Back to School Shopping Picks
By Katie Saltz
Busy Kid Bangles
As the mom of a “hot mess hair” kid, I know that a hair tie around my daughter’s wrist is her most vital accessory. When she saw she could incorporate a cute bangle bracelet into her look instead of a plain rubber band, she was ecstatic.
The Busy Kid Bangles by Go Girl Designs keep your child’s hair tie secure around their wrist without causing those painful red marks from the elastic. When you child is heading out to recess, gym class or any afterschool activity, they can easily slip the hair tie from their bracelet and make a quick ponytail.
The bangles come in pink, purple, blue, orange and green and come with matching hair ties that feature heart-shaped charms. Check out these adorable accessories that are also super functional here: Busy Kids Bangles
Snack in the Box & Drink in the Box
As the packer of lunches in our house, I try to avoid single-use packaging whenever possible.
The Drink in the Box is the perfect design for packing fruit-infused water in a child’s lunchbox. The leak-proof container is also dishwasher-safe, and comes in 8 or 12 ounce sizes.
The Snack in the Box is two containers in one, so you can double-up on a favorite snack or pack two different ones. The top closes securely but is still easy for little hands to open.
All the containers are BPA and phthalate free, and they come in a variety of colors so you can even match your kiddos lunchbox.
Find them online at drinkinthebox.com
Fenrici Backpacks
Backpacks are a must-have for school children, and Fenrici has backpacks that are spacious, durable and come in an array of fun prints like llamas, monsters, animals and classic solid prints as well. You can also grab your child a matching lunchbox, pencil case or stainless steel thermos.
The bonus when shopping with Fenrici? They donate 5% of net proceeds to the non-profit Global Genes to fund the research and education for childhood rare diseases. Check out the products here and make a difference in a child’s life with your back-to-school shopping.
ECOlunchbox Seal Cup Trio
Packing a school lunch can be a headache for parents, but the right food storage makes all the difference.
ECOlunchbox’s stainless-steel Seal Cup Trio comes with 7oz, 12oz and 20oz leak-proof containers so you can pack a variety of foods without worrying they will be a soggy mess by lunch time.
The stainless-steel trio has brightly colored, ocean-themed designed lids, and the dishwasher-safe material is a bonus for parents. Ditch the plastic food storage and check out all the eco-friendly options here.
Kodable
Coding is becoming common in the classroom as parents and teachers realize the benefits of programming. From learning to solve complex problems to using creativity and imagination, kids can bring those skills into other areas of learning.
Kodable is a fun way for your child to learn coding right at home. Perfect for homeschoolers or even as an afterschool activity, Kodable breaks down computer science into basic concepts that are easy to understand.
A child doesn’t even need to know how to read to use the Kodable software program. It uses numbers and colors instead of complicated syntax and code. Children are empowered to use real JavaScript to write properties, functions and more while building their very own characters and games.
Kodable is available at Kodable.com, or in the iOS App Store. It can be accessed on an iPad, iPhone, Chromebooks and computers with internet access.