Our Favorite School Supplies

Awhile back on the Preschoolers and Peace Facebook Page, Audrey asked about our favorite school supplies. I don't believe I've ever done a post on this before, but what a good idea! I love it when my readers chime in under the comments, so if you've favorites to add, please do so.

PENCIL SHARPENER Our first favorite is a bit new to us, but so far it's been the best pencil sharpener we've owned. We've owned several hundred (not really, but it seems like it and I'm losing track of time anyway). The Classroom Friendly Pencil Sharpener lives up to its name for several reasons: it's manual, and so excessive pencil sharpening by overly zealous 4-year-olds doesn't burn out its motor. It's also very quiet, as pencil sharpeners go. And its extremely reasonable, costing just 14.99. It has lived up to its name in our little classroom; very friendly indeed.

I do have to tell you that the man who designed The Classroom Friendly Pencil Sharpener sent me one to try here at home and one for my husband to try in his office. I could throw a negative review his way, but the product doesn't warrant that. I'm not the only one who's happy, though. Browse the reviews here if you'd like more info.

 

PENCILS I used to love and adore Dixon Ticonderogas, but since they moved their plant out of the country several years ago, they just aren't the same quality. The leads were falling out all the time. Isn't that supremely annoying??? Our favorites now are Papermate Mirados, which you'll see go on a fabulous sale at Walgreens during school supply sale time (July and August here in the States). When they do go on sale, grab a year's worth!

 

SCISSORS For big people, I prefer the Westcott Titanium scissors. For little people, I buy what's on sale for pennies during school supply sale time. I think we've owned and lost at least 50 pairs over the years (again, maybe a slight exageration) and so I don't bother buying better ones.

 

GLUE STICKS My kids like the purple disappearing glue sticks by Elmer's. It's nice to be able to see where the glue is going down without having to worry about it showing. And buy them in bulk! The sticks themselves seem to disappear here, too.

 

COLORED PENCILS We're not big artists here, but over the years I have learned that there are cheapo colored pencils that break and don't give nice shading, and then there are Prismacolors. I do still buy the cheaper ones when they're on a deep sale, but I keep the Prismacolors for nice projects.

PAGE PROTECTORS I use page protectors for so many things, from schedules to the kids' projects to recipes for my recipe binders. I prefer the ones I can buy at Costco because they're thick. If you don't have a Costco membership, then just make sure you buy thick protectors; the chinzy, floppy, thin ones aren't worth it in the end, because they just don't last.

M-N-M's No, really. But mostly for me :)