WhoWHATWhere: Cool school stuff
Share with others:
Like back-to-class fashions, school supplies evolve with the times. Sure, there are notebooks, highlighters and crayons, but now even some of those aren't so ordinary. Here is a sampling of items geared to make studying easier and a bit more fun.
Highlighters: Say goodbye to highlighters that smudge and bleed. Sharpie Gels ($4.49 to $8.79, www.sharpie.com) are designed with a unique dry tip that won't smear ink or dry out -- even if left uncapped. When the gel stick gets low, twist the bottom of the pen. Available in 2-, 3- or 4-packs in yellow, pink, orange, green and blue.
Electronics: Don't have enough USB ports? Turn one into four for connecting keyboards, printers or computer mice with the Targus USB 2.0 4-Port Bend-a-Hub ($19.99, www.targus.com). It also comes with a mini USB plug so students can upload photos from a digital camera or charge a smartphone while typing up that book report.
Dry-erase: More schools are trading in chalkboards for less messy dry-erase boards, but the smell and staining of the markers can be tough to take. Crayola has a solution with its Dry-Erase Bright Crayons ($4.49 crayons only and $9.99 for crayons with dual-sided dry-erase board, www.crayolastore.com). They are washable, available in eight colors and unscented. And because they're crayons, you don't have to worry about them drying out or losing their caps. Every pack has a built-in sharpener and a machine-washable E-Z Erase cloth.
Locker gear: A locker could be considered students' home away from home. Make it orderly with a LockerMate Fabric Locker Organizer ($9.99, www.lockermate.com). It has compartments for storing pens, pencils, scissors and calculators, and a mirror for primping between classes.
Keep it all safe and quickly accessible with a Master Lock Speed Dial Combination Padlock ($13.99, www.masterlock.com). Rather than twisting a dial and matching up numbers, a sequence of up, down, left and right movements releases the lock. It's available in multiple colors and comes with letters, numbers, colors, shapes and symbols for customizing.
Art supplies: Don't be at loss for a color with Crayola Heads 'N Tails Markers ($5.29). Each marker is double sided with a light and dark variation of a single color, which means an 8-pack offers 16 choices.
First Published August 2, 2011 12:00 am
