three4me Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 We live in CA and will be using a charter this year. We plan to spend our funds on a couple extracurricular activities, but don't generally like to have a busy schedule. If you had kids going into first and third grades, what other things would you spend your funds on? Must be educational, secular, and preferably consumable (non-consumable things will need to be returned to the school eventually). I am considering a few non-consumable things simply because they would otherwise be too far out of our budget. Ok... GO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 (edited) Science kits and art supplies. Klutz books. Logic workbooks (Mind Benders, Lollipop Logic, Building Thinking Skills). Fountain pens and ink for handwriting instruction (the junior ones from JetPens). Edited June 19, 2016 by JudoMom 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 Monthly subscription kits like Kiwi Crate Magazine subscriptions - anything from Cricket magazines, Highlights, ZooBooks Art supplies Audible subscription Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insertcreativenamehere Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 Dreambox subscription Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 I have a third grader and a similar type of program. It's fun to shop this way! We are continuing our Tinker Crate subscription and adding Doodle Crate. Plus getting Home Art Studio and a kit of art supplies. We already have CAP Fable but that is something to look at. I'm debating getting Well-Ordered Language too. Maybe a Brave Writer program? Or a bunch of Arrow downloads? I'm getting Nick and Tesla books and the materials for all of the projects. I choose Kindle books and Audible audiobooks so I don't have to return them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freelylearned Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 Printer ink and good quality art supplies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freelylearned Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 (edited) I'm looking at a typing without tears subscription. Did I mention printer ink? ;) Edited June 20, 2016 by Shellsand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
three4me Posted June 20, 2016 Author Share Posted June 20, 2016 Printer ink and good quality art supplies. I'm not much of an artist. Besides Prismacolor pencils, what specific art supplies do you recommend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 Printer ink and printer paper for picture study prints. Science kits, like boxes of rocks to explore. A decent microscope -- maybe not high school quality, but not a toy either -- and premade slides to view. And science materials -- those supplies add up! Of course, I'd also buy SOTW books and Activity Guides if I didn't already have them. I know I've seen treasure chest sorts of things listed, maybe in WTM, like a collection of stuff from a particular era. Those would be fun! I'd probably also buy what my library didn't have of the following, even if they might need to be returned to the charter eventually: Sleeping Bear Press state and other books, Magic Treehouse books or CDs, If You Lived books, Magic Schoolbus books, Poetry for Young People series, Come Look With Me art books, and You Woildnt Want To Be A series. And some maps or other fun history posters. I would also buy all of the Classical Kids CDs. And, a keyboard if I didn't have one, plus piano lessons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
three4me Posted June 20, 2016 Author Share Posted June 20, 2016 I'm looking at a typing without tears subscription. Did I mention printer ink? ;) Any idea how much the Keyboarding Without Tears costs? I was hoping to add tying to our schedule next year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
three4me Posted June 20, 2016 Author Share Posted June 20, 2016 We already have CAP Fable but that is something to look at. I'm debating getting Well-Ordered Language too. Maybe a Brave Writer program? Or a bunch of Arrow downloads? I love the idea of spending money on those, but I have a hard time getting comfortable with actually using PDFs. How do people do it?? Do you print everything out or carry around an iPad? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
three4me Posted June 20, 2016 Author Share Posted June 20, 2016 Printer ink and printer paper for picture study prints. Science kits, like boxes of rocks to explore. A decent microscope -- maybe not high school quality, but not a toy either -- and premade slides to view. And science materials -- those supplies add up! Of course, I'd also buy SOTW books and Activity Guides if I didn't already have them. I know I've seen treasure chest sorts of things listed, maybe in WTM, like a collection of stuff from a particular era. Those would be fun! I'd probably also buy what my library didn't have of the following, even if they might need to be returned to the charter eventually: Sleeping Bear Press state and other books, Magic Treehouse books or CDs, If You Lived books, Magic Schoolbus books, Poetry for Young People series, Come Look With Me art books, and You Woildnt Want To Be A series. And some maps or other fun history posters. I would also buy all of the Classical Kids CDs. And, a keyboard if I didn't have one, plus piano lessons. I was thinking about artist study prints but we'd need a new printer. Is there one you recommend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 I love the idea of spending money on those, but I have a hard time getting comfortable with actually using PDFs. How do people do it?? Do you print everything out or carry around an iPad? The Arrow units are fairly short and easy to print - but yes, you could just transfer them to an iPad. The CAP Fable is a physical book. The student edition is consumable, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventuresinHomeschooling Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 Will they cover music lessons or art lessons? I make those our first priority. Swimming lessons? Will they cover a musical instrument? P.E. Classes? Extra stuff: what others mentioned, Magic School Bus kits, craft supplies, Usborne books like Write a Story, doodle books, something that interests them (for example, comic book pages for my doodling sons,) electronic subscriptions to things like phonics or math games, math manipulatives and games, mad libs, etc. Some foreign language curriculum is also an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AggieMama Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 Engineering kits, museum passes, zoo passes, math manipulativs, history books, lots of reference books (if you mean eventually you have to return them does that mean after you unenroll the kids), chapter books galore, educational videos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daijobu Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 BTDT with trying desperately to use up charter school funds. What worked for me were art and craft supplies (Discount School Supply and Dick Blick were our vendors), science supplies from Home Science Tools, and I believe Barnes and Noble was an approved vendor, so check them out. Also, American Girl was an approved vendor, but not for dolls, and they sell lots of interesting books and craft kits. I had a good long term relationship with my ES, so I could keep non-consumable items over the summer because she knew I'd be returning in the fall. You may want to ask your ES if that's possible for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
three4me Posted June 20, 2016 Author Share Posted June 20, 2016 Will they cover music lessons or art lessons? I make those our first priority. Swimming lessons? Will they cover a musical instrument? P.E. Classes? Extra stuff: what others mentioned, Magic School Bus kits, craft supplies, Usborne books like Write a Story, doodle books, something that interests them (for example, comic book pages for my doodling sons,) electronic subscriptions to things like phonics or math games, math manipulatives and games, mad libs, etc. Some foreign language curriculum is also an option. Yes, we can use it for lessons, etc. we will do a bit of that but don't like to be too busy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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