I am so excited to share our extensive list of essential preschool materials with you! We have compiled preschool learning materials for art, alphabet and math learning, as well as other learning toys that we have found helpful in our home tot school and preschool!

Over the last year and beyond, I have shared many Tot School adventures with you. I always try to introduce new writing tools and fun learning toys to keep my son engaged in his learning — activities like coloring and tracing don’t excite him very much, so we change it up a lot to keep things interesting. Thankfully, any of these learning tools have been gifts, or I’ve found them on sale, but there is a cost involved, so I am only including the ones we love most. {This list doesn’t include all of the homemade paints and play doughs and sensory fun you can make with and for your child, so this is surely not a complete list for what you can use or do in our home preschool!} I have divided this into five lists:

Art Bin for Children
Natural Art Ideas
More Learning Tools for Children
Alphabet Learning Tools
Math Learning Tools
More Learning Toys

Well here it is, our essential preschool materials….

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The primary tools we use are kept in this tub that I bought on super-sale from Target. It isn’t a perfect container, but holds our must-have essentials:

Triangular Crayola crayons — to promote proper grip — and they don’t fall off the table!

Markers: We love the the short Pip Squeak Crayola markers.

Crayola Twistables Crayons.

Dry-erase markers: These can be used with heavy-duty sheet protectors, so you won’t be “wasting” paper and it is also a great practical life skill for your child to learn how to erase on his own!

Do-A-Dot markers are so so awesome. They last forever and can be used for so many art ideas! My son is not a “coloring” type, but he loves these!!

More Natural Art Ideas!!

First, you can see my opinions on What is Art? and Rethinking Arts & Crafts. Also make sure to read (and meditate on :) ) The Artful Parent book to get ideas about art!!

Paper of all types: big rolls, constructions, black, white, scraps

Paint: tempera paint, baby paint

Brushes: paint brushes, hands, q-tips, pine cones, sticks, leaves, rocks, more tools from nature

Always have little pieces of paper and tools available for creativity!

I have another bin packed with other writing and learning materials. We use these sporadically, depending on John’s mood, or whatever I want to use for that day.

Alphabet Stamps with stamp pad.

Crayola crayons.

Window markers.

Koopy Spring children’s scissors.

We also throw in our Crayola Watercolor Paints.

We also use Tempera Paints with brushes, nylons filled with rice, toilet rolls, anything can be used as a painting medium, but these aren’t “readily accessible to him” :)

Circle stickers: here are both see-through removable color dots and regular color dots. Perfect for sticking onto a picture page with letters on it.

I have heard wonderful things about trying the Pencil Grip Ergonomic Writing Aid, for when your child is ready to begin writing with a pencil. You could also try the Pencil Grip Writing Claw.

Sidewalk chalk.

Child’s notebook : perfect for early handwriting and storytelling skills!

Alphabet Learning Tools:

Alphabet magnets are a must have for every preschool home. We have several sets from Melissa & Doug. (One of the sets we have is exclusive to Toys R Us, so make sure to head over there to find them!)

We adore our LeapFrog Letter Factor Refrigerator Magnets. We use them all the time. There is a non-magnetic set which is a bit less pricy, but would be just as fun (and you could stick magnets to them to make them magnetic!)

Sandpaper Letter Cards. We put these up on our wall and John touches them to feel the letter of the week.

Melissa & Doug matching letters puzzles: These are so fun for little hands.

Lauri Uppercase Pegboard Letters.

Lauri A-Z Lowercase Rubber Puzzle and Uppercase Puzzle.

Uppercase alphabet (with number!) stamping tools and lowercase alphabet stamping tools: for stamping into playdough.

Montessori Moveable Alphabet.

Learning Resources Letter Construction Set is a great way for children to build the straight and curved lines of the alphabet!

Melissa & Doug alphabet train floor puzzle.

Melissa & Doug alphabet puzzle.

And our Munchkin ABC Bath Letters — they stick the tub — or a window! — when they are wet!

We also adore Leapfrog Letter Factory — this is the best early education dvd!!

Math Learning Tools: Fun and essential manipulatives.

These fun Learn & Links can be used with so many activities — color or shape sorting, as well as simply hole-punching a sweet picture and putting these through the holes for fine motor skills!

Cuisenaire Rods are an amazing tool for early math spatial learning. Each number 1-10 is in a different color. Also check out this wonderful Cuisenaire Alphabet Book!

Unifix cubes: for math learning, since each cube can equal “1”.

Teddy Bear counters can be used for so many fun math activities!

These circle magnets and homemade pom pom magnets (hot glue together: little magnets and poms) are fun for fine motor skills and can be used to aid in math and literacy learning.

Also check out these fun Wikki Stix, for building letters or having fun!!

Shape Templates for teaching shapes and drawing fun pictures!

More Learning Toys we use almost daily:

Melissa & Doug floor puzzles

Melissa & Doug play dough tools.

These Melissa & Doug Lacing Cards are my son’s favorite. Whenever I bring one out, he insists on sleeping with it!

I love these Eeboo Stacking blocks and I think every home needs a set – (if you’re looking for the traditional Montessori Pink Tower, you can check that out here.)