Cat's shopping lists
The supplies, books and gear our family actually uses for homeschooling, grouped by subject, each with my own review.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Buying through these links costs you nothing extra and helps keep Homeschool Texas free.
Also see the Worldschooling shopping list.
Art supplies
Cat's review
We absolutely love these acrylic paint markers. One end is like a paintbrush; the other is more like a marker. Our kindergartener uses them in her art class at co-op, and the teenagers and I use them for our Charlotte Mason inspired geography maps.
View on Amazon: ARTISTRO Dual-Tip Acrylic Paint Markers, 36 Colors (opens in a new tab)
Art supplies and travel
Cat's review
This watercolor set is excellent for travel. It comes with paintbrushes that have a water container located inside the handle of the brush, so you can refill it without the need to have cups. This means you can actually use it on an airplane if you want. Our family has been using this to make art as we travel and for our Charlotte Mason inspired geography books.
View on Amazon: Watercolor Paint Set, 100 Colors (opens in a new tab)
Art supplies and geography
Cat's review
We purchased this art book for our daughter to use in our Charlotte Mason inspired geography class. They are landscape instead of portrait, and this has worked really well for map drawing.
View on Amazon: U.S. Art Supply Watercolor Books, 9 x 12 Inches (opens in a new tab)
Geography and travel preparation
Cat's review
These dry erase maps are incredible! I first got them at a homeschool convention and came home and bought duplicates on Amazon. You can draw on them with a dry erase marker, and they take up very little space. You can actually use them as placemats at the dinner table so your family can study geography together. This is a really neat way to prepare for an upcoming trip! I also use these during my Charlotte Mason inspired geography class at homeschool co-op.
View on Amazon: Painless Learning Dry Erase Geography Maps (opens in a new tab)
Travel art and geography
Cat's review
These small watercolor art books are great for travel. We take them with the watercolor travel set that I already listed in this shopping guide. You can rip out a page and glue it into a bigger art book when you get home! We are trying to document our travels this way moving forward. It's been really fun for us. It's also an easy art book to throw in any small child's backpack so they can do art on the go. It also comes with the refillable watercolor paintbrushes.
View on Amazon: Dispowreath Travel Watercolor Journals with Water Brushes (opens in a new tab)
Art supplies and geography
Cat's review
This is the art book that I am currently using. I feel mixed about it. I think it's really good for acrylic and really good for pencil and pen, but the page does get a little warped when using watercolor. I love how many pages there are, and I love the quality of it. This is my current geography book.
View on Amazon: Blank Hardcover Art Journal (opens in a new tab)
Nature study and homesteading
Cat's review
Incubating chickens has been one of the greatest blessings of our homeschool journey. For the last decade and a half, we've been using this exact incubator to hatch chicks in the spring and the fall. The beautiful thing about hatching chicks is that the whole family gets involved, and it reinforces the fragility and beauty of life. This incubator has been a little engine that could, and I am so grateful for its service in our lives!
Similar product: Cat's own is no longer available, so this links to Brinsea Ovation 28 EX, the current model. She hasn't used it herself.
View on Amazon: Brinsea Octagon 20 ECO Incubator (opens in a new tab)
Gardening and family learning
Cat's review
This is one of the best books I've ever read on gardening. It's an excellent resource guide for the whole family. If growing food is part of your family's education, this is one of the top books I would recommend.
View on Amazon: How to Grow More Vegetables (opens in a new tab)
Illustrated books and family learning
Cat's review
This book series is one of my favorite book series on the planet. Not only is every page a work of art, the information is incredible. It's a curated museum on paper.
All 11 books in the series; scroll or swipe sideways for more.
Books for teens and adults
Cat's review
This is a really great book for homeschooling teens and adults. It's a whole series. The first book is my favorite. It gives you a whole new perspective on our connection to the earth and nature and the world.
Cat's own book
Cat's review
Cat's own guide to raising backyard chickens (Kindle e-book).
View on Amazon: The Homestead Guru Guide to Backyard Chickens (opens in a new tab)
Language learning and travel
Cat's review
My stepmom bought us this game in English when our daughter was a toddler, and when we were preparing for our trip to Italy, I bought the Italian version. This was really great for my kindergartener to study Italian words before and during the trip, and really fun for her to teach our Italian family English words. It's also very light and packs easily into a small child's bag.
224 words: MAYAPHILOS Italian and English Talking Flashcard Game, 224 words (opens in a new tab) 510 words: MAYAPHILOS Italian and English Talking Flashcard Game, 510 words (opens in a new tab)
Language learning and kindergarten
Feedback from Paolo, shared by Cat
This Italian workbook is what my husband and kindergartener were doing together over the summer. He said he was pleased with it. I wasn't participating in the Italian part of her education as intimately, so I don't have a personal review, just the feedback from my husband, which is that he liked it.
View on Amazon: Italian Workbook for Kids (opens in a new tab)
Kindergarten and travel learning
Cat's review
This is hands down my favorite kindergarten resource. This is what we use when we travel and during the summer in between semesters. It covers all the subject matters and has a checklist in the front so you can keep track of how many lessons you've done. My daughter enjoyed this workbook a lot!
View on Amazon: The Essential Homeschool Kindergarten Workbook (opens in a new tab)
Books for homeschool parents
Cat's review
I read this book in the spring of 2026. I had never heard of the Thomas Jefferson education method, and I absolutely fell in love with this model. It has a strong emphasis on leadership and entrepreneurship, and it is exactly in alignment with my ideals for middle and high school education. I took a lot of notes, underlined a lot of things, and actually shared what I was learning with friends. Absolutely loved this book. It has a lot of overlap, in my opinion, with the Charlotte Mason style of education.
View on Amazon: A Thomas Jefferson Education (opens in a new tab) Read Cat's full review: A Thomas Jefferson Education (opens in a new tab)
Books for homeschool parents
Cat's review
This is an excellent book to help open your mind to alternative ways of educating children. The institution of education in the United States may not be of the best service to your children.
View on Amazon: Summerhill: A Radical Approach to Child Rearing (opens in a new tab)
Early communication and parenting
Cat's review
We got this book when my oldest was born. I stand by baby signs as one of the greatest gifts you can give to your children. It allows them the ability to communicate before they are verbal. And these signs stick with them into their teens, as I'm experiencing now.
Books for teens and adults
Cat's review
The Kin of Ata Are Waiting for You is an excellent book that makes you rethink your life design. This is a good book for a teenager or an adult. We practice lifelong learning in our house, and the adults are always reading. This was recommended to me by a beloved yoga teacher during my yoga teacher training in 2020.
View on Amazon: The Kin of Ata Are Waiting for You (opens in a new tab)
Early communication and parenting
Cat's review
This is more of an adult guide to baby signs or American Sign Language. Again, I strongly believe this is one of the greatest gifts you can give your children. Sign language can carry through the rest of their lives. It allows them to communicate before they are verbal, and it helps the child and the parent to both understand and be understood later in life. In our family, signing helped my kids communicate before they could talk.
View on Amazon: Baby Sign Language Made Easy (opens in a new tab)
Reading and kindergarten
Cat's review
I wish I'd known about this book when my older two were young. I stumbled upon this over and over in homeschooling mom groups, and I am using it with my kindergartner and our homeschooled next-door neighbor. It's going really well. I cannot recommend it enough.
View on Amazon: Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons (opens in a new tab)
Family games and strategy
Cat's review
Settlers of Catan is absolutely one of my favorite board games to play as a family and with the neighbors or friends. It's a game of strategy, and it's really fun. Super, super fun for adults and children.
Desk supplies
Cat's review
We have this pencil sharpener set up on our daughter's desk. It is excellent for her to use while she's writing, and it's in a spot where anyone in the family can come and use it. Super affordable and works great. Looks nice, too. Gives a very classic vibe to the homeschool desk.
View on Amazon: X-ACTO KS Manual Pencil Sharpener (opens in a new tab)
Homeschool planning
Cat's review
This is the first year I have used this homeschool planner. I'm really happy with it because it is blank and customizable. This is only going to work for somebody who loves handwritten notes and enjoys taking the time and energy to fill out the information themselves.
View on Amazon: Homeschool Lesson Planner (opens in a new tab)
School supplies and travel
Cat's review
I absolutely love this pen case. It stands straight up like a cup holding pencils, and it zips closed and travels easily in your bag. This is so good for homeschool families on the go! I ended up giving mine to my high schooler, who's dual enrolled in college, and ordered a new one for myself.
View on Amazon: Mr. Pen Standing Pencil Case (opens in a new tab)
Handwriting and reusable learning materials
Cat's review
These dry erase sheets I used primarily with my second child. We were really working on handwriting. This is really helpful because Mom or Dad can write out words, numbers, and letters, and the child can trace them with the dry erase marker and wipe them off. Also, if there are workbook sheets that you don't want to ruin and you want to be able to reuse, you can slide them inside this dry erase cover.
Similar product: Cat's own is no longer available, so this links to Scribbledo reusable dry erase sleeves, a similar 6 pack. She hasn't used it herself.
View on Amazon: Pocket Pro Dry Erase Pockets (opens in a new tab)
Co-op teaching and school supplies
Cat's review
If you don't have a big whiteboard inside your home, or you homeschool on the go, or at parks, or you're a co-op teacher, this is an excellent addition to your homeschool. I use this regularly when teaching classes at our community school, and I actually want to buy another one for our homeschool because I ended up donating it to the community school. We would write writing prompts on this, notes during unit study classes, etc.
View on Amazon: Small Desktop Dry Erase Whiteboard (opens in a new tab)
Co-op teaching and organization
Cat's review
You would be surprised how often you end up using a three-hole punch, especially if you're a co-op teacher or community school teacher. I like to organize each of my children's work for the year, especially when they're younger, into a three-pronged folder. I label the folder by semester and keep copies of their work in the prongs.
View on Amazon: AFMAT Heavy Duty Three-Hole Punch (opens in a new tab)
School supplies for parents
Cat's review
As a homeschooling mom, I always need good scissors. This is my favorite set because I know they are mine immediately if I see that a child has wandered off with them. Everyone knows these are mom's scissors. They cut really well. They're beautiful. They stand out. I love them. Every homeschooling mom needs her own set of high-quality office supplies.
View on Amazon: Rainbow Craft Scissors, Set of 3 (opens in a new tab)
Audiobooks, music, and travel
Cat's review
This speaker is one of my greatest homeschool finds. We take it with us almost everywhere we go. We can run dance routines. We can listen to audiobooks. We can have dance parties in the kitchen. It has been a really, really useful resource for both worldschooling and homeschooling.
View on Amazon: JBL Go 4 Portable Speaker (opens in a new tab)
Homeschool and travel organization
Cat's review
These zipper bags are incredible. I use them for worldschooling and homeschooling. I organize school supplies, office supplies, toys, road trip items, airplane items. You can write on them with a Sharpie or a paint pen. They're highly durable, and because of the color-coded zippers, it trains your brain to know what's in each bag.
View on Amazon: Color-Coded Mesh Zipper Pouch Bags (opens in a new tab)
Family learning and media
Cat's review
Having a home projector, just a small one, has been so good for our homeschooling journey. We can watch Discovery Channel documentaries, etc. It's been really great for us to learn and bond together.
Similar product: Cat's own is no longer available, so this links to the Magcubic mini projector, a similar small WiFi and Bluetooth projector. She hasn't used it herself.
View on Amazon: LUXVYN V1 Mini Smart Projector (opens in a new tab)
Hands-on art and crafts
Cat's review
This wood-burning tool, I think, is so fun for the kids. It's a really neat way to expand their creativity. Great homeschool item, but it does require supervision.
View on Amazon: Plaid Wood Burning and Stencil Tool (opens in a new tab)
Co-op teaching and school supplies
Cat's review
This teacher belt is incredible. I use it when I'm teaching co-op classes, especially ones that require things like measuring tape and Sharpies and scissors.
View on Amazon: Schoolbelt Teacher Apron Belt (opens in a new tab)
Homeschool technology and travel
Cat's review
As a homeschooling family with people home all day and lots of devices, having very fast charging is important, especially when we're on a worldschooling adventure. Sometimes we need power fast in between airplanes or while we're on the go. This charger station is incredible. It charges all of our devices very rapidly.
View on Amazon: USB-C Multi-Device Charging Station (opens in a new tab)
Travel activities and kindergarten
Cat's review
These Paint by Sticker books have been absolutely incredible for my kindergartener. We bring them when we travel to other countries and practice the numbers in Italian or Spanish. They're really fun to pull out on an airplane, at a dinner with friends, or while on a long wait somewhere. I do not recommend the mermaid one because the stickers kept falling out.
Pets Amazon listing: Pending
Pets affiliate link: Pending
Under the Sea Amazon listing: Pending
Under the Sea affiliate link: Pending
Pets: Paint by Sticker Kids: Pets and Under the Sea, Pets (opens in a new tab) Under the Sea: Paint by Sticker Kids: Pets and Under the Sea, Under the Sea (opens in a new tab)
Creative play and travel activities
Cat's review
Wikki Stix are an amazing activity for the whole family in terms of boredom busters. You can build creatively while you're worldschooling, while you're waiting for a plane or a train, or while you're on a long car ride. You can bring them to restaurants. They're super handy. My kids and my whole family have loved them.
View on Amazon: Wikki Stix Big Count Box (opens in a new tab)
Travel art and school supplies
Cat's review
These are the absolute best markers for worldschoolers and homeschoolers who do work on the go, because there are no lids to lose. They can be used in cars, planes, and trains, and easily fit in backpacks. They are my absolute favorite travel coloring choice for my kindergartner.
View on Amazon: Crayola Clicks Retractable Markers (opens in a new tab)
Field trips, camping, and meals on the go
Cat's review
I actually had this multi-tool utensil set confiscated by TSA in one airport, although I've been able to get it through TSA in other airports. I love this. This is great if you're a field trip mom, or you have a lot of electives and activities and sports. Having a multi-tool like this on you at all times allows you to prepare meals on the go.
View on Amazon: Orblue 4-in-1 Camping Utensil Tool (opens in a new tab)
Worldschool travel essentials
Cat's review
The travel clothesline has been incredible. We use it in hotel rooms for worldschooling adventures. We've taken it to homeschool conventions, to the water park, and on outdoor field trip adventures to swimming holes, etc.
View on Amazon: Portable Travel Clothesline (opens in a new tab)
Parenting and life at home
Cat's review
If you are homeschooling, you're likely into alternative methods of doing all sorts of things, including alternative ways of raising your children. I found this book to be incredible with my third. If you're homeschooling and you're home all day, it's a lot easier to follow the cues of your child and participate in something like this, The Diaper Free Baby. Check it out.
Homeschool bags and organization
Cat's review
This is one of the greatest bags I've ever owned as a mother. Not only is it super stylish and beautiful, but it is perfectly compartmentalized. I can hold stuff for a little kid and books and workbooks for older kids. It's the best homeschooling bag I've ever had.
This bag is no longer available. We will keep checking for its return.
Books for homeschool parents
Cat's review
This is a book recommendation for the moms out there. The author is absolutely incredible. I followed her on Instagram before she wrote the book. What I see in her travels to Florida and her experiences with herbalism in the Appalachian Mountains is life schooling as a young adult, learning through travel, nature and lived experience. Incredible!
Journaling and personal growth
Cat's review
This notebook turned out to be one of my favorites. It is where I have chronicled my year-to-year self-growth work. It's got a nice, solid cover.
This notebook is no longer available. We will keep checking for its return.
Books for parents and family life
Cat's review
Hands down one of the greatest books a homeschooling mom could have. Really gives you a lot of perspective about lifestyle with recipes that will nourish your entire family. This one is specifically designed for pregnant and postpartum women. There's also a yellow version that is less mother-focused. Really, really excellent addition to any homeschool family's library.
View on Amazon: The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby & Child Care (opens in a new tab)
Home organization and family life
Cat's review
This is a really, really good book for families to help start weeding out the clutter in the home. If you're going to be homeschooling, you're going to have a lot of time inside your house. If you have a lot of children, there's going to be a lot of people and a lot of stuff. And The Art of Swedish Death Cleaning allows you to have less inside your space, which is going to make it more peaceful and conducive for learning, healing, growing, bonding, and having a joyful home life.
View on Amazon: The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning (opens in a new tab)
Home and family life
Cat's review
Shelter for the Spirit is an amazing book about how to create a home that is a living temple for your life. I loved this book so much I wrote a book review about it on my blog, SovereignLiving.com.
View on Amazon: Shelter for the Spirit (opens in a new tab) Read Cat's full review: Shelter for the Spirit (opens in a new tab)
Family food and worldschool travel
Cat's review
You may be wondering what an egg steamer has to do with homeschool. A lot! When you have co-op or field trips on the go, an egg steamer allows everyone to have protein in a quick and easy, no-mess way. Also, this one is lightweight and plastic and can be packed in luggage, and it is something, as worldschoolers, we have used all over the world. When we use it abroad, we plug it into a voltage-converting power strip.
View on Amazon: Elite Gourmet EGC115M Egg Cooker (opens in a new tab)
Travel and supplies for parents
Cat's review
If travel and worldschool are a part of your homeschool curriculum, I would like to recommend this Stanley pour-over and mug. These are invincible. They do not break in your luggage. You can actually store things inside of them, like travel packets of creamer or coffee. I take the Stanley with me everywhere I go, so I always have a way to drink my own coffee, and my own coffee is so important. This is more of a how-to-support-mom-through-the-process-of-homeschooling sort of item. It's an indirect homeschooling purchase. Great for camping as well.
View on Amazon: Stanley Perfect Brew Pour-Over and Mug (opens in a new tab)
Family food and travel
Cat's review
This is another worldschool or on-the-go homeschool mom hack. Having powdered instant bone broth on you at all times is a really great way to make sure you have protein on the go. It just takes a little hot water. You can make this in your Stanley cup that I mentioned earlier in the shopping list.
View on Amazon: Bare Bones Instant Beef Bone Broth (opens in a new tab)
Books for parents
View on Amazon: The Year of Less (opens in a new tab) Read Cat's full review: The Year of Less (opens in a new tab)
Athletics and travel comfort
Cat's review
Part of our homeschool curriculum is athletics and travel, and this mini back massager has been incredible. It's helped me fend off headaches on long travel days, and my daughter uses it during dance competition season.
Linked color: white. Cat's own is green, which is no longer available.
View on Amazon: HEYCHY Super Mini Massage Gun (opens in a new tab)
Movement and physical education
Cat's review
We also have this gymnastics bar. It's been a really fun addition to our homeschool journey. It is currently set up in an obstacle course outside, but during the winter we bring it in to keep the kids moving even when it's cold or raining.
View on Amazon: Fitvids Gymnastics Bar for Kids (opens in a new tab)
