So, you’ve decided to eschew traditional education and bring the schoolhouse to you! That, or you’re strongly considering the option (in which case, we’d recommend checking out this comprehensive resource). Either way, you may as well take stock of what you’ll need to pull homeschooling off—homeschool supplies aren’t always intuitive. 

Save Yourself Grief—Get a Laminator

We get it—laminators are anything but glamorous. But homeschooling isn’t often glamorous, and if you want your important documents to survive for more than a day, you’re going to need one of these bad boys. Use it to preserve your lesson plans, worksheets, and any other piece of paper you want to last for more than a week. If you’re not convinced, just consider it an investment that will save you a staggering amount of paper, ink, and time over the year.

Invest in Comfortable Seating

One of the great things about homeschooling is that you determine how active your child is. You can fit in recess, activities, and chores between lesson plans, which means less time spent sitting! Regardless, you and your in-home students will sit. A lot.

Do yourself a favor—invest in some quality seating. Since you don’t have to account for an entire school, you don’t have to buy uncomfortable chairs in bulk. Find some quality hardwood or bentwood seating for engaged learning, and maybe splurge on some bean bag chairs for reading, storytime, and the occasional accidental siesta. Don’t forget to treat yourself to a sweet seat, too!

Set Up Engaging and Educational Decor

The environment is a big factor when it comes to education and early development. Once you’ve determined where you’re going to do the majority of your teaching, get to decorating! Start with the walls—pin up inspiring posters, the alphabet, multiplication tables, and whatever else you think fits your year’s curriculum.

Don’t stop with your wall real estate! Try hanging a few impressive geometric structures (or anything interesting to look at, really) from the ceiling to keep your aerial space engaging. Once that’s taken care of, look to the floors for your final touches. A kid-friendly rug can add a perfect touch of coziness while still contributing to the room’s educational atmosphere. (On that note, stay tuned—we have a line of spectacular kids’ rugs coming soon!)

Make a ‘Fun Reading’ Book Collection

School and reading go hand in hand. That said, it’s easy for reading to lose its luster when you don’t get to read what you want. Kids only have so much textbook stamina, so it’s a good idea to offer them a rest with some fun reading!

First, designate a place for the fun books to reside—our book display cases make appealing book homes! Then, decide when it makes sense for your student(s) to take reading breaks. Some good times are in the morning before the first lesson and after lunch. Some light, entertaining reading is a great way to transition from free time into schooltime. Try putting the book case near the door! That way, students will be encouraged to grab a book on the way out of the classroom.

Create A Place for Sensory Play

Sensory play has an important role in early development. If you’re teaching younger children, you’ll want to make sure you have a place for them to explore education with their senses. You don’t need to splurge on anything complicated. In fact, sand & water play is widely regarded to be among the most effective forms of sensory play. If that doesn’t float your boat, there are a bounty of kids’ sensory activities on Pinterest!

There you have them, 5 homeschooling supplies you shouldn’t start without! Have you taken the homeschooling leap? Have a few essential homeschool supplies of your own? Let us know on Facebook or in the comments below! And don’t forget to follow ECR4Kids on Facebook, Pinterest, or our blog via email for more of these posts!