Five Things You Never Thought You Would Need in Homeschooling (But you really do)

If you approach teaching your kids with very hands-on projects like I do, these five tools will prove to be useful. 1. Mortar and Pestle I have used my mortar and pestle so many times in the 2.5 years I've been homeschooling. My boys crushed berries to make paint in our prehistory unit; they crushed spices in our cooking unit; they made egg tempera paint by crushing chalk and mixing it with egg in our art class. It is indispensable! 2. Empty Thread Spools You can make great toy cars, vertabrae, pulleys, the list is endless. 3. Digital camera (and video camera) I document almost all of our projects and field trips. The video camera is a go-to tool when I get resistance about studying something "boring." I have my son prepare a report and we videotape his presentation. He is so excited to be on camera, he forgets to be bored. 4. Calling Cards Have you ever met a cool mom at a homeschool class or field trip? Has your child ever made an instant new best friend on the playground? You need family calling cards. We make our own at home on the computer and print them using pre-perforated paper. 5. Lentils Do you love the idea of sensory tubs but hate the mess of sand or water? Lentils are small enough for that sort of task, but large enough for easy clean-up. What is something you use alot that you never imagined you would need?