The Ultimate Consumable Idea List for Charter School Funding

Post author:Creative Home Life
Post published:November 5, 2018
Post category:Charter Homeschooling / Home School / Inland Empire - Local / Our Life / Ultimate Lists
Post comments:31 Comments

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This is the first year officially homeschooling our daughter, she is 4-years- old in TK, and enrolled with Inspire Charter School in California (see my list comparing Charter Schools in Southern California).

This list is for homeschooling parents of charter school students, that receive funding. Many charter schools give your child/ student funds to be spent on classes, services, and educational items. With items, it’s broken down into two categories, consumables and non-consumables. Consumables are products or items that the student will use up completely and therefore the item cannot be used by another student. Examples include; Classes, Field trips, memberships, subscriptions, and educational items.

Non-Consumables are educational items that can be used again by another student. The items go to a lending library after they are returned to the school (you do not have to return them until your last child is Un-Enrolled out of the school or graduates. But can return the items to your HST at any time you are finished with them. Inspire Mobile Lending libraries are where you can go and “rent or check out” educational items like a regular library. You can borrow educational materials so you don’t have to use your funds. Examples include; books, computers, instruments, telescopes, and microscopes.) (Click here to see my list of Non-Consumables).

This list of consumables is comprised of my own ideas, online research, and personally speaking with teachers and other home school parents… The consumables that are bold are ones we have personally purchased with funds. Please bookmark this page and check back as I will update this list regularly… Another great thing about Inspire is: if you don’t use all your child’s funds the unused funds are rolled over to the following year… Every charter has different rules, what one school considers consumable another may not. If you have any question you can always contact your teacher before placing an order. Keep in mind that some things get marked wrong on accident. If that happens, you can always contact your HST (teacher) and ask them about it. It can be fixed in their system. Sometimes the enrichment team ordering aren’t positive what is in the subscription or what exactly what the item is and don’t want to mark it wrong, inadvertently it still happens…. From my understanding everything is automatically marked a non-consumable by default, they have to change it in the system when it is not. Also, our HST said if you do order non-consumables and in her words “they break, just snap a photo or keep in a bag and return it so they see it was well used etc. accidents do happen. They take that into account.” Also, you can order from any website you want to, if it’s not on the list just click the “Other Vendor” option. You can order any curriculum (if it’s not religious). Be aware some curriculum contain both consumable and non-consumable items.

If you are with Inspire and interested in a certain type of class, utilize the Inspire Enrichment Order & Vendor Lobby online, you may find a local vendor for the class your child is interested in. If you are interested in a local class that is not with Inspire or (another charter), try speaking with them you may be able to convince them to become a vendor for charter schools.

NOTES:

Some Subscription boxes and science kits may be marked non-consumable, there may be items the school will want back.

Anything that is “build your own” is most likely consumable because it couldn’t be built again.

Consider a family museum membership. The natural history museum in Los Angeles offers one that covers many museums… There are free days and home school days, but they can get super crowded. Memberships allows you to go when you want and there are often special previews and membership events.

Some people use funds to purchase tickets to places like the zoo and aquarium you can then use your own money to upgrade to a pass for minimal money.

With field trips some can be purchased directly through Inspire, others you will need to purchase through a field trip vendor.

We have a huge collection of educational materials that I have purchased before joining Inspire. My favorite places to find treasures (many you can find new & new in box) are thrift stores, estate & yard sales, OfferUp App, Dollar Tree, 99 Cent Only Stores, online (Amazon, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace).

Please check back regularly, as I will update this post, as I come across Consumable ideas.

Classes (Outside location, Online & In-home teacher/ tutor)

Acting
Art
Camp
Climbing Gym (Like Hanger 18)
Dance: Ballet, Hip Hop, Hula, Jazz, Polynesian Dance, Tap
Dog Training Class (hands-on where the student learns how to train, their dog)
Etiquette Classes
Fencing
Flying Lessons
Gymnastics & Tumbling
Home Economics
Horseback Riding
Ice Skating
Indoor Playground (Like Luv 2 Play in Riverside)
Language: ASL (American Sign), French, Spanish
Martial Arts (Krav Maga, Tae Kwon Do)
Music
- Instruments: Keyboard, Guitar, Piano Ukulele, Violin
- Singing: Choir, Lessons
Painting Studios (Like Color Me Mine & Purple Easel)
Parkour
Sewing Lessons
Skateboarding Lessons
Sports: Baseball, Basketball, Golf, Hockey, Soccer, Tennis, Volleyball
Swimming
Tinkergarten
Trampoline Park Indoor
Tutoring
YMCA

Field Trips

Aquarium & Zoo: Aquarium of the Pacific, Seaworld, LA Zoo, San Diego Zoo
Ballet Performance
Camps
CA Science Center
Discovery Cube
Disney on Ice
Home School Conventions
Medieval Times
Museum: Air and Space Museum, Natural History
Renaissance Faire
Tours
- Warner Bros Studio Tour
- Whale Watching
Zoo: (LA Zoo, San Diego Zoo)

Memberships & Subscriptions

Audible Membership (Audio Books)
Apps (Educational): ABC mouse, Abcya.com, Curious World, Leapfrog Academy, Math Eggs, Patience Lavender, Reading Eggs, Rosetta Stone
Magazines: High Five, Highlights, Honest History, Ranger Rick Jr
Membership: Aquariums, Crossfit Gyms (teens), Indoor Playgrounds (elementary students), Museums, Rock Climbing Gym, Trampoline Park, YMCA/ YWCA, Zoos
Newspaper Subscriptions
Studies Weekly – for social studies & Science (has a mini-newspaper for each week and lesson plans)
Subscription Boxes (Educational): (some may be non-consumable): Atlas Crate, B.E.E. Kids Boxx, Bitsbox, Club SciKidz Labs, Creation Kit, Dream Delivered, Forensi Kit, Genius Box, Girl’s Can!, Green Kids Crafts, Groovy Lab in a Box, History Unboxed, Ivy Kids, Kid Wonder Box, Kiwi Crate, Learning Crates, Little Dreamers Club, Little Global Citizens, Little Justice Leaders, Little Passports, Magic School Bus, Mel Kids & Mel Science, Murder Mystery Box, MyEduCrate, My Garden Box, Outside The Box Creation, Tiny Docs Initiative Box, Owl Crate, Oyster Kit, Raddish, Spangler Science Club, Stem Science Boxes, Succulent Club, Surprise Ride, Tikes Garden, The Plant Club, Tinkercrates, Top Secret Adventures Club, Toucan Box, Womple, Wonder Crate, Young Science Club

Craft & Science Kits (Single kits - purchased online) (Note: Check out adult & kid kits)

Aquabeads Kits
- Delux Aquabeads Kit
  - Templates Disney Princesses
  - Templates Mixed Sheets
- Refill Kit
Aquarelle Kits
Archaeology: Pyramid Dig Kit
Bead Pets
Bell Tower – Build Your Own
Body Learn About – Craft Kit
Books – Kids Create Your Own
Botany – Growing kits
- Food
  - Herb Garden Starter Kit
  - Hydroponic Microgreen sprout mini kit by VitaHero
  - Hydroponic Tray and grow pads for sprouting seeds, wheatgrass & microgreens by Greenease
  - Microgreens Growing Kit
  - Vegetable Growing Starter Kit
- Plants
  - Bonsai Growing Kit
  - I Love You Bean Growing Kit
  - Wildflower Growing Kit
- Terrarium Kits
  - Grow & Glow Terrarium
Bouncy Ball Glow in the Dark Kit
Break your own Geodes
Bubble Science
Build your own Computer Kits
- Raspberry pi3 kit
Build your own Instruments
- Bongo Cajon kit
- Electric Guitar Kit
- Rainstick
  - Colorations Rainstick Kit (12 pack)
  - Tribal Rainstick Kit (24 pack)
- Canjo (Tin Can Banjo) Kit
- Ukulele Kit
- Violin Kit
Build Your Own Internal Combustion Engine
Candle Making Kits
- Beeswax Candle Making Kits
  - Large Beeswax Candle Kit
  - Mini Beeswax Candle Kit
- Gel Candle Kit
- Soy Candle Kit
Chemistry
Circuit Clay Science Kit
Clay Charm making kit
Craft Sticks Kit
Crayola Arctic Color Chemistry Set
Crayola Color Chemistry Set
Crime Catchers Spy Science Kit
Crystals
- Growing Kit
- Mining Kit
Cupcake Paper Craft Kit
Cutting Activity Kit
Diamond Painting Kit
- Animals
- Disney Princesses
Disgusting Science Kit
Dissection Kits
- Animals
- Owl Pellets (Poop)
DNA Kits
- 23 & me
- AncestryDNA
- Wisdom Panel (dog DNA) kit
Dream Catcher Craft Kit
Edible Kits
- Bubble Gum Making
- Tasty Science
Embroidery kit
Fairy Jar Kit
Fingerprint Kit
Flower Craft Kit
Flower press (build & decorate your own)
Foam Art Sticker Craft
Fossil Dig Kit
Fridge Magnet Kit
Glow in the Dark Fun Lab
Insects Raising
- Caterpillar’s
- Earthworms
  - Worm Food
- Green Lacewing Eggs
- Isopods Giant Roly Poly’s
- Lady Bugs
- Praying Mantis Eggs
- Sea monkeys
- Triops
Kaleidoscope building kit
- Hygloss Products Kaleidoscope Building Kit
- Toysmith Nature Kaleidoscope
Leather (Faux) Cuff Kit
Leather stamping kit
Lip Balm Making kit
Magic School Bus science kit
Magnetic Tile Art
Metal Model Kits
- Metal Figure Man Building Kit
Mosaic Kit
- Mosaic Sticker Art Kit
- My First Mosiac Kit
Motors and Generators Kit
My first mind-blowing science kit
Nanotechnology Kit
Needle Felting Kit
Needlepoint Kit
Origami Kits
- Bookmark Making Kits
- My First Origami Kit
Painting Kits
- 6 Clay Figurines Kit
- Clay Bank & Treasure Box
- Butterfly Rock Pet
- Fairy Garden Paint & Decorate
- Greek Drinking Vessel (Art In History) Painting Kit
- Nutcracker
  - Sugar Plum Fairy Nutcracker
- Paint By Numbers Oil Canvas Kit
- Pinwheel Flower
- Suncatchers / Stained Glass Kits
Paper Flying Kits
- Paper Airplane kits
- Paper Flying Dragons kit
Paper Bag Monsters Kit
Paper Craft 3 Happy Birds
Paper Craft Jungle Animals
Paper Chain Dolls Craft
Paper Fluffy Friends Craft Kit
Paper Lantern Animals
Paper Marbling Kit
Paper Cup Craft Kit
Paper Plate Craft Kits
- Paper Plate Animal
- Paper Plate Bugs
Paper Quilling Kit
Paper Scratch It Kit
Pillow Making Kit
- Knot a pillow no sew kit
Pinecone Fairy Kit
Pipe Cleaner Monster Kit
Pom Pom Pets Kit
Potato clock
Qixels Design Creator Kits
Quilt Making Kit
- No Sew Knot Quit
Robot Building Kits
- Buzzbot & Muttbot Robotic Building Kit by UBTech
- Doodling Robot
- Hydraulic Robotic Arm Kit by Owi
- Robotic Hand Kit
- Salt Powered Robot
- Smart Robot Car Kit by Elegoo
- Smart Robot Car Kit by Osoyoo
- Solar Robot Building Kit
- Solar Rover Kit
- Spiral Art Drawing Robot
- Tin Can Robot
- Unicornbot Kit by UBTech
Rockets
- Rocket Launch Kit
- Water Rocket Kit
Rock Painting
- Rock Butterfly Painting
- Rock Cactus Painting
- Rock Painting Create your own designs
- Rock Turtle Painting
Rock Polishing Grit Kit
Rubber Band Powered Toys
- Airplane
- Boats
- Butterflies
- Race Car
Rug (mini) Making Latch Kit
Transfer Sticker Art
Sand Art
- Bottle Sand Art
- Sand Painting
- Sand Painting Preschool
Science Explorer Magic Science Kit
Science Explorer My First Mind Blowing Science Kit
Science Explorer My First Science Kit
Sequin Art Kit
Sewing
- Preschool First Sewing Project
String Art Kit
- Bird String Art Kit
- Unicorn String Art Kit
Sewing Kits
- Sewing Material Kit
- Sew play food
- Sew Puppets Kit
- Sew Stuffed Animal
  - Sew Your Own Sock Dog
  - Sew Your Own Sock Monkey
Slime – Make your own
- Glow Slime Kit
Soap Making
Solar System Kits
- 4M Solar System Planetarium
- Mobile Making Kit
- Thirsty Plant Kit
Sticker Puzzle Foam 3D Kit (24 Piece)
Tie Dye Kit
Tissue Paper Craft Kit
Uncleaned Roman Coins Kit
Vinyl Self Adhesive Craft Sheets
Volcano Kit
Watch- Decorate Your Own
Weather Kit
Wind Chime Kits
- 4M Wind Chime Kit
- Butterfly Wind Chime
Window Cling Art
Wooden Build Kits
- Birdhouse Kit
- Dinosaur Building Kits
- Marble Tower – Build Your Own
- Trojan Horse Kit
- Wild Animal House Kits
  - Bat House
  - Bird House (Build & Paint)
  - Insect House
- Wood Cabin Kit
Wood Object Painting Kits
- Fairy House
- Guitar (Art & Craft Decoration)
- Nutcracker Painting
- Tractor Painting
Yarn Kits
- Yarn Tree Kit

Educational Materials (Single Product & Items)

Alcohol Ink
- 9 Alcohol Ink Pinata
- 22 Alcohol Ink Colors
- Extender
Artificial Snow
Assorted Craft Supplies
Beads (and beading supplies)
- Craft Beads
- Foam beads (for making slime)
- Jewelry beads
Beeswax
- White Pellets
- Yellow Pellets
Books (ones that are written in or consumed)
- Activity Book
  - Bananagrams for Kids (word puzzles)
  - Crayola Color Wonder
    - Blank Sheets
    - Coloring Pages
      - Fairy Tales
      - Nursery Rhymes
  - Connect The Dots
  - Crossword Puzzles
  - Cutting
    - Cut and Paste Skills Workbook
    - Cutting Skills Workbook
  - Dot Marker Coloring Book
  - Mad Libs
  - Magic Painting books
  - Mazes
  - Music
    - Doctor Mozart Music Theory Workbook
    - My First Piano Adventure
  - Paint By Sticker
  - Scratch and Sketch Off
    - At The Zoo
    - Under The Sea
  - Space Activity Book
  - Word Searches
- Coloring Books
  - Anatomy Coloring Book
  - Biology Coloring Book
  - Botany Coloring books
  - Chemistry Coloring Book
  - Dental Health Anatomy
  - Famous Painters in Art History
  - Geography Coloring books
  - Periodic Table of Elements Coloring Book
  - Zoology Coloring Book
- Drawing Books
- Workbooks
  - Language
    - Spanish (Grade 1-3)
  - Preschool
    - Alphabet Workbook
    - Big Preschool Workbook
    - Brainquest Workbooks
    - Geography Workbook
    - Math Workbook
    - Scholar Workbook
    - Science Workbook
    - Thinking Skills Workbook
  - Kindergarden
    - Big Kindergarten Workbook
    - Brainquest Workbook
    - DK Workbook Science
  - First Grade
    - Rhyming Words
  - Older Kids
    - Copywork Books – Practice Cursive Handwriting
    - Math
    - Reading, Language Arts, Creative Writin
Blank Materials
- Apostrophe Games Blank Gameboard & Box
- Clothes (for painting & Tye dye, etc)
  - Scarves (dharma trading has them)
  - Shirts
- Flashcards
- Playing Cards
Botany
- Hydroponics
  - Clay Pebbles (4 lbs)
  - Grow Pads
  - Rockwool (200 cubes)
  - Seedling Stater Drip Tray
- Plants
  - Air Plants Set of 5
  - Pilea Peperomioides
  - Seeds
  - Sprouting Bag
Brass Paper Fasteners
Buttons for crafting Calendar
- Desktop
- Wall
- Camera

- Disposable Camera
- Instant Camera Film
Candle Making
- Soy Wax
- Wicks
Cellophane Sheets
Chalk
- Chalk Pens
- Sidewalk Chalk
- Small Drawing Chalk
- Street Stix
Clay
- Air-Drying Clay
- Beeswax Modeling Clay
- Eraser Clay
- Play-Doh
- Polymer Clay
- Pottery Clay
- Snow Clay
Confetti
Crayons
- Beeswax Crayons
- Dry Erase Neon Crayons
- Extra Large Toddler Crayons
- Glitter Crayons
- Oil Pastels
- Silly Scents
- Standard Wax Crayons 152 Count
- Watercolor Crayons
Digital Books
Digital Music
Erasers
Fabric (for crafts & sewing)
- Felt
- Material
Fake Snow
Feathers for crafting
Foam Crafting Sheets
Gelli Baff
Gems for crafting
Geyser Tube (For science experiments)
Glitter 24 pack assorted bottles 20g each
Glue
- Glue Sticks
- Modge Podge
  - Gloss Modge Podge
  - Matte Modge Podge
- Rubber Cement
- Super Glue
- Washable school glue
  - Clear School Glue (by the gallon)
  - White School Glue (by the gallon)
- Wood Glue
Goats Milk Base (to make soap)
Googly Eyes
Ink Stamp Pads
Jewels for crafting
Journals
- Field Trip Journals
- Nature Journal
- Personal
Label Maker Refills
Laminating Pouch Sheets
Loom kit materials
Map Tacks (for marking locations on maps)
Markers
- Acrylic Paint Markers
- Big Tip Markers
- Broad Line Washable Markers
- Dot Markers
- Fabric Markers
- Fine Super Tip Washable Markers
- Highlighters
- Sharpies
- Scented Markers – Mr. Sketch – Washable
- Tri-Color Washable Markers
- Watercolor
- Dry Erase
  - Big Tip
  - Fine Tip
    - Black
    - Colored
- Window Markers
Mica Pigment Powder
- 30 different colors 10 grams each
Objects to Paint
- Clay objects to paint
  - Banks
  - Models
- Wooden objects to paint
  - Blocks
  - Bolsa wood pieces
  - Peg Dolls
Paint
- Acrylic Paint
  - 8 Oz Acrylic Paint 12 Piece Set
  - 16 Oz Acrylic Black Paint
  - 16 Oz Acrylic White Paint
  - Acrylic Apple Barrel Multipack
  - Acrylic Glow Paint
  - Acrylic Paint Markers
- Fabric Paint
- Face paint
  - Crayon style face paint sticks
- Glass Paint (for stained glass)
- Glaze paint (for ceramics & clay)
- Kwik Stix paint sticks
- Metallic
- Oil Paint
- Puffy Paint
- Tempera 16 Colors 13.5 oz
- UV Clear Gloss Coat
- Watercolor Paint
  - Paint Pens
  - Pallet – 36 colors
  - Tubes – 24 tubes
Paint Brushes
Paint by number
Painting Canvases
- 11X14inch Canvas Boards 12 pack
- Multipack different sizes (28) Canvas Boards
Paper
- Butcher Paper
- Canvas Paper
- Card Stock
- Comic Book Design Paper
- Construction
- Crayola Color Wonder Drawing Paper
- Drawing & Sketch paper
- Index Cards
- Iron on transfer paper
- Lined
- Notebooks
- Origami paper
- Photo Paper
- Printer Paper Standard
- Rainbow Scratch Paper
  - Mini Notes 150 sheets
- Sticker Paper (Printable)
- Sticky Notes
- Sun print reactive paper
- Thick Art / painting paper
- Translucent Vellum Inkjet Paper
- Watercolor paper
- Yuppo Paper
Paracord
Pastels
- Chalk
- Oil
Pencils
- Colored
- Large pencils for preschoolers
- Regular #2
  - Unsharpened
- Mechanical pencils (with thick lead that doesn’t break in little hands)
- Rainbow Pencils (4 colors in 1)
- Watercolor
- Wood-less colored pencils
Pens
- Crayola Wonder Drawing Pens
- Frixion pens
- Gel
- Ink
- Paint Pens
Perler Beads (regular and biggie beads)
Piano & Keyboard Transparent Key Stickers
Pipe Cleaners
Planner
Playfoam
Pom Pom’s
Printer Ink
Pocket folders
Putty
- Silly Putty
- Thinking Putty
Rocks (for rock painting or studying)
Sand
- Cloud Sand
- Kinetic Dirt
- Kinetic Rocks
- Kinetic Sand 11 lbs
- Magic Sand
- Magnetic Sand
- Moon Sand
- Play Sand All Purpose (Sandbox)
- Slimy Sand
- Space Magic Sand
Science tri-fold boards
Sheet Protectors
Slime
- Cloud Slime
- Slime Activator
- Slimy Sand
Sticker Labels
String
Tape
- Double Sided
- Duct
  - Daisy Print
- Highlighting Tape
- Masking Tape 12 Rolls Different Colors
- Scotch
- Washi Tape
  - Glitter Washi tape 60 count
  - Primary colors & more washi tape 40 count
Thread (and other sewing supplies)
Three ring binders
Vinyl Adhesive Sheets
Water Beads 80,000 regular beads and 50 giant size
WikkiStix
Wood Craft Sticks (Natural & colored)
Yarn

Popular online vendors to order Educational Materials with funds (Note: You can order from anywhere)

Amazon
Etsy
Fat Brain Toys
Hobby Lobby
Lakeshore Learning
Mercurius
Rainbow Resources
Teachers Pay Teachers
Thames kosmo
Usborne
YOOBI (everything you buy not only gets sent to you, but also to a class in need)