The Curator independently decides what topics and products we feature.
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we → decide → topics
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we → purchase → commission
From packing lunches and labelling water bottles to stocking up on notebooks, markers and the supplies your kids somehow managed to lose before school even started, back-to-school season can get expensive fast.
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season → pack → school
There are plenty of practical school essentials on sale right now that can help you get ahead of the September rush without blowing your budget.
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you → be → budget
Ahead, 12 back-to-school deals worth shopping right now before the school year gets underway.
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year → get → school
Not every school lunch needs to be a sandwich.
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lunch → need → ?
This insulated food jar is made for soup, pasta, leftovers and other warm favourites, keeping food hot for up to five hours.
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jar → make → hours
It can also keep cold foods chilled, while the foldable spoon stores right inside the lid.
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spoon → keep → lid
We’ll take it.
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We → take → it
A good lunch box can make busy school mornings–and even busier lunches–a little easier.
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mornings → make → ?
This bento-style option features five perfectly portioned compartments to keep sandwiches, fruit and snacks separated, while its leakproof design helps prevent spills from making their way into backpacks.
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design → feature → backpacks
It’s also durable enough for everyday use and dishwasher-safe when the lunch box inevitably comes home looking a little worse for wear.
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box → ’ → wear
A new backpack can make heading back to school feel a little more exciting, especially when it features you kid’s favourite character.
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it → make → character
This Disney Cars backpack has a main zippered compartment, front pocket and two side mesh pockets for easy access to smaller essentials.
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backpack → have → essentials
Padded, adjustable straps make it comfortable for little shoulders, while the included pencil case is a handy bonus!
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case → make → shoulders
For high school and college students, a reliable calculator is one of those supplies that’s worth having before the first assignment lands.
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assignment → ’ → supplies
This Sharp model features 146 scientific functions and supports everything from pre-algebra and algebra to trigonometry and general science–so maybe you won’t be getting those late-night “how do I do this?” homework questions.
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I → feature → questions
Lockers can become a black hole for school supplies surprisingly quickly–especially when kids are rushing between classes.
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kids → become → classes
This locker kit gives them a few simple tools to keep everything in its place, including a whiteboard, dry erase marker, mirror, magnetic storage cup and two magnets.
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kit → give → whiteboard
The whiteboard is handy for homework reminders and to-do lists, while the magnetic cup helps keep smaller supplies from disappearing into the abyss.
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cup → help → abyss
If your household goes through pencils at an impressive rate, an electric sharpener can be a useful addition to the homework station.
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sharpener → go → station
This sharpener has three settings for different pencil types and can sharpen a new pencil in about five seconds.
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sharpener → have → seconds
It’s USB-powered or can run on two AA batteries–easy to keep ready for homework, school projects and beyond.
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It → ’ → homework
Few things are more frustrating than discovering a soaked lunch bag halfway through the day.
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things → discover → day
This insulated stainless steel bottle features a leakproof straw lid that helps keep spills contained, while double-wall insulation keeps drinks cold until the final bell.
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insulation → feature → bell
It’s dishwasher-safe, durable and sized just right for little hands.
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It → ’ → hands
A fresh set of notebooks signals the start of a new school year.
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set → signal → year
This six-pack comes in soft pastel shades that make it easy to colour-code subjects, while college-ruled pages resist ink bleed-through for tidy notes.
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pages → come → notes
Perforated pages tear out cleanly when assignments need to be handed in.
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assignments → tear → ?
Because, somehow, kids can never have too many markers.
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kids → have → markers
This 20-count pack features super tips that create both thin and thick lines, for whatever project comes you child’s way.
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project → feature → lines
Bonus: They’re washable, nontoxic–so you can stock up without worrying quite so much about what ends up on the table, or the floor.
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what → ’re → table
Mistakes happen, especially when you’re taking notes at full speed.
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you → happen → speed
Thanks to this correction tape, covering errors with a clean, dry line you can write over immediately has never been easier.
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you → cover → line
And we love the ease of the tear-resistant film tape.
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we → love → tape
For students who colour-code their notes, these slim Sharpie highlighters are a handy pencil-case staple.
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highlighters → code → notes
The narrow chisel tips work for highlighting, underlining and adding quick notes–and the ink is designed to resist smearing.
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ink → work → smearing
This gentle foaming hand soap is made with 98 per cent naturally derived ingredients and creates a rich lather that makes handwashing a little more fun.
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handwashing → foam → lather
The pear and vanilla scent is a hit with kids, while the easy-to-use pump encourages independent handwashing.
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pump → use → handwashing
