Back-to-School Gifts & Supplies

Back to Preschool: Looking for a cute backpack for your grandchild starting daycare or preschool in the fall?  Well these backpacks are perfect.  They are big enough to handle snacks and a few necessities, but aren't too big for little kids to carry.  Our mom-tester reports that the Glyph Guy Blue Backpack ($29.99) available at Oompa Toys is "the cutest knapsack!  Immediately after taking it out of the package my three year old son put it on and wanted to go outside and explore.  The sack has lots of pockets as well as adjustable stretch cords on the outside that allow him to roll up his jacket and keep it easily accessible.  He took it with him to the zoo the next day and it was small enough that it never got too heavy for him to carry himself, yet roomy enough to hold a water bottle, snack, his camera and food to feed the ducks.  The padded, adjustable shoulder straps help a lot and the fabric seems durable enough to last many outdoor explorations.  For slightly older kids, you may want to check out the Nautical Mini Ergo Backpack ($34.99) from Allerhand also available at Oompa Toys.  According to our mom-tester, "I've already tried to steal this from my son."  She comments that this is the "coolest back she's seen yet!"  She loved the little fish zipper pull, the multiple pockets, the exterior cell phone pocket, thermal sleeve (for drinks), drawstring art bag and comfortable crossover strap.  Her 6-year-old son currently has it packed with toys, but she thinks it will be just perfect for Kindergarten.  Her son commented that it was "really comfortable, and so much better than his past backpacks."  He's hoping to get away with it for school - if not he plans on using it for every trip he takes!

Shopping for supplies? Well older kids will just love the back to school supplies at Staples.  You can find their Splat Calculator ($4.99) in cool colors.  We gave a tester a green one.  It's soft, easy to use and available in teal, pink, green and blue.  Want to try something cool and new?  Need to cover a book?  Check out the Hot Sox Book Sox® ($4.99).  Gone are the days of the brown paper bag book cover.  Hot Soxs are constructed from heat-sensitive, stretchable fabric that change colors when touched. They are colorful, durable and work free since there's no measuring, cutting or taping. Colors include Slurpee (changes from green to white), Creamsicle (changes from orange to white), and more.  We also loved the Kooky Klickers ($3.00).  These fun pens are totally collectible, hook onto backpacks or belt loops and can go everywhere.  They are simple, fun and practical. All these products are available at Staples.

Pens, Pencils and Erasers have certainly changed!  Pentech has introduced a new line of pencils that you never have to sharpen and the kids just love them!  They are the equivalent to a No.2 pencil - but they never break! We just love them!!!  They are available as the UltraSharp Wooden pencil and are just $3.49 for a pack of three.  If you like the mechanical pencil feel their Liquaphite Mechanical Pencils are $3.99 for a pack of two.  Kids just love these and so do parents who don't have to deal with pencil shavings all over the house!

Pentech has also introduced a line of fat ball point pens that they call "Miniz™"  they are fat, easy to grip and fun they retail for $2.99!  The kids seem to love all these new products that make their pencil case more fun! Pentech products are available most major retailers including Wal-Mart, Target, Duane Reade, K-Mart, Rite-Aid, Office Max, CVS and more.

Crayola Twistable Slick Sticks ($4.49)  Crayola has done it again with some of the coolest back to school supplies around.  Grandparents, you'll want to note that these supplies are not just for school, but great as gifts all year long -- or even to keep in your own home.  To start with, you'll love the Twistable Slick Sticks as much as your grandkids.  If you like to color you'll love the way that these crayons twist up, and glide smooth as silk on paper.  They reminded the mother's of our testers of oil pastels.  The colors are bright, vibrant and make simple drawings look amazing. Another great product is Crayola's Erasable Markers ($5.49) again in vibrant primary colors these markers are truly erasable.  Our one tester used these to decorate her book covers - she drew outlines, filled in and then erased the outlines for a very seamless and clever picture.  What coloring box wouldn't be complete without Twistable Markers and Colored Pencils.  Both products twist up which keep the product protected and come in great colors, but what a treat -- never loose the caps!  The markers always stay moist and the pencils never break.  The colors again are great and the kids love them!  Even if these weren't on the supply list they make great gifts!

Yoropen ($3.00)  Do you have a grandchild or child that is constantly holding their pen or pencil incorrectly?  Well, Yoropen might be the answer.  It's design with it’s offset portion prevents your fingers from slipping down towards the pen tip.  The great design improves grip and saves energy and reduces writing strain.  If your grandchild is left handed they'll appreciate this pen because it's clean lines helps to prevent smudging.

Themebooks ($2.99)  Most kids start the school year off with at least one theme book and this year you can send your grandchild to school in style with Dora the Explorer and Spongebob SquarePants.  These themebooks are 3-hole-punched and contain 50 lined pages.  They each come in 4 different styles and are perfect for the comic fans out there!  They are available at Wal-Mart, Target, Longs and Raleys.

Back-To-School Combo Pack (Mabel's Labels) For most parents, back to school means the never ending task of writing your child's name in clothing.  Whether your child or grandchild is in daycare or middle school keeping track of their odds and ends is a constant task.  For $34.00 Mabel's labels, a great little company in Canada makes this task a breeze!  Their Back-to-School combo pack, only offered in August and September includes 40 Skinny-Minis™, 50 Tag-Mates™, 16 Shoe Labels and 2 Bag Tags. Available in red, green and blue labels,  pink, lilac and raspberry, or  teal, purple and ocean blue! The best part is personalization.  You type the name and pick something cute to go with it - anything from race cars to mermaids.  The names are printed exactly as you type them. These are great grandparent gifts - they are easy to mail and the personalization is awesome.  For many kids finding their name on anything is a real task - this is a very easy way to make them feel extra special in just a few minutes!  Prices start at $18.50 and shipping starts at just $3.00!  Take it from this mom - this is a GREAT gift!

Crocs $29.99
You've probably seen lots of people wearing Crocs but here's the latest that we just love for back to school.  Your granddaughter's will flip over the Crocs Mary-Janes (pictured left).  Our tester got a pair in pink and they are just the cutest, coolest shoes out their! They sport an orthotic foot bed are anti microbial and odor resistant - they are also slip-resistant and have non-marking soles.  Most schools ban open toe shoes or flip flops for kids so these are a great alternative!  At $29.99 how can you go wrong!  If your grandson is heading off to school check out these great croclings (pictured right) or you can get him a pair of crocs that sport his favorite race car driver like Dale Earnhardt or Jeff Gordon! They're so comfortable and cool you can't go wrong!  Want to spend a little less?  Check out Jibbitz.  Jibbitz are those things that you see all the kids wearing on their Crocs.  They are the little buttons that decorate Crocs - they are what your grandkids wear to show the world who they are and what they love!  They are available in just about everything from super huge flowers and sparkly gems to pirates and sharks.  You can scoop up a dozen of these for just about $30.00 and send them to a few grandkids!  You'll make their day!

Learning Lunch  Say goodbye to your typical brown bag lunch with these cool learning lunch bags.  Each bag has grade-specific information sets for grades 1-12 with subjects including: Spelling & Vocabulary; Mathematics, Science & Health; Language Arts & Grammar; and Social Studies & History. Even if your child is only in 1st grade they can challenge themselves to see if they can answer questions for the other grades.  Got them all right?  Stumped?  You can find the answers on the side of the bag!  Every package contains 50 bags and retails at $6.99.

GelGems Does your grandchild dream of being a scuba diver or wants to take a trip abroad to France?  Here's a fun way to allow your grandchild to express their dreams!  GelGems is an ultra cool concept that can allow kids as young as 5 to enjoy them!  The great thing about these decorative gels is that They stick to windows, mirrors, computer monitors, refrigerators almost any smooth surface! (Don't stick them to the walls though without testing the surface first!)  They peel off and re-stick and can be washed if they get dirty.  The only catch is to not put them too close together or they'll bleed colors.  Everyone who has seen them loves and them and one of our testers -- a mother of two is now addicted!  She said, "I can't stop buying them!  It's like being able to put up a stained glass window for every season or occasion!"

School Days (Mudpuppy Press) This interactive Journal is a great gift for a grandchild.  Structured grade by grade, it allows your grandchild and their parents to record important information about each school year from Kindergarten through Fifth Grade. It's guaranteed to become a keepsake!  $18.00

If your looking for just a lunch box then look no further then this great lunch box by Fleurville called the Lunch Pak  It's insulated, has an outside pocket, hidden name tag, reflective tape and fits perfectly.  When it gets grimy don't despair it's machine washable/hang dry.  It's a great backpack that little kids will use on both school and "home" days.  Retails for $32.00 and well worth it!  Click here for a list of retailers.

The Smart Bag (Haba)  Here's a great gift for a student that loves to take their art and writing on the go.  Open the bag up and there spaces for tape, pen, pencils, glue, scizzors and more.  There's room for various sizes and typs of paper and a sturdy writing surface with a clip to hold paper secure.  The Beetle Bag can be used to store money, keys or a lip balm.  $34.99

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood - Going to School ($16.98) 

Available on August 16th, this Mister Rogers' Neighborhood DVD covers getting your child ready for Kindergarten, how to make your child comfortable about starting school, talking about school, enjoying books and more.  To help children feel less anxious Mister Rogers rides on a real school bus and shows children that the caring teachers really want to help them learn. The DVD also features games, songs a companion booklet for parents (grandparents) and more!

Do you have a great Back-to-School suggestion?  If so send it in!