How to Save Big on Back-to-School Shopping

It is that time again; September is fast approaching. It is time to review your child’s back-to-school checklist and find all of the necessary items for the upcoming school year. Shopping for school supplies can be time-consuming and quite spendy. We have compiled a few tips on saving big while school shopping:

Search Around the House

Before going school shopping always search your home for items. You may be surprised on how many leftover items your child has from the previous school year. This will help you save money and will prevent you from purchasing unnecessary items.

Stick to the List

When shopping for school supplies it is very important to stick to what is on the list. Often times, especially when shopping with kids, parents will buy extra and unnecessary items. Ask yourself, does my child need the magnetic locker pencil organizer or will a pencil pouch do the job? When it comes to items you buy every year, simpler is always better.

Buy the Most Important Items First

Make sure to always buy the most important supplies first. This will ensure that you are getting the items your child needs while preventing unnecessary spending.

Shop Online

Check sites such as Amazon, Craigslist, and Etsy. They have lots of great deals this time of year on supplies. Often times, these items will come in bulk as well, which means you will be getting more while saving.

Be Thrifty

When buying items such as backpacks and clothing, check out you local thrift stores. Thrift shopping is the best way to find bargains and still get quality items; you never know what treasures await!

Buy Standard, Then Personalize

When school shopping kids always want the coolest folders and notebooks with pictures and sayings on them. But in reality, these are the most expensive folders and notebooks you can buy. A cute and fun idea would be to buy plain colored folders and notebooks and have your child spice them up using different crafts. This also lets your child be creative and is a great opportunity for bonding time for the two of you. Check out this great tutorial for some inspiration!

So when school shopping this year, make sure you follow the tips above. You will save more money and still get the items you need. In the meantime, check out our website to learn about the various fundraising campaign choices we offer. We wish you the best of luck this school year!

Healthy Bodies and Active Minds: Educational Summer Activities for Kids

School’s out, but that doesn't mean learning has to stop with the summertime sunshine. Keep your kids’ brain and body active, entertained and constantly learning with these educational summer activities for kids.

Read, Read, Read

Nothing soars the imagination further than reading. Whether your child is interested in science, nature, fairy tales, or the fantastic, encourage them to read voraciously. Many libraries even provide the option for you to borrow ebooks from their collection so that books can be sent straight to your iPad or Nook. The ability to read is something many take for granted, so encourage your child to explore different worlds of fiction and nonfiction to improve their comprehension and writing skills. Imagination Soup has an excellent list of new and classic books categorized by genre and age for children of all ages.

Write Journals and Stories

Along with reading, writing will help kids explore their creative imaginations. Have your child keep a summer reading journal where they can write about their own experiences. You can also encourage them keep a notebook and create their very own stories. Developing characters and plots will help them develop their comprehension and become better writers, and regularly writing can only help improve their spelling and handwriting.

Traveling Outdoors

Your child doesn’t have to be a Cub Scout or a Girl Scout to learn about the world around them. Take advantage of every sunny and beautiful day there is this summer outdoors with your family. Whether on a family vacation or a nature hike in your local hometown, have your kids take a keener look at nature and encourage their interest in the great outdoors. Become expert bird-watchers, have them learn how to identify animals, plants, and trees, or go geocaching. See if your local museums and nature parks have educational opportunities for kids. Often times, these events and opportunities are led by expert volunteers and cost little, if anything at all.

Homemade Science Projects

Here’s a simple kid formula: messy=fun. Whether in the garden or in the kitchen, experimental science projects can engage your children’s cognitive and motor skills. Try out recipes to teach about chemistry, create sensory bins with materials from around your house, or create a compost garden bin to learn about the cycle of life. Many blogs, such as Modern Parents, Messy Kids offer STEM-related kitchen science experiments that are parent-tested and kid-approved.

Get Active

It’s just as important to exercise your child’s mind as well as their bodies. First Lady Michelle Obama is leading the national Let's Move initiative to encourage a healthy lifestyle. You can help your child be the healthiest version of themselves by having them engage in summer league sports, teaching them about healthy food or healthy bodies, and encouraging plenty of time away from electronics and technology to embrace their own backyards, playgrounds, and parks. Kids learn best by example, so encourage the whole family to get active.

Word Problems, Brain Teasers, and Puzzles, Oh My!

Research has shown that children lose between two to three months of grade level equivalence over the summer, with math skills and theoretical thinking suffering the most. With teachers typically spending the first month and a half re-teaching old material, you can help kid your child on track and ahead of the curve by having them engage in regular word problems, puzzle solving, and challenging brain teasers. Whether your choose to do this with worksheets or real-world scenarios, a little bit of work every week can help keep your kids active and engaged to help keep their math, science, and language skills sharp.

You don’t have to spend buckets of money on expensive summer camps, lessons or video game systems to keep your kids safe and entertained. There are an infinite amount of ideas and activities to entertain and educate kids of all ages, genders, and interests this summer.