Homeschooling a large family comes with its own set of challenges—and blessings. When you’re juggling multiple grade levels, learning styles, and daily chaos, the right homeschool supplies can make all the difference. Whether you’re a seasoned homeschool parent or just getting started, having the right tools on hand can streamline your routine, keep kids engaged, and help you stay organized.
In this post, I’m sharing the Top 10 Must-Have Homeschool Supplies for Large Families that are budget-friendly, practical, and perfect for homeschooling multiple children.
1. Dry-Erase Boards (Individual & Wall-Sized)
Why it’s essential: Dry-erase boards are perfect for quick math problems, spelling practice, and visual lessons.
Pro tip: Give each child a small whiteboard for personal work and hang a large one in your learning area for group teaching.
I love having my big whiteboard in my dining room by our homeschool area. It is perfect for our All About Learning activities. Having a smaller white board is awesome too! It comes in handy when nursing the baby, those days of morning sickness when you can’t leave the couch, and outdoor schooling.
2. Bins or Cubbies
Why it’s essential: Organization is key with multiple students. Assign each child a bin for their books, notebooks, and folders.
Pro tip: Stackable bins save space and make clean-up routines easier for everyone.
Each of my boys have their own bin and binder. We keep them in our cabinet. This keeps their items organized and easy to find. When my younger kids join in the school routine, we will need to get smaller bins so we can fit more, but for now, our set up works.
3. Printer with Affordable Ink Subscription
Why it’s essential: Homeschooling requires constant printing—worksheets, lesson plans, activities.
Pro tip: Choose an eco-tank or ink subscription printer to keep costs down.
Recommended: Epson EcoTank or HP Instant Ink printers.
My brother gave us our Epson EcoTank a couple of years ago. What a blessing it has been! This printer is amazing for large families homeschooling. It uses much less ink than our old printer. The refill ink is also so cost effective. In the amount of time we have had this printer, I have refilled it once. We print daily! One of these printers is a must-have!
4. Laminator and Laminating Sheets
Why it’s essential: Protect reusable resources like chore charts, flashcards, and handwriting practice sheets.
Pro tip: Laminate reference sheets and use dry-erase markers for repeat practice.
I didn’t truly feel like a homeschool mom until I got a laminator! I laminate pretty much all the things!
5. Water Bottles for Each Child
Why it’s essential: Keep hydration simple by avoiding frequent kitchen trips during lessons.
Pro tip: Color-coded or labeled to avoid mix-ups.
This may seem like a silly one, but I promise, if you do not have a water bottle for each child, they will get out 10000 dishes each day. Each of my children have their own cups with their favorite designs or characters. They also serve as a good fidget during lessons.
6. Multipurpose Planner or Digital Homeschool Tracker
Why it’s essential: Tracking progress, attendance, and lesson plans is vital for managing multiple students.
Pro tip: Create or download your own homeschool planner for free!
In my state, one of the few things we have to track is attendance. I also like to keep track of what my children have been reading through the year, our yearly calendar, field trips, and classes they have taken.
7. Durable Headphones (Preferably Noise-Canceling)
Why it’s essential: Essential for online classes, audiobooks, or quiet time in a busy house.
Pro tip: Buy in bulk or during back-to-school sales to save.
Having a child with ADHD means noise-canceling headphones are essential. He was very sensitive to noise as a little boy, so we already have a decent collection. It’s also good to have some you can plug in for your online lessons and audiobooks.
8. Workbooks and Curriculum Sets for Multi-Grade Use
Why it’s essential: Saves time and money by combining subjects like science, history, or Bible for the whole family.
Pro tip: Look for curriculum with built-in differentiation like My Father’s World and Rabbit Trails Homeschool.
We love to combine as many subjects as possible into family subjects. This saves so much time, money, space, and creates a family atmosphere. We are currently using Bible, Science, Social Studies, and Morning Work as our group subjects. Even the toddlers and baby join in!
9. Art Supplies in Bulk
Why it’s essential: Creativity is critical—but markers disappear fast when you have 5+ kids!
Pro tip: Buy washable, non-toxic supplies in classroom-sized packs to save money and reduce fights.
I like to stock up on school supplies during the back to school sales. I start by getting each of my school-age children their own set of supplies and then I grab a few extras. We fly through crayons and glue sticks. Don’t forget printer and construction paper as well.
10. Tabletop Timer or Visual Schedule Tools
Why it’s essential: Helps kids with transitions, independent work, and time management.
Pro tip: Use timers to rotate through centers or focused work periods, especially for younger learners.
A visual timer is essential for ADHD children or young learners.
Final Thoughts
Homeschooling a large family doesn’t have to mean chaos. With the right tools, you can build a system that works for you—and empowers each child to thrive. These top homeschool supplies help reduce stress, save time, and support independent learning.