I’m not kidding, but it used to be an ENERGY DRINK DRIVE THROUGH. How was there a market for that?? I guess there wasn’t, because it shut down pretty quickly and was replaced by something everybody loves. A dollar store!
I have really thought to myself on so many occasions that I could probably save money if I shopped at the dollar store instead of my usual love store of choice, Target. But Target is, well… Target, and I couldn’t betray our deep relationship. But, when I moved to a tiny town called Flippin, Arkansas, they didn’t have a flippin Target. 😭 So I had to find a replacement love affair fun store where I could spend loads of time and even more money. And I found it! Only, I don’t have to spend loads of money. So it’s a win!
Dollar stores are a great great GREAT place to stock up on classroom school supplies and goodies. They have cute containers galore, endless prize bucket items, and even books for your classroom library. And you don’t have to spend a fortune on them. Here are a few things I bought at my last Dollar Tree binge.
The best part? EVERY SINGLE THING WAS ONLY $1.00!!!
Steal #1: National Geographics books 😱
This is my FAVORITE purchase! I love National Geographics books so much, but the big thick hardcover books can get pretty pricey. I just about fell to the floor when I saw these sitting on the shelf with that beautiful $1 price tag on them! How perfect are these for:
- Guided Reading–Buy 5 of each book and study them together as a small group.
- Classroom Library–My kids always fight over the big National Geographics books, but having multiple small ones lets many kids read them at the same time!
- Student Prizes–For only a dollar each, these can easily be put in a prize box or student store. Maybe a bigger ticket item? Such a good quality prize too. I mean, I love those mini erasers, but these are a goood prize.
- Student Christmas or End of Year Gifts–Books are my absolute favorite gift to give students. Any time I can get another book into a students’ home, that means more access to reading and curiosity and hopefully family bonding as parents read with them. Reading at home is SO IMPORTANT. It is one of the number one influencers on a child’s success in school, so I am passionate about getting books into students’ homes.
- Straws–Great for pointers to keep track and focus as students read, or to point at certain key words or phonics patterns.
- Pop Light–When learning beginning/middle/ending sounds you can lay out letter cards to make words, and put the pop light under the highlighted sound for students to press as they sound out the word.
- Slinky–A visual tool for sounding and stretching words out. You can break the sounds in words apart, and then spring them back together to make a word.
- Turquoise Baskets–Turquoise makes any classroom look like a legit learning wonderland. No joke, it is bright and happy and stylish, and goes great with those rainbow colored crayons. So I was so excited to see a whole section of turquoise containers! I’m thinking the one with handles would work great for a guided reading tools basket–easy to grab from across the table and wide enough to hold all the goodies without being too bulky. The smaller ones could be table trashcans each table can collect trash with during projects to help contain the mess, make clean up easier, and prevent fighting over the one big trashcan.
- Green Lid Jar–I actually drew the question mark on the lid to use it as a “Question Jar” in my Pickle Scientific Method Investigation (you can read more about that HERE). Students submit question ideas they wanted to investigate, and this works perfectly.
- Glitter Gift Boxes–Can we just gush over how cute these are for a second? 😍 😍 😍 I love the colors, and this is not get all over your hands and face look like you’re a sixth grader with roll on glitter kind of glitter. This is good quality! I would use these as coupon or prize holders, a “calm down box” when students need a “break,” thank you gifts, or to store my secret stash of candy office supplies on my desk.
Steal #4: Sensory Items
I really believe in sensory learning! Whole brain learning really supports child development needs, and providing opportunities for tactile stimulation helps academic learning too. I got some decorative shred, bright gift bows, and a bath loofah. Some ideas to use them in the classroom:
- Sensory Table–During centers have a table with cookie trays of different textured things. Let students play in them, with the condition that they clean up after that center or they loose the privilege.
- Letter Hunt–Fill a plastic gallon-sized bag with decorative shred and plastic letters. Have students hunt for certain letters-either to identify letters or spell words.
- Hot Potato–Use the loofah as a soft, damage-proof ball. Who can break something with a loofah?! I like to ask a question and have students catch the loofah, answer the question, then toss it to someone else.
- Calm Down Box–One of the biggest helps for emotional students was a “Calm Down Box” that had tactile and quiet activities students could do to move their brain from the fired up emotional side to the logical calm side. The springy bows are a perfect item for students to try to pull and spring each string while calming down.
Steal #4: Random Odds and Ends
- Mirror–You can use this to teach emotions and social skills, especially as a counselor or in a small group/one on one setting. Ask students how they would react to different situations and let them watch their faces and their reactions. Validate their feelings and emotions, and teach them appropriate ways they can express them and then practice while looking in the mirror.
- Coloring Book–High end big ticket prize for $1? Yes please!
- Ladles–Use at a center to scoop out easter eggs that have letters or numbers written on them to make words or math problems.
Steal #5: Poster Boards!
I burn through poster boards like a Pop-Tart on fire. Make all the anchor charts! ⚓ And these posters were good quality, color, and size, AND, they were only 50 cents. Total steal deal.
And there is my jackpot dollar store trip. I am all stocked up with new goodies, and my wallet is not empty! 🐬
