Merchandise Monday: Back-to-School Essentials for Younger & Older Students
We’re just weeks away from schools ringing their first bells of the fall season, and that means it’s time to prep for back-to-school everything: gear, organization, bags, electronics, room setup, the works. For those as young as pre-K to those moving on to high school or college, our guide features back-to-school essentials from our rewards catalog that students can use both at home and in the classroom.
FOR AGES K-8
Fantasy Fields™ Happy Farm Bookcase
Your child needs a happy nook to keep and display all their books at home. This cheery bookcase is just the ticket: It features hand-carved farm animals and three shelves, plus a bottom drawer for other keepsakes like toys or collectibles.
LEGO® Wonder Woman & Batman™ Minifigure Clocks
RRRRRING! Back to school means back to early mornings for many children, and what better way to get them looking at the time than with a playful LEGO® clock! Made in the likeness of the LEGO Wonder Woman and Batman™ characters, these minifigure clocks will greet your waking children with a cheerful charm every morning while starting the school day.
Melissa & Doug® Musical Farmyard Cube Learning Toy
If your little one isn’t quite old enough for school yet, let the learning begin at home! This adorable learning cube is perfect for babies 6 months and older. It’s a “farmyard” full of lively animals and their songs, and it’s filled with activities for babies to grasp, grab and play with — like knotted tags, crinkly flower petals, and a toddler-proof mirror.
Melissa & Doug® Alphabet Sound Puzzle
This puzzle set from Melissa & Doug® teaches the alphabet to children with spoken help directly from the puzzle. Put a piece correctly in place and hear the letter sounded out loud. It’s a great way for children to identify what letters look like while learning the sounds associated with each. Plus, this puzzle is available in both English and Spanish — perfect for students learning multiple languages.
Razor® Power Core™ E90™ Electric Scooter – Pink
Beep beep! We’re off to school! This electric scooter is great for ages 8 and up. It’s a cool, breezy way for students to get to school in the neighborhood, or just have as an alternative to their traditional bike for local adventures. Power Core™ technology offers 80 minutes of continuous use, and the scooter is maintenance free — no alignment, no chain, and no chain tensioner to ever fuss with.
High Sierra® Stacked Compartment Lunch Bag
Keep snacks and lunches organized while your child is on the go. The Stacked Compartment Lunch Bag has insulated lining to keep foods cool while getting to school and back, and with two main compartments plus a front zippered utensil pocket, it’s an easy way for students to keep their PB&Js separate from their midday carrots sticks. The internal ID tag makes sure another student doesn’t accidentally get the wrong bag at lunchtime.
Replogle Intelliglobe™ II
With activities ranging from multiple choice to trivia to touch-and-explore features, this hands-on globe is a great way to introduce children to the world around them. The wireless pen provides an interactive way for students to navigate around the globe and its built-in activities.
FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL THROUGH COLLEGE
Amazon Fire 7 8GB Tablet with Alexa
Touted as one of the most kid-friendly tablets on the market, Amazon’s Fire offers a hands-on way for children to access a world of learning games, educational apps, and more student-appropriate content (some free, some paid, some subscription-based). This version is great for older children and up to college years, and it has Alexa built in for those looking to utilize Amazon’s voice assistant.
Samsung® Galaxy Tab S3 9.7-Inch + S-Pen – Black
Ideal for older teenagers and college students, the Galaxy Tab features a 9.7” HDR-Ready Super AMOLED display, fast charging speeds, 32GB built-in memory, and a Snapdragon™ 820 2.15GHz + 1.6GHz quad-core processor, plus Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® capability. In other words, it’s a great tool for studying, researching, and tackling other school-related projects. And it includes the S-Pen for even greater multifunctionality.
Reaction Hybrid Bike & Accessories Package
For older students commuting to school in the neighborhood or those on a college campus, this bike package has it all. It includes the Recreation Journey Bike, the Bontrager Flat Pack Tire Repair Kit, and the OnGuard Doberman Combo Cable Lock. The 21-speed bike is a hybrid, so it’s perfect for not only getting to-and-fro school, but also as a fitness bike or for errands around town. It’s just a lot of fun to ride on!
The North Face® Inductor Charged Backpack
It’s entirely possible that your older student is carrying several electronics in his/her backpack: from smartphone to tablet and laptop to camera. No matter how you cut it, students are more connected than ever today, and this charged backpack helps them stay charged during their schooldays. The backpack’s D-door pocket opens to a charging dashboard for different devices, and the included removable battery pack provides up to three-and-a-half full phone battery charges. A designated lay-flat laptop compartment makes it easy — and safe — to tote around a laptop in addition to books and supplies. This backpack will become essential for your student’s schooldays, as well as trips home, vacations, and everything else in between.
Vera Bradley® Campus Tech Backpack - Cuban Tiles
This backpack is both tech-friendly and fashion-friendly. Features include multiple zip pockets and several smaller pockets for pens and other school essentials, plus a trolley sleeve on the quilted back panel. It’s an easy pick for bringing essentials to school, and not a bad option for the student who wants their gear to look as good as it functions.
CordaRoys Faux Fur Convertible Bean Bag Chair/Full Sleeper
A must-have for the new dorm room student! This comfy-cozy bean bag chair converts into a full-size sleeper perfect for accommodating guests (like visiting parents) or simply providing a little extra study seating for tight spaces. It seats one adult/two kids and sleeps two adults/two kids, and it comes ready to use with a full chair cover and full bed insert (premium liner with child-safe zipper).
Danby® 2.6 Cu. Ft. Compact Refrigerator
Another dorm-ready necessity, this energy-efficient compact refrigerator is ideal for small spaces. It can be placed on a countertop or on the floor, and provides the perfect amount of room for one person’s needs. It includes the second-generation Canstor® beverage dispenser, tall-bottle storage, and a scratch-resistant worktop for storing accessories.