Buying fun and engaging materials for learning activities can get pricey. Here are 7 ways to find inexpensive learning materials.
Thrift Shops
If you have issues with second hand materials, you might get over it when you realize that can find amazing things at bargain prices at thrift shops. There are a couple tricks to shopping at thrift stores. I have found that not all thrift shops are created equally. So, you might have to shop around until you find a gem. I look for a shop that has a good assortment of children’s books and games/toys.
When you find a thrift store that is good, the second trick is to frequent that shop. Thrift stores get new donations daily, so you never know what you will find. When I was living in Ohio I took my kiddo to speech therapy and OT once a week. There was a great thrift shop in the same funky neighborhood as his therapy center, so I often ran over to take a look while he was in therapy. Since moving to Texas, I haven’t found a great thrift store nearby – but I know there is a gem out there waiting for me.
What can you get a thrift shop?
Books – Browse through and you will find some great titles. Sometimes a former teacher will drop off her entire collection. Above are just a few of the books that I picked up at thrift stores…most for just 50 cents!!
Games, Puzzles, & Game Parts – Of course you can use games and puzzles as is, but don’t forget to think outside the box. Game pieces can be re-used for other purposes. You may find letter dice, fun spinners, etc. The little penguins in the Penguin Pile Up game can be used in a sensory table or on a ten frame game. I often find plastic poker chips for counting.
Craft Supplies – I have found yarn, buttons, stickers, marbles, novelty vase fillers, silk flowers, rubber bands
Dramatic Play Items – Silk flowers, kitchen items, costumes, old cell phones
Misc. – muffin tins, divided trays, etc, plastic animals (I hit the jackpot here one time), training chopsticks, sorting baskets. You just never know what you will find from visit to visit, and for me that is part of the un.
Garage Sales
Like thrift stores, some amazing things can be found at garage sales. I have found a few tricks to successfully shopping at garage sales. I like to look in affluent neighborhoods, but not neighborhoods that are too affluent. I find that people who have visited a garage sale or two themselves have a better handle on pricing items. I like to find neighborhood garage sales so that I can park the car and walk around for awhile instead of driving from neighborhood to neighborhood. You can often make a deal at a garage sale to get an extra bargain. If you are lucky, you might find a former teacher having a garage sale. Browse through local garage sale listings on Craig’s List where people will often describe what they have.
The most important tip when garage sale shopping is to get an early start. The good stuff goes very quickly. Don’t expect to find great stuff if you wait until the end of the morning to start looking. If someone has a multi-day garage sale, be sure to stop by on the first day. The downside of a garage sale is that you won’t get a receipt.
What can you get at a garage sale?
Books – It seems like every garage sale has a box of books. Dig through them and make a deal.
Costumes – My kiddo LOVED to dress up and I found lots of garage sale costumes for him. I also bought tons of costumes for preschool dramatic play.
Other items – Games, toys, puppets, counters, craft items, etc…. I hit the jackpot when I found a former preschool teacher’s garage sale and bought the counters above for a couple dollars.
Dollar Store
I like browsing the dollar store to look for seasonal erasers (counters), small baskets and plastic containers, sorting trays, kitchen tongs. One of the best deals at the dollar store are cookie sheets that you can use as magnetic boards. On my last visit, I also found some feathers, foam shapes, and lots and lots of plastic Easter eggs.
Target Dollar Spot
It seems like Target’s Dollar Spot has really started catering to teachers. They often have cute seasonal erasers (counters), stickers, cute straws, Dr. Seuss items, sorting baskets and buckets.
Local Gems
Every area has a local gem – an unusual place where you can find lots of fun things. Sometimes it’s an outlet or warehouse store. When I lived in Ohio I frequented an Eddie Bauer salvage center. Boy, do I miss that place! Not only did I get great deals on clothing, but I sometimes found some great items for preschool. I bought boxes of ribbon for crafts and plastic ice cubes for counting, sensory tables, and building. Once, I also bought some Plexiglas containers. I used them as planters and kids could see the roots. If you shop in an unusual place like this, keep your eyes peeled and use your imagination. In Dallas, I love going to the fabric warehouses. Ribbons, zippers, and buttons all at discount prices…..they are great places to get my creative juices flowing. I also love going to US Toy. Think Oriental Trading meets party store meets teacher supply store…..it can be dangerous because all of those little things can add up. Where are the gems in your area? I would love to hear about them.
Parents/Family/Community Resources
Think about friends, families, students’ parents…. you never know what is available…and often for FREE. Many time companies have surpluses or things that they don’t need anymore. When I was a student teacher, a parent supplied our class with some great adhesive papers that we could use in crafts, etc. Parents or friends who work in restaurants will sometimes donate little containers or cups. I got some great blank books from a friend. If you know a decorator, or someone who works at a place that sells counter-tops, fabrics, etc, check to see if they have old samples for you. See how Deborah from Teach Preschool got some free tube blocks from a local store.
After-Holiday Clearance
My last tip for finding bargain learning materials is to shop after-holiday clearance sales. I always check out the clearance areas at the big-box retailers, grocery stores, and craft stores. I’ve picked up plastic bugs and spiders, erasers, bunny tongs, bendable bunnies, Easter eggs, Easter grass, seeds, stickers, sequins, gems, Christmas ornaments. Below is my latest after-Christmas haul. I found many items that can be used for winter-themed activities and Valentine-themed activities, a few things that I will save for next Christmas, and some fun stuff that I will use year-round.
I hope this list gives you a few ideas and helps you save a little bit of money. I love finding bargains, and for me, the search is half the fun. Look all over, look in unexpected places, use your imagination, and have fun!
It’s great to hear from you Mary Lou 🙂 Thanks for your kind words.
Thank you so much for all the ideas you have given me, they are very helpful. I used to work at an elementary school in Irving, Texas and a lot of my stuff have came from teachers that have left the school or another or no longer teaching, I’ve shopped every where, thrift stores, yard sales, dollar tree, dollar general, goodwill etc…..I have found that I have a lot of books that I noticed the few kids I do have don’t even bother with my books at all so I’m getting ready to donate them to either a daycare in my neighborhood or whom ever wants them. I’m a Pinterest fanatic kind of person and I get a lot of ideas from them or just make up my own. Thank you so much for your blog it has really helped me a whole lot. By the way I work with 2,3,4, and 5 year old babies and I’m always looking for ideas. Thank you again.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Mary Lou Moreno
Right on Martha! There are some great thrift stores out there and they are a great place to find games. The best bargain that I found at my favorite thrift store was a big bag of plastic Schleich animals for a few dollars. I did the happy dance knowing how expensive those babies can be.
Don’t forget to look at the Salvation Army/goodwill I have found many complete games (many even new for a few dollars). My latest find was a game that had 56 small hard plastic little dogs for $2-the kids love them and they work great for sorting the 6 types of dogs and counting.