125 MUST-HAVE Dollar Store PE Teacher Finds (+ Best Uses)
If you love finding affordable ways to keep kids active, then these 125 MUST-HAVE dollar store PE teacher finds are about to become your new favorite PE resources.
Dollar Store PE Teacher Finds
From budget-friendly supplies that work for warm-ups, relays, tag games, and throwing activities to simple items that make classroom management and gym setup easier, this list is packed with creative ideas for elementary PE teachers.
Whether you are planning a lesson, stocking your equipment closet, or looking for cheap tools that kids will love, these dollar store PE teacher finds will help you save money and keep your gym OUTRAGEOUSLY FUN and ready for active learning.
Hi there, it’s so great to meet you! I’m Mrs. T. (Love 2 Teach and Learn) or you can call me Jen – a Michigan mom, wife, new grandma (aka “Jemma”) and K-12 PE teacher who has also taught Kindergarten, 3rd, and 6th grades.
I love teaching PE class because I get to spend time telling silly sports jokes and exercising while laughing with my students.
I’m also on a serious mission to MAKE SCHOOL FUN AGAIN and these 125 Dollar Store PE Teacher Finds are a great way to do just that!
*Please note that all products listed here were found at various Dollar Tree Stores in Michigan.
PE PARTY SUPPLIES
#1 BALLOONS – Use for balloon volleyball, Keepy Uppy activities, lower elementary small group stations or games like Stomp and Pop or Balloon Scattergories. My favorite Dollar Store Balloons are the Tye Dye and the yellow smiley face ones.
#2 PAPER PLATES – Perfect for using as ice skates when playing winter-themed PE games like Ice Skating Tag or Winter Olympics Challenge Stations.
#3 PARTY STREAMERS – Great for dancing, movement and rhythm activities.
#4 CARDBOARD JEWELRY GIFT BOXES – Use for super fun holiday games like Santa’s Sleigh Relay or Thanksgiving Dinner Dash.
PE OFFICE and SCHOOL SUPPLIES
#5 FLASH CARDS – Great for forming teams in a fast, fun, and fair way and for playing super fun games like math tag.
#6 REUSABLE DRY ERASE POCKETS – These are amazing for station signs and direction cards. They also work well for scorekeeping games like Bullseye Bags and Super Fowling. They are also great for putting your class lists in and easily keeping track of whose had a turn when playing tag games.
#7 MINI WHITEBOARD and EXPO DRY ERASE MARKERS – Great for scorekeeping and writing learning targets, Pe focus skills and the daily agenda. The dry erase markers also work perfect when playing Mystery Number Tag because the secret numbers wipe off little hands easily once you’re done playing the warm-up game.
#8 MOTIVATIONAL STUDENT SIGNS – Use for bulletin boards and gym decor to encourage good behavior, remind students of rules, inspire positive effort, and make the gym or classroom feel more fun and welcoming.
#9 SHARPIE MARKERS – Great for labeling equipment, creating learning target signs and activity cards and writing down game scores.
#10 PENS and PENCILS – I mean who doesn’t need plenty of pens and pencils on hand at all times?
#11 HANDHELD PENCIL SHARPENER– Yup, I use mine every day!
#12 CRAYONS – I always keep a set of crayons in my calming corner area of the gym. Kids can use them with a coloring book or they can scribble in a blank journal also found in the SEL Calming Corner when they are a little sad, mad, or just need an emotional break.
#13 SHEET PROTECTORS – Perfect for placing all of your favorite printed PE lesson plans in before placing into a binder. I always get mine at the Dollar Store because OMG these babies can get expensive at other stores.
#14 SCISSORS – Always helpful for creating bulletin boards, cutting out game pieces, making activity cards, preparing station signs and more.
#15 PENCIL POUCH – Besides holding writing utensils, pencil pouches are awesome for keeping small supplies like cards, stickers, and game pieces organized, easy to carry, and ready to use during lessons. I also like to use one pouch per class to organize student medical/behavior cards (See Item #23 for more info on this)
#16 BINGO DAUBER – This can help mark score sheets, highlight activity spots and track student progress. I love using them for Warm-Up Bingo or Wacky Bowling Bingo.
#17 SIDEWALK CHALK – Great for outdoor targets, hopscotch, movement paths, and number games. I also like to put a bunch of sidewalk chalk at an outdoor Field Day Station.
Grab my FIELD DAY GUIDE HERE.
#18 CLIPBOARDS – Perfect for scorekeeping games like Scra-Ball and Soccer Golf. Clipboards also come in handy for group projects like Create Your Own PE Game and Design Your Own Mini Golf Hole.
#19 PLASTIC RULERS – Great for measuring challenges like the Shoe Tower Minute-To-Win-It Relay. or Winter Olympics Station Challenges. Rulers are also awesome for keeping things straight when putting up PE Bulletin Boards.
#20 CALCULATOR – I actually like to have several calculators in the gym at all times and often give them to my students to use at different PE Stations. They help to quickly total and record scores, count laps, figure out team points, and save massive time during games and activities.
#21 BOOK RINGS – Book rings are great for organizing and holding together sports jokes, fitness task cards, activity sheets, and station directions so they are easy to carry, and use during lessons.
#22 SHOE LACE PRACTICE BOARDS – Alright, these are SERIOUSLY, THE COOLEST! Perfect for shoe tying stations, Mileage Club Awards and Bulletin Boards.
#23 INDEX CARDS – These are awesome for task cards, movement directions, or station labels. My favorite way to use large index cards is for behavior documentation. I label one index card per student and keep all of the cards inside a pencil pouch. I document any medical needs, behavior issues, notes or any other important issues on the student cards as the year progresses. Punch a hole in the corners, bind them together with a large book ring and separate each class into their own pencil pouch.
#24 BLANK JOURNAL or DRAWING BOOK – I always keep a blank journal or a drawing book in my calming corner area in my gym. It’s works wonders for kids who need a quick emotional break.
#25 TAPE (Packaging, Masking, Painter’s, Electrical and Duct) – The Dollar Store has so many varieties of tape that you can use to mark lines, targets, lanes, and boundaries on the gym floor. Great for indoor removable floor markings, squad spots, safe movement paths, target circles or X’s on walls, grid games like Tic-Tac-Throw, and start lines.
#26 SCHOOL SUPPLY CADDY – I use this as a cup holder for kids who forget to bring their water bottles to class. It works great. Be sure to stock up during the summer and Back to School time because I’ve noticed that they don’t always carry them after that.
PE TOYS & GAMES
#27 BALLS – Use for throwing and catching games like Hot Potato Tag. They are also great for target games, rolling, kicking, tossing, and partner games. Use for dribbling practice, reaction games, and hand-eye coordination.
#28 JUMP ROPES – Great for rope-jumping stations, limbo, and fitness circuits.
#29 HULA HOOPS – I use hula hoops ALL THE TIME in class for jumping in and out, hoop races, target tosses, and balance games like CANDYLAND TRAIL. I also use colored hula hoops to make teams and for collection zones for items during team PE games.
#30 BEAN BAGS – I use bean bags for so many fun PE games like Snack Attack Tag. They are great for teaching key PE skills including underhand throwing (Toss & Flip) and soccer dribbling.
#31 SQUEAKY RUBBER CHICKENS – Oh, where do I begin with this one? I use rubber chickens in PE Class pretty much weekly. Check out my 4 OUTRAGEOUSLY FUN Rubber Chicken PE Games RIGHT HERE.
#32 FAKE MONEY – OMG! Fake money from the Dollar Store and old Monopoly Money is another crazy fun PE item to use. It makes PE games so fun and the kids LOVE IT. My three favorite games to play with fake money: MONEY DOTS (Underhand Throwing) MONEY SHOTS (Basketball Shooting) and SANTA’S SLEIGH RELAY.
#33 PLAY FOOD – Perfect for leveling up the fun on team games and relay races. My favorite games to play with play food from the Dollar Store are FOOD WARS and SHOP TILL YOU DROP.
#34 SLINKY – This is one of the best relaxing items that I keep in my PE calming corner.
#35 TEMPORARY TATTOOS – I often use temporary tattoos for fun behavior rewards with my students.
#36 SQUISH BALLS – Great item for your calming corner and an even better fidget toy that can be passed around during your PE “Question of the Day” time.
#37 SUPER EXPANDING BALL – A very relaxing toy to keep in your classroom or PE calming corner.
#38 PLAY-DOH – Another awesome calming corner item.
#39 YO-YOs – I love to use these in my calming corner too. It’s a fun and distracting activity for kids who need a quick brain break. They are also super fun to add to an elementary PE small group station.
#40 DICE and FOAM DRY ERASE BLOCK – Use for movement challenges and fitness games like Math Tag. I also often leave a foam dice at my small group stations. It’s great for having students roll to see who goes first for the activity – an awesome classroom/behavior management trick that works AMAZING.
#41 PUZZLE CUBE (like a Rubik’s Cube) – You guessed it! Another awesome calming corner resource – one of the best actually.
#42 PLAYING CARDS – Playing cards are another amazing Dollar Store item that I use all the time. They are amazing for making teams quickly (by number, color, or suit) and for incredibly fun PE games like GO FISH, SWISH.
#43 UNO GAME CARDS – I love using UNO cards to quickly make teams of 2-4 by color and number.
#44 COLORED POKER CHIPS – Another fun and fair way to make teams quickly. Colored poker chips are also great to use for fun PE games like LAVA RIVER RUN (Leaping, Hopping), CANDYLAND TRAIL (Locomotor Skills), CANDY BOWL (Rolling) and CRAZY BALL SOCCER.
#45 MINI FLAGS – Great for capture-the-flag type games and team identity.
#46 SHOE CHARMS – These make great rewards for behavior or for mileage club goals met.
#47 WORD SEARCH BOOKS – Another great mind-distracting resource that can be placed in your calming corner.
#48 COLORING BOOKS – One of the absolute best calming corner resources. The Dollar Store has some really fun ones like Pokemon and Bluey.
#49 SAND TIMER – Perfect for PE games and activities like Minute to Win it Challenges. A sand timer is also a very valuable item to keep in your calming corner. It provides boundaries and expectations so students aren’t spending too much time “pulling themselves together” in the calming corner instead of participating in PE class.
#50 SQUISHIES – I’ve only recently seen these at the Dollar Store but I gotta tell you I am thrilled about it. Squishies are another item that I use all the time in PE class and if you order them online they are stinkin’ expensive. My favorite squishy games are FOOD FIGHT (Safe Dodgeball), FOOD WARS and SHOP TILL YOU DROP.
PE CRAFT FINDS
#51 CRAFT STICKS – Great for choosing teams in a fair and fun way, writing names on them and keeping track of student turns during tag games.
#52 VELCRO – Just trust me on this one. You will find many uses for it.
#53 YARN – Great for easily making yarn balls that are soft, lightweight, and great for tossing, catching, target games, and teamwork activities.
#54 DRAWING BOOKS – Another awesome calming corner resource that can reduce anxiety and distract kids from their problems, helping them focus on doing something that they enjoy.
#55 STICKERS – Use for behavior rewards, team points, or to mark equipment. Stickers are also great for sticking on water cups when kids forget their water bottles and don’t want to get them mixed up.
#56 CHALKBOARD STICKERS – Label equipment, office bins, make quick signs, show directions, and create fun reusable activity stations.
PE HOUSEHOLD & HARDWARE FINDS
#57 ROUND SEAT PILLOW – It makes the perfect comfy seat for your PE Calming Corner. A large bean bag works great too if you have room for it.
#58 RED SOLO CUPS – Use them at Cup Stacking Stations or during PE Choice time. I also like to use them for the team game CATCH and STACK – so fun!
#59 GIANT 64 OZ. WATER BOTTLE – This is a definite MUST-HAVE PE Dollar Store Item. Regardless of your water situation, it’s always a good idea to have an emergency water source. I fill my giant jug up in the morning before my classes and have it in case any kid forgets their water bottle or if I, myself, need an emergency drink.
#60 PLASTIC BAGS (both quart and gallon size) – I always like to have plastic zip bags on hand in a variety of sizes. Honestly, there’s just too many uses to list – LOL.
#61 KITCHEN TOWELS – Cleaning up water spills or wiping off muddy equipment quickly.
#62 KITCHEN or OUTDOOR RUG – I place my rug right in front of my gym door and have the kids wipe their shoes on it as they enter. So many kids come in from recess with dirty feet – the rug really helps cut down on the mess.
#63 CLOTHESPINS – Clothespins are great for tag games. I also like to use them to hang up student work and “kids in action” photos in the gym.
#64 CORDLESS HEADPHONES (Volume Limiting) – These are fabulous for students who have sensory issues, especially if you play loud music during gym class like I do.
#65 BLUETOOTH SPEAKER – I have a big speaker but I also have a smaller Bluetooth speaker from the Dollar Store that I use for a backup in case I have any issues with my regular speaker.
#66 ORANGE CONES – Use to mark boundaries, relay lanes, dribbling paths, obstacle courses and stations.
#67 MAGNETIC CHIP CLIPS – The chip clips at the Dollar Store are so stinkin’ cute. They have Garfield and Mickey Mouse ones. I like to use them to hang my daily PE Agenda cards. I also use them to hang up my whistle and lanyard at the end of the day.
#68 MINI FLASHLIGHTS – Use for shadow movement games or scavenger hunts.
#69 BATTERIES – You’ve got to have batteries for the flashlights.
#70 DIAMOND BRAIDED ROPE and PARACORD – Awesome for pulling scooters or for using as a net if you need one in a pinch for a game or activity.
#71 SIMPLE TOOLS (hammer, nails, screwdriver) – Great for hanging or fixing things in the gym.
#72 PICTURE FRAMES – Great for displaying family or favorite pet photos on your desk. They also are good for showing game rules, fitness or movement cards, and creating fun signs or student awards.
#73 SILLY SOCKS – I keep a few pairs of silly socks (they are so cute) from the Dollar Store in my office just in case a kid needs them. I’ve also used them for myself on a few occasions when we’ve gone outside and I’ve gotten wet or muddy feet.
#74 LARGE JUGS of BOTTLED WATER – Always great to have on hand.
PE CLEANING & STORAGE FINDS
#75 PAPER TOWELS – There will be daily messes in the gym and paper towels will definitely come in handy.
#76 MICROFIBER CLEANING TOWELS (in the car cleaning section) – I seriously LOVE these. They are typically used for washing your car, however, they are incredible for soaking up water bottle spills and other liquid messes.
#77 MICROFIBER WASHMITT (in the car cleaning section) – OMG! This car washing mitt works amazing for easily erasing those terrible black scuff marks off of the gym floor made by tennis shoes, scooters, etc.
#78 MINI BUCKETS – I use these colored buckets ALL THE TIME. They make great catching buckets, targets, or collection stations. I often use them like colored cones and separate my students into teams giving them each a different colored basket.
#79 SMALL MAGNETIC CONTAINERS – Perfect for organizing and containing small office items like paper clips, thumbtacks and binder clips.
#80 STACKABLE DRAWERS – These are ideal for organizing and storing game equipment.
#81 REMOVABLE PLASTIC STICKY HOOKS – Great for hanging light objects on the wall like jump ropes so they don’t get tangled. I also hang my whistles, lanyards, and a baseball hat on them.
#82 CAR AIR FRESHENERS – I don’t think I could live without these. They keep my office and the “shoe borrow” area smelling beautiful.
#83 LAUNDRY BASKETS – Use for tossing games, ball collection, or team challenges. Laundry baskets are also great for storing your calming corner items.
#84 DRYER BALLS – Use for toss-and-catch balls for games and target game activities. They make for great sensory fidget toys too.
#85 FLY SWATTERS – Great for striking activities – especially awesome for hitting balloons.
#86 BROOM with DUSTPAN – Use to quickly clean up small messes and keep the gym or activity area safe and ready for lessons.
#87 CLEANING and DISINFECTANT WIPES – These wipes are awesome for sanitizing equipment, wiping down surfaces and keeping the gym neat and safe for students.
#88 REUSABLE RUBBER CLEANING GLOVES – Great for protecting your hands while cleaning equipment, picking up messy items, and doing quick setup or cleanup tasks after class.
#89 WET ONES – FACE WIPES – Awesome for cleaning up little faces and hands after lunch.
PE HEALTH & BEAUTY FINDS
#90 SLEEP MASKS – Perfect for playing super fun PE Games like SWEET DREAMS TAG, EASTER EGG RELAY and MESSY BEDROOM.
#91 ELASTIC HAIR BANDS – I like to keep these on hand for girls with long hair who come to PE class with their hair down, especially if it’s on a scooter activity day (YES, I’ve had hair get caught in scooter wheels – not fun).
#92 CURAD BANDAGES (Band-Aids) – Great for quickly taking care of small cuts and scrapes, keeping students comfortable, and being ready for little injuries during class. I have a “Boo-Boo Basket” that kids can go grab a bandage from themselves when needed.
#93 THERAPLUS MINI ICE PACK – Ice packs soothe small bumps, ease aches, and give students quick comfort after gym or playground injuries. I actually keep three mini ice packs in the freezer section of my office mini fridge at all times. They are truly a lifesaver.
#94 STRESS BALLS – Good for hand strength, keeping in your calming corner, and quiet classroom or PE movement breaks.
#95 TISSUES – An essential item to have on hand for runny noses, especially during cold and flu season.
PE SEASONAL FINDS
#96 POOL NOODLES (May-June) – Great for safe tagging and creating obstacle courses. I also like to get the really thick pool noodles, cut them up into 12 inch pieces and use for bowling pins or targets for games like Lucky Pin.
#97 MINI WATER SQUIRTERS (May-June) – Great for Field Day water games and Slime Run event shooters.
#98 BUNCH-O-BALLOONS WATER BALLOONS(May-June) – Perfect for Field Day water games and stations.
#99 ANKLE SKIP BALLS (May-June) – Stock up on these during the summer because they are awesome to have in the gym year-round. Kids of all ages love to use them at small group stations.
#100 FLYING DISCS (May-June) – These make great frisbees for your frisbee throwing unit and for outdoor games like disc golf.
#101 PLASTIC BAT & BASEBALL SET (May-June) – Awesome for outdoor fun and Field Day Games.
#102 BADMINTON RACKET SET (May-June)
#103 PICKLEBALL SET (May-June) – I stock up on a bunch of pickleball sets during this time. The kids love using them year-round. Perfect “Choice Time” activity.
#104 LED LADDER BALL SET (May-June) – Awesome for your backyard games PE unit. I also like to set them up inside the gym sometimes and use them at a small group station.
#105 GIANT BEACH BALLS (May-June) – I use beach balls ALL THE TIME and ALL YEAR LONG. They are great for volleyball, crazy ball soccer, field day relays and so much more.
#106 SWIM RINGS and FLOATIES (May-June) – I love using these for silly summer relay races both indoors and outdoors.
#107 WATER SOAKING BALLS (May-June) – Great for end-of-year water activities, outdoor games and field day water stations.
#108 MINI KITES (May-June) – So fun for outdoor play.
#109 COLORFUL LEIS- (May-June) – These are seriously awesome to use year-round in the gym. They come in 6 bright colors which makes them super easy to make quick teams with – kinda like pinnies but much easier for kids to throw on.
#110 HALLOWEEN BASKETS (September-October) – I use these for super fun Halloween games like TRICK-OR-TREAT, MOVE YOUR FEET.
#111 CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS -(November-December) – Great for decorating your gym and putting smiles on kids’ faces during the holiday season – also great for fun holiday games like the HUMAN CHRISTMAS TREE RELAY.
#112 EASTER EGGS (March-April) – If you’ve never had an Easter Egg hunt in your gym or outside during PE class you are missing out. Stock up on Dollar Store Easter Eggs – they are super cheap and seriously the cutest – So Much fun!
#113 EASTER BASKETS (March-April) – Great for those super fun Easter Egg hunts you’re gonna start having right?
PE MUST HAVE FINDS – FOR YOU!
#114 HEADACHE MEDICINE – For those extra loud and crazy days in the gym.
#115 COUGH DROPS – For those “under the the weather” days.
#116 DEODORANT – Great to keep in your emergency PE teacher drawer.
#117 READING GLASSES – I know I need a few pairs on hand at all times so I can actually read my lesson plans – LOL. Honestly, they have some really cute ones.
#118 MINI MIRROR – Great for checking to make sure you got all of the food out of your teeth after your lunch break and any cliffhangers from your nose before your first afternoon class arrives.
#119 THANK YOU CARDS – Awesome for quickly thanking a student when they bring you a gift.
#120 CARRYING BASKET WITH HANDLES – I could not live without this carrying basket. I use it to carry all of my teacher supplies and it works AMAZING!
#121 COMPOSITION BOOK – Works great as a student behavior log.
#122 STICKY NOTES – Jot down quick reminders, group names, or behavior notes.
#123 HEALTHY PORTABLE SNACKS like nuts, tuna packs, and trail mix.
#124 PHONE or TABLET STAND – Helpful for playing music, timing activities, or recording quick lesson notes.
#125 LANYARDS – Holds whistles, name tags, or class cards for easy access.
Well… There you have it 125 Awesome Dollar Store PE Teacher Finds!
Now get to shopping, my PE friend!
If you’re a PE Teacher, I’d love to connect. You can find me hanging out in all of these Amazing places.
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Hey – Thanks so much for stopping by today. I really appreciate it and I hope that you have a TRULY BLESSED and BEAUTIFUL Day spent laughing until your cheeks hurt!
