Education & Enrichment Archives:

Hottest Products for Back-to-School 2005

Pre-K through 6^th Grade 

Here they are- some top picks younger kids will want, and need, to go back to school and succeed this year. Not only are these items “cool,” but they’re also necessities for heading back to the classroom. 

1.       Scholastic Crayons, Colored Pencils and Markers: Offered exclusively at Office Depot, Scholastic – the leader in educational products – has created its own line of crayons, colored pencils and markers. Packaged specifically for kids, Scholastic's new line offers 12-count and 24-count colored pencil sets, thick and fine tipped crayons and markers, and an assortment of colors. Priced at just $.25 for a set of crayons. $.79 for colored pencils and $2.29 for markers.

2.       Mead Scholastic Subject Specific Notebook: Gone are the days of sloppily labeling spiral notebooks with a black magic marker. At under $3.00, these great notebooks are color-coded (one color for each subject) and labeled by subject. Available for Math, Science, Social Studies and Language Arts, the notebooks also have subject-specific reference information inside. Office Depot is the only office supply store to carry them!

3.       Liquid Expresso Porous-Point Pen: The Expresso pens by Paper Mate have exceptional ink flow, are economically porous, but have the feeling of a fountain pen. Some of the pen’s attributes include: medium point/extra fine point option, reinforced tip and a translucent barrel, all of which add up to less mess, sure strokes, precise lines and a visible ink supply. This fine pen is $1.74

4.       Miss O & Friends Notebook, Personal Book and Memo Pad: Made for girls, by girls. Miss O & Friends is all about girls developing into strong, smart and independent teens. More than just a product line, Miss O & Friends is a brand parents can be proud to have written on their children’s notebooks. The Miss O products are decorated with the four tweens that represent the product. Priced between $1.00 and $3.30.

5.       Elmer’s Fun No Run Glue: Elmer’s has once again created the coolest of glue products. Offered in blue and red, this washable glue also has a no-run formula. Offered in a 5 oz container, the glue also includes a convenient glue stick. And just remember, no run means no mess! Priced perfectly for back-to-school at just under $1.00.

6.       It’s Academic 12” Metallic Flexi Ruler: Every student needs a ruler for going back to school, but who says rulers have to be boring? It’s Academic has pushed the ruler even further with this new flexible yet metallic colorful ruler. It still does everything the typical ruler does, but looks that much cooler! Priced at under $2.00.

7.       Grab-and-Go Study Aids: Nothing feels better than doing well in school, and now parents can prepare their kids with Office Depot’s exclusive grab-and-go CD-ROM study aids. They are easy to store and available in a variety of subjects, including geometry, algebra and English. Parents can be ready for any question their kid may ask. Classroom confidence can now be bought for under $5.00.

8.       Pop-Up Lunch Tote: A collapsible and convenient lunch bag that every kid will want. After lunchtime, when your kid's bag is empty – why have it take up so much space? The pop-up lunch tote can be crushed down flat to the size of a CD. With its sleek design and Micro ban protection, this tote is ideal for back to school. Priced at $8.00.

9.       Fiskars 4” Control Tip Scissors: Made especially for little hands, these scissors have 3 finger holes for extra control and are priced at around $2.50. Available in blunted and pointed, these special scissors work for righties and lefties, and of course come in all the colors for back-to-school.

10.   Stretchable Book Covers: Book covers no longer have to be boring with stretchable book covers now available. A guaranteed hit item for kids, these stretchy book covers come in solid colors and fashion patterns, in regular sizes and jumbo sized. Depending on the style and size, the stretchable book cover ranges in price from $2.00 to $3.00. 

Hottest Products for Back-to-School 2005

7^th through 12^th Grade 

Older kids have different tastes than their little brothers and sisters do. This group likes to find ways to express personal style in all that they do. Here are some top picks for middle and high school students to head back to school. These products are functional and fun. 

1.       Extreme Sling Cross Over Backpack: It’s the new style for kids – in between a messenger bag and a typical backpack. The Cross Over is available in hot colors and made especially for the tech-minded kid: compartment for a CD player and a rear headphone wire eyelet. The padded cross over strap includes a cell phone holder, and there are tons of additional pockets for organization. This modern backpack is priced under $20.00.

2.       Student Planners: Kids like to be organized, so provide them with the newest and coolest of student planners – Sweet & Sassy, Nike, Pattern Play and Max & Mini themes. At-A-Glance and Carolina Pad have created a place for assignments, notes and thoughts to be written – all in one place! The Sweet & Sassy Day Runner includes an internal wheel with a t-shirt, and stickers for kids to identify how they are feeling and what is going on in their lives, such as “relax,” “test,” and “happy birthday.” Priced from under $5.00 to $9.00.

3.       TI-84 Plus Silver Edition Graphic Calculator: With 2x the speed of the TI-83 Plus and 9x more memory, this calculator is ideal for the serious student. Its features include interactive geometry software and periodic table chemistry, along with personal study tools and applications like the organizer, study cards, algebra topics, area formulas, cell sheet, fundamental topics in science, and AP biology review questions. $130.00.

4.       Franklin MWD-450 Electronic Dictionary: Electronic is what’s in and that means dictionaries as well. Why carry the big and heavy book around when Franklin has created a database with a calculator, crossword solver and matchmakers, currency/metric converter, databank, seven games, as well as learning exercises using My Word List, SAT words and more. Batteries are included. Priced at under $30.00.

5.       Dual 300 Ring Filled Zipper Binder: Finally, the binder that fits everything! Case It has created a binder, complete with 1.25” rings, CD-storage compartments, mesh pockets, a pen/pencil plastic holder, and more. At $17.00, this binder is perfect for the kids who want to keep everything in one place. It’s like having their very own briefcase.

6.       Mead Five Star Folder: Every student going back to school needs a set of folders they can depend on all year long. That’s why parents and kids trust Mead for the sturdiest of folders. These basic folders come in a variety of colors and can help hold piles of important papers! Priced at under $2.00.

7.       Polycarbonate Bottle with Refreezable Stick: Students need to drink when they are at school, and Access knows the last thing kids want is warm water. That’s why they have created a bottle with a refreezable stick. It’s like having ice in your drink all day – it never melts and never waters down your drink. Priced at $6.00.

8.       Big Mouth Filer: The Big Mouth Filer is an unparalleled organizational system that offers students easier access to papers, homework and more. It's designed to fit easily into backpacks but vertically formatted to prevent kids from having to strain their necks sideways to locate documents. It holds five removable color-coordinated folders and has a reinforced gusset that can expand to support more that 200 sheets of paper. Under $7.00.

9.       Nike Notebook, Binder and Bookcover: All kids love Nike, so what better way to bring the excitement of athletics into the classroom than creating Nike school supplies? The cool one-subject notebook has the Nike logo, as do the stretchy binder and zippered binder. All items are priced between $2.00 and $15.00 (binder).

10.   Index Card Sheets: Index cards are great for studying, but difficult to store – until now. Mead has created an 8.5” x 11” sheet with perforated 3” x 5” white ruled index cards that easily fits into any binder. Students can now keep their study aids with their notes for just $2.00.

11.   Sphero Lock with Key, Lockerboxx, Magnet Clips, Wipe-off Board: Lock your belongings up with the modern sphero lock by Masterlock. Forgot your combination? Not to worry – use the handy key! Lockermate has once again created the coolest of locker accessories – all magnetized! The Lockerboxx is a large, multi-compartment magnetic box; the Locker Friends Magnet Clips have fun faces and strong, neo-dymium magnets; the wipe-off board is magnetized and includes a dry-erase pen for notes and messages. Priced between $3.00 and $5.00.