• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Tech Savvy Mama

Parenting in the Digital Age

  • About
    • Affiliations & Honors
    • Contributors
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
  • Technology
    • YouTube
    • Social Media
  • Lifestyle
    • Parenting
    • Travel
    • Safety
  • Education
  • Causes
  • Gift Guides
  • CONTACT
    • Work with Me

Back to School Shopping Guide for All Ages

August 17, 2012 By Leticia

The countdown is on for back to school! Rather than spending a boatload of money on all the things your kids want, invest in quality products that will last longer than a school year. Here are my picks that include must-have tech items, eco-friendly options, and those that allow for personalization but are flexible enough to change as your kids grow and their interests change. Best of luck with the start of a new school year!

Personalize It

Whether pencil boxes, binders, or backpacks, everyone likes to put their own touch on their belongings so they don’t look like everyone else’s. Let your child have items as unique as they are with personalization products from these companies:

Mabel’s Labels— One of our back to school essentials! This year Mabel’s introduced their new Tween Pack($21) that makes labeling your stuff uber cool thanks to graphic designs that go beyond the rectangle. For value, you can’t beat Mabel’s Labels Ultimate Back to School Combo($42) with custom durable labels for all the things that your kids can lose during the course of the school year. Skinny Minis work well for pencils and USB drives, Tag Mates and Shoe Labels help lost clothing and shoes make it back to your child, while Bag Tags and Teeny Tags are perfect for attaching to lunch boxes and backpacks.  There are plenty of designs to suit every personality and I personally credit Mabel’s for ensuring that our stuff always makes it home. Thanks Mabel’s!

Personalize backpacks, messenger bags, and more
with Gutzy Gear
Gutzy Gear— At our school personalizing backpacks means attaching endless keychains to the top handle. The kids love how they jingle as they walk but I hate taking them off when it’s time to put the grubby backpack in the wash. Enter Gutzy Gear! These soft fabric covers slip over backpack straps and feature Velcro patches that can be attached, repositioned, traded, and reattached over and over and over again. There are 100 reusable Gutzies that include allow kids to showcase their unique personalities, hobbies and passions, and love for favorite characters including Avengers, Monster High, Marvel® superheroes, and more.
Pack It
Kids are notoriously hard on their belongings but nothing takes the brunt more than their backpacks and lunchboxes. Stuffed with binders, papers, and an endless assortment of trinkets picked up from who-knows-where, a backpack takes a beating. I prefer to invest in a backpack that I know will last beyond a school year. Same thing with lunchboxes! At our school they’re thrown in bins and mingle with other lunchboxes on a daily basis. I want one that will hold up but is easy to clean because nothing is worse than a grimy lunchbox filled with crumbs and food bits!  Eww!
Tips from Lands’ End on packing backpacks to
lessen strain on your child’s back 
Lands’ End Backpacks, Messenger Bagsand Lunch Boxes— I love Lands’ End bags for their durability but as I learned about the Lands’ End Back to School event, one size does not fit all! Lands’ End offers their redesigned and feather light backpacks in all sizes because what size backpack works for your middle schooler will not be best for your preschooler!  And their EZ Wipe Lunch Boxes couldn’t be easier to clean! Open and wipe! That’s it! 
Super hero backpacks and lunch boxes from SuperME 
SuperME Cape Backpacks & Messenger Bag Lunchboxes— What kid doesn’t want to channel their inner superhero? Inspired by their own childrens’ love of dress up, founders Daphne Kaufer and Rena Stern created the SuperME line as functional products with an element of fun that would also be a way for kids to express their individuality. Their Cape Backpacks feature built in capes that can be tucked away when a superhero enters the classroom while the Messenger Style Lunch Bags have a detachable utility belt that can double as a hands-free way to carry necessary nourishment to keep adventurers going all day long. Both products have a place on the front for interchangeable patches ($5 each) that can serve as your superhero’s symbol. The shield shaped patches attach securely with Velcro but can also come off in the event that your superhero needs a new alter ego! And the fact that they’re well made, makes me think that they will pass my test in lasting the whole year through and beyond!
Reusable LunchSkins
LunchSkins— We’ve been packing a waste-free lunch for years and one of my favorite products are LunchSkins. Made of dishwasher safe thick cotton with a food-safe polyurethane liner, LunchSkins feature a Velcro closure to secure snacks and sandwiches. LunchSkins come in snack size, sandwich size, and a larger sub size, just like your favorite plastic baggies but are much more eco-friendly. We’ve never lost a LunchSkin to the trash because the kids take pride in carrying their colorful reusable LunchSkins as our way of helping to reduce everyday waste.
Complete It:
Homework is a little more tolerable with the right tools to motivate learners of any age. From school supplies to technology, here are some products that are not only essential for some ages but provide motivation to keep on learning.
TI-Nspire CX— During BlogHer I had the pleasure of participating in a hands-on breakfast that involved experience data collection using a TInspire and wow! Math and science were never this cool when I was in school! With a bright full color screen and the ability to add accessories like a temperature probe, TInspire is far more than a graphing calculator. It’s an essential tool for kids to use in the classroom and to complete work at home thanks to a full color screen, 3D graphic capabilities, and the ability to upload personal photos in order to bring classroom concepts to life. It may be a significant investment but makes learning interactive and can serve to motivate even the most math and science adverse and is sure to last from middle school through college. It also comes with software that works on desktop/laptop computers for easy transfer of schoolwork to home for homework purposes and free homework assistance. Yes, free homework assistance! How priceless! 
Nook— Books are heavy! Rather than packing a bag full of books and carting it all over the place, invest in a Nook. Favorite titles along with required reading can be housed on one device rather than lugging around multiple books. Nook Simple Touch starts at $99 but I prefer the Nook Simple Touch with Glow Light for just a little more ($139). Both Simple Touch products feature extended battery life and are extremely light, but Simple Touch with Glow Light has an anti-glare screen that is easier on young eyes because it mimics the look of paper. Barnes & Noble provides in-store support to ensure you can go to your local store to troubleshoot any problems. Little Miss Techie loves her Nook Simple Touch with Glow Light but if you’re looking for an eReader with more capabilities, I recommend either the Nook Color or Nook Tablet. Prices for both devices were recently reduced so you can purchase a Nook Color for $149 while a Nook Table is $179.
Lock It!— Do you remember the days of not having enough time between middle and high school classes and frantically spinning the dial of your combination lock to grab your books only to not get the combination right? Kids can secure their gear with the innovative DialSpeed 1500 EDBX Lock from MasterLock.  Unlike traditional locks, Dial Speed is directional and digital. Kids push the center portion up, down, left, or right. Pushing the button up-left-left-down is a lot easier than turning the dial to hit those little number marks and only requires one hand when the other is laden with books! Use the combination that comes with the lock or create a custom one using 4-12 directions.
Back to School Bonuses
While you’re shopping, keep an eye out for bonuses from companies whose products you’re probably buying anyways!
Look for Box Tops on Hanes products!
Hanes— From socks to undershirts to underwear, Hanes is a staple in our house! Socks that feature color matching toes make it easier to pair up the kids’ socks and the tagless Comfort Blend Undershirts can’t be beat for softness. Since you’re probably stocking up on essentials, make sure to look for the packages that feature Box Tops that you can clip and send into your school. You can also order Hanes products and have them shipped right to your door from Hanes.comfor 100 bonus Box Tops! Each Box Top is worth 10 cents for your school and Box Tops add up quickly!
Frito Lay Multipacks and Exclusive Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure Sidekicks— As much as I prefer packing snacks in my LunchSkins, there are times where I need individual packs to feed a crowd. Just in time for back to school, specially marked Frito-Lay Multipacks include a card insert that is redeemable for one of four new exclusive Skylanders Sidekick character figures. If you’re buying multipacks containing Lay’s potato chips, SunChips multigrain snacks, Doritos tortilla chips, Cheetos cheese flavored snacks and Fritos corn chips, lookout for the specially marked Skylanders ones to get your bonus figures!
Images courtesy of the companies mentioned in this gift guide. Some products were personally purchased while others were provided as samples for promotional consideration. Some companies also invited me to attend events held during BlogHer which gift bags were received. No additional compensation was received for this post. Amazon Affiliate links are included.

Thanks for reading Tech Savvy Mama through your feed!

Original post by Tech Savvy Mama
©2012

Related

Filed Under: Gift Guides, Parenting Tagged With: back to school, favorites, homework, lunch, Texas Instruments TI-nspire CX

Previous Post: « Works of Art from GapKids Shine On Saturdays
Next Post: Can Tech Save Education? (infograph) »

Primary Sidebar

about sidebar pic_profile pic

Hi! I'm Leticia, founder of Tech Savvy Mama! I'm an award-winning blogger, Washington, DC area mom of teens, middle school computer science teacher, and education consultant.  Read more...

TechSavvyMama logo board_sidebar divider

AFFILIATIONS & HONORS

_YouTube Parent Panel

_top50momblogger

TechSavvyMama logo board_sidebar divider

Subscribe

Never Miss a Post!
Name: 
Your email address:*
Consent*
Yes, I consent to being emailed
No, I do not want to be emailed
Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide
No spam, ever. Promise!

Tech Savvy Mama on YouTube

<<< View More >>>

TechSavvyMama logo board_sidebar divider

INSTAGRAMMIN’

techsavvymama

DC area blogger & middle school computer science teacher focused on edu, family tech & teens. ❤s= 🚀 #STEM 🏃 #StJudeHeroes #legacyteamnuun 🏝 #Haiti

It was such a joy to be able to celebrate this mil It was such a joy to be able to celebrate this milestone! 🎉 Huge congratulations to Thomas and the Class of 2024! 🎓 #classof2024 #graduation
Happy Global Running Day! 🏃🏻‍♀️If you Happy Global Running Day! 🏃🏻‍♀️If you know me, you know you can always find me in Memphis running a race the first weekend in December for @stjude . I ❤️love ❤️ love ❤️ love ❤️this race because the race course is pretty flat, the weather is amazing, and the whole city of Memphis comes to cheer you on, you get to run through the St. Jude campus which is always inspiring, and it is just SO fun! 🎉 If you’ve ever thought of running a 5K, 10k, half, or full marathon, I invite you to register! Sign up to join me to run/walk/run+walk any distance and not only will I cheer you on as you get race ready but I will be your Marathon Weekend buddy. 🙌🏼 I promise to help get you race ready, will take you to all the best places in Memphis before the race, and to celebrate after with post-race drinks at the Peabody Hotel. 🍹Who is going to join me? Link to register in the first comment! 🏃🏻‍♀️ #stjudeheroes #globalrunningday #memphis #stjude #stjudedmv
The best part of @solairesocial is the incredible The best part of @solairesocial is the incredible variety of delicious food available in one place! 🎉 Our family of adventurous eaters has been anxiously awaiting the opening of this culinary collective and our first visit did not disappoint! 💕 Here’s a look at the diverse food concepts that @chefakhtar has carefully curated to be part of the Solaire Social culinary experience. 👀 Huge thanks to Solaire Social for inviting us to their influencer preview to enjoy the amazing culinary cultural concepts that we’re happy to have right in our backyard! I know the hardest part about our next visit will be choosing among all the incredible food at these 8 amazing restaurants! 🍽️ 

#SolaireSocial #SilverSpring #silverspringmd #montgomerycountymd #dmvfoodie #fifteensecondsofsummer
Chincoteague = Our island in the sun ☀️ Until Chincoteague = Our island in the sun ☀️ Until next time! 💕 more than #fifteensecondsofsummer #chincoteague #assateague #loveva #islandlife
The best way to start any day in Chincoteague is a The best way to start any day in Chincoteague is at @amarin_coffee_usa ! Their fresh baked buttery croissants (that are almost as big as your head!) are always such a treat when we’re here! 🥐❤️🥐 #fifteensecondsofsummer #chincoteague #civa #esva #coffeelovers
Fifteen seconds of sunset for #fifteensecondsofsum Fifteen seconds of sunset for #fifteensecondsofsummer ! 🌅 #chincoteague #loveva #esva #sunsetlovers
Is it officially summer for your family? It is for Is it officially summer for your family? It is for ours! ☀️Thomas finished his last day of high school and Emily is home from college for a bit so it’s summer in our house. 🙌🏼 We kicked off our summer at a @nationals game that included a win with 3 home runs! ⚾️ This year I’m joining @lashawnwiltz in 15 seconds of summer, sharing 15 seconds from my days so at the end, I can look back and remember the great things we did as a family before Thomas heads to college in the fall. 😢 Join in the fun by recording and sharing 15 seconds of your summer days and use the hashtag #fifteensecondsofsummer. It officially starts June 1 but join in whenever your summer begins! 🕶️🍉⛱️ #washingtondc #washingtonnationals #nats #baseball #summer
Today we’re celebrating National Rescue Dog Day Today we’re celebrating National Rescue Dog Day because we’re so glad Goldie and Murphy are part of our family! 🐶 We gave Goldie her forever home when she was 6 months old. She had been given up by her original family because she was just too much for them. She was an enthusiastic pup who loved to jump straight up in the air when she got excited and she used to hop the fence in the mornings to go visit her best dog friend, Katy, over our back fence. She still jumps from standing when she sees a deer, meets a favorite dog friend, or gets a visit from @lisatasch but now at age 5, she’s more calm and forever faithful. 🦮We met Murphy and his 9 brothers and sisters just days after he was born although we didn’t know he would be the puppy we’d claim as ours. Murphy has that puppy energy but in his quiet moments is a total love bug. He hogs the free space in our king bed (he even has his own pillow!) and loves nothing more than to press his body into me or lie directly on me. 🐾 Goldie and Murphy came to us through @labrescuelrcp and we couldn’t be happier that they’re part of our family! ❤️ #rescuedogday #labrescue #labrador #adoptdontshop
After 3 days at St. Jude Children’s Research Hos After 3 days at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, I’m leaving Memphis so very grateful to be able to support St. Jude’s mission of working to end childhood cancer. ❤️ Spending time connecting, brainstorming, and absorbing the wisdom of fellow Hero Ambassadors from around the country was inspiring because the work we do fundraising through our endurance events helps St. Jude do the incredible work they do to ensure families never receive a bill for their child’s treatment, housing, travel, or food and continue important research that will continue to reduce rates of pediatric cancer and other childhood diseases. I am so looking forward to running in Memphis again this December! 🎉 If you’ve ever thought of running a race that does so much good in the world, join me! I’d love to have you come to Memphis and run with me! Or you can always donate through the fundraising link in my bio. ❤️ #stjude #stjudeheroes #memphis #stjudedmv
Prom 2024! ❤️ #prom #classof2024 #senioryear # Prom 2024! ❤️ #prom #classof2024 #senioryear #lastfridaynight #latergram
When we bought our house 24 years ago, it came wit When we bought our house 24 years ago, it came with many things we didn’t love like rotted porch boards, 1 bathroom, and peeling paint (inside and out!) but it also came with things we did love like old, mature trees, crazy shaped boxwood bushes, and these spectacular peonies! 🌸 Every year when they bloom I’m so glad that these beauties conveyed with the purchase of our house and I’m glad we rebuilt our porch so we can step out our front door to admire them in their glory! 🩷#peonies #peonyseason #garden #blooms #spring
As a teacher and parent, I am well aware of the me As a teacher and parent, I am well aware of the mental health challenges our youth face and am really pleased to share that over the weekend I became certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid through the National Council for Mental Wellbeing! 🎉 I’ve always worked to build relationships with the young people in my life- whether my kids’ friends or students- and this certification has made me more mindful of the signs and symptoms of mental health challenges so I can have important and supportive conversations when symptoms first start to appear. 🗣️A big component of the training also included developing a self-care plan which is critical when supporting others. 💕 I’m so grateful to have taken this certification for free through the University of Maryland whose blended learning format (2 hours of self paced online work + 5 hour instructor led class over Zoom) was fantastic! 💻 The teacher in me really applauds the course design and I’m glad to join the 3 million+ in the U.S. certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid. 🏥 If this is something you’re interested in doing, University of Maryland has free courses on Saturdays or Sundays from 10-4pm between June-October. Swipe ⬅️ for more information, including a QR code with more information and a survey to take as part of the sign up process. And if you have any questions- leave a comment or DM me. I’m happy to help you get certified too! ❤️ #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthfirstaid #youthmentalhealth #mentalhealthawarenessmonth
Follow on Instagram

TechSavvyMama logo board_sidebar divider

SAVVY FINDS

Footer

Tech Savvy Businesswoman

Check me out across my social media channels for examples of how I can help amplify your company's brand, product, or cause!

_YouTube Parent Panel

techsavvymamasquarelogo_techsavvymama square logo

Privacy Policy Cookie Policy

Looking for Something?

Search by category…

or by date

DISCLOSURE POLICY

Copyright © 2025 Tech Savvy Mama · Designed by Hustle & Sway · Log in

 

Loading Comments...