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We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page. 24 Stationery And School Supplies You’ll Be Tempted To "Borrow" From Your Kids I wouldn't blame you if you decided to claim a lava lamp pen for yourself. 1. A set of 10 retractable Crayola markers, which honestly should have always existed. How many of us suffered the fate of losing a marker cap or attempted to color only to find the red has completely dried out? Kids these days have it easy — just click and a fresh marker tip pops out, ready for art. Promising review: "I was pulling my hair out each night searching for marker caps on my floor. This fixed the issue. Easy for my toddlers to click/unclick. They love them. I LOVE them. Great size for little hands, too." —Brittany M. Get a pack of 10 from Amazon for$11.27+ (available in two color packs). 2. Stackable octopus highlighters that I can almost guarantee no one else will have. Your child? A trendsetter. You? A thief already plotting how to kidnap these cute lil' critters. THYF Shop / Etsy THYF Shop is a small business in Hong Kong that sells unique stationery. Get a pack of five (plus one blue octopus cap) from THYF Shop on Etsy for $6.69. 3. A mechanical calculator with typewriter-style keys that'll make crunching the numbers oh-so satisfying. Whether your kiddo needs to do some quick calculations or you need to check their math homework, this battery-powered gadget will make everyone feel like an old-timey accountant. The battery is included! Promising review: "I’ve had this calculator for over a year now and still going strong! I haven’t changed the batteries since! Four of my coworkers loved it so much that they purchased their own. The buttons are smooth, and I love the clicking sound. The color is pretty true to the picture, a soft pink. Great quality!" —Ellie Get it from Amazon for $15.99+ (available in 13 colors). 4. An XL gluestick for massive projects that need more than a lil' adhesive. Small children may need to use both hands when holding this thing, which is really cute to imagine. Promising review: "Great glue for junk journals. You can cover large areas quickly with these giants. It does dry quickly, so you don't want to mess about once you have the glue down. GREAT value for the amount of glue in each stick." —Roni Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in two styles and two pack sizes). 5. A pack of pastel pencils with dyed wood, so when you sharpen them, they produce lil' rainbow arches. They're made with #2 HB graphite so Scantron tests are about to get a whole lot more whimsical. Amazon Promising review: "I have been a teacher for 21 years and this is the best pencil! These pencils are solid and write so nicely. They are the new favorite!" —C. Blasko Get a pack of 12 from Amazon for $8.99. 6. Ticonderoga erasers shaped like classic yellow pencils offering a somewhat confusing notetaking experience. Unlike *some* novelty erasers, these actually get the job done, sans smudges. Amazon Ticonderoga makes the best #2 pencils, IMO, so it makes sense their erasers are good too. Promising review: "This is the second school year I am buying these for my daughter because she loves them that much and they last the whole year. They are Ticonderoga, so of course they work the best of all the brands. (Their pencils are a teacher’s first choice. 😉) They are so cute and cheap for as long as they last. Also, they don’t leave a lot of residue, and when it comes to erasing, that’s huge!" —S. Wallace Get a pack of three from Amazon for $2.89. 7. Or some animal-themed erasers with caps to keep them safe in between mistakes (whether they be homework or Sudoku related). You can get a big pack of 8 or 12, so feel free to share with friends and classmates! They also have a clingy roller compartment in the bottom that picks up stray eraser bits. Promising reviews: "These are good for positive incentives in my classroom. The children love them." —Amy N. "These little erasers are a total game-changer in my classroom. They’re surprisingly functional and satisfying to use. One side erases cleanly, while the other has a tiny built-in roller that picks up all those pesky eraser bits — no more messy desks or paper confetti everywhere! Even my middle schoolers are into them, which says a lot. They actually look forward to using them, and I’ve even started giving them out as birthday gifts — my students love choosing their own design, and it’s become something they genuinely get excited about. Highly recommend for teachers, tutors, or anyone who deals with lots of pencil work!" —Karen Get them from Amazon for $7.99. 8. A sheet of stickers featuring little checkbox droplets to help students keep track of their water intake. Place them in an agenda as a cute reminder to stay hydrated. Remembering to drink water never gets easier, so grab some for yourself as well! Happy BlueTree / Etsy Happy BlueTree sells cute stickers to bring order to your journal. Promising review: "These are seriously the cutest hydrate tracker stickers ever! The quality is amazing, and the size is very generous. This is my second order from this shop, and I have plans of buying everything!" —Rudi Hilson Get a pack of eight from Happy BlueTree on Etsy for $3.95. 9. A large pencil case with a gazillion different pockets and roomy compartments for everything your child could possibly need during a school day. Gel pens, markers, tape, scissors, and more will have a home! Gee, maybe you need one too for your crafting tools? My colleague Tasia Bass has this case and loves it: "I got this for myself when I started wanting to do art outside my home. I wanted something that was big and roomy but also could fit in my purse with a small sketchbook. This pencil case is just that. This case comes with a couple of pockets for your smaller items, as well as a spacious main compartment. The front unzips so you can stick pencils or pens into the loop easily. Once, to test out how much it could fit, I had about 15 pencils, an entire travel watercolor set, several erasers, and a variety of markers at the same time and it zipped and closed up perfectly fine. I actually think this could be a good travel makeup bag too." Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in 19 colors). 10. Or a plush lobster pencil case featuring a zippered smile that is just — OK, I need a minute — TOO CUTE! It might not fit a ton of stuff, but how many pens does one person really need? Urban Outfitters Get it from Urban Outfitters for $30. 11. A splurgey Logitech mechanical keyboard you can gift your child in a last-ditch effort to convince them to take care of their poor wrists. It has nice, clackety keys, RGB backlighting, and comes with a cute wrist pillow that'll feel like resting on a cloud. I don't blame you if you find yourself using their computer whenever you wanna check your email. www.instagram.com, Jenae Sitzes / BuzzFeed BuzzFeed editor Jenae Sitzes says, "I've been using the wired version of this mechanical keyboard for months, both for gaming and for everyday work, and absolutely love it. I had a full-size keyboard before, so I really appreciate the more compact tenkeyless design of this keyboard (which fits on my desk better). The keys sound perfectly clicky and feel great to type on, and the cloud wrist rest keeps my wrists supported really comfortably. And even though I've been using wrist rest cloud for 8+ hours a day for so long, it still looks totally new! My favorite thing is undeniably the aesthetic, though. It's the prettiest keyboard I've ever had, in a really sleek and modern way. I highly recommend it, even if they only play on PC occasionally (like I said, it works great for WFH life too!). It comes in a sleek, gorgeous white, but you can get colored top plates (like the pink one I'm currently using, shown above) direct from Logitech's store for $19.99!" Get it from Amazon for $92+ (available in three styles, wired or wireless, and with or without a mouse). 12. Kutsuwa highlighter pencils that will have everyone swearing off the marker version for life. These offer more control, don't smudge or bleed, and don't get ink on your hands. Plus, they're just a really cool twist on a school supply classic! Promising review: "I had no idea there was such a thing as a wooden pencil highlighter. These exceeded my expectations. The pencil is wood, so one less bit of plastic to end up in a landfill. The 'lead' part of the pencil appears to be a kind of waxy crayon-like material. It goes on like a dream. Just as useful as a traditional liquid felt-tip marker for highlighting. Because I had it handy, I used one today at work to mark a peg location to install a shelf. This bright highlighter pencil left a nice mark for me to locate the correct peg hole for the shelf, which wiped off easily from the metal once it was installed. 100% recommend! Definitely will buy again." —M. C. Get a pack of four from Amazon for $7.20. 13. A miniature package (complete with faux packing tape and bubble wrap!!!!) with a surprise shipment inside: STICKERS! Agendas, scrapbooks, and calendars will feel so much more lively when decked out in themed, glittery stickies. Kinda losing it over how cute this presentation is. Hope your kid shares some with you! Amazon Some of the themes included: baked goods, office supplies, pet supplies, groceries, and fish. Promising review: "These are so cute! I would buy them again!" —Evelyn Get it from Amazon for $3.01+ (available in 15 styles). 14. A huge mechanical pencil set featuring six pencils, two widths of graphite refills, nine eraser toppers, and three gradient-style erasers. The whole kit has a dreamy pastel theme that's sure to make you wonder if you should grab one for yourself as well. It's an Amazon top seller, so lots of people had the same thought! Promising review: "Purchased this for my teen daughter to have some cute pencils for school. Very well made. She said the lead just slides across the paper. Erasers erase and don't just smudge. Great quality for the price!" —KdgMom Get it from Amazon for $7.99 (available in two styles). 15. A big pack of tempera paint sticks that are easier to handle than paintbrushes and are just sooo satisfying to use. They glide easily, dry fast, and have vibrant hues that show up on even unconventional canvases, like pumpkins. The Pencil Grip is a small business! Promising review: "Best invention almost ever (there’s still sliced bread). I mean how can you go wrong with paint in a stick?!! I mean certainly a toddler can go wrong with it. A toddler can go wrong somehow with a spaghetti noodle!!! But seriously, I saw these paint sticks at one of our local art galleries and it was an immediate MUST HAVE!!! Vibrant colors and they fit in little hands SO well!!! My kiddo loves them and so does her Momma!!" —RNinMD70 Get a pack of 24 pens from Amazon for $22. 16. Uniquely shaped Mr. Pen sharpeners with built-in erasers, because who doesn't love a multitasker? They're easy for small hands to hold and come with holes in the center, which I can only assume are for sick pen tricks. Promising review: "Great little handy tool! I bought this to use for my sketchbook because I want to use a regular pencil. No need to carry a separate pencil sharpener and eraser anymore!" —patrick Get a pack of six from Amazon for $4.85. 17. "Liquipens" — a cross between a pen and a lava lamp. These are fun to play with and likely mesmerizing enough to keep everyone entertained while taking notes in class or trudging through homework. Promising review: "I broke up the three-pack and gave one pen as a gift for a class gift exchange and put the other two in a stocking for Christmas. Good quality and approved by both the 8-year-old and 49-year-old husband, who is a kid at heart! Definitely recommend." —Kindle Customer Get a set of three from Amazon for $16.99. 18. An expanding file folder for all their homework assignments, field trip forms, and loose documents. As an accordion folder follower, I have to say these things are ALSO top-notch for adults who want to organize everything from restaurant menus to ticket stubs. Amazon Promising review: "I am going through some legal things, and this folder has been perfect for keeping all my paperwork together! And boy, can it hold a lot! The snap closure is very sturdy, and the color is spot on!! An amazing value and great quality!" —MomOf2 Get it from Amazon for $6.98+ (available in eight colors). 19. A pack of twistable crayons that people have described as a crayon-oil pastel hybrid. They glide like silk and help you create decadent, vibrant masterpieces. But the real selling point? The adorable bear-shaped caps! See how the crayons work in this TikTok. Promising review: "I LOVE THESE! Smooth, blendable, and soooo many color options! You do have to wait a little bit for it to dry so it doesn't smear/smudge. It can also get a little messy, but that's the fun of creating! The twistable skinny pen shape makes it really easy to take care of your markers for fast cleanup. Twisting also makes it easy to use! Great design, beautiful colors, tons of options for making art!" —Shelby-Lynne Get a pack of 24 from Amazon for $17.99. 20. A pack of textured pencil sleeves with satisfying swirls and ridges kids and adults alike will love to play with while concentrating on work. These are great for people with anxiety, ADHD, autism, limited mobility, and more. These fit on most mechanical pencils, but not classic wooden ones. Promising review: "I bought these for my husband to help him focus at work. He loves them! They slip easily onto his pencils and allow him to fidget as needed. They fit most mechanical pencils and some smaller pens. I wish they came in different sizes so I could get them for his other writing utensils." —Holly Get a pack of four and two pencils from Amazon for $16.49 (available in three colorways). 21. Journal stamps that add some extra structure to your agenda. The 18-piece kit comes with various designs that'll allow you or your type-A student to add the days of the week, star ratings, reading lists, and more. Promising review: "This is my first time purchasing a large stamp set on Amazon so I wasn't sure which set I should go with. I wanted something for journaling and this set seemed to have a nice variety of productivity stamps. I love the fact that they are rubber stamps, and they print clearly on paper. They're not too big or small either." —Beautybydesy Get a set of 18 from Amazon for $16.99. 22. A sweet pair of scissors housed in a fruit-shaped magnet holder your child can proudly display in their locker — it'll also make it easy to actually find those darn things when they need them. Might as well also grab a pair for yourself because they'd look soooo cute on your fridge. Amazon I have the banana on my fridge! It's not the sharpest pair in the kitchen, but I love it as a magnet/decor piece. Promising review: "Super cute and actually comes in handy. Love that it’s magnetic." —Joanna Get it from Amazon for $6.25 (available in four styles). 23. A pair of the *iconic* Kaco pens (known for their adorable heart tops) in your choice of Pantone color. They have every Color of the Year going back to 2000, so you can pick a year with sentimental value...like the year your kid was born! Amazon 24. A nose-shaped pencil sharpener because your actual nose won't sharpen anything. Kids will find this hilarious and...yep, adults will also wanna pick this funny school supply. Edge of Urge Edge of Urge is a woman-owned small business that sells fun, novelty products. Get one random color from Edge of Urge for $3.75. Why Trust BuzzFeed Shopping? BuzzFeed Shopping is service journalism first: our writers and editors spend all day shopping so you don’t have to, vetting products, fact-checking brand claims, and surfacing what actually helps in real life. We center readers over revenue, recommend products with authenticity (using real experiences, not ad-speak), and reflect our diverse audience, inclusive of a variety of price points, people, and needs. We cut through fake deals, favor useful info over glossy fluff, and recommend both budget and splurge options with context so you can decide what’s right for you — and still have a little fun along the way. Rebecca O'Connell is a BuzzFeed Shopping editor with over 10 years of experience finding and vetting new products. She's personally tested hundreds of products, sifted through tens of thousands of consumer reviews, and met with countless brands to expand her breadth of recommendations. Her work has been featured in prominent publications like The Rolling Stone, Mental Floss, Encyclopedia Britannica, and Merriam-Webster. Reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.
