Back to School Shopping Guide

Get the latest tips on 'Back to School' product trends. Get inspired by new technology and great ideas for this academic year. Have a look at our Back to School Shopping Guide and connect with us on Facebook to find out about the newest trends. Make this year count for you. Good Luck!

Best Backpacks for 2010/2011

The backpack: all of us need one, whether we are in nursery, school or university. The backpack is an essential part of our school or work day. Years of research has been done to ascertain the best shapes of backpacks, minimizing the impact of the weight on our backs and optimizing comfort. So, by just doing a little of your own research you can make sure you buy the most suitable bag for you. You are not only buying a backpack, but also a healthy spine and back!

There are few points to consider while buying a backpack or laptop bag for work, university or school. A bag is not merely intended to protect your laptop and carry your books, but also to expose a few traits of your personality. There are huge differences between a classic black bag and a funky Crumpler Bag. When looking at a more functional bag, the Crumpler Handbags are considered the "Nike's" of the handbag world.

Your first backpack is something a little special, like your first day at school or first pair of shoes. Perhaps you went for some elaborate colours, or maybe the characters of your favourite movie were printed on all the bag! The Toy Story backpack is very trendy this year: with some awesome personalizing features any child would love, Buzz and Woody can watch over your child or grandchild every day! You can also make a gift that little bit more special with a Toy Story 3 Lunch Tote.

Have a look at our backpack selection for grown ups and kids. Whether you are going to school for the first time, returning to university or heading to work, I am sure we can help find the right backpack for you.

Targus Case/Ultra Lite Corporate Travel		Crumpler The Big Cheese
Crumpler Muffin		Targus Sport Notebook Backpack
Lowepro Flipside 300		Toy Story Backpack

Homework Fun

Back to school also means back to reality: back to homework, essays and exams. To prepare properly for all this, students should have a proper work environment at home in which to do their work. This includes a good chair and a proper desk, storage and filing areas and all the right apparatus. Having a proper set up could increase the quality of your work and the length of time for which you are able to concentrate.

There are different requirements of desk chairs for different purposes. Those who have long working hours sitting in front of computer would probably need a chair with synchro tilt mechanism - a well designed chair which moves along with you when you move forward or backward, keeping your back supported every second. Others might just need an easy but functional office chair.

Having sorted out the seating conditions, you can have a look at how to store your files. Almost all parents complain that their children make a mess of not only their own study room but of the entire house. The Cube Storage is the ideal storage system to encourage and motivate your children to keep their stuff on the shelves in a neatly manner. The cube storage comes with an attractive look - children like them at their first glance. Lightweight and a great use of space, they are also portable, durable and economical.

Storage and cleaning also involves organizing your mind and your ideas. There are many homework systems in place which help you manage brainstorming. One is a software and is called 'Mind Manager'. The more traditional version would be a good old chalkboard. Whether you prefer tradition or technology, getting your ideas organized will result in a more effective work rate.

With all these product ideas, I'm sure you will succeed in keeping your mind and work place in a zen like condition!

Texus Mesh Operator Chair		Jahnke Mobile Home Office
Cube storage		Best Websites for Homework
Chalkboard		Foldable Desk

Writing and Recording Fun

Back to school means brainstorming, thinking, questioning and explaining. To do all of this you need loads of great stationary. On the one hand the good old pen and paper are always good to have, and on the other hand technology can help you to have the best ideas ever!

Would your children enjoy having their own personalized set of stationary? Now kids can be just like mum and dad and have stationary specific for their own use. The Stationary Studio provides a variety of different designs for your child to pick from.

In terms of technology, Disney has come up with a note book PC, Disney Netbook loaded with Windows XP Home version, for kids between ages 6 years to 12 years. This notebook PC comes in two different models and is loaded with parental control features. This laptop is available in two different colours, Disney Pink Princess for girls and Disney Magic Blue for boys. Finally, kids can have a laptop of their own without parents worrying whether their kid is surfing an unsafe website.

I hope our advice will help you find the right writing and recording material for you this school year.

Disney Netbook		Long Legged Animal Pens
Football Memo Pads		Pencil Case

Your Way to School

How to get to school this year? Are you taking your bike, the bus or do you walk? Whatever method you choose, be safe and enjoy your journey every morning. Did you know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? Proper morning routines will allow you to work hard, play hard and enjoy your school day.

If you take your bike, don't forget your helmet! TSG has released an all new line of BMX helmets. The new line has a great new look. The new styles are hot, with names including graveyard, anarchy, wildcat, cube and ten other cool styles. These helmets are state of the art with safety as the most important feature.

When you are walking to school, it would be great to have a new pair of shoes for the new school year. The advantage of knowing about the styles and trends with a limited budget would make buying shoes fun, and allow you to head back to school looking suave. Have a look at funky shoes such as the Mercury Ga-ga Lady Shoes.

Perhaps you skateboard, scooter or roller-blade to school? Whatever you do, take your helmet, have fun and make sure you head to school looking good and feeling confident!

Rooster Big Daddy		TSG Evolution Helmet
Mercury Ga-ga Ladies		Back to School Shoes
Complete Skateboard		Apple iPod Nano 8gb

Green Fun at School

Eco-friendly living is an important topic at school. Schools are trying to recycle and reduce waste and they are also trying to introduce organic foods with a higher nutritional value. The green movement is apparent everywhere, and it is important to teach the young people of today values and beliefs that will help protect the generations of tomorrow. The question is how do parents and teachers teach the concept to their kids? There are different games and activities out there which can help children to understand the importance of green living and eco-friendly behaviour.

The Greenhouse Effect is a concern for everyone, and one of the key concepts in the Green ideology. The Greenhouse Effect is the result of dangerous gases being released into the atmosphere, and is believed contributing to global warming. The Greenhouse Effect can be simulated with a few household items. You can also just get the Science in the Greenhouse game to get a better understanding of the topic.

Is there a better way to get an understanding of the world than by simply looking at a globe? A beautiful inflatable globe can be used to explain countries, continents and other aspects of geography. This inflatable globe is not just for fun but also for education!

Be prepared and live green, sustainable living has to be the way forward. If you would like to know more about green living, please have a look at our Green Living shopping guide.

Science in the Greenhouse		Butterfly Garden
Inflatable Globe		Paper Recycling Kit

Arts & Crafts at School

Going back to school often requires you to work on projects and assignments which involve a bit of creative crafts! Depending on what you study, it is handy to have some arts and craft items such as glue sticks and pencils, colourful pens and crayons. You can highlight your points and enhance your presentations with visual support. Stock up for the year and show your creative side with some of our great products!

For example the glitter pen is beautiful, smooth and has a comfortable grip. The smooth flow of ink makes the glitter gel pen more unique and of course lovable. This comes in a standard pack for 6 pens of different colours - pink, turquoise, purple, yellow, dark pink - perfect to write in different colours and make flashy and noticeable creations.

You can use different paints to colour in different materials. For example, with glass paint you can create amazing handmade gifts for your family and friends. First year school kids would appreciate a packet of colourful crayons, so they can express themselves with colour on paper. Crayons are great and allow children's creativity and individuality shine! Make sure you always have markers, paper and glue available. It is important for presentations and other assignments. Remember the famous saying: whenever you create something you discover a piece of yourself!

Notebook Planner		BakerRoss Crayola Crayons
Glass Paint		Stick-on Glitter

Back to School Tips for Parents

Back to school means more work for parents, who may need tips and tricks to deal with the challenges of their kids first day or teenagers facing important exams. If your child has problems with concentration and likes to procrastinate, provide an environment which helps to relax them. You can start early with interactive books and electronic translators, or help them with planning and organization as they grow up with Microsoft Office 2008.

A great example to set and hobby to promote is reading. The more a child reads, the better he or she develops and more they learn about the world. Many educational programs have a book list which has a top list of books for children, teenagers and adults. On top of this, there are foreign language books to enrich the reader.

In addition, an electronic translator is the best way to go about translating words. The most obvious advantage of the electronic translator is that it provides instant definitions, increasing efficiency of finishing assignments. Other advantages include limitless vocabulary, millions of different words and the compact size makes it easy to carry around!

Good luck this year whether your child is starting school or heading off to university. Hopefully our advice can help you to prepare them and to prepare yourself!

Interactive Book		Microsoft Office 2008
Electronic Translator		Eye Glasses

Top Back to School Products

The top items for heading back to school are uniforms, stationary and lunch boxes. See our fun top products for these accessories, as well as childrens' watches and alarm clocks.

Almost all parents have second thoughts about the lunch of their child. They aspire that the lunch of their children should be fresh and healthy, but this is not always an easy task. Thanks to the arrival the Yellow-moon Lunch Bag, the parents can feel relaxed that their aspirations have been fulfilled. This lunch bag has been designed with an insulation technology which keeps the lunches of the children cooler and fresher for at least three hours.

Then there is the alarm clock, which unfortunately we can't do without. The alarm clock is a necessity in daily life to help drag us out of bed each and every morning! There are many types of alarm clocks available such as the MP3 alarm clock, iPod alarm clock, travel alarm clock, clock radio, voice activated alarm clock and twin bell alarm clock. Which one to choose depends on the purpose and features you require, like snooze length programming, backlight, time zones, wake up calls and convenience. Then there is the style, size and colour to best suit your tastes to think about.

Be prepared this academic year! With a well organised wake up routine and a healthy prepared lunch your day should be focused and fun.

Navigate Lunch Bag		Tattoo Slimline Lunch
Childrens' Watches		Alarm Clock