FUN THINGS for the CLASSROOM or HOMESCHOOLING!

I have been getting some things for school this year and have found a few neat, fairly cheap, things to use with preschoolers.  Whether you are buying supplies for your classroom, homeschooling, or just to have at your house...I will list a few places and items I have found to be fun and educational at the same time.

Remember:   PLAY can be a very handy learning tool!

One of my favorite places to search for fun manipulatives and neat toys is  

BIG LOTS!

 Here are a few things I got the other day:

Acrylic Leaves & Pumpkins

These were in the fall/Thanksgiving area.

Each bag was $4.00

There are about 40 leaves in a bag.

16 Pumpkins in a bag (they are fatter)

They also had acorns which had about 25.

(I didn't get those cuz by then I had spent too much money!  LOL)

Each piece measures about 1 1/2 inch across.

These will make great counting/sorting/patterning tools during our fall/leaves theme.

Also great to hide in your sand table in sand, real leaves from outside, dried corn.

Small Square Containers

These came in a pack of 8 for $2.00

(I split half and half with a friend)

Great for keeping dice contained during a game with preschoolers.  Instead of having your dice bounce all over the place, they shake the container and when placed on table, see what the dice read.

Milkshake Straws

 There are at least 40 - 50 straws for only $1.80

These are big straws!  You could probably fit 3 regular straws in one.

These would be great to use with Play-Doh to make some neat things:

You can cut them to different sizes and have them sort by size or color.

You could also let them cut them into one or two inch pieces and string necklaces with them, maybe adding some wooden beads in between.

Another place I just bought some things: birthdayexpress.com

My nephew just turned 2 and is really into pretend play with costumes.  They have some cute/cheap hats I got for him.  Here are a few:

 

Pirate Felt Hat  -  $3.99

Pirate Mask  - $0.99 (Sturdy Foam)

Engineer's Hat  -  $2.99

Chef's Hat  -  $1.99

Fireman's Hat  -  $1.29

They have lots of party items and make sure to check out their CLEARANCE section.....never know what you might find!

Checkout Educator's Outlet  -  This place always has a sale and lots of times they have 50% off of their clearance stuff!  Here are some of the examples of savings I have gotten over the years:

Lacing Buttons  

Normal price $15.00  Clearance  $7.98  I paid  $3.00

There are a lot of buttons in here and lacing strings.

Teddy Bear Bingo

Normal Price $15.00   Clearance $8.98   I paid  $4.00

Lots of bears to use in the game or just as manipulatives to count/sort/pattern

Floor Puzzles

Normal Price  $12.97    Clearance  $4.98   I paid  $2.49 ea.

They have these puzzles for lots of themes ( I have about 7 of them)

That is just a sampling of their products.  Make sure to check back often to get a great deal!

Also check out Discount School Supply!   They have many sales too and sometimes you can save quite a bit during their "Dollar Days" sales.  You never know what they will offer during these sales, but here are a couple things I got last time:

Rainbow Dance Ribbons (6 in a pack)

Normal Price $33.95    Their price  $9.95     Dollar Day Price   $3.00

These are great to use during music or gross motor time.  Kids love them.

Colored Bean Bags (pack of 12 nylon bags)

Normal Price $17.00     Their Price  $12.95   Dollar Days Price  $2.00

These are all just a few samples of some neat things you can find.

Keep checking places and looking for those sales.  It really doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg to get some fun things to use with your kids!

Always check your stores like: Dollar Tree, Dollar General, & Family Dollar Stores.....Have had some GREAT finds in these places too!