The Dollar Store Supplies and Crafts - I Want All The Things!

I am obsessed with Dollar Tree. No joke. There are three locations that are each a 15 minute drive from my house. I cycle through them just in case one has something in stock that the others don't carry. I'm nuts, I tell you. I love the $1 cleaning supplies, the $1 seasonal items (i.e. goggles, Christmas decorations) and I am head over heals for the $1 school supplies.

I have been grabbing office and school supplies as well as small educational games and toys for years now. I think because Target's dollar spot has grown in popularity, Dollar Tree has upped their game to keep customers willing to make the trip for these items. It may only be the middle of July, but both Dollar Tree and Target have stocked their shelves with school supplies and educational items.

I love the workbooks. For our homeschool program, we have a set curriculum that doesn't rely at all on worksheets. Because of this, I like to supplement with workbooks that review simple counting, phonics and logical concepts. Most of the books we use are the School Zone brand and include stickers and coloring. You get the most bang for your buck with these. The Benden brand, which is what Target carries for $1 is fun as well. My son isn't quite as interested in their workbooks, but loves their flashcards, mini puzzles and travel games. I like them, because for a dollar, you are getting items with great photos of real animals and people. I love utilizing simple images of the actual animal, person or place in learning. I've found that exposing a child to non-fiction books and images helps to expand their vocabulary and ability to notice new things in the world around them. Educational philosophies popularized by people like Charlotte Mason and Maria Montessori, highlight learning from real photos and living books.

Lately, my son has been into his play dough sets. He wants to mix the colors together. It kills me inside. So, I pick up these great six packs of mini dough containers. I'll bring them out for projects or keep a few in my bag for travel. They even have packs of little cookie cutter type tools and play dough scissors. Throw in some mini jewels or sequins and you have our latest project that is actually not a Pinterest fail.

We read one of our favorites, Rainbow Fish, and I asked my son to check out how some of the fish had different colors. We talked about the book while blending the play dough and cutting out a school of fish. We counted 15 jewels to put on rainbow fish, then shared them with the other fish, one by one or two by two. It was sensory play, reading comprehension and math in one simple project. The project cost $3 and we can do it multiple times.

Please let me know what your dollar store must haves are or if you've thrown together any fun projects with $1 items.