I H.E.A.R.T Back-To-School time! It means fall is coming, we get to start new and exciting curriculum, and we get new school supplies! Goodness all around!
But what does Back-To-School look like for a homeschooler?
I mean, don’t we just come downstairs and start school?
No back-to-school fanfare?
Well, honestly I don’t think we’re much different than other kids. But then that could be just me…because I hype it up and all.
We shop for new supplies just like other folks do…
This year we managed to only get a few things because we still had some left over from last year. Our list included things like scissors (do your kids misplace scissors like mine? No clue where they go…), glue sticks, dry-erase markers, colored pencils, line paper, rulers this year because our old ones writing had faded, and of course our favorite Ticonderoga pencils!
This year we spent $75 total on supplies. I looked and last year we spent $150, so that’s half! And I know it’s WAY less than your average student has to spend to fulfill the lists they hand out, so we’re doing good!
And blessed Crayola emailed to see if they could send us a back-to-school care package.
Um, YES PLEASE!!
I want to mention that other than the free bus you see below, this post was not endorsed what-so-ever. I LOVE Crayola. Admittedly, I’ve tried other brands and they are not as good. Colors aren’t as vibrant, erasable pencils don’t actually erase, and markers don’t last. So I stopped buying other brands a few years ago, and now I stick to Craylola. And they have a bunch of cool stuff on the Crayola Pinterest page too, yep, I’m a follower!
And look at that happy face! I mean who wouldn’t be excited to receive a giant school bus full of goodies?
Here are my desk drawers. I house all of our backup supplies, along with some of my ‘don’t touch this unless you ask’ type supplies. Mainly extra glue for when people can’t seem to find the one that should be right in their desk drawer…? Seriously. and then extra tape, paper-clips, highlighters, and things like that.
You know, official teacher stuff.
And here is my other drawer, lined paper, hole punch, index cards, and a few back up staples and the like.
We get back-to-school clothes. Sort of.
We also tend to get at least 1 new outfit, sometimes more depending on need. We always do a fall closet cleanout, so the younger girls get all *Like-new* clothes from Strawberry Shortcakes. Yes, they’re hand-me downs, but my kids have never complained, and get excited to see what new clothes they’ll get each year. It’s like Christmas in August!
After pulling out and restocking the closets, we’ll head out and grab a couple of extras that they might need. So it’s like “back-to-school” shopping, but we don’t go out and get a ton of stuff. Though with 4 kids, 4 outfits seems like a ton of stuff!
For the last couple of years we have participated in an options program where they do go one time per week and do elective classes like art, music, PE, science, computers, robotics, and this year my oldest gets to do yearbook which I think she’ll love.
So the kids also have backpacks with supplies they get to organize for that. I usually just re-use their binders and backpacks, but they get new pencils, paper, and whatever else the program requires. Usually it’s not too much other than paper and pencils which makes my shopping list fairly inexpensive.
We do a back-to-school/last day of summer fun party!
We also do a fancy "end of summer" dinner every year with a fun desert. This year we roasted hotdogs over the fire, then had s’mores! Yum!
I realize there are a few extra kids in there, but that’s just how we roll around here…s’mores are best when shared!
Then the first morning I make a big breakfast and everyone gets to go in the school room and see what’s in their drawers for the year. So it’s kind of a fun surprise thing.
I’ll share what they found in their workboxes in another post…oooh the suspense!
And that’s about it…back-to-school for homeschoolers. Just like any other excited student ready to embark on a new year full of possibilities! Whoo-hoo!
Our School Supply List: Want more details on our school supplies? Check out the posts below where I get into the nitty gritty of what we use in the Confessions household!
Thanks for sharing, Erica! I love school supplies too and, after seeing all those Crayola products, am wishing for younger kids again. We just started school on Monday with a special breakfast too:)
Hi Erica,
I’m not a homeschooler but I follow your blog for the resources so I can supplement my kids’ education. Thank you!! I have a question regarding backpacks. Since your kids are homeschooled, how do they use their backpacks? Just curious b/c their learning is centered at home. Thanks!
We use the backpacks for their one day a week options program that they participate in.
I have to say we love Crayola! Your right everything is so vibrant with the colors. We do some school shopping as well and we get some new clothes. I am organizing putting a NOT back to school party for the kids with some other homeschool kids. The first couple weeks we did a lot more outtings and had fun. I look forward to the fall and more nature watch and the leaves changing colors. I love starting back school work with the kids.
I love Crayola products!!! That was so nice of them to send you some supplies. I have friends with kids in public school and I’m constantly amazed at how much they spend on the needed supplies that then get tossed in a communal box so their kids don’t even get to keep those supplies. I love that you do special back to school activities too.
Thank you for sharing! Hoping your homeschool year will be full of wonder! Blessings.
Stockmar crayons may change your mind. Ours have lasted whole childhoods of several kids here. They come in stick and block types (the latter for shading in…) and are harder, more vibrant and made from beeswax, so they smell lovely! 🙂 they are a staple in Waldorf schools and though we keep crayola here for the wider variety (such as our keeping a pack of skin tones here always…) they’re rather inferior in every other way 😉 try them! 🙂
I was wondering if you had a pdf version of the supply lists in a pdf form. Great website. Thanks for all of the help. Love it. This will be my first year homeschooling and your site has been a tremendous help. Blessings
Hi Shakema,
I’m sorry, I don’t have a pdf of our supplies, we just get what we need each year so it varies.
Hi Erica!
This is my favorite time of year too!! We love getting new books and supplies. It’s like Christmas to us! We get all giddy as we open all our new packages, etc. It really is a fun time 🙂
Oh Erica, would you mind if I had your contact information? I’d like to send you an email and when I hit the ‘Contact Me’ button, it tries to go through Outlook, which I no longer have. I now have g-mail. So without having your actual email address, I can’t contact you.
Thanks! Your blog looks awesome!!!
Aside preparing the school thing for the kids consider the “preparatory stage” especially if it’s their first time schooling.
Wow this is my first year homeschooling so i kind of missed the opportunity of doing a back to school activity 🙁 but i will be prepared next year GOD willing … love your page and the ideas that you have i share many of your beliefs for i am a Christian as well we do bible study as well .. i need some advice i have a 3rd grader , a K4 with special needs (my daughter has Down Syndrome) and the i have a 2 year old and a 1 year old and I am pregnant how was it for you? how did you manage to do everything with the little the school level ones and keep the little ones busy?