Best Supplies for Homeschool Students

Some links in this article are affiliate links — COSMIQ may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects which products we recommend. How this works.

Setting up a comfortable, functional homeschool workspace starts with dependable supplies. Below are well-known products that cover writing, art, organization, and daily classroom routines. Each pick explains who benefits most and why it’s useful at home.

1. Dixon Ticonderoga No. 2 Pencils

Check price on Amazon: Dixon Ticonderoga No. 2 Pencils →

Best for: elementary through middle school writers. Ticonderoga pencils are a longstanding favorite because of their sturdy wood casing, smooth graphite, and a reliable eraser. For handwriting practice, tests, and sketching, a good set of sharpened No. 2 pencils is essential.

2. Crayola Ultra-Clean Washable Markers

Check price on Amazon: Crayola Ultra-Clean Washable Markers →

Best for: young artists and classroom activities. These washable markers are designed to come off skin and most fabrics, which reduces cleanup stress. They offer bright colors and low odor, making them a practical choice for group projects and sensory-friendly art sessions.

3. Crayola 24-Pack Crayons

Check price on Amazon: Crayola 24-Pack Crayons →

Best for: primary grades and creative play. Classic Crayola crayons are durable, inexpensive, and available in a wide color range. They’re suited to coloring, early fine-motor practice, and mixed-media work when paired with glue and paper.

4. Elmer's Washable School Glue

Check price on Amazon: Elmer's Washable School Glue →

Best for: crafts, construction projects, and everyday gluing. Elmer’s washable glue formulas work on paper, cardboard, and many craft materials, and they’re designed to rinse out of clothing. Keep both a bottle for stronger bonds and glue sticks for faster, neater application.

5. Fiskars Kids Scissors

Check price on Amazon: Fiskars Kids Scissors →

Best for: preschool and elementary cutting practice. Fiskars offers child-friendly scissors with blunt tips and comfortable grips sized for small hands. They provide control and safety while kids learn to cut along lines and develop hand strength.

6. Mead Wide-Ruled Spiral Notebooks

Check price on Amazon: Mead Wide-Ruled Spiral Notebooks →

Best for: daily work, journaling, and subject notebooks for younger students. Wide-ruled paper gives extra space for developing handwriting, and spiral bindings let pages lie flat for easier writing at a table or lap. Choose multiple colors to color-code subjects.

7. Expo Low-Odor Dry Erase Markers

Check price on Amazon: Expo Low-Odor Dry Erase Markers →

Best for: lesson demonstrations, math practice, and reusable planning. Expo markers come in fine and chisel tips and are formulated to minimize scent, which helps during longer lessons. Paired with a small whiteboard, they let students practice problems and teachers model steps without wasting paper.

8. Post-it Super Sticky Notes

Check price on Amazon: Post-it Super Sticky Notes →

Best for: reminders, quick brainstorming, and sticky flips on workstations. Post-it Super Sticky Notes adhere well to different surfaces and are handy for visual schedules, vocabulary cards, and formative checks. Use them to build a low-cost, flexible bulletin system on a wall or notebook.

Practical buying advice for homeschool supplies

Start with basics for writing, gluing, cutting, and color work, then add tools as needs appear: a whiteboard and markers for frequent practice, a reliable storage bin for organizing daily materials, and subject-specific items (graph paper for math, index cards for spelling). Buy a few extras of consumables like pencils, glue sticks, and erasers to avoid interruptions. When choosing product sizes, consider student age—wide-ruled notebooks for early grades, college-ruled for older students; blunt-tip scissors for young children, sharper ergonomics for teens. Finally, set up labeled bins or caddies so supplies are visible and accessible; visible organization cuts down on lost time and arguments.

Equipping a homeschool space doesn’t require every gadget—start with durable, multiuse items and build a system that fits your family’s rhythm. Reliable basics make daily learning smoother and give students tools they can use independently.