Day 3: Essential Supplies for Home Education

Welcome to Day 3 of our Home Educating series! Today, we’re focusing on the essential supplies needed to make your home education experience smooth and effective.

The importance of having the right tools at your disposal can make a world of difference in maintaining organisation, focus, minimising the need to keep getting up, ensuring comprehensive coverage of subjects, and keeping your children engaged.

Let’s take a look at what you'll need to get started.

Basic Tools

Every home education setup requires some fundamental supplies. These are the building blocks of your daily lessons and activities:

• Pens and Pencils: Stock up on a variety of writing instruments, including pens, pencils, colouring pencils, and highlighters. These are essential for note-taking, assignments, and creative projects. We have this art set below (Afflink):

•  Paper: Keep a good supply of different types of paper, including lined notebooks, graph paper, and plain white sheets for drawing and crafts.
•  Art Supplies: Foster creativity with a range of art supplies such as crayons, markers, watercolour paints, glue, scissors, and construction paper.
• Calculators: Depending on your child’s age and math level, a basic orscientific calculator can be a handy tool for working through math problems.

•  Rulers and Geometry Sets: Essential for math and science subjects, ensure you have rulers, protractors, and compasses for accurate measurements and drawings.

Technology

In today’s digital age, technology plays a crucial role in home education. Here are the tech essentials you should consider: 

•  Reliable Computer or Tablet: A dependable computer or tablet is necessary for accessing online resources, educational games, and virtual classes. Ensure it has the required software and apps for your educational needs. We use an iPad and a PC. He also has a Chromebook and I use a Macbook Air. 
•  Internet Access: A stable internet connection is vital for research, streaming educational videos, and participating in online learning platforms. Consider investing in a good Wi-Fi setup to avoid connectivity issues. We use Sky Broadband / Wifi.
•  Printer and Scanner: These are useful for printing worksheets, assignments, and scanning completed work for submission or record-keeping. We use the one below as the last one was too big and needed updating.

•  Educational Software and Apps: There are numerous programmes and applications designed to enhance learning in various subjects. For example, Khan Academy offers free courses, and Duolingo is great for language learning. My son is currently learning Chinese. More resources will be listed in the membership area. There are way too many to list!

Organisers

Keeping your home education environment organised is key to staying on track. Here are some tools to help:

•  Binders and Folders: Use binders and folders to organise worksheets, assignments, and important documents. Label each one by subject to make finding materials easy.

•  Planners: A good planner is essential for tracking daily assignments, scheduling lessons, and setting goals. Consider using a digital planner or app if you prefer to keep everything on your devices. I will be sharing digital planners within the membership site. I have recently purchased a basic page a day planner for events and I also use a Law of Attraction Planner.

•  Storage Solutions: Utilise shelves, bins, and boxes to keep supplies organised and easily accessible. A tidy space contributes to a more focused and efficient learning environment. There are numerous types that we use, which need reorganising and updating.

Recommended Resources

 To help you get started, here are some recommended resources for purchasing your home education supplies: 

• Staples: A great place to find a wide range of office and school supplies.
• Amazon UK: Offers a vast selection of educational supplies and tools. It is my natural go to for everything and often with convenient delivery options as a Prime member.
•  Hobbycraft : This is great for sourcing art and craft supplies.
•  Currys: ls ideal for purchasing technology and electronics and gadgets.

These are some of the items that I have purchased from Amazon or are on my list of things to buy:

 Pen and Pencil Set https://amzn.to/3RbY4F8

Sketch Pad https://amzn.to/3x1azwk

Professional Art Set: https://amzn.to/4bENvCA

Motivational Wall Art https://amzn.to/45oiwZr

Printer https://amzn.to/3KoFCoS

External Hard Drive https://amzn.to/3VnCb8k

PC Set https://amzn.to/3x1bdKg

Microscope https://amzn.to/4e39eFX

Academic Diary https://amzn.to/456R7uB

A4 Lever Arch Files https://amzn.to/3Vr3a2X

Project Folders https://amzn.to/3yKFVYz

A4 Lever Arch Files with Dividers https://amzn.to/4c3EzXb

Over door storage https://amzn.to/3Rd0tPP

Desk Organiser https://amzn.to/3VoHmVt

Magnetic Weekly Planner: https://amzn.to/3KrtkME

Weekly Planner Pad https://amzn.to/4e8CZ8y

Daily Planner Notebook https://amzn.to/3x2Hel7

Law of Attraction Planner https://amzn.to/3wYrPCu

Also, on every Home Education trip or event we go to I purchase stationary to add to his collection (and mine!).It also acts as an anchor to remind my son of where we went to keep the memory alive. 

 Note: Some of these links are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through them. This helps support the blog and allows us to continue providing free content to you.

Tips for Managing Supplies

Here are a few additional tips to help you manage your home education supplies effectively:

• Regular Inventory: Keep an inventory of your supplies and replenish them as needed. Running out of essential items can disrupt your learning schedule.
• Budget Wisely: While it's important to have quality supplies, it's also crucial to stick to a budget. Look for sales, use coupons, and consider buying in bulk for frequently used items. 
• Engage Your Children: Involve your children in organising and maintaining their supplies. This teaches responsibility and helps them understand the importance of keeping their learning environment in order.

Share Your Tips

We’d love to hear from you!

Share your favourite home education supplies and tips for staying organised on our Facebook page or tag us on Instagram. Your insights can help other home educating families and contribute to our supportive community.

What’s Next?

Join us tomorrow as we explore establishing home education routines.

We’ll provide you with practical advice, activities, and resources to help to create structure and a consistent schedule where needed. Children like order and to know what’s going on, even loosely.

 Until then, happy home educating and enjoy setting up your essential supplies!

P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter, join our membership and follow us on social media for the latest updates and exclusive content.

Let’s make this home education journey an incredible experience for you and your family!

To your Joyful Education!

Tracey ❤️