It’s back to school time, and I’m on the Today Show this morning at 10a ET talking about all my favorite tech-cessories that set your kids up for success (parents too!). If you didn’t catch me on the show, check out the video clip!
Can’t get enough back to school stuff? I did a HEWGE round-up every day last week, sharing my favorite finds for Making Mornings Fun, Decorating Your Locker, Taking Good Notes, The Ultimate Homework Station, and a Parents’ Survival Kit. Enjoy!
Turnstone Buoy ($214) This stool is equal parts mover and shaker— it’s rounded bottom means it will have you on your toes, and it’s adjustable height means it’s a perfect fit for everyone. Perfect for pulling up to a study group in progress.
Microsoft OneNote ($69) Toss the lined paper and reinforcements, this virtual notebook follows you across all your devices, and makes sharing class notes easy. Embed files, scanned sketches, spreadsheets and more, and never worry about leaving them in your locker.
Kikkerland Charging Station ($35) This charging station offers a bit of whimsy on a homework desk— drop your devices in a grassy field to charge while you complete your assignments.
Samsung Chrome Notebook ($249) When is a laptop not a laptop? When it’s a super-fast brower in a light-weight case. The normal laptop insides have been replaced with a system that starts in seconds, has all it’s apps built in, and gets regularly updated. All in all, it’s the ultimate notetaking machine.
Stickygram ($14.99 for 9) If you’re a die-hard Instagrammer, why not decorate your locker with your handiwork? Stickygram lets you order magnetic versions of your pictures with a few clicks, and BOOM! Insta-personalization.
Ogio Newt II Backpack ($90) The right backpack can mean the difference between a good school year and a trip to the chiropractor. This backpack has been designed with ergonomics in mind, as well as convenience: Pockets hold everything from your laptop to a tablet and phone, and the straps are designed to distribute weight evenly.
IrisScan Book 3 ($99) This handy scanner glides across the page of a textbook, magazine, or any other bound reference material, making easy work of scanning it. You don’t even need to attach it to a computer— it will send your image wirelessly to any device. Makes a research trip to the library a breeze.
Bikn ($129) “Where are my keys?” is a familiar refrain in my home, especially when we’re about to head out to school. No more tearing around the house to find them— the Bikn is like a leash— add the case to your phone, and the tag to your keychain. Now you can use your phone to find your car keys, or your keys to find your phone.
DragonBox This app claims to teach your kids the basic principles of algebra in an hour. There’s a version for younger kids, and another for middle schoolers and up, and both make algebraic principles into a game that’s just as cool as Angry Birds, but a bit more helpful to your studies.
Discovery Channel Kids A great new kid-friendly YouTube channel, designed to make dinosaur studies come alive. Great, colorful animations and lots of dino fights!
Skillshare Kids are going back to school, so why can’t parents? Find tons of local classes in your area, geared to everyone from the aspiring chef, to the would-be coder, to the maker set.