Below I have a comprehensive list of items I find the most useful to have on hand year-round. If you are just starting out, don’t let this list overwhelm you – you don’t need to buy it all at once. When I first began homeschooling, I made an Amazon Homeschool Wishlist and added everything to my list. When a lesson popped up that required an item, I would buy it until eventually I was fully stocked. You can click each item and it will take you to the exact item on Amazon that we use. Sometimes I buy supplies at local stores, but I have included affiliate links for everything if you prefer to shop online.

In this blog post: 

• Homeschool preschool supplies for lesson preparation
• Homeschool preschool supplies for arts and crafts
• Homeschool preschool supplies for letter recognition and formation
• Homeschool preschool supplies for creating connection
• Homeschool preschool supplies for sensory learning
• Other preschool resources from Treehouse Schoolhouse

Homeschool preschool supplies for lesson preparation

• 2.5-inch binder

• A-Z dividers

• 3-hole punch

• Color printer

• Laminator

• Laminating pouches

• Paper cutter

• White cardstock

• Printer paper

• 3 organizational bins

• Trays

• Baskets

• Little bowls

• Small pitcher for pouring

• Small scoop

The first three items are for for organizing the printable curriculum. We are currently using The Peaceful Preschool curriculum, and you can read more about how I build off of it here. After much research, I decided on the printer listed above, and it has been perfect. I also use my laminator weekly. If you don’t have a laminator, the one listed here is inexpensive and gets the job done. Scissors will do for cutting out laminated cards, but having a paper cutter for this task makes prep so much faster. Lastly, the trays, baskets, little bowls, and little pitchers are used for our Tot Trays.

Homeschool preschool supplies for arts and crafts

• Glue (liquid)

• Glue (stick)

• Dot markers

• Construction paper

• Pom Poms

• Craft sticks

• Washable tempera paint

• Paint brushes

• Paint cups

• Watercolors

• Waterbrushes

• Twistable crayons

Each unit has theme-specific arts and crafts activities. The materials listed here are ones we use time and time again. Additional supplies may come up for certain projects, but the ones above are the staples. If you have never introduced Dot Markers to your child, they will love them! The acrylic and watercolor paints I listed are bigger investments up front but they last a year or longer, even with as much as we use them. I love the Twistable Crayons because they don’t break and little fingers are getting extra fine motor practice when they twist them up.

Homeschool preschool supplies for letter recognition and formation

• Air-Dry clay

• Letter stamps

• Ink pads

• Salt

• Uppercase sandpaper letters

• Small slates

• Chalk

• Dry erase pouches

• Fine point white erase markers

• Felt letters

I use a variety of sensory methods to introduce letters and to invite my children to practice letter formation. You can read more about the multiple activities I use to teach letter formation and recognition here.

Homeschool preschool supplies for creating connection

• Floor mat (one per child)

• Rhythm sticks (one pair per child and yourself)

• Foldable felt board

• Jesus Storybook Bible

Each morning we sit together in the living room for what I call “Together Time.” This is a time we read stories, sing songs, do fingerplays, play group games, and introduce new Tot Trays. I’ll be writing a more detailed post about our Together Time soon.

Homeschool preschool supplies for sensory learning

• Clothespins

• Lentils

• Beans

• Helping Hands tools

• Tweezers

• Large push pins

• Shaving cream

• Preschool scissors

• Mini muffin pan

• Tunnel

• Hopper ball

Sensory learning and fine motor practice are essential to our learning. The Helping Hands Tools and the Tweezer Set are two of the best purchases I have made to help my son’s pencil grip. We use the Tunnel and the Hopper Ball in moments that my children need to get their bodies moving and some wiggles out before moving on to the next activity. Sometimes I just let them freely play with them, but usually I incorporate them into a lesson.

Other preschool resources from Treehouse Schoolhouse

Are you looking for more learning resources or learning material for toddlers or preschoolers in your home? Consider these best-selling products from Treehouse Schoolhouse that offer a gentle invitation to learning for small children.

Treehouse Story School, Preschool

Treehouse Story School, Preschool is 32-weeks of gentle, literature-based curriculum designed for ages 2.5-5 years. This preschool curriculum that invites children to learn through the themes in stories they love. Each week will focus on a picture book, inviting children into connection and learning through music and movement, play-based narration, alphabet and number play, motor skills, practical life development, crafts, and baking together.

It would be a great fit for your toddler or preschooler if you are looking to incorporate multi-sensory, play-based learning while introducing them to timeless stories.

From toddler through upper preschool, this curriculum can be used year after year as you dive deeper into beloved, classic stories your family will cherish.

Stay tuned for more details – coming this summer! Preview a free week here.

Daily Rhythm Bundle

Children are highly visual–they can feel particularly out of control when they don’t know what to expect of their day. That’s why we recommend using a visual schedule to support your children from the time they are very young.

Rather than trying to stick to a rigid schedule, this set helps you create a general rhythm for your days. The daily rhythm worksheet is laminated and dry erase and the cards can be moved around offering you flexibility and adaptability. 

Related: Overview: Daily Rhythm Bundle

Wonder of Nature Alphabet Print Cards

The Wonder of Nature Alphabet Print Cards are designed to offer young children a multi-sensory invitation to recognizing letters. The watercolor illustrations that coordinate with each letter of the alphabet teach early phonetic awareness by introducing them to beginning letter sounds. These beautiful cards can be displayed in your school room or used for hands-on learning activities like matching, sorting, and reading.

Related: Hands-on Alphabet Recognition and Formation Activities

Wonder of Nature Alphabet Sheets

These interactive, reusable sheets are designed to offer young children a multi-sensory invitation to recognizing, forming, and writing letters. The watercolor illustrations that coordinate with each letter of the alphabet teach early phonetic awareness by introducing them to beginning letter sounds. Slide these sheets into a restaurant menu cover or into dry-erase pouches so that your child can practice them again and again. Use dry-erase markers and wipe clean after each use.

Related: How to Teach a Child to Read

Morning Time Bundle

This interactive, reusable set focuses on weather, seasons, moon phase, temperature, weather-appropriate clothing, date and time, and reading a calendar. With this daily bundle, your child will practice the skills of handwriting, tracing, copywork, and telling time. I recommend you print these materials and place them inside of a Morning Time Menu or dry-erase sleeve. Using dry-erase markers, your child can fill this bundle out over and over again. 

We also offer a version of the Morning Time Bundle for those in our community who live in the Southern Hemisphere.

Related: Calendar and Weather Charting for Kids

What supplies do you love in your homeschool preschool? Let us know in the comments below.