- Silly Sentences
- Spelligator
- Go Fish
- eeBoo Fairytale Spinner
- Clumsy Thief
- Tiny Polka Dot
- Zingo 1-2-3
- Sum Swamp
- 10 on the Spot
Misc craft supplies – You can see a full list of our most loved art supplies here. I organize it all in this container, which has been lifechanging.
Reusable clear pocket sleeves – I use these regularly for things that I want to continue using without having to print a million times.
Nature and Ocean Anatomy by Julia Rothman – These two books have been referenced often since my oldest is an animal lover and very science-minded.
Composition notebooks with drawing space – Inexpensive and great for notebooking.
Book stand – We use this one during morning time, especially when we do nature study or drawing.
Small dry erase board and markers – These boards are less wasteful than paper when I am trying to explain a concept. My girls also love using their own for handwriting practice or games.
Clipboards – When we school on the couch, we use these… and that is often!
Scrunch maps – We have a world map and US map and I love these because they scrunch up small and take up no space. They are perfect for referencing when we need to.
