If you had $500 to get started...

[AdrienneQW]

If you had $500 to spend on materials, resources, etc. at the outset of homeschooling, what would you purchase? Assume starting at the kindergarten level, and assume moderate funds would be available each subsequent year for additional supplies.

[tempus vernum]

I am an unschooler w/ a montessori/waldorf bent so keep that in mind :shrug but it's fun to dream :)

We actually buy these things with Christmas money every year so it's easy for me :grin We have VERY generous relatives and restock every year or buy something new and special :heart

$150 High Quality art supplies (beeswax crayons, triangular colored pencils, watercolors, paint brushes, easil, pallets, smocks, papers of all sorts, scissors, markers. stamps)

$100 Real "tools": carpentry (constructiveplaythings.com), cleaning set (montessori broom, dust pan, mop, duster, carpet sweeper etc), gardening, laundry supplies,

$40 Table and chairs (I like walgreens folding chairs and tables for kids - cheap too!)

$50 goodwill - pouring, transferring, practical life tools (spoons, scoops, tongs, chopsticks, ramekins, tea set, small containers, trays, baskets).

Natural toys (soft body dolls, play silks, wood blocks, puppets)

Shelving to organize it all if any money left

FREE - library card ;)

[joandsarah77]

Hmm thats hard, because I actualy spent more :O But thats partly because I live on a large island, lol Australia! We have to send away for a lot of stuff from the states and buy new as there isnt that much second hand here. certainly not what I am after anyway. Also art suplies are way expensive. I've been told kids paint is soo cheap in America. We pay about $3.50 for the smallest 250ml bottle. But they go so quickly, so I just bought a couple of largish litre bottles for $15 each. :jawdrop

I spent about $280 on Five In A Row, because we bought all the books from the Oz suplier new. They are not in libarys over here. if I lived in the States I would have only spent about $30 on the manual.

Math-U-See the entire primer level was also about $280 but the blocks will last for ever for both kids, and the manual will also go for two kids as will the dvd and skip counting cd.

Alphabet island phonics is about $180?, I forget, as we havn't orderd that yet. That is coming from America so add another $20 for postage. Which is actualy kind of good. Amazon wanted to slug us $100 postage on the FIAR books! Again much is non consumable and will be used for both kids.

Art and craft? Games? I have no idea how much I've spent on that, but I have a lot of suplies. probably $200

[Mamatoto]

I would buy Enki and lots more art supplies...but I do get to do this once a year with tax returns, it is so much fun!!! :grin

[DogwoodMama]

Oh wow, I'm inspired by SunshineMama's list! :grin

I'd also buy books, books, and more books... from the AmblesideOnline guide. :)

[Carrie in PA]

What's Enki?

I agree with buying art supplies, tools and real things that'll last more than one year. Good books, like reference books that will be used for years, and AWESOME literature. FIAR is great when the kids are young. Yup, free library card is a must! Also, use some of that money for cool field trips throughout the year...the zoo, museums, etc...

Don't get bogged down with buying too much curriculum. It's not necessary in the early years especially and can be such a waste of money as it is often used up in one year and needs to be "replaced" then. There are a lot of free resources on the internet for homeschooling (see the stickies).

Have fun!

[Jillian]

Art supplies, true toys, real life tools, science kits, memberships to fun places, board games, puzzles.

Sounds like fun! :mrgreen

[Mama Calidad]

For me, it depends on the child.

If I was doing DD over for kinder, I'd get:
$8 ~ Adventures in Phonics - A
$80 ~ Math U See - Primer or Alpha
$100 ~ Binoculars, magnifying glasses, magnets, etc.
$72 ~ Arts & Crafts supplies
$250 ~ Great literature

For DS, I'm leaning towards:
$300 ~ Oak Meadow's kindergarten & craft packages
$100 ~ Binoculars, magnifying glasses, magnets, etc.
$30 ~ Add'l craft supplies
$70 ~ Great literature

[CelticJourney]

Maybe a good quality language program like Rosetta Stone.

[Mamatoto]

What's Enki?



http://www.enkieducation.org/

[tempus vernum]

I'd also buy books, books, and more books... from the AmblesideOnline guide. :)


I didn't mention this cuz I am banning myself from our local half price books :O. Way too many classics waiting for me :hiding

[Jillian]

This thread got me into trouble today... :giggle

I just went to our craft store to return something and I *had* to look around to make a more specific list, just in case $500 found its way to me. Well, now only $415 needs to find me cause I wound up spending $85!

The kids are going to be so excited when I show them what we got! :mrgreen

[Leslie]

I'm a Charlotte Mason/Living Books homeschooler with a cultural/art bent so keep that in mind. :lol


I'd also buy books, books, and more books... from the AmblesideOnline guide. :)


That would be my answer. I'd start building a book collection, including a few nice books of great art, and also a few good classical music CD's. If I knew I'd be getting a little more every year, I'd focus on the "extras" that might not make the budget cut every year--like composer biographies by Opal Wheeler, field guides to look up bugs and plants you find, maybe a few Dover coloring books. I'd buy a bookshelf, and for supplies, maybe some nice, good quality colored pencils and nature notebooks. I'd be thinking ahead and buying for the future because I wouldn't want $500 of kindergarten-level picture books when I still have twelve years of education looming ahead.

[AdrienneQW]

The kids are going to be so excited when I show them what we got! Well c'mon, tell us, tell us! What did you get?

$150 High Quality art supplies (beeswax crayons, triangular colored pencils, watercolors, paint brushes, easil, pallets, smocks, papers of all sorts, scissors, markers. stamps) Where are some good places to buy quality art supplies? We have a great easel and brushes, scissors/markers/stamps etc, but I'd like to get some more high-quality items. Where do y'all get your quality art stuff? I'd particularly like to find a *nice* set of beeswax crayons.

[Mamatoto]

http://www.atoygarden.com (under supplies and kits)

http://www.magiccabin.com

[Jillian]

The kids are going to be so excited when I show them what we got! Well c'mon, tell us, tell us! What did you get?

LOL! We got 12 set of sketching pencils, oil pastels, tracing paper, watercolors and a big book of watercolors paper, 12 new bottles of acrylic paint, a bag of 25 different type paintbrushes, a (badly needed) new box of 96 crayons, crayola washable paints, a huge floor pad of paper for the little kids, cute little plastic chinese food boxes with Christmas decorations on them for Christmas cookies/candies to give out as gifts, glass ornaments to decorate, snow/sparkley stuff, rub ons, clear but tinted paint for the ornaments, mason jars for snack gifts, coloring books. I think that's it. Oh, and a super soft, but super silky pink blanket for my dd. :mrgreen

[AdrienneQW]

Wow, big fun! Forget the kiddos, I'm headed to your house to play. Dibs on the oil pastels! :mrgreen

[phathui5]

I'd get:

Saxon Math 1 Homeschool kit (cheapest from Rainbow Resource)
Explode the Code primers (3 books)
bongos, harmonica, Melissa and Doug band-in-a-box
soccer net and ball
mini trampoline
science center membership

[KitKat]

I would get...

Phonics Pathways
Ray's Arithmetic series (goes from k-8th grade)
Considering God's creation
All Through the Ages (book list by period in history and grade level)
Language and Thinking for Young Children

Then of course lots of arts and crafts and living books.