I cannot believe that we are going to begin teaching our youngest child preschool at home this year! If you are teaching your first child preschool at home then you may be wondering what basic supplies you should have.
Well, you do not have to break the bank in order to teach preschool at home. I will share with you the basic supplies that we use and love.
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Desk or Table for Preschool at Home
We had a friend getting rid of a child-sized desk and 2 chairs that I was able to buy for $10. We’ve used that for the last 3-4 years inside and we also own a preschool sized picnic table that we use on our porch outside. My parents just gave us a child’s Step 2 desk that they rescued from the trash!
Box of Supplies for Preschool at Home
Your little one will feel like a big big if he has his own pencil box of supplies. Our preschool pencil box consists of washable markers, colored pencils, kid scissors, and glue sticks. He loves having his own supplies that he can easily access and does not have to share with the big kids.
Alphabet Items for Preschool at Home
Almost everyone has a basic set of magnetic alphabet pieces so use them! If you don’t have a set or dozen like us then see if you can borrow a set or pick up a set the next time you are grocery shopping. If you are really in a pinch and want a good alphabet set I suggest these which also include braille!
You can even create your own Alphabet scavenger hunt with index cards and large sticker letters.
If your budget allows for a splurge then I would highly recommend buying a LeapFrog toy that teaches the letter sounds or something like this VTech Lil’ Speller Phonics Station (we own the LeapFrog Word Whammer which has been discontinued but all four of my children have used it and loved it.)
Numbers Items for Preschool at Home
Teaching your child to count is only one part of learning numbers. Playing with magnetic numbers and counting items are another great way to learn about them. We have magnetic numbers, foam numbers, blocks with numbers and cookie cutters with numbers. Once your child can recognize their numbers you might add simple addition or subtraction skills, grouping like items, or even some basics of telling time with a small plastic clock.
You can create simple math games like this frog and snake dice game.
Gross Motor Items for Preschool at Home
I bet your preschool child is full of energy. You do not want to waste all that energy so you might as well incorporate it in your school time. Simple things like a small ball, hula hoop, crawling tunnel or jump rope can all be used in preschool. You can practice rolling and catching the ball. The hula hoop can be dropped over the child or set-up so they can crawl through it. The jump rope can be used to walk along like a tightrope or crawled under like a game of limbo. All of these items can usually be found at Walmart or the dollar store if you do not already own them!
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