Your Time-Saving Guide for Buying Back to School Supplies

From markers to manipulatives

Every school, grade, subject and class has its own unique list of back to school supplies it needs to fill. Whether you’re teaching kindergarteners to count or high schoolers to express themselves artistically, this guide will help you decide what supplies you need.

Back to school supplies for science teachers

Science class is about more than dissecting frogs and reading the periodic table. It's a chance for teachers to impart a lifelong curiosity in students. To prepare, teachers will need exciting lessons, safety equipment and plenty of other back to school supplies.

Engaging activities

Discussions are important, but hands-on activities are what really capture students’ attention. Live demonstrations of scientific principles show your class that what they learn impacts the real world, too.

Take the ecosystem—young students can see it in action with an affordable terrarium. If your students are a little older, you can show them the power of chemical reactions with the timeless volcano experiment. Materials such as molecular models can help kids in higher grades visualize more abstract concepts.

Personal protective equipment

Once students reach high school, their lab experiences can grow a little more involved. When they’re handling chemicals, manipulating open flames and producing potentially hazardous fumes, they'll need gear that keeps them safe.

It’s important that every student wears safety goggles, gloves and a lab coat to protect their body and clothes. You might also invest in some backups in case any of your safety gear is destroyed or lost.

Although they’re not typical elements of back to school teacher supplies, both first aid kits and fire extinguishers will serve you well in the case of an emergency. You and your students should know where these are stored at all times.

For more useful back to school supplies for science teachers, read The Science Teacher’s Toolkit: Top 5 Science Teacher Supplies.

Teaching aids for math teachers

Math manipulatives turn abstract concepts into physical objects, literally making it easier for students to grasp them and making math more fun. 

Abaci

The abacus dates back thousands of years, and remains one of the most intuitive and useful counting tools available. Very young students can use abaci to learn basic counting by moving colored beads from one end of a wire rod to the other. Incorporating both engaging visuals and a tactile sense of motion makes learning to count into a game.

Fraction strips

For an easy way to make fractions intuitive for students, try creating fraction strips. Start with a whole page of colored construction paper, and then start cutting and folding it into strips of different sizes. Each strip represents a fraction of the whole page, and students can move the strips around to learn how to add and subtract fractions. They can also get a sense of how to handle fractions with different denominators.

Tangrams

Learning basic geometry is often much easier with tangrams. The seven traditional shapes include five triangles of different sizes, one square and one parallelogram. Students can learn the names for each shape and start to get familiar with their lines, angles and points.

For more teaching tools, read 5 Engaging Math Manipulatives for Student Success.

Inspiring materials for art teachers

Every young artist is looking for their medium. Art teachers have the opportunity and the privilege of helping them find it. To do so, they need a wide range of artistic back to school supplies.

Colored pencils

Colored pencils are typically divided into “artist-grade” and “student-grade” categories. In addition to being more affordable, student-grade pencils actually have several advantages. Because they’re based on wax, they produce a smooth, easy-to-blend texture. They can also be sharpened to a fine point without crumbling.

Colored pencils are a great way for young students to improve their fine motor skills. They’re also an easy way for older students to explore different art styles and techniques. Fine line work, cross-hatching and outlining will all serve them well in future projects.

Paints

Tempera suits new painters well because it’s affordable, dries quickly and produces vibrant colors. It’s also easy to wash off with water, which is especially important with young artists.

Older students might prefer acrylic paints because of their superior pigment quality. Acrylics also dry more slowly, which gives students more time to mix colors. Finally, the plastic in acrylic paints can help them hold up to the elements. Student art tends to last longer if it’s painted with acrylics.

Block printing supplies

Many students will appreciate an art class that takes them outside of the box. Block printing is a simple way to inject a little variety. To get started, students cut an image out of foam, wood or linoleum. They then use a paint roller to cover the surface with ink and press paper onto the top of the surface. When students pull the paper away, they should have a print of their carved image.

Foam printing is the most accessible form of block printing. Students can make designs by pressing a dull pencil or pen into the foam—no special tools required. Linocut printing requires special cutting tools and cut-resistant gloves, but the resulting images tend to be more striking.

Whichever form you choose, you’ll get the best results if you also give students block printing paper and barens to apply their print evenly.

For more exciting art supply ideas, read Encourage Creativity with These 7 Classroom Art Supplies.

Key back to school supplies for music teachers

Music is a powerful way for people of all cultures and backgrounds to connect. It’s also an excellent way for young people to tap into their creativity, express themselves and learn to work as a team to produce something beautiful. A music teacher’s job is to guide them toward that experience. Here are some of the supplies they’ll need to succeed.

Instruments

For a music teacher, instruments are often the most important purchase when shopping for back to school supplies. Every teacher, grade and class will likely have its own needs, but it's generally wise to offer a wide range of options for students to try out.

Percussion instruments are played by striking one object with another. They’re generally categorized by the materials they’re made with. For example, wood percussion would include claves and tone blocks, while metal percussion would include cymbals and triangles.

Orff instruments refer to small keyed instruments. Xylophones, metallophones and glockenspiels all fall into this category rather than percussion, even though they require sticks and mallets to play.

Classical string, wind and brass instruments are popular, but they can test the limits of your budget. They’re best reserved for older students who can handle them responsibly.

Must-haves

Although music classrooms don’t often need desks, they share other basic needs with typical classrooms. For one, students need comfortable seats that encourage good posture during performances. If your students are younger, they can sit together on a large rug to encourage collaboration with neighbors.

Older students will also need music stands where they can store and read their sheet music. Adjustable stands make sure everyone's music stays at a comfortable height for reading and performance.

Finally, you’ll need a whiteboard to explain musical concepts and command student attention. Wall-mounted units are standard, but a mobile board can give you extra flexibility.

For more useful supplies, read 5 Top Music Teacher Supplies to Upgrade Your Classroom.

Make your budget last with Walmart Business

There are few online shopping destinations as flexible as Walmart Business. Whether your back to school shopping calls for classroom decor or teaching aids, you can shop a wide range of options at low prices with Walmart Business.

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