There are so many places for educational resources out there! It’s easy to get bogged down or not even know where to start! If you are new to homeschooling or if you just want some educational things for your kids, I hope you find this helpful.
Before you start looking for resources, I would recommend knowing what type of homeschooling method or style you plan to follow. I’m not going to get into all the options here but it will dramatically change what you look for depending on your philosophy {unschooling, Charlotte Mason, traditional, classical, literature based, etc.}.
NOTE: If you don’t know what I’m talking about, this post from Pam Barnhill is a great breakdown of the methods of homeschooling and some resources for each type. If you want information on starting to homeschool, check out this post from Confessions of a Homeschooler.
There is always Amazon but I’ve been surprised to find some curriculum and games less expensive on some of the sites listed below. It pays to look around! So let’s get into a few of the great places to look for educational supplies!! I’ll mention if the website is Christian or carries Christian curriculum. I’m sure I’m leaving out some but these are websites I’ve shopped on or heard about in my homeschool community. In no particular order:
Lakeshore Learning - I love so many things here! Great bulk art/craft supplies, fun games and puzzles and toys, daily journals. You can get an educator card — even as a homeschooler — for a discount.
Oriental Trading Co. - Did you know they have a whole education line?! Lots of craft supplies, notepads, stickers. I get their pom-poms and buttons for counters to use in math.
Dover Publishers - When I was little, it was always a treat to get paper dolls from Dover. They have paper dolls or sticker dolls to show the fashion of just about every era, previously out of print books, novels, stickers, activity books. They are a great place to check for inexpensive fun ‘fillers’ to your school curriculum.
Barnes and Noble - Of course you know they have books! But did you know you can get an educator card and receive 20% off all purchases {except things like Legos}? I like to take my kids and let them pick out a book or two, then stop at the cafe for a sweet treat and coffee to start the school year!
Rainbow Resource - This is a great place to look for discount curriculum and books. I’ve found so many fun things here, including Usborne books! They are a Christian company and have a great selection of Bible curriculum, books, etc. It’s very easy to get overwhelmed on their site; they have a ton of stuff for all ages. I like to request a free catalog to browse instead of searching online. They send out a curriculum catalog and a separate catalog for educational toys, books, and manipulatives.
Timberdoodles - This is a new company to me but I’m impressed with what they have. You can get complete curriculum kits if you aren’t sure what you want or some fun educational toys. My daughter is very intrigued by the Graphic Library history books {like comic books} that we found here. This is a Christian company but you can get secular curriculum/kits.
Christian Book Distributors - As the name implies, this is a Christian company. But they have an entire search option for homeschool supplies. They frequently have sales and also offer popular curriculum {Bob Jones, A Beka, Saxon, etc.}. I’ve gotten some Melissa and Doug educational toys from here at great prices.
Mardel - Another Christian company that offers big name curriculum, often at a discount. They also have planners {I’m using their homeschool planner and really loving it!}, religious shirts and jewelry, and Bibles.
Masterbooks - If you are familiar with Answers in Genesis, you’ll recognize this name. They publish many of the books Ken Ham has written but they also have their own curriculum. I’m planning to use, “A Child’s Geography: Explore Viking Realms” and “Passport to the World” for part of our unit lessons this fall. I also love all their resources about dinosaurs and creation for kids.
Homeschool Used Book - I recently found this site through the Well-Planned Gal page. This is an online place for you to sell and buy used curriculum. They offer a range of grades, curricula, and subjects and note on each one the condition of the item and the discount from retail price. Many are 50%+ off!!
ThriftBooks - I’m a fan of book buying but especially discount book buying! ThriftBooks has just about any book and DVD and if they don’t currently have it, you can add it to a wishlist and be notified when they get one in. I’ve saved so much money comparing here to Amazon. I usually pay about half what it is on Amazon. They have a points program and you can earn free books by buying books, sending friend referrals, and using their mobile app. They have adult books, cookbooks, UsBorne, picture books, dictionaries….
Home Science Tools - Last year I ordered the science kit that went with our curriculum and we received in one box all the materials to do all the experiments listed in my third grader’s science book! They have kits that go with a variety of curricula and also offer individual things like microscopes, dissection kits, chemistry supplies, weather and geological experiments, and more.
UsBorne - I love UsBorne books! They are great quality, colorful, educational, and cover so many topics. I look for these books on other sites {a few I mentioned above} but there are certain titles that are impossible to find unless you go straight to the source. We love the Lift a Flap, Shine a Light, and doodle books from here!
A Child’s Dream - This is a Waldorf method website. They have mostly arts and crafts type things and not as many books. I haven’t ordered from them but they have high quality wool, felt, and painting supplies.
Nature Watch - If you want rocks, minerals, butterfly kits, fossils, and other hands-on things about nature, this is a great site! If you teach a Co-Op class or want a fun activity for a group of kids, they also have craft kits that are less expensive the more you order {does that make sense?}. I haven’t ordered from here but I have my eye on a few things if the budget allows.
Now, you can also go to publisher’s websites and order straight from them for curriculum. I have not ordered or used curriculum from all these companies but I know families that do use products from the companies listed and have recommended them to me. I’ve mentioned a few of the major ones below.
If you are interested in classical learning: Classical Conversations, Memoria Press, Classical Academic Press.
If you are interested in Charlotte Mason: Beautiful Feet Books, Ambleside Online.
If you are interested in traditional learning: Bob Jones Press, A Beka.
A few other companies are: All About Learning Press, Sonlight, My Father’s World, Math-U-See, The Good and the Beautiful, Rod and Staff.
Like I said, knowing your homeschool teaching style/method is important so you don’t get bogged down in all the possibilities! It is possible to mix things. We are traditional style {using Bob Jones Press for most things} but we use Song School Latin from Classical Academic Press and New American Handwriting from Memoria Press. But I like using the same company for our core subjects because it gives a cohesion and familiarity to our school day and makes sure we’re not forgetting something.
If you are feeling like homeschooling is impossible, don’t give up! Just choose one of the above websites and start looking around. You don’t have to buy everything available to get started. Just get your core subjects {math, language arts, science}, start slow, get comfortable, and gradually expand. You also don’t have to buy everything at once. I’ve ordered supplemental books or activities in October once I saw what we were learning for the year and what my kids enjoyed doing.
Please comment below if you have questions! I’d love to help and encourage you if I can.
Photo by J Kelly Brito on Unsplash