Dollar stores are full of incredible deals for teachers. In order to save you precious time and money, we have found the top ten must-have materials, all priced at a dollar and available at a discount store near you. Each are applicable for any teacher from Pre-K to college professor.
1 and 2. Magnetic letters and a cookie sheet
Magnetic letters aren’t just for the little kids. If you ask a student to write something quickly in class, you can make it more interesting by having them spell it out using magnetic letters. The cookie sheet, with its raised edges, provides a spill-proof palate for your students to compose their literary masterpieces. Do your students really want to practice spelling or vocab words by putting their pencil to paper again or would they be more motivated to find the letters and then construct the words?
Brain research tells us that adding this tactile approach to the visual representation is more memorable and meaningful. What’s the capital of Wisconsin? Let’s grab our magnetic letters and spell it out! Or, would you rather write the word? Yep, we voted for the colorful magnetic letters too.
3 and 4. Hair gel and baggies
This is another match worth two dollars. Used separately these two items serve mundane roles, but together they make the perfect sensory tool for any child with sensory needs or any teacher trying to stay awake during excruciating staff development.
Open baggie, fill ¾ with hair gel, and seal. You may want to double baggie or duct tape the edges, although you can easily wash a little escaped hair gel out of clothing. Trust me about this sensory tool. It can relax you when needed or keep you awake when necessary. It is inexpensive and worth its weight in gold. We have a few sitting on our desks right now. We never force anyone to use them, but when offered, people almost always grab them. Vary the color of the hair gel and add glitter for a little extra fun.
5. Play Dough
You can buy an 8 pack of modeling dough/play dough for a dollar. For just a few dollars you can have enough individual mini-packages of play dough for an entire class. They are the perfect sensory tool as long as you establish ground rules. Kneading it in your hand is acceptable. Kneading it into the ponytail of the student in front of you is not.
Beyond its sensory capabilities, play dough offers the tactile opportunity some kids crave to demonstrate understanding of a topic. Think of a project/assignment in which you have kids draw their understanding. Could they build a three minute model instead? The possibilities are endless with play dough and it is reusable. Yes, you can make your own but buying 8 mini-packages for a dollar is potentially cheaper. In the words of a former student, “We are never too old for play dough.”
6. Dice
From large foam dice to tiny dice in a cup, these six-sided cubes with dots are versatile tools that every teacher must have. Need a math game? There are hundreds of ways to use your dice. Need to partner kids, form small groups or randomly assign kids to stations/classroom jobs/etc? Use the dice. Better yet, have the kids roll the dice so you don’t have to set down your hair gel baggy (see # 3 and #4).
7. Ice cube trays
The ultimate organizer at two for a dollar! Whether you put them on shelves to sort your magnet letters (two trays have a total of 28 holding spots) or have the kids put them inside their desks to organize their loose paper clips, erasers, and other random items, these multipurpose plastic trays are the perfect size for classroom mini-storage.
8 and 9. Clothespins and 1000 pack of stickers
These are the perfect combination for you to create self-correcting activities. On the front of a piece of cardboard (or cardstock) write several problems to be solved for your content area (these could be actual questions, vocab words, math equations, etc). Students attach a clothespin with an answer written on it to the corresponding prompt on the cardboard. To check if they are correct, they flip the manipulative over to check for matching stickers. If the stickers align they are correct.
Once you have created this easy self-correcting manipulative, disassemble and put it in one of your extra baggies (see #4). Each self-correcting material can be used repeatedly by different students practicing the same skill. Here is a sample we created using dollar store clothespins, stickers, and the top of a Dunkin’ Donuts box.
Here is the front view showing the matching task: 
Here is the back view, showing the self correcting “answers.”
Give this to the child who seeks attention repeatedly during class by blurting out to ask a question or tell you what they are thinking. Give him or her the composition notebook as a dialogue journal between the two of you.
Instead of blurting out and interrupting the flow of the class, encourage the student to write ideas in the notebook while class is in session. During non-class time you can read the notes and write brief responses back. It may take you a few minutes to reply in the journal, but it will save you time during class and will help your student get the attention he/she is craving in a better way.
These teacher tools can be found at any dollar store and are on our back-to-school shopping list each year. Use your imagination to decide how you will modify these handy purchases in your own classroom.
Please comment below with your additional dollar store treasures so others can benefit from your bargain shopping. Now, where did we put that hair gel baggie…?
Happy shopping,
I use the clothespin method a lot! Is there a way to have a self check that is subtle? My kiddos being more challenging students all diagnosed with autism, are with a lack of a better word, cheaters lol. They would simply turn it over, match stickers and then come running to me saying “I’m done Miss Tina!” But having self check on the back would allow my other staff Might go to your house to do laundry. But im feeling lazymembers to quickly check their work instead of going through each answer individually.
Tina,
Excellent question! Here is a suggestion so kids will not “cheat” so easily:
When constructing: Put the stickers on the clothespins as usual. However, before putting the stickers on the cardboard, slip the cardboard inside an envelope. Put the sticker on the envelope instead of the cardboard. Take off the envelope, label it, and set it aside.
When using: After the students attach the clothespins to the cardboard, they can come to you (or another staff member) and request the corresponding envelope. They can slip the cardboard with the clothespins attached into the envelope and then look for sticker alignment on the clothespins and envelope to see if they are correct.
We hope this idea helps,
Paula and Michele
I love the idea of using composition notebooks to cut down on blurting during instruction. I may just have to incorporate this tool into my classroom. ?
Hi Stacey, let us know how it goes if you try it! Paula and Michele
These are some awesome ideas, I would haven’t thought of looking at some of these items in such a way that it is perfect for teaching supplies.
Thanks Sarah! Teachers are on very tight budgets, so dollar store steals are a cheap way to get classroom materials.
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Thank you Emilie.