Back to Homeschool Gift Ideas Your Teens Will Love!
How do you celebrate back to homeschool? How can you make the first day back to homeschool special for your kids? One way we celebrate is by creating back to homeschool gift bags for our teens!
Back to homeschool gift ideas are everywhere. Each new homeschool year, my daughter and I gift each other time. Every year as we head back to homeschool my daughter and I plan a girl’s day out. We grab the homeschool supply list, check the flyers for deals and make a whole day of it. Lunch, shopping, and girl chit-chat.
This year we had a problem. There was one thing on the homeschool supply list. Pencils. Since that wouldn’t quite cut it we took a different route.
My husband and I did a quick shopping trip and created back to homeschool surprise gift bags for our teens.
Why Celebrate With Back To Homeschool Gifts?
Around here, heading back to school can be quite a celebration. New lunch boxes, new backpacks, and new clothes usually paired with a lot of groaning on the part of the parents I see in stores.
When we decided to homeschool our kids, one of the things I really wanted to do was to make back to homeschooling a celebration of doing things differently and make the first day of homeschool special!
And this year, as we got ready for a new homeschool year, we decided to surprise our teens with back to homeschool gifts instead of a day out shopping.
As with most teens, you never know if what you get will be a hit or miss. I am sharing what was inside our gift bags along with suggestions from other moms to get you started.
Happy Hunting!
Back To Homeschool Gift Ideas
Before I share my list of homeschool gift ideas for heading back to homeschool, I want to share a few tips for picking out gifts for your kids:
- Choose gifts based on their interests
- Consider your child’s age
- If you are spending a lot I highly recommend checking the quality of the gift, will it last?
- Choose gifts that make them laugh, even teens like “silly surprises”
- Don’t forget the value of time, consider including gift vouchers for a “date with mom”
When creating your homeschool gift bags for your kids, don’t forget to include something to put the gift in, some homeschool supplies from the list, a few schooly times, a silly surprise or two, and food.
Gift Bags:
First, you need something to put the goodies in. Gift bags make life easy but don’t be afraid to get creative or go traditional with a gift-wrapped box.
- Gift Bags- We went with basic colors and designs. Black and white for our teens.
- Lunch Boxes/Bags: These are great to fill with gifts especially if your children like to have their own lunch box/bag for field trips, road trips, all-day co-ops, etc. My kids take these to work with them as well.
- Backpacks: Perfect for taking their learning on the road, going to the sitter or just because. Make sure they have a spot for electronics for older kids such as a space for a laptop.
- Hatbox: If your children collect rocks (no, just mine??) these boxes are great to reuse for collectibles. Any box with a lid works.
Homeschool Supplies:
Most kids won’t get excited about homeschool supplies but mine do!
When looking for these items pick what suits your child. If your child loves animals, color, shapes, etc. go with that. There are so many different designs out there, have fun and make it personal!
- Notebooks – colorful and affordable
- Folders
- Cardstock
- Planners for kids or use a printable homeschool planner
- Wreck This Journals
- Personal Journals
- Index cards
- Post it notes
- Washi tape
- Stickers in all shapes and sizes
Basic School Supplies:
This is the “schooly stuff”. Again, have fun and pick homeschool gifts you know your kids will love. My oldest does not like colored pens but my youngest freaks over special art supplies.
- Pens-Gel Pens and Erasable Pens are a favorite
- Colored Pencils-the scented ones are fun!
- Markers
- Sharpies
- Crayons-good quality, I highly recommend Crayola crayons. Teachers of younger kids want the 16 count, and this article shows why. This is something as a homeschool mom you may want to keep in mind as well.
- Pencils-the reason we began this hunt lol! We’ve learned not to cave and buy pretty pencils but rather ones that won’t break every 5 minutes. We are in love with Ticonderoga Pencils. We are trying out the black 3 sided ones this year.
- Erasers – be sure to include good quality as well as fun. We like Pink Pearl from Papermate
- Rulers
- Pencil Sharpeners – a fought-over item in our homeschool
- Glue
- Paperclips
- Clips
- Tacks
- Tape
Homeschool Gift Electronics:
Since much of our learning is on the go we do a lot of online learning. These make awesome add-ons that are practical and fun!
Since some of these purchases are high-ticket be sure to check with the kid discretely to see what they prefer and need. My oldest wanted a very specific tablet but not a laptop.
- Tablet cases -these are a must in our home. We do a lot of driving to social activities and events, the cases are worth protecting your investment.
- Tablets
- Extra charging cords
- Ear Buds / Headphones
- Bluetooth speakers
- Lap desks – check the size to ensure they fit your child’s laptop.
- Power Banks (Portable Chargers) -these are awesome!! We use them when Car camping and hiking.
Edible Treats:
Kids and adults love getting treats! Tossing a few favorite treats in the gift is always a win.
- Candy- Candy is always a hit with kids of all ages. Individually wrapped packages of favorites such as M&Ms, Smarties, etc work best.
- Gummy Worms- I put a note in with these for the whole “Book Worm” angle, which earned eye-rolls and laughs. Pro Tip: Using a program like Canva to create a little card to go with your Gummy Worms is easy and adds a personal touch.
- Powerade, Gatorade or their favorite energy drink
- Water Bottles- Found a cute one with a strainer and filled with funky socks for my daughter!
“Super Silly” Homeschool Gift Ideas!
All kids love to laugh, don’t forget to include things not normally and have some fun with them. Think of what will make your child laugh and toss it in the bag!
- Fun Socks such as monster socks or food!
- PJ’s that are fun and cozy. You know since we stay in them all day long, ha!
- T-shirts with fun sayings or silly graphics
- Hair Elastics
- Hoodies for fall
- A new book and fun bookmark
Back To Homeschool Gift Coupons:
Lastly, have fun and make up fun homemade coupons for rewarding good behavior or getting their work all done.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- No chores day
- Unlimited screen time
- Favorite meal day
- Dinner and a movie with mom
- Dinner with friends
- Pizza Night
- Or if you aren’t creative, grab a gift card to their favorite shop.
Back to Homeschool Gift Ideas Your Teens Will Love!
Heading back into a new homeschool year can be made memorable with a few fun homeschool gift ideas.
We had so much fun surprising our kids with the gift bags.
Remember to keep the gifts specific for your child and have fun!
Do you celebrate back to homeschool with your kids?
Happy New School Year!
Jen
PS. If you are short on time and need a few ideas for celebrating back to school read our 9 First Day Back to Homeschool Ideas: For Busy Moms!
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Hi, I’m Jen. I help working moms juggle their career and homeschool their kids by providing support, systems and tools. You are warmly invited to Join the Online Community Here!
