Back-to-school often means a shopping excursion specifically for, well, office supplies for kids. But too often, school supplies leave something to be desired. Boring composition notebooks, bland folders and run-of-the-mill markers probably run rampant at your local office supply store. After all, pencils and paper aren’t exactly beautiful food for the aesthetic soul — except when they are.
Get ready to actually get excited about school supply shopping, folks. Because we’ve rounded up the most insanely stylish and functional school supplies that just miiiight find their way out of your kid’s backpack and into your own office.
Plus, with the amount of homework assigned to kids these days, they’re going to be spending plenty of time at their desks, which are probably currently crowded with unattractive and uninviting supplies. And after all, haven’t pretty pens been proven to increase productivity or something? No? Whatever.
Ditch your trip to the big-box supply store, toss out those plain planners, and look no further, because you’re going to want every item on this list. I mean for your kids. This is all for your kids. Right.
Rifle Paper Co. Bouquet File Folders
You can bring the visual treat that is a beautiful bouquet of flowers to your file folders thanks to the geniuses behind Rifle Paper Co.
Rifle Paper Co. bouquet file folders, $25 at Rifle Paper Co.
Avocado & Fig Notebook Pair
These sassy notebooks come in myriad delicious sayings, like "Drunk Thoughts," "Cheesy Ideas," "Beet It" and "I'm Kind of a Big Dill."
Avocado and fig notebook set, $12 a pair at The Neighborgoods
Hydros Water Bottle
This cute and versatile water bottle uses an eco-friendly charcoal filter for the cleanest, purest water you'll ever tote around. Plus, it's ultra lightweight and filters in mere seconds.
Hydros water bottle (20-ounces), $20 at Hydros Life
Bando Garden Party 13-Month Planner
Your Google cal's got nothing on a Bando planner. This beauty includes fun stickers, coloring pages, laminated and color-coded monthly tabs, pocket pages, and even an 11-by-17-inch poster. Can Google do all that? Well, maybe it will next year.
Large garden party 13-month planner, $32 at Bando
Bando Ultimate Planner Pack in Pearlescent
The perfect addition to your perfect planner, this pack from Bando includes the ultimate in planner accessories, including stickers, a pouch, spiral clips, disco foil tape, a snap-in to-do list, pencils and an eraser. Your year will be decked out and ready for anything.
Ultimate planner pack in Pearlescent, $20 at Bando
Dormify Grass Charging Station
Back-to-school for tweens and teens means studying, researching (aka googling), typing up papers and sending frantic emails to teachers swearing that your dog really did eat your homework. All those electronics come with their respective charging cords, which inevitably tangle and leave your kid's desk looking a mess. Enter this gorgeous charging station from Dormify, which streamlines that mess and leaves your teen's desk free of cords and clutter. Plus, a desk plant you absolutely can't kill? Yes, please.
Grass charging station, $98 at Dormify
Joggo Canvas Backpack in Pink
Every student needs a backpack, and this one is a cut above the rest. It features a padded laptop sleeve and is made with sustainable natural canvas, and the company's fair-trade production process supports women entrepreneurs in Nepal.
Canvas backpack in pink, $79.99 at Joggo
Funkins Insulating Neoprene Lunch Bag
If you're going to brown-bag it, you might as well have the best of the best. Funkins lunch bags come in an unbelievably diverse selection of patterns and prints — plus they're spacious, ultra-durable and machine-washable. Could you ask for anything more?
Funkins insulating neoprene lunch bag, $29.95 from Funkins
Sharpie Art Pens
One of the best parts of brand-new notebooks and binders is that they're blank canvases to cover in doodles, right? Sharpie's art pens are just the tools for the job. Their stand-up hard case opens into an easel for quick access, and their quick-drying acid-free ink is water-, fade-, and smear-resistant — and won't bleed through paper.
Sharpie art pens, $12.09 at Amazon
White Euler Wall Organizer
If your kid's desk is always cluttered and there's barely any workable space, get their homework area in order with this wall organizer from Dormify, with space for pens and pencils, notes, books, folders and even a spot for your — I mean their — keys.
White Euler wall organizer, $44 at Dormify
Lil B Backpack
This adorable Lil B backpack from Fluf is perfect for preschool kids. It's made with organic cotton, has an interior pocket and is machine-washable.
Lil B backpack, $32.50 at The Tot
Rifle Paper Co. To-Do List
Everybody's got a to-do list, and if you're feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of items on your/your kid's, at least it can look gorgeous and come with an empowering mantra, right?
To-do list, $8 at Rifle Paper Co.
Scribedelivery Box
If a blank notebook makes your child's heart skip a beat and fresh pens get them legitimately excited, then maybe the once-a-year stock-up isn't enough. Get a curated, themed box of pens, pencils, notebooks and items designed to inspire once a month with Scribedelivery from Crate Joy. It's like Christmas, but once a month!
Scribedelivery box, $29 at Crate Joy
‘Get to the Point’ Pencil Case
Your kid probably needs something to tote pencils and pens from class to class in, and this seersucker "Get to the Point" pencil case is perfect and punny. And who knows? Maybe that teacher who drones on and on will take the hint.
"Get to the Point" pencil case, $30 at Kate Spade
Midori Alpaca D-Clips
There's nothing that says, "Give me an A!" like handing in a research paper that's held together with a llama paper clip. Llama. Paperclip. Need I say more?
Midori alpaca D-clips, $13.11 at Amazon
Rainbow Holographic Backpack
Need something a little more flashy to pack all your supplies in? This Rainbow Holographic BTS Backpack from OMG! Accessories will let your kid rock the halls.
Rainbow BTS Backpack, $58.99 at OMG! Accessories
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