The kids go back to school soon, so that means back to school shopping. If you haven’t gotten all your gear yet, then look no further, we’ve got you covered with the sweetest and chicest school supplies your littles will need. This year Lesley, our fantastic kids buyer, did another amazing job sourcing wonderful backpacks, thermoses, snack bags, pencils, markers, and other accoutrements. I wanted to share a few with you to give you a taste of what we have on hand for your little people.

We know parenting ain’t easy, so she made sure to have an easy-to-care-for backpack option for you. Start with these pre-shrunk, machine washable, organic cotton backpacks with images like a unicorn, rainbows, a shark, cars, and even cool camo. At Red Barn we love a good theme, so we found thermoses, sandwich keepers, water bottles, and ice packs to go splendidly with your bags.

Why should school supplies be boring? Why not add sparkly glue instead of Elmers, Double Up markers instead of Crayola, and colorful Girl Power erasers that beat the old pink standby. Learning should be fun and we know how to have fun!

School can be long and grueling when you’re little and a pick-me-up during lunch is often just the thing to re-engage them. What kid wouldn’t like a note of encouragement or a joke to make them laugh in their lunch box? E Frances’s little notes come with all sorts of adorable images. Here, we are sticking with our unicorn theme, but there are rainbows, balloons, apples, smiley faces, and the list goes on. They are great for showing how much you love them. And, Lunch Lines is another wonderful way to show you care. A joke they can share with their friends is a special thing indeed!

Backpack, $39; Unicorn water bottle, $15; Unicorn sandwich keeper, $8.50; Unicorn Little Notes, $16; Girl Power erasers, $4; Glitter Pixie glue, $5; Simpl Dimpl, $6

The last and very important thing on our supply list is a fidget toy. My son has ADHD and cannot sit still. He needs something to channel his energy in order to concentrate. When he was in 7th grade he found Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty - it was just what he needed. In fact, it was something the other kids needed too, so he would pack all his mini putties in his pocket and share them with his friends at school. A new fidget toy we found is the Simpl Dimpl. It’s amazing! All you do is push the circles in and out mindlessly so you can concentrate. I have one myself and use it in meetings so I can focus (The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, you know)!

Backpack, $39; Shark water bottle, $15; Shark ice pack, $8.50; Lunch Lines, $9.99; Double Up markers, $16.50; Ocean Potion glue, $5; Aaron’s Thinking Putty mini, $3.50

There you have it.  Just a sneak peek of what Lesley has found for you. Stop in today with your little people and let them find that something special to start their school year off right!