Schools supplies to love and actually use - & save some $$

8 Aug

End of summer always means back to school shopping and who doesn’t love all of those clean, neat piles of school supplies at the store. A freshly sharpened pencil is so full of promise and potential, isn’t it?! Anyone else have serious nostalgia for buying school supplies?

But if you’re like me, that love of neat, orderly school supplies means you over-buy and end up with too many or the wrong things. So I’m helping ya out with a list of my favorite, tried and true supplies that have worked well for me and my family for years. And I’m including some school & home stuff that might not be on a classroom list but might make life easier for kiddos that have a hard time.

First - some school supply tips:

Get the list from your school / teacher so you know what they want you to bring. Do you need to bring them on the first day or do they want them later?
If the list is too much for your budget at the moment, it’s fine to let the teacher know that you’ll be sending the supplies at a later date or not at all. They know that not all families can swing all the supplies and that’s OK.
Are they really going to use those supplies? Check in with the teacher that they truly want everything on the list. Sometimes those lists are more generic - like all teachers in that grade put out the same list but not all the teachers use all those supplies. Or some pieces aren’t needed until later in the year.
If you can afford to buy extras of some of the things on the list, please do so. It helps fill in for those who can’t and keeps the teachers from having to spend their own money.

Basics:

Possibly the best pencils ever. Seriously. Ticonderoga pre-sharpened pencils
The erasers last and the lead doesn't break off in the sharpener. I know teachers who insist on them by name - pencils are serious business. Get the pre-sharpened ones if you want to save the teacher and your kiddo some time and hassle.
I’m picky about pens. I want a smooth-writing, no skipping, easy to use pen. These aren’t cheap, but they write like a dream. SARASA pens
My oldest teen loves these ERASABLE ink pens. Erasable Frixion Pens. You read that right, they are pens that actually erase. For people who don’t like using pencils, but still need to make corrections, these are awesome.
Sharpies. Need I say more? Sharpies are a must in my book and these double sided (one side thin, one size normal tip) are genius. I love having multiple colors too. They just make me happy.
Mr Sketch smelly markers are the gold standard in kids markers. Great colors, fun smells to explore (don’t come near me with the black ones - gross!) and always a crowd pleaser.
I love using legal pads to take notes. They are inexpensive, the pages stay attached, you can flip back through, and they are easy to cart around.
This one is less school focused, but just like I love a good pen, this smooth paged notebook makes taking notes a pleasure. The soft coils mean it won’t get snagged on anything when you throw it in a bag.
This is the best binder I’ve found for middle and high schoolers who have to have a 3 ring binder. It takes up a lot less space in their backpacks (which are already jammed with stuff) and the plastic rings hold up against a lot of wear and tear.
To go with that binder, you’re gonna need some dividers. These are strong and hold up to all that backpack abuse.
These binder pockets are also super useful for all of those random, loose papers my kids tend to have floating around. Corral them with these pockets instead of having to find a 3 hole punch.

Other useful tools:

A small dry erase board has been a great tool for us at home. We use it for practicing math, sketching out ideas, and even keeping score when we play games.
This magnetic weekly calendar has been an absolute must in our house for years. My kids always seemed shocked and frustrated when they had an appointment or we had something going on in the evening (I had told them, but you know, kid memories can be short). So I fill this out every Sunday and put it on the fridge - no more surprises. It has really helped my concrete-thinking, need-to-know-in-advance kids.
Time Timers are awesome for kids who have a hard time visualizing time. Or really anyone honestly! This clock shows the time you set in a very easily readable way and you see it moving. Kids can easily check how much time is left and helps cut down on frustration!
My kids are old enough to have debit cards and I worry they will get lost. Their track record on organization is not stellar. Carrying a wallet is just one more thing to remember, but what do they never forget? Their phones. So these stick-on phone card holders are perfect for keeping the card in the one place I know they won’t lose it. Works for school IDs and bus passes too!

Fidgets & movement tools:

The Tangle is one of my favorite fidgets because it’s fun, isn’t easy to destroy, and doesn’t make noise.
These fidget cubes are also relatively quiet and offer multiple fiddling options in one small hand-hold fidget.
Sensory squeeze cubes are one of my favorites as well. Silent, fun to squish, and sturdy to hold up to a lot of use.
Pop fidgets make slightly more noise but are practically indestructible. And who doesn’t love the satisfying pop?
Bouncy Bands are a great and fun way for kids to get some movement while still seated at their desk (they make a chair version too). I know teachers who have crowdfunded for a whole classroom set but I’ve also just sent one to school for my kid to use.
Another option that’s more movable is a wobble seat. Easy to use on any kind of chair while giving your kiddo some movement while seated. These are an inexpensive way to try out some different seating options for your child or use at both home and school.
For even more movement, try a wobble chair. This gives them a lot of movement while staying in one place. I know some teachers keep one or two in their classrooms for kids to use, but if your teacher doesn’t have one, consider donating one or just bringing one in for your child to use.