Where do you buy your preschool supplies?

[5 Little Monkeys]

I have a group of 2 three year olds, a 19 month old and a 15 month old. Hard to believe but this is the oldest crew I've had so far lol. I am wanting to incorporate more structured preschool activities this Fall for the 2 three year olds. I am wondering where do you purchase your supplies? I have seen a few things online that have interested me but am wondering where others buy from....websites, stores and which ones?

I am specifically looking for a hanging wall daily planner. I found one on amazon but I'm wondering if anyone has had any luck with finding one in stores as I would like to look at them in detail. I have quite a few websites that have great ideas to make your own or print off worksheets but does anyone have an awesome place they buy anything from?

I have a few things that will be brought out for "preschool time" but I am wondering what kind of things you all use? I have things like the lacing beads, lacing cards, stencils, stamps, flashcards, letter/alphabet worksheets etc. Smaller toys like the lego and beads are for the older kids. I do a theme every month (except for July/August) and most of the things are for the whole group but I want some special things that are just for "preschool time".

[Daisy123]

It depends on how much you plan to spend. I've ordered several activities that the kids quite enjoy from a Montessori equipment warehouse. Not particularly cheap but they appeal to lots of different learning styles and I write them off at tax time. Some of my materials I've just replicated from what I've used in the classroom in the past ie counting rods using small dowels and alternating paint colours from the hardware store. Another staple is wooden boards with sandpaper letters and numbers attached for finger tracing. I don't mind sharing some of what I've done if you're interested. (I have a whole classroom set up apart from my playroom) Besides that, the dollar store and the toy store. I often just happen upon things when I least expect it! A few years ago I found a set of geometric solids in a craft store while on vacation in Martha's Vineyard that I just handpainted when I got home!

[mickyc]

I sent you a PM.

[kassiemom]

Scholar's choice is great for all that stuff and they do have deals all the time. dollar store is perfect, garage sales, Kijiji.

[5 Little Monkeys]

Thanks for the offer Daisy, definitely interested!

Will check out scholar's choice.

Yes, a lot of my stuff comes from garage sales and kijiji as well as my local classifieds. I have bought a few things from the dollar stores too but haven't seen anything too special lately.

[AmandaKDT]

I got my calendar set from Scholar's Choice - wait for their monthly 20% off sales to buy. I took the calendar set to Staples and got them to laminate all of it, then got those little zelcro circles (to attach the numbers, month, etc) from the dollar store so that everything is protected and reusable.

I don't buy anything really premade, I make it myself and do alot of hands on learning as opposed to worksheets - I don't really use them other than the occasional workbook that I get from Scholar's Choice or Chapters. I have made up some sets of flannel board stories, the kids love those and I use them at circle time. I got resource books from the library and just photocopied what I needed.

Most of my ideas I get from preschool themes website - picking activities that involve little prep and as much kid involvement as possible.

my kids like the dry erase books that have lots of different topics - math, letter tracing, etc. I use those in place of worksheets most of the time. I like that they're reusable, I got them at Chapters.

[5 Little Monkeys]

That sounds like a lot of work on the calendar Amanda lol. I want one that is already all done and ready to go. I might just have to order the one from Amazon.

I also have those dry erase work sheet books and they are great! I love them. I want worksheets to be able to send home though so parents can see their children's work as well though. I think I will probably make most of my own (I have some made already) but that's a good idea to photocopy the resource books!

[superfun]

I have a cool calendar that I got from Micheal's during one of their sales. One the daycare parents offered to laminate it for me, so that part was easy. I like the velcro idea a lot. I've been using sticky tack, and it's kind of annoying.

How do everyone attach things to their wall. I found a really neat ABC banner at the dollar store that I love. But I haven't hung it up yet, because I can't decide the best way. Every thing I think of makes me worry that paint will come off if the kids ever rip it off the wall.

[5 Little Monkeys]

I use green painters tape. Make sure it's the good stuff though as eventually the dollar store stuff does peel the paint as I found out lol. I have the foam ABC mats on my walls and the painters tape works awesome for that.

My fiancé also brought me 3 bulletin boards home from his school. They were going to garbage them so he asked if I could have them. I have 2 nailed in the daycare kitchen to hang up their artwork and I'm thinking of putting one in the playroom to use for preschool time and to hang seasonal things on.

[superfun]

Thanks! I don't think I would have thought about painters tape. That's what I'll do this evening.

That's awesome about the bulletin boards. I have a fake brick wall in my playroom that I painted so it's not ugly. It feels like a bulletin board, and now that it's covered in paint, the cork-ish material doesn't come off. So I've been using that for my calendar, weather, days of the week, etc.