Can someone explain to me how summer goes by so quickly? The school year seems to move SO slowly as we drown in homework and tests. We tried to really enjoy our summer. All of us have taken advantage of lazy days, sleeping late, staying in pajamas all day, and just relaxing. We have played games, gone on adventures, and done a bit of work. To help you get ready for school, I am sharing my Back to School Survival Guide for parents. These products will help you ease into your school year. Don’t miss the great giveaway from Stembox at the end. I partnered with The Hopping Bloggers for this sponsored Back To School Gift Guide. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
Back to School Survival Guide
1. Schmidt’s Deodorant can save you and your kids from a smelly situation. Nothing is worse than smelling sweaty, right? Schmidt’s deodorant is all natural and full of healthy ingredients. Most natural deodorants do not work, but Schmidt’s does! Our entire family uses it and we promise it works and keeps us smelling great. There are tons of flavors to choose from. The mini blogger has sensitive skin and she loves the sensitive skin waves scent. Mom is partial to the Lavender Tips and the teens love the charcoal+magnesium best. Stock up on some great deodorant to keep your kids smelling good this year.
2. Teach My Yoga Mat is a great learning tool for kids 3 and up. This mat encourages your kids to learn while staying active. Physical activity is important for young children and this mat can be used indoors no matter what time of year or weather outside. Research has shown that children who are learning while moving will absorb more information. This yoga mat will teach the alphabet, numbers, shapes, and colors with the included fish. The magnetic fishing rods will encourage your child to pick up the correct fish. Kids love to be active and when they are using this type of learning tool they do not even realize they are learning.
3. Speck is the best online store that I use for great back to school items for the kids and for myself. Both of my kids will be going to school in style with the new Ruck backpack. The Ruck is perfect for the kids because it has a dedicated padded compartment for the computer they must bring to school. The Ruck not only looks fashionable but it also has lots of hidden pockets too. Speck also has great cases for the electronic devices your family has. My Speck iPhone case has protected my phone from many drops. They sell cases for Apple phones, Samsung phones, tablets, computers, and even Apple watches.
4. Treo is a new organic drink made from birch water. This drink is an excellent thirst quencher for your child as it only has 10 calories and 1 gram of sugar! Treo is sweetened by nature, Non-GMO, gluten free, vegan, and kosher. With only 1 gram of sugar, you might be surprised to know that it tastes very sweet. It comes in four delicious and refreshing flavors. I can tell you that a small fight broke out in our house when 3 of my kids all wanted to claim the strawberry drink. Treo would also make a refreshing drink for any parents who are running around all day. The smooth flavors are refreshing and really cooled me down after a long walk around the lake. You can find Treo on Amazon here.
5.Bitsbox– Coding for Kids is the gift that keeps on giving. Two of my kids love coding and they had asked me a few months ago to buy them this box. Subscription boxes for kids are one of the best things you can buy. Kids LOVE to get mail. My daughter gets the mail each day and she hopefully looks at everything, wishing something would be addressed to her. This box is even better than most subscription boxes because it is filled with learning tools. Kids ages 6-14 are encouraged to code with the materials included in the box. Mom and Dad will also probably learn something new as well. Bitsbox appeals to both girls and boys and you do not need any coding experience to use it. The box includes instructions describing how the kids can make their own apps that they can even play on a computer, phone, or tablet. You can subscribe here and use the coupon BACK2SCHOOL for 20% off your first subscription.
6. Stembox is the monthly subscription box full of STEM project based learning. This kit is aimed at kids 8-13. Stembox is meant to appeal to girls or boys because science projects are for everyone. This kit was started by a female scientist who wanted to make challenging science kits more accessible to girls. The STEM topics that are included in the boxes are electrical engineering, computer programming, chemistry, math, spatial awareness, biology and much more. My kids can’t wait to try their first box! If you are interested you can subscribe.
7. Klee Kids is an all natural hair care system that is safe for your kids and yourself. We recently tried the shampoo, conditioner, and detangler on my daughter’s crazy hair and it tamed it very well. These hair products have very safe ingredients and they smell incredibly good. The magical detangler is made from coconut oil and marshmallow extract. Klee also has makeup, nail polish and face paint that is safe for girls to use. These products will give you peace of mind when you use them on your precious children. Start off the school year with safer products, many of them can be found on Amazon here.
8. Real Cooking Deluxe Princess Cake set is so much fun! My daughter made this cake and a pink cake all by herself in under an hour. The kit comes with everything your mini baker will need except eggs and milk. The directions are easy enough for a child to follow themselves. All I had to help with was putting the cake into the oven and taking it out. This would be a fun project to do before school starts or to celebrate surviving the first week of school. Making the fondant was my daughter’s favorite part!
9. Ultra Dash by PlayMonster is the perfect Back to School survival game. Why will this game help you survive? It will wear your kids out after school so you can get dinner on the table. This game is full of exercise and fun. Every time you play you can design a different course. Flashing lights, kids running around, and tired kids at bedtime, you will be winning parenting if you buy this game. Watch your kids move quickly when they see their color light up.
10. True Citrus brand has evolved into a really awesome diverse set of drinks and seasonings. Many years ago my family loved to drink the True Lemon flavor. These individual packets are added to water to make your glass taste a little more interesting. These packets are flavored with stevia and real fruit flavors are added as well. There are 10 drink flavors and each packet is only 10 calories per drink. You can tuck a few packets into your kid’s lunch box or your purse. My daughter loves the peach lemonade. These are great healthy alternatives to drinks like kool-aid or crystal light. True citrus also has some new salt free citrus based spice blends. We tried these spices on some grilled fish and they were amazing. Check out the True Citrus line on Amazon here.
Thanks for this awesome giveaway. My kids return to school today and they’re excited to see their friends and meet their new teachers.
Good luck on the first day of school! I hope your kids have a great day!
We start school on Wednesday and there are plenty of things that I need to get done yet. Some of the stuff you mentioned he reminds me of stuff I still need to get done in the next two days.
We have two weeks left and there is still a ton to do! Why does it have to be so hard?
What a fantastic guide, I am loving the sound of the deodorant myself, I think I will have to check in and see if I can buy that for myself.
I cannot really put into words how much we love Schmidt’s deodorant. It has really been life changing since we started using it a year ago. Treat yourself and buy a few flavors!
We don’t have to do the back to school anymore. Always like to see what the new items everyone whats for the new school year. Always see excited kids in the store picking out back packs and school supplies.
Isn’t it so cute how excited kids get about new backpacks and supplies? As sad as I am for the fun times of summer to end, I am happy we will be back to a routine.
I had no idea that Speck made backpacks! I will have to look for them. And the Ultra Dash game looks like a lot of fun. I want to do anything that wears my kids out!
Games that wear the kids out are pretty awesome! My daughter runs around like crazy playing Ultra Dash and then crashes at bedtime. Speck makes great backpacks, please check them out!
These are all great! I really want to check out Stembox and Bitsbox for my 9 year old who loves to learn new things.
Your 9 year old is the perfect age for both Stembox and Bitsbox! I hope you entered the giveaway as you can win a free 3 month subscription of Stembox!
These are all amazing products! I’ve heard of different subscription boxes, but not the bitsbox or the Stembox. I can see how these would interest any child (even adults!) I would definitely love to try that Pineapple Coconut deodorant too!
Pineapple coconut is one of my favorite flavors! I really hope you will give Schmidt’s a try. Stembox and Bitsbox are both such great ideas. Kids do not even realize they are learning.
The summer goes by too fast…I’m a teacher and it is a blink of an eye…lol.
I also work in a school and it goes WAY too fast!
Oh man, I love True Lemon. I add their lemon to everything. Their lime is good in recipes too.
It is so good! Some of my kids like a bit of sweetness in their water and true lemon is a great way to do that!
These are all awesome products you featured in this post. I would love my grandchildren to be interested in STEM subjects and I think the Entomology box would be a great start, and so with the Bitsbox. I’m checking these stuff out. Thanks for sharing!
STEM is very important for your granddaughters to learn! I hope you entered the giveaway.
You’ll definitely want to be prepared with some reliable backpacks like the Ruck! We really like those True Citrus mixes too!
Another True Citrus fan, yay! The Ruck backpack is awesome, my daughter has hers all filled up and ready for the first day.
I’ve never heard of birch water, it sounds intriguing. Coconut pineapple deodorant sounds like it would smell too good to be a deodorant. A good backpack is a must.
Birch water is my husband’s favorite drink. It is a New England type of drink! The deodorant does smell quite good!
These are super unique tips. My kids are homeschooled so I love reading about what other kids do to prepare for school.
Thank you! I am so glad you liked these. I think you could definitely use some of these items in your homeschool.
I would love to win a STEM box like this. I can’t believe the summer is almost over. This sounds like such a great box full of great stuff for kids.
Good luck in the giveaway! I agree, this is a great box of STEM activities your kids would enjoy.
Indeed Summer seems to fly and it is Back to School time. This time can really turn out to be harrowing and taxing unless managed properly. Your post is a sensible and doable guide to survive these times.
Why thank you so much! I hope that this time of year is manageable for all of us going through new beginnings.
These are awesome BTS survival guide! I’ve been a fan of True Lime. A must have in my kitchen that’s for sure. Thanks for sharing!
This is such a great guide! So well written, too! I love the idea of that Stembox. It sounds like it’s a lot of fun AND a great way to learn on top of it! I want to get one for my nephew, he’s the perfect age for it!
I hope you entered the giveaway to win 3 months of Stembox!
I’ve never heard of Speck before. In fact, there’s a lot on this list I didn’t know about!
Speck is a leader in phone cases and electronics protections. Many people do not know they make backpacks too! Their backpacks are stylish and super functional!
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