My son is going into 2nd grade in the fall, and we're starting to have a lot more hands-on creative projects like dioramas, posters, and so forth. I thought it would be a good idea to stock up on supplies so I am not constantly having to run to the craft store. What do you find most useful to keep on hand? He has never been all that enthusiastic about arts and crafts, so we don't have much more than markers, crayons, paper, glue and the basics.
I got what you got! lol
My sons are not very artsy, so I haven't bought more than what necessary.
The only other thing I have is construction paper.
So far, I haven't really had to go to the store for anything other than poster board....once.
Because I paint, we always have that on hand..lots of colorful markers, pens and crayons. Glitter/glitter glue. Poster paper... (different colors)
stickers.. I keep any items from past projects because I know we ll eventually need them.. Blank sheets of paper/colored paper..
I do a lot gardening so we also have used some of the small garden rocks/horticultural sand... (you can buy those in small packages) they came in hand when we built a Diorama of the desert...
Also, styrofoam has always come in hand .... buy it when it's on sale. otherwise, that stuff can get expensive.. ESPECIALLY when the craft store knows the nearby schedules of the school.. for example, in 3rd grade, my son had to build a mission .. well the stores know this and as parents go to the stores , for one, mission items sell out and two.... the store mark the items up....
same goes with Science projects... you begin to see a trend... buy off season... if your child's teacher gives you a list in advance of projects they will be doing, my advice.. buy the stuff in advance... believe me, many parents wait til last minute.. you ll be glad you had ALL the materials for the project on hand... otherwise, you might find yourself in a long line at night at the crafts store will other parents..
good luck
Depends on the project, but:
Poster board in several colors
Shoeboxes. Keep several around and keep the lids. These are great for small dioramas. I never throw a shoebox away!
Construction paper.
Glue sticks. If you only have liquid glue, be sure to have good quality glue sticks. Elmer's is good. Cheap brands are lousy and worthless.
Model Magic. This is made by Crayola. It's a kind of modeling clay and is expensive ($3.99 for a small pack of one color here) BUT it works very well for making figures for dioramas, for instance. Be sure to store it tightly wrapped in sealed bags once you open it. Worth stocking up if there is a sale or coupon. It dries and is far better than Play-Doh or cheap modeling clays.
Keep popsicle sticks (called craft sticks at craft stores) and things like wooden coffee stirrers from the coffee shop around. Great for dioramas and projects but also for stirring liquid glue or paint, spreading glitter glue, etc.
Those are some of our basics. I would not over-buy things since each assignment can be different. It will be fun for your son to work on a list of supplies for a project and go to the craft store with you. But...yes, get those good glue sticks and some Model Magic on sale when you can! They'll keep!
Poster board. In colors, too.
Modeling clay.
Duck tape (in solid colors)
Spare binders, and a hole punch or a box of page protectors.
glue sticks (not just glue in a bottle)
Glue gun (and sticks)
Paint.
glitter, poster markers / poster paint , container of plastic animals ( 5$ cheep toy section at target) , puff balls, pipe cleaners. letter stickers, stencils . And keep all shoe boxes!
POSTER BOARD - My kids were usually pretty good at telling me ahead of time what they needed but there was once or twice they needed poster board at the last minute; thank Heavens my local grocery store is open late and sells it. I've kept it on hand now for years and it's been a life saver!!
When my kids were little I bought one of those plastic 5-drawer cabinets and have kept all the supplies in one place!! It's worked out great having everything right there.
Other stuff: felt pieces, construction paper, glue, markers, colored pencils - a couple sets (usually a couple colors are used a lot more than others), crayons, scissors that cut designs, straight-cut scissors, erasers, cheap beads, double-sided tape, tape and popsicle sticks.
Good luck!!!
I have tons of stuff, but that is because I have to be creating to be at peace, and craft time has always been a staple of our family time together. But all you really need is markers, glue, construction paper, scissors, and maybe some poster board. Any bigger or special projects you should get enough notice about to make a run to someplace like Micheals which would have everything you need.
My daughter will be graduating this June and she is still using the craft box and making a lot of trips to Hobby Lobby for projects.
My staples are:
Card Stock in several colors and patterns
glue gun and sticks
Rubber Cement
Modge Podge
regular elmer's glue
glue dots
LOTS of stickers
LOTS of assorted stickers of the alphabet and numbers
Colored markers and pencils
paint, including fabric paint
popsicle sticks
sheet protectors
presentation folders
Last year for AP Physics, they had to make a working car using a mousetrap. The wheels were old vinyl records. I found the records at theh Half Price Bookstore for about .50 each.
This year, in AP Environmental Science, they had to make a house which would hold the temperature enough that an ice cube would not immediately melt. She used a lot of clay, built windows and doors. Pass or fail grade. She passed.
The last project coming up for AP Envirnmental Science is to build a solar cooker and you have to boil water. Pass or fail grade. She is already working with ideas and I am positive she will pass.
There are a ton of projects along the way. Good luck and enjoy!
We have felt squares, construction paper, all types of glue, colored pipe cleaners, bags of moss, iridescent paper, stamps and ink pads, stickers of all sorts, stick on gems, tooth picks, glitter glue, glitter pens, tempura paints, construction paper, magic markers, crayons, stencils, modeling clay ... I could go on and on. I rarely have to hit up the craft store since we're so stocked up, which is really nice.
Poster board, Foam core and maybe a project board.
Markers
Plain Paper/assorted solid color paper (all of this for the printer)
Glue sticks, Glue gun with glue sticks for gun
Tape, Invisible tape, double stick tape, foam tape, masking tape, painters tape, Duct Tape, scrapbook adhesives
Our daughter still has the huge tool box of paints, brushes...We purchase those enamel paints in all kinds of colors.
And of course Googly eyes.. Because they can make us smile at any time.. and come in handy for thank you cards.. look great on a piece of fruit, and can surprise the teacher when she is not having a good day..
We have what you have, as well as I keep fabric scraps, buttons, and ribbon. I "recycle" all of my scrapbooking paper to the craft drawer (any pieces I'm pretty sure I won't use, as well as stickers). I do have poster paint as well, and that has come in handy. It's always nice to have a small selection of paintbrushes, too. But really, with what you have on hand, your son should be able to complete most of his projects without too much fuss.
We have never needed more than those items, maybe with tape and various colored construction paper thrown into the mix and colored pencils. A stapler is very useful also. I'm going to look at the answers, however, as it might remind me of some others things.
Dollar store or dollar general or whatever you have near you. Bad luck with their crayons & markers (unless they are a brand you recognize a lot will stain everything they touch). But you'll find poster board, colored paper, stencils, I always have a bunch of letter stickers because our handwriting sucks, basic coloring books, cheap books you won't mind cutting up, ect. You should try to hit up craft stores like Joanne's and micheals shortly after a holiday. You'll find all kinds of stickers, letters, loose scrapbook paper, odds & ends on clearance, you might not use it right away but if you keep your supplies organized & labeled you'll find it when you need it. Whatever you can think of they will probably need it & more too. No such thing as too many school supplies.
You pretty much have the basic suppies. You should also get some poster board. Poster board in various sizes is what my girls used most.
There is no predicting what projects he will have in the future. You will just have to tell them to let you know as soon as possible what they need. That way you are not running out trying to find supplies late on a Sunday evening, because it is due Monday morning. Been there, done that!
