Here are some items that I have personally purchased for our homeschooling and we use and love. I love to share in hopes that something will fill a need you may have.
(The items all have affiliate links, which means if you click and purchase through them, I will receive a small commission. This does not affect your price at all.)
I love all things USA and there are so many great learning resources for this topic including lots of puzzles. This large floor puzzles is super fun with vibrant colors and illustrations to show landmarks and icons of each state.
I spent a lot of time (overthinker here) debating on whether I should get one of those beautiful wooden Montessori movable alphabet sets. In the end, I decided that functionality and cost were more important to me than the more trendy and aesthetic choice. This set is magnetic which right away makes it multi-purpose. I also really liked that the case closed to avoid risk of spilling all the letters. We use this for various spelling and phonics activities.
This pack of sand timers is something we use quite regularly. There are timers for 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 and 15minutes. We have implemented this for play breaks, math fact practice, sharing a favored toy, and encouragement to stay focused and finish a minor task.
If you have the wall space, this is a great option for displaying kids' artwork! You can customize the length you want it, up to a little over 16 feet. The clips are super cool because it allows you to hang things vertically and use that space well too. I love clever gadgets that maximize space and this is a great non-bulky option. It is so simple to rotate art pieces.
If you have a kiddo learning two-digit addition and subtraction, having these manipulatives makes carrying and borrowing so much more concrete. There are multiple sets to choose from for different quantities of each piece.
I have eyed this bookstand for over a year on another homeschooler's account and this year I finally got it. It is so nice. I love how adjustable it is. Great size too. It comes in a few different sizes and mine is the 13.2" x 9.2" one. I also love the metal page holders and the way it folds up to store when we are not using it. Very great for keeping a book open hands-free for kids to be able to write or draw something from the book.
We are not big artists in my house but we do enjoy occasional painting projects. There are definitely nicer watercolor sets out there and ones with more colors, but if you are similar to us and just need a simple set, this two pack is great. But I will say, I really like the brushes that came with these! They are much nicer than the smaller and flimsier bristles that usually come in these basic sets.
I now own two of these cafeteria trays. They are game changers for art projects whether its something messy with water or paint or a craft with lots of little beads or pieces. The raised edges help contain the project but they aren't too big to affect little hands, wrists and arms from reaching the work. It is large enough that an 8.5" x 11" piece of paper can fit either orientation with room to spare for paints or other supplies. I recently took over one of ours for my own diamond painting kit so I need to get another one for the kids now.
I hope you found some of these ideas helpful. I will continue to add to this post with new items that we use and love.
- Hannah