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1. A pack of washable Crayola markers so students can create a plethora of masterpieces without running out of color choices throughout the school year.
Promising review: "My fifth-graders LOVE these! When I brought out this huge container of beautiful markers, my fifth-graders thought they had won the lottery. I didn't know beforehand, but they said that these are their FAVORITE kind of markers. I have them organized in a Lakeshore caddy, sorted by color, and my students pull this caddy out every day!" —Kim
Get a pack of 100 from Amazon for $15.97.
2. And a Crayola crayon set boasting 152 crayons to ensure each one of your kids has an *infinite supply* and all the colors they could possibly want (including metallic and glitter crayons) to save you from listening to them squabble over crayons ever again. Added bonus: It comes with a storage caddy and a crayon sharpener.
Promising review: "My daughter LOVES these crayons. Apparently has every color a 7-year-old would need (ie: neon, glitter, novel colors). She loves the caddy and the names of all the colors. Bonus is the sharpener that is included. It is small enough that she can take it to school and place it on her desk. Amazon had the best price, so I purchased it here. Was slightly concerned that they would come damaged — but came totally intact. Would be a nice gift." —SYK
Get a pack of 152 from Amazon for $15.37.
3. A pack of sticky note divider tabs that'll let you mark places in your textbooks *and* jot down notes to self. Def an upgrade from Post-it flags, amirite?
Promising review: "These are the coolest things I never knew I couldn’t live without! Now I use them constantly. I mark thing in textbooks and am able to write a little blurb about what I’m marking the page for but still stay super organized. I also use them as dividers in my notebooks to separate notes on different subject matters instead of carrying around several notebooks. These are priceless!" —Jgoff
Get a pack of 60 notes from Amazon for $5.79 (also available in larger quantities).
4. A pencil pouch because it brilliantly turns into a pencil cup. Simply pull the top half down to fish out your pens and pencils easily. I mean, how can it not look ~purrfectly~ adorable sitting on any desk?
Promising review: "I love this case. It's exactly what I've wanted since high school. No more sifting through pens and highlighters for the color I need every time, no more laying them out in the table, and inevitably knocking them off said table. I can truly work absolutely anywhere now. The cat is adorable and makes me smile. The function is smooth, and I can operate the whole thing single handed. This is beyond worth the money." —AylaJayn
Get it from Amazon for $6.78+ (available in five colors).
5. Or a stinkin’ cute personalized case to keep all their pens and pencils handy and start the school year off on a cheery note.
Cost Custom Creations is a small biz based in Groton, Massachusetts owned by a mama of three that specializes in personalized gifts.
Add your child's name in the box to personalize the case. BTW, if you have your own box and just need just the decal, you can select the decal-only option for $5.
Promising review: "Beautiful pencil box with quick shipping! My daughter can’t wait to show it off at school. 💗" —Tanika Posey
Get it from Cost Custom Creations on Etsy for $14.95.
6. A pack of Pink Pearl cap erasers that'll actually withstand the ~test~ of time. Reviewers say these last wayyyy longer than the flimsy ones found in local stores.
Promising review: "Best pencil top erasers in the world. Period. These erasers are awesome. As a homeschooling mother of seven, we got through erasers so fast. Usually I just grab a 40-pack of pencil top erasers from the dollar store, Walmart, or the office supply store. NEVER. AGAIN. Those do not compare to these. These stay on tightly, are very firm, and erase like a dream. I will never go back, you hear me? Never go back. It would be every teacher's dream if it would rain these erasers on school grounds, I swear it. They are that terrific. In case you are still questioning whether I like them... haha." —C. Anderson
Get a pack of 144 from Amazon for $6.88.
7. A pack of teacher-and student-approved Flair felt tip pens so ~ink-credible~ and vibrant that they'll add a little pizzazz to note-taking or grading papers.
Promising review: "THESE ARE MY FAVORITE MARKERS EVER!!! I am a college student and color coating is how I live my life. These markers are SO expensive in the stores, for example at Walmart they were $32.99 and at Staples they are $39.99 so finding these on Amazon for only $20 was a STEAL! These markers last forever, depending on how much you use them. I use mine every day and they last me over six months. They are not too big and not too fine. Also, the best part is that they do not bleed through the pages!!! Unless you underline things or go over things multiple times then yes its obviously going to bleed through but if you are just writing normal it will not bleed through like a sharpie will. I am so pumped to use these markers this semester." —Amazon Customer
Get a pack of 12 from Amazon for $13.18 (also available in a 24-pack).
8. And a pack of fine-tip pens that won't bleed through paper and make color coding notes a silky smooooooth experience. Basically every student's dream come true!
Promising review: "I bought these for my daughter and she loves them! She uses them at school and at home. They don’t bleed at all and they write perfectly. All the kids are asking her where she got them! She highly recommends them! Great product for an awesome price!" —Laura
Get a pack of 18 from Amazon for $7.99.
9. A Skip Hop unicorn bag to add magical vibes to your toddler's preschool #ootd with whimsical details like rainbow zipper pulls and a shiny horn.
P.S. check out the matching unicorn lunchbox too.
Promising review: "The BEST preschooler bookbag! LOVE IT! I went through three other book bags before I landed the right one. This one was the winner. I brought expensive ones that strap didn’t stay on the shoulder. Cheap ones that didn’t fit much with no water bottle compartment. This was more than right. I HIGHLY recommend this bag to every parent looking for a PRESCHOOL BAG. My daughter is in a full day 3PREK. LOVE IT! PROS: 1. Comfortable 2. Durable material 3. Spacious 4. Not heavy 5. Fits a lot 6. All compartments are large 7. Fashionable 8. Washable." —Louie
Get it from Amazon for $13.99+ (available in three sizes and also 10 other styles).
10. A two-pack of truly spill-proof Contigo Trekker Autoseal water bottles if you're fed up of dripping wet backpacks because the kiddos don't properly close water bottles. This bottle (aka the answer to every parent's prayers!) boasts an ingenious one-touch lid that automatically seals between sips so you can say goodbye to leaks and spills!
Promising review: "These are great cups, we now have five of these for the kids lunches, and I've never had one leak. They are easy for the kids to use and are the perfect size for their lunch bags." —burnem79
Another promising review: "I love these water bottles. My kid has been through so many water bottles with the same problem: either they were difficult for her to open or close, or they leaked and wet her backpack. These though are perfect: after drinking, she doesn’t have to worry about making sure the lid is tight enough since it closes by itself. Perfect size as they fit in her lunch box and bottle holder well. Highly recommend to any parent whose kid might not be the most careful with closing their water bottles." —SW
Get a pack of two from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in three color combos, two styles, and also packs of three).
11. A pack of Elmer's glue sticks because let's face it, children go through glue like it's *candy*. With this value pack, you can ~stick~ with a tried and true brand at nearly the same price as its generic (aka clumpy!) counterparts. Added bonus: these goes on purple and dry clear making it so kids can see exactly where they applied the glue.
Promising review: "These were purchased for my son for school. What a deal! You get 30 glue sticks for $8.50. Now that is what I call a value buy. You can't even get that price at the local stores during the whole back to school sales. The cheapest you can get is $0.50 each (roughly). My son didn't need this many glue sticks but I couldn't complain about the price. He was able to take most of it to school to have plenty for backup, keep some for home use, and share some with his little cousin for their daycare activities. My son has stated the glue sticks are pretty adhesive." —Laura
Get a pack of 30 from Amazon for $6.
12. A pack of cult-favorite *pre-sharpened* Ticonderoga #2 pencils but in ~neon colors~ (with standard graphite), so your kiddo can feel fancy-schmancy while writing essays.
Promising review: "The pencils are great. My kids love the bright colors, and I appreciate that they come sharpened, so we can just throw the pack in their school bags, and they're good to go! We'll definitely be getting more through the school year--thanks for making it easy to check pencils off the list!." —Adrienne Cooper
Get a pack of 10 from Amazon for $4.19.
13. An accordion folder with separate pockets for each subject so you can finally Marie Kondo the heck out of your kiddo's schoolwork. Not to mention, that smiley face on the cover will never fail to perk up your little scholar.
Promising review: "AMAZING folder for school!!! I love this folder! My mom got it for me to get organized at school. It has six sections so I have an assigned section for everything. It’s VERY durable. None of my papers have fallen out. I can even hold it upside down with all the papers not falling out. One of my favorite folders by far." —Lan-Dai
Get it from Amazon for $9.58 (available in nine colors).
14. A pack of Astrobrights construction paper that are ~astronomically~ more vibrant than your regular 'ol construction paper and will add a fun pop of color to any art and craft project.
15. A pair of Unicorn scissors a ~cut above~ other scissors because they're designed for righties or lefties. Plus, these will add a touch of sparkle to any humdrum schoolday.
Yoobi is a small biz based in Los Angeles that donates a school supply item to a child in need in the USA, each time you purchase a Yoobi product.
BTW, if your kiddo isn't into unicorns, check out these other ridiculously cute Yoobi scissors!
Promising review: "Super cute! My daughter is obsessed with unicorns so this was a must-have for her lol" –Janean Rose
16. An electric pencil sharpener because "I enjoy sharpening pencils manually" — said no parent, ever. Reviewers say it sharpens in seconds without making a mess and holds a TON of shavings so you don't have to empty it often.
Promising review: "When back to school time comes around I spend a good hour or so sharpening dozens of pencils with a manual pencil sharpener. Between the pencil lead constantly breaking off (and having to dislodge it!) to hovering over a wastebasket in an attempt to contain all the pencil shavings to sore hands from all the twisting I've gotten quite sick of it. I ordered this electric pencil sharpener and I'm kicking myself for not doing it sooner. It is the best thing ever. You can go from a brand new, never sharpened pencil to a fully sharpened pencil in about 20 seconds. I've not had a single pencil lead break inside it yet. The pencil shavings are neatly collected in the plastic compartment; no more sharpening pencils over a wastebasket and getting your hands covered in graphite! When you aren't using it you can simply unplug it and tuck it away." —TheCatLady
Get it from Amazon for $14.88.
17. An iridescently pretty insulated lunch bag if you're looking for one that'll perfectly fit a Bentgo lunchbox and even a small juice box. The best part? It won't break the bank.
18. Or if you're looking for a smaller bag, a mini freezable snack box with built-in cooling technology that you can clip onto their backpack to keep snacks cold all day long at school.
Promising review: "Love this bag. My daughter gets lunch in the cafeteria, but has snack time. This pack is perfect for sending along cheeses, fruits, or Gogurts. It's keeps everything nice and cool and the ice packs are usually still partially frozen by the time she gets home from school. I love that I don't have to pack ice packs." —Mariana
Get it from Amazon for $12.99+ (available in 10 colors and prints).
19. A pack of waterproof name labels boasting a a hint of ~pearly sparkle~ that reviewers say will *actually* stay put on all kinds of school supplies so you can rest assured your kiddo will return home without missing crayons or markers.
Twinkle Label is a small biz based in Los Angeles founded by a mother of one, who became obsessed with making sure all of her daughter’s belongings were labeled after her daughter entered preschool, but didn’t like the quality of many of the labels she used.
To personalize the labels, choose one font and place the order in your cart. At check out in the "note to seller" box, please write the name you want. Please write one word.
Promising review: "I really like these labels so far. Since the kids won't be sharing school supplies this year and need everything labeled. These labels are great since you get so many. All the others I looked at were so much more expensive."—terribeth07
Get a pack of 240 from Twinkle Label on Etsy for $9.99 (available in eight font styles).
The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.
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