Kids want school supplies to be cool and fun. For teens, school supplies, like everything else are a reflection of who they are. And you want your young students to like them enough not to lose them all by Thanksgiving.
Here are 14 unique, fun back-to-school supplies to add to your shopping list. No one else in the class will have them. And they’re hard to miss, so no forgetting them or mixing them up with someone else’s.
Hope they put some fun— and maybe even a bit of wanderlust into back-to-school shopping for you and your kids.
14 Cool Back-To-School Supplies Your Kids Can Get Excited About
2 Awesome Atlases From Nat Geo
National Geographic has excellent resources for kids these days.
Pop this World Atlas on their shelf and your young students will refer to it for all kinds of school projects and reports — and also just for fun.
Pair it with an equally good United States Atlas makes for a useful set.
A Backpack for Manga Fans
Japanese and European kids favor satchel-style backpacks and I’m not sure why they haven’t caught on here. The short, wide shape fits small bodies better than the typical back
This mange-inspired bunny backpack is great for kids in the first few years of school because it will hold everything they need, but they can’t stuff it enough to make it too heavy for their small shoulders.
Basic Supplies For Anime Fans
I know a few middle schoolers whose interest in anime has taught them about Japanese culture, made them want to learn the language and even inspired them to suggest a family visit to Japan.
The anime fan in your house will love this pencil case covered in Japanese-style graphics.
It comes with eight matching pencils and eraser and a pencil sharpener
Add this set of 12 anime black gel pens, to the pencil case, too.
They’ll like the stylized anime art enough to make a point of not losing them. And my teen loves writing with gel pens, which are smoother and less scratchy than ballpoints.
A European-Style Backpack That Lasts
Nothing says Europe like these distinctive FJallraven Kanken backpacks from Sweden. They’re waterproof the good size front pocket keeps pocket money, phone and school ID handy. And have large handles make them easy to grab from the car or dorm closet.
They’re worth their slightly higher prices because they last for years, making them a great value, especially for high school and college kids who are lugging heavy laptops, textbooks and more.
Add the removable water-bottle holder with a drawcord to keep the bottle secure.
And the matching toiletry case serves as a roomy case for pens, pencils, rulers and more.
A Trio of Supplies That Celebrate Mexico
I kinda love these lunch boxes that come in three different prints with bright Mexican floral prints.
It has room for a water bottle and ice pack as well as your child’s favorite lunch foods. And these easy-to-spot colors ensure they won’t lose it half way through the school year.
Tweens will get a kick out of this Mexican sugar-skulls pencil case by Tnaiugndi.
In middle school my tween liked round, cloth pencil cases like this one because they hold quite a bit, don’t take up a lot of space in the backpack and survive the dings and dents of the school year.
I liked that you can toss them in the washing machine.
The same case also comes in two Mexican mandala prints and African and Native American textile prints.
Physical planners are great for helping middle and high schoolers learn to track deadline and organize their activities and homework.
This planner with a Day-of-the-Dead flower-and-skull motif is more fun than most you’ll find for kids.
It’s specifically for the school year and has both monthly and weekly calendars for a quick overview and important details.
Paris-Inspired backpacks + More
Alazza also makes two Eiffel Tower backpacks, perfect for the elementary or middle schooler who dreams of visiting to Paris (or has read a lot of Fancy Nancy books).
Match it with a springy Eiffel Tower pencil case from ZZKKO.
Bookmarks With European Flair
Keep this pack of 60 bookmarks with retro-style sketches of European scenes on hand throughout the school year.
Use them as rewards to your kids for hitting reading goals, add them to birthday party gift bags, attach them to classmates’ birthday presents and more.
Sticky Notes With Mountain-Scapes
These sticky notes with pastel mountain peaks and will remind your student of your last national park visit or make them think oof distant mountains they want to scale. They’ll also remind them they have a paper due next week.
The bright colors will help them stand out on a messy desk or crowded magnet board, too.
More Great Ideas
• Check out these handy items for feeding preschoolers on the go.
• As well as these building sets and puzzles that fit in a kid’s backpack.
Try This Fun First-Day-of-School Send-Off
On the first day of school, kids all over Germany receive schultütes, or school horns. They’re cones filled with school supplies and some candy or chocolate to sweeten the school year.
We’ve made these for Tiny, Tween and even Teen Traveler. She likes them so much she might take one off to college with her, maybe with coffee and Amazon gift cards instead of gummy bears and gel pens.
You can make your own schultüte with these easy instructions, and use some of the items above to fill it, along with your kids’ favorite candy, chocolate or cookies. It’s a fun way to start the school year and distract kids from any first-day jitters.
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