heartofdakota.com

We are just officially starting to home school this coming up year. (actually going through LHTH right now but will start ds more consistently in LHTHG in Fall) Having just come to the end of about 3 years transition we don't have even your most basic supplies. Right now we are even out of construction paper! ahhh.... So with still getting settled still and a little overwhelmed I know I am not going to think of even some of the basic stuff. Is there anywhere that has a supply list for the various activities? Maybe a list of art supplies and items for science activities. Or even what is needed for letter activities. (we couldn't do one the other day b/c we had no masking tape that is the kind of basic stuff that should be on hand but isn't right now so i feel we miss out a little) I want to be able to build our supplies up plus my mother in law has a lot of craft stuff she can send me as well as goes to an auction regularly that has a LOT of stuff so she can be gathering for me.

I've been looking for one too!

Forgot to add: I will have a 5 yo, almost 3, and almost 1. (also may be watching one or two others daily, one possibility is a 3 yo and 21 mo if not these two probably around those ages).

The guides don't have supply lists because they really are very basic supplies and many substitutions are suggested. Here are some basics to get you started though...
Lots of copy paper (we like white cardstock), some colored construction paper (large and small), scissors, a ruler, some small index cards, some washable paint and a few paintbrushes, clear tape, masking tape, markers, glitter, liquid glue, glue stick, crayons, colored pencils (if possible), play dough or modeling clay, some yarn, paper punch, pencils, a black Sharpie, stapler - your basic art stuff. We used a 3 ring binder with clear plastic sleeves as a neat portfolio of the year. We also used cotton balls and/or Q-tips from time to time. Things like tin foil, plastic wrap, paper towels, a coffee filter, coffee or tea grounds, etc. from the kitchen are used from time to time too. One time it called for dry laundry flakes - that was the only time I didn't have what I needed on hand. Any food type items are easily substituted based on what you have on hand. That is pretty much it! We always have had the stuff on hand, other than the laundry flakes time. HOD really makes it easy on us moms that way! Have fun with all of this great hands-on stuff, and when in doubt, you can always skim the next week before hitting the grocery store, but I haven't found that to be necessary yet, and we've done every HOD guide so far. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

Hi there,

I think that Julie did a good job listing a lot of basic items. I wanted to add that if you have a Costco (not sure about Sam's) membership, they have supplies for a great price! I've bought a stapler, a ream or whatever you call it of construction paper (it's a ton of paper for a super cheap price), Ticonderoga pencils (great quality), Scotch tape, etc. Also, if you hit up Target in the summer when they start to put out back to school supplies, you can get a box of 24 Crayola Crayons for like .29 cents!!! Plus they have markers, glue, and such for CHEAP!!! You will find that you will gather supplies as needed and as money allows, and slowly but surely build up a nice little stockpile! HTH!!!

Oh Shannon- I'm glad you mentioned Ticonderoga pencils - we love those for our littles! You gave some great savings ideas as well - very helpful.

In Christ,
Julie

Mom4Him sent me this list when I started LHTH.

First of all, I want to say that there were times we didn't have the exact item written in the guide- but it was SUPER EASY to find something that worked just as well!! For example- we ran out of Cheerios- so we used beads instead, or if we didn't have dried beans or raisins- we used popcorn or cotton balls, etc. Also, there are almost always a # of different items you could use written right in the guide! I'm so thankful HOD makes it soooo easy on us moms!
Here is a list of things we used- a lot of things were interchangeable, & you really don't need ALL of it (I'll try to put everything I can think of, as we are just finishing LHTH this week)...
white paper/copy paper
construction paper (all colors)
crayons (we like Crayola- washable)
paint (tempera & fingerpaint & watercolors) & paint brushes
markers (washable) & a good permanent marker for mom
highlighter (if you want- my girls loved having their own)
scissors
o-cereal/dried beans/dried macaroni/dried spaghetti
stickers/stamps
marshmallows
tooth picks
yarn, ribbon
cotton balls
tin foil, waxed paper
magazines/catalogs/newspaper ads
glue (Elmer's & glue sticks)
soap (bar, liquid & powder detergent)
cooking oil/ chocolate syrup/ pudding/baby food
salt/ coffee grounds/ any spice
glitter
cotton swabs
clear container with lid
masking tape (LOTS) & clear tape too
sidewalk chalk
markers & marker boards
index cards
sticky notes
food coloring
napkin/ coffee filter/ paper towel
peanut butter, crackers & other snack items
bean bags or rolled up socks
popcorn/ seeds/rice/oatmeal/cornmeal
playdough
Also, a lot of toys were used for dramatic play, letter activities, etc. (toy cars, dolls/stuffed animals, blocks)- again all things you most likely have on hand or can find something to work just as well without even needing to plan ahead.
That's everything I can think of . Enjoy! You are going to love LHTH!!

If you watch the dollar section of Target, they put out all kinds of neat extras throughout the summer.

We picked up a bunch of the Junior Classics books. I know they are adapted versions rather than the full versions, but we like them. They allow us to read books we might not ever read. The kids can always read the full version later. I personally never read Oliver Twist and would never find time to read it now but I read the Junior Classic and loved it.

We've also gotten star stickers to put on their work, they love it. And little books about the states, flashcards about insects and presidents. All sorts of interesting extras.

Just wanted to add in
mini marshmallows and toothpicks
for building the temple. FUN! Not something I usually have on hand and not easily substituted.

I try to look ahead a unit or two and make sure we have what we need...it only takes a few minutes to do so (and is far less planning than I needed to do with previous curriculum). As you go, you'll be needing less each unit since many materials are used repeatedly. I try not to get too far ahead since a few materials will go bad (we just made whipped cream clouds for example). Also, any edible math manipulatives aren't safe in my cupboard.