Thrift stores and yard sales should always be viewed as potential sources for books, puzzles, costumes, games, art supplies, sporting equipment and other learning materials. These can also be great sources for picking up materials for science demonstrations or experiments. Cassettes and compact discs can often be exchanged among other homeschooling families for a music or humanities extension. A note regarding material exchange programs, make sure everyone writes their name and phone number somewhere on the material loaned to assure proper return. Save all cardboard, these will come in very handy for a myriad of projects.
Shoe boxes make excellent dioramas, communities and villages.
Postal packaging and cardboard boxes can be reused for numerous art projects. Cardboard rolls from paper towels make great totem poles, telescopes, and holiday decorations. These need not be expensive, long distance trips. Rather, they can be as simple as a visit to a nearby park to search for various species of plants, rock types and minerals, or sports practice. The zoo is always a wonderful learning experience for a large variety of topics.