This year I’ve done things a little differently. Instead of waiting for the usual lists and then battling the crowds, I made my own lists of the things I end up buying every single year. I began buying them early and stored them out of reach of small hands.
Generic list:
- 6 to 8 glue sticks per child
- one medium bottle of Elmer's glue
- scissors
- 2 boxes of yellow #2 pencils per child
- 4 plastic pocket folders - 1 green, 1 blue, 1 red, 1 yellow
- an assortment of paper pocket folders in different colors
- 2 one subject spiral notebooks
- 1 package loose notebook paper
- Crayola crayons (two 48 count boxes)
- 1 box washable markers
- 1 box colored pencils
- 2 large pink erasers
- 1 pair of inexpensive headphones
- 1 box of tissues
- 1 paper towels
- 1 bottle of hand sanitizer
Some of these items like the tissues, paper towels and hand sanitizer will be probably be shared among the class. Some teachers also gather up all the crayons, marker and colored pencils, and share those among the class too.
I watched the newspaper circulars and sales ads and compared prices every Sunday. When I find something for a good price I take the circular and make a note on my list. I shop at a Wal-Mart SuperCenter and they will match prices as long as I can show the sale price in a circular and they have the same item. This is great because I don't have to go to 20 different places. Check to see if your market will do this too.
You can also check on eBay. I've noticed several listings for school supplies.
As you begin picking up these items, store them. If you get your list and you have extra's, hang on to them. Your child will most likely need more during the year and you'll also have the tools they need to do homework.
Back To School Tips & Tricks
***Please keep in mind that this is a generic list - you may or may not need some or all of these items***
