I want to start off by saying I LOVE all things school supplies.  Ever since I was a little girl, I would dream about back to school shopping.  Pens, fresh crayons, Colored pencils, and cutesy pencil boxes. It was an exciting time to a be a kid.

 

So Now that I have kids, it’s even more exciting!  Going Back to school  forces me to get organized and ready for the year.  I set up a quiet and calm space for homework and reading, and I also need to organize all my IEP stuff for my oldest son (I’ll share my IEP binder in a later post).

 

 

It was sad to read of all the complaints coming from parents about school supplies.  One major complaint: Why do the teachers need us to buy so many supplies? Depending on the school district and demographics of you area, school supplies are necessary. However, my kids are in public schools and they supply everything in the classroom.  Everything I buy is basically for them to use at home.  My oldest son likes to use “special pencils” So I make sure to packs those.  But other than that, they have everything they need at school.

 

The great thing about school supplies is they go on sale so early and are usually very cost efficient. I like to have extra stuff at home because the kids go through them so fast.  Crayons break, markers dry up, and paper is often wasted.  This is my second year with my kids in elementary school and I have learned a lot and how to conserve supplies and what is necessary.

 

My kids are in second grade and kinder, so I understand that as they grow in school the supply list will increase.  These are some things I buy based on the needs of my kids.  Once or twice a year I’ll donate crayons, pencils, and paper to my child’s class because I understand that sometimes teachers have to pay for these things out of their own pocket and to me this should not be the case.  If I have the time and money to help I will do my part.

 

 

 

Pencils:

In the early stages of elementary school, learning to write is an important skill.  How your child learns to grip a pencil will help their writing become more legible.  My oldest son struggled with learning how to grip a pencil. I tried everything, pencil grippers, tape on the pencil, anything I could do to help I would do.

One day I went on handy dandy Amazon and found these awesome pencils and they helped him so much.  Now they are being passed down to my daughter who is now in kinder.  You can find them here, and they are about 5 dollars for a 12 pack.  They are seriously perfect for those little hands.

 

Crayola Twistable Colored Pencils:

I love these simply because they are easy to use and perfect for those small pictures they expect your five year old to color inside the lines with. They have a fine tip and you can twist the top if you need more pencil.  It’s basically a mechanical colored pencil.  But I highly recommend them, especially for your kindergartner.  They are perfect! I found them at Target and they are very inexpensive. I bought the 30 pack, but I believe they had smaller packs with basic colors as well.

 

 

Bright Star Kids Name Labels:

Bright Star Kids is a company that provides name labels for your child’s belongings.  They have these cool name labels to personalize any item you desire.  As most of you know, my oldest son has ADHD and ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder).  He is always losing or misplacing his things.  This will help staff or school administration identify his belongings and get them back to him.  They are also perfect for sleepovers and clothing.

You have the option to buy the labels in a kit or individually.  They have so many cool things on their site perfect for back to school or even gifts.  Definitely check them out If you are looking for something like this.  Theses products are dishwasher/laundry safe, and I received my labels in a timely manner.  You can find out more on their site https://www.bsklabels.com

 

 

 

 

 

Snap on Cubes:

Snap on cubes make math easy and fun.  These are perfect for all your math needs, this common core isn’t so common and can be confusing.  I explained to my second grader that they are just numbers and not to be afraid of them.  He likes to guess when doing his math, so these cubes make it easy for counting.  They snap on and off very easily they are great for teaching about whole numbers, place value, addition, and subtraction. I purchased 100 cubes on Amazon and they work like a charm.

 

 

Kwik Sticks Thin Paint Sticks:

With three kids so I am always trying to find ways to entertain them and keep them busy. My three year old is still at home with me so I found these awesome paint sticks, (which I have reviewed before on my site). They are great because they dry in 90 seconds or less, are mess free, and don’t require a paint brush.  Perfect for little hands.

The standard kwik sticks are great, however the thin sticks are great for painting in the lines. They were perfect for our  PTA posters. They also carry therapeutic products and toys for children with sensory issues.  I did purchase some of their pencil grips for my son and they help but sometimes they can become a distraction.  With therapeutic toys, it can be a trial and error, you can try them and decide if they work for your child.  You should check them out, especially if your  child can benefit from some of their other products. You can find out more at their website.

 

 

There it is! My List pretty simple right? I didn’t include all my organization items.  If you would like to hear more about my homework station and how I stay organized I can write about that on a later post.  These are basic supplies that you will need at home for homework success! Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to share.