STYLE Savvy: Back-to-School Scavenger Hunt

Lisa Hess suggests some incentivized pre-planning before you hit the stores for school supplies. 

It’s been twelve years since I worked in an elementary school, and even longer since I’ve done serious back-to-school shopping for a kiddo in my own house. Consequently, when I sat down to write this post, I found myself wondering what today’s back-to-school shopping lists look like. In my current job as a college instructor, most of my work is done on an online platform, and I know many K-12 schools also supply students with electronic devices that supplant many of the tools once considered essential. 

I set out to do a little research, thinking I might find a school supply list on the website for my tried-and-true shopping source (that would be Target). But, despite a plethora of photos of school supplies, no lists were yet available. 

So, I checked out the ads. Turns out, they haven’t changed much in the last twelve years.  

This time, though, I was struck by the multi-packs. 12 highlighters. 30 pencils (40 if they were mechanical). 25 cap erasers. Why not 30 to go with the pencil packs?  

But I digress. 

Too Much of a Good Thing? 

Perhaps I noticed this because I was only ever shopping for one child, yet every year we seemed to buy another multipack. Currently, we have enough leftovers to stock a small preschool. If they were still in their original packaging, I could donate them but, alas, they are loose, contained for easy access in a drawer divider in a storage unit in my mudroom. (And those are just the new ones. Don’t get me started on the leftovers that made it home at the end of the year). One thing is for sure: I never have to wonder where to go if I need a writing implement or highlighter. 

And that got me thinking. If you haven’t yet completed (or begun) the back-to-school shopping extravaganza for your family, why not have a scavenger hunt? Assign a price to each new or useable item your kids can find (say, a penny a pencil, $1 a binder, etc.) and have your kids shop at home in reverse before you hit the stores. They can pool their goodies in a central location, collect the cash, and check their stash against those supply lists, crossing off whatever they already have, and using their no-longer-buried treasures to stock their backpacks.  

Sorting by Styles 

In addition to shortening the shopping list, getting rid of some not-so-useful leftovers, and maybe even clearing out some space, this activity can spark a discussion about what works for each child and what doesn’t. Perhaps that nearly new 1” binder is in the pile because you overbought (trust me, I know how that goes!) or perhaps it’s there because it didn’t work for your child.

If it didn’t work last year, it probably won’t work this year either, which means it doesn’t make much sense to buy another one. Instead, you can find out from your child why it didn’t work and be on the lookout for a tool that’s a better fit when you hit the stores. And, with everything gathered in one spot, it’s easier to match a tool that didn’t work for one child with a sibling for whom it’s the perfect choice. 

Back-to-school shopping can be fun, but it can also be expensive, especially if we end up spending money on tools that are abandoned two weeks into the school year. By doing a little bit of incentivized pre-planning, you might save time, money, and frustration. 

And you’re much less likely to end up with a lifetime supply of writing implements. 

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Copyright 2024 Lisa Hess
Images: Canva