Free mail-order catalogs remain a practical way to browse products, compare materials, and identify deals without immediate purchase pressure. For homeschool families, teachers, and parents, catalogs offer tangible overviews of curricula, manipulatives, art supplies, science kits, and books. The practice of requesting catalogs by mail continues alongside online browsing, with many publishers mailing print versions at no cost and some maintaining monthly mailing cycles. A teacher option is often available, giving access to additional resources and supplies. The mailbox becomes a curated source of ideas for materials, new programs, and seasonal offers, often reviewed with a highlighter for items that meet learning needs.
Child Educational Catalogs and Home School Resources
A large set of child-focused catalogs is regularly offered free of charge to U.S. addresses. These catalogs cover curriculum, hands-on science, art, Montessori materials, reading, and specialty therapeutic products. Descriptions from the catalog publishers emphasize hands-on learning, thinking skills, and child-size tools.
- Lakeshore Learning: Whether you’re shopping for the school or home, Lakeshore offers an unbeatable selection of materials you won’t find anywhere else. Explore our catalogs online or request one for delivery!
- Timberdoodle: You will not find another complete curriculum with such an emphasis on thinking skills. From comprehensive programs to hands-on manipulatives, we know that your child needs to be able to think logically to succeed in any other area.
- Homeschool Science Tools: Browse products and compare options easily with our free print catalog at your fingertips
- Nature Watch: At Nature-Watch and Minds On Education, we have great products to inspire children's interest in nature and science. We believe that the best way for people to learn is through hands-on, minds-on experience.
- Dick Blick: Blick's 2015-2016 Materials for Artists Catalog is your portal to the largest selection of art materials available in the world today. Covering the full spectrum of supplies for every artist and every media, it offers 544 pages of your favorite products and brands, all in one place.
- Museum Tour: Award winning educational toys, games, and activities for children of all ages!
- Chinaberry: It was a long, cold winter and Ann and Elizabeth wanted to pass the time reading together. But Ann was disturbed by the lack of caring and respect expressed in many of the children's books she found at the library. Before long, she found another mission in life: to search out books for Elizabeth that were positive and uplifting
- Curriculum Associates: (Online only now) Curriculum Associates is a rapidly growing education company committed to making classrooms better places for teachers and students.
- Carolina Biological Supply: Cover the worlds of science and math through one or more Carolina™ catalogs, which showcase thousands of science supplies for use in teaching or doing most aspects of the sciences: life science, physical science, earth and space science, laboratory equipment and supplies, and multimedia.
- Dawn Publications: Dawn Publications is dedicated to inspiring in children a deeper understanding and appreciation for all life on Earth.
- Carson Dellosa: We pride ourselves on more than just product quality anerse learning needs including our Spectrum® workbooks for grade-specific subject, skill, and standardized test practice; our best-selling Summer Bridge Activities® series; and our Key Edud durability: Our teacher-developed materials are thoughtfully designed to meet children’s divcation line for children with special learning needs.
- Hearthsong: Our selection of products has grown and expanded too
- Rainbow Resources: Our mission is to help you teach your way. That is why we offer over 50,000 products. Our philosophy is that there is no one right way to teach; each child has different strengths and preferred ways of learning.
- Therapy Shoppe: the extraordinary little specialty shoppe for school and pediatric therapists, teachers, and parents too!
- For Small Hands: (Montessori) Delight young children with real tools that let them handle real tasks "all by myself!" Our hard-to-find, child-size items allow them to pour their own juice or rake leaves by your side, purposeful "work" that supports self-confidence and independence.
- Montessori Services: Remaining true to Dr. Montessori's vision of transformational education, our mission is to provide busy teachers with hard-to-find items, specialized materials for Montessori classrooms, and intriguing complementary resources that will help create rich environments.
- Scholastic: Scholastic Reading Club offers monthly catalogs just right for every student's grade, reading level, and interests. Get the best titles at discount prices throughout the school year!
- Nature Watch: At Nature-Watch and Minds On Education, we have great products to inspire children's interest in nature and science
The list reflects a mix of curriculum providers, science suppliers, art material distributors, and book publishers. Many catalogs are used not only to order items but also as planning tools for flashcards, gardening lessons, and seasonal projects.
| Catalog Name | Primary Focus | Publisher Note | | Lakeshore Learning | School and home materials | Unbeatable selection, catalog online or by delivery | | Timberdoodle | Complete curriculum | Emphasis on thinking skills and logical reasoning | | Homeschool Science Tools | Science products | Free print catalog for easy comparison | | Nature Watch | Nature and science | Hands-on, minds-on experience | | Dick Blick | Art materials | 544 pages, largest selection in world today | | Museum Tour | Educational toys and games | Award winning for children of all ages | | Chinaberry | Children’s books | Positive and uplifting book selection | | Curriculum Associates | Classroom resources | Online only now, growing education company | | Carolina Biological Supply | Science and math supplies | Life, physical, earth and space science, lab equipment | | Dawn Publications | Life appreciation | Inspiring deeper understanding of life on Earth | | Carson Dellosa | Workbooks and practice | Spectrum workbooks, Summer Bridge Activities | | Hearthsong | Expanded product selection | Selection grown and expanded | | Rainbow Resources | Teaching materials | Over 50,000 products, teach your way | | Therapy Shoppe | Therapy and education | Specialty shoppe for therapists, teachers, parents | | For Small Hands | Montessori tools | Child-size real tools for purposeful work | | Montessori Services | Montessori classrooms | Hard-to-find items and specialized materials | | Scholastic | Reading club | Monthly catalogs by grade and reading level | | Nature Watch | Nature science | Hands-on products for nature and science |
Directory of Mail Order Catalogs as a Reference Tool
The Directory of Mail Order Catalogs is positioned as the largest and most comprehensive resource covering a billion-dollar industry. It serves entrepreneurs searching for catalogs to pick up their product, vendors looking to expand their customer base, market researchers, small businesses investigating new supply vendors, and library patrons exploring available catalogs.
The directory is structured with multiple indexes to save research time. Five indexes allow users to easily save research time: Consumer Product Index, Consumer Catalog & Company Index, Business Catalog & Company Index, Consumer Geographical Index, and Business Geographical Index.
The listings include dozens of updated data points. Data points range from company size, sales figures, and the catalog’s physical features to basic contact information, including 12,400 key executive names, 6,104 websites, 5,182 fax numbers, and 4,465 email addresses to more specific fields, including company size, sales and the catalog's physical features.
Indexes included in the resource: - Consumer Catalog & Company - Business Catalog & Company - Consumer Geographical Index - Business Geographical Index - Product Index
Online access is provided for buyers of the 2020 print edition. All buyers of the 2020 print edition of The Directory of Mail Order Catalogs receive free access to Grey House’s online database platform at https://gold.greyhouse.com
| Index Name | Scope | | Consumer Product Index | Products offered to consumers | | Consumer Catalog & Company Index | Consumer catalog publishers and companies | | Business Catalog & Company Index | Business-to-business catalog publishers | | Consumer Geographical Index | Geographic distribution of consumer catalogs | | Business Geographical Index | Geographic distribution of business catalogs | | Product Index | Product classification across catalogs |
Library of America Catalog Request Process
Library of America maintains a formal catalog request form with defined mailing policies. Catalogs are mailed monthly, free of charge, to any address in the U.S. and its territories.
Current availability notes indicate supply status changes. We have run out of our Fall 2025 Catalog & Complete List of Titles. Our Spring 2026 supplementary catalog has arrived; sign up below to get a copy, and we will also send you the Fall 2026 complete catalog when it is available this summer.
International mailing is restricted. Non-U.S. customers: We are unable to mail catalogs or ship books to individual customers outside the United States. Library of America books are distributed internationally by Penguin Random House, so please consult your favorite online retailer or local bookseller.
Privacy is addressed explicitly. Library of America does not share its customers’ phone numbers or e-mail addresses with any other company. Please review our privacy policy for further information.
Processing time is stated for new requests. New catalog requests are filled monthly; please allow four to six weeks for delivery of your first catalog.
| Policy Item | Detail | | Mailing cost | Free of charge | | Eligible addresses | U.S. and its territories | | International policy | No mail to individual customers outside U.S. | | Request frequency | Filled monthly | | First delivery window | Four to six weeks | | Privacy | Phone numbers and email addresses not shared |
Requesting Free Catalogs by Mail in Practice
The practice of requesting multiple catalogs is often summarized as collecting free stuff by mail and free mail order catalogs. Requests are typically handled via online forms, with confirmation that catalogs are mailed monthly.
For child educational catalogs, many publishers allow a teacher option during registration. Selecting the teacher option can give access to additional resources and supplies beyond consumer offerings.
Catalogs are frequently used for planning. They allow families to browse ideas, compare materials, and identify deals throughout the school year. Some catalogs are used for secondary purposes such as making flashcards for gardening, plants, food, and other topics.
The overall ecosystem includes niche suppliers and large distributors. The mix includes Montessori specialists, science supply houses, art material catalogs with hundreds of pages, and reading clubs with grade-specific offerings. The Directory of Mail Order Catalogs provides a meta-level view of the industry, enabling researchers to locate catalogs by product, company, or geography.
Conclusion
The names of free catalogs span a wide range of educational and creative suppliers. Child educational catalogs such as Lakeshore Learning, Timberdoodle, Homeschool Science Tools, Carolina Biological Supply, Dawn Publications, Rainbow Resources, and Scholastic provide curriculum, manipulatives, and grade-specific resources. Specialty catalogs like For Small Hands, Montessori Services, Therapy Shoppe, and Nature Watch target specific pedagogies and therapeutic needs. Art and book catalogs such as Dick Blick and Chinaberry extend the range to creative materials and curated literature.
The Directory of Mail Order Catalogs remains a comprehensive reference for the mail order industry, offering multiple indexes and detailed company data points, with online database access for print edition buyers. Library of America demonstrates a specific institutional approach to free catalog distribution with monthly mailing, U.S.-only delivery, and a four to six week fulfillment window.
Together these names illustrate how free catalogs function as discovery tools, planning aids, and direct marketing channels. The continued availability of print catalogs alongside online catalogs supports homeschoolers, teachers, and parents who prefer tactile browsing and curated selections.