First Day Basics

If planning ahead has slipped past you, or you’ve been waiting for those big sales to stock up, you may find yourself overwhelmed and spending money on stuff your kids may not need until later in the year, if ever. What do you absolutely, positively have to buy for your kids to get them through the first week of school with minimal issues?

Other Essential Supplies

Stock up on these slightly less essential but still important school supplies while they’re still available!

Pens

Fine point gel pens, like Pilot G2 Black Gel Ink Pens are ideal for students, as they don’t blot or smear; the Pilot pens have the added benefit of a comfortable grip for extended writing.

Crayons or Markers

Crayola Classic Broad Line Markers help kids add creative flair to their school projects. And their notebooks, and their sneakers…

Sharpeners

Keep desk and study areas neat and maintain sharp pencils with a covered pencil sharpener. Dahle Dual Hole Canister Pencil Sharpeners can be used with standard and oversized pencils and crayons.

Glue

Glue sticks are a neater, cleaner looking adhesive for students. Avery Permanent Glue Sticks – 6 pack will last all year and keep posterboard projects from looking lumpy with glue.

Highlighters

As kids get older and have to take more notes, you’re going to need a few highlighters. BIC Brite Liner Highlighters are quick drying and chisel tipped for precision.

Pencil Cases

School supplies tumbling loosely around your child’s bag is a recipe for disaster. Translucent Pencil Boxes protect their stuff while letting them see what’s inside, so they can find what they need fast.

Tantrum Free Shopping

The lines, the the crowds, the herds of children who aren’t entirely sure they want to be there — there’s a lot to hate about back to school shopping. Minimize the time you spend fighting your way through office supplies by trying some of our shopping tips!

• Get a list from teachers – You won’t always get a list of supplies from teachers before the first day of school; some teachers simply prefer to handout lists on the first day, in order to ensure absolutely every student gets one. If you need that info earlier than that and you know the teacher’s name, finding their email on a school website shouldn’t be too tricky.
• Make your own list – Even if teachers provide a supply list, you’ll want all the information in one place, particularly if your child needs supplies for multiple subjects or if you have more than one child.
• Bulk purchases only work for certain products – Loose leaf and pens, absolutely. Glue sticks and protractors, not so much.
• Buy online – One way or another, you will be buying a lot of paper. Heavy paper. Make your life a little easier by letting someone else do the carrying. You can top off online bulk orders with smaller items — crayons, compasses, pencil cases — to qualify for free shipping or coupons.

Taking Notes

When it comes to your child’s paper supplies, the teacher’s word is law. But if you do have some wiggle room, take the time to explore your options. Kids will prefer a notebook with their favorite musician or tv show character on the front, but for your money, it’s better to be practical.

Backpack Attack

Feeling practical, you may try to push your child toward a backpack they can keep using for a long time, something simple. But considering most kids destroy their backpacks by the end of the year anyway, cut your kid some slack and let them enjoy a backpack featuring their favorite characters.

Stay Clean with CleanWell

The back to school season is also a new start for germ and bacterial exposure. All it takes is one sneezy child in the cafeteria to get your child sick. Make sure your kid can stay active, healthy, and ready to learn by encouraging frequent hand washing during the day.

As a parent, you can minimize their exposure to harsh chemicals in soaps and hand sanitizers by switching to all natural cleansers. Formulated to be gentle yet thorough, CleanWell products use thyme oil’s well known antiseptic qualities to keep your child’s skin — and anything they might touch — clean and germ free.

This safe formula was developed to improve the quality of life for Conor, a child born with a severe immunodeficiency. Conor now leads an active life thanks to the work that both his father, Sam, and Dr. Larry Weiss, natural chemistry expert and CleanWell’s founder, put into harnessing all natural alternatives for household and personal care.

Check out some of CleanWell’s products for use around the house and on the go.

Related Links

• http://twitter.com/#!/ShopWiki_Babies – Check out ShopWiki’s home on Twitter for all things related to babies, kids, and toys!
• Facebook – Get the latest savings and shopping news on ShopWiki’s Facebook page.
• A Better Way to Clean – Check out CleanWell’s blog for deals, news, and plenty of cool, all natural ideas for the family.

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