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Didn’t the kids just get out for summer? School is already back in session in many parts of the country. Some regions started in late July and others will not start until the beginning of September, with all others somewhere in between. USA Today reports that the variation in summer breaks across the country could be due to several factors, including the needs of the community, weather, national holidays, collective bargaining agreements, government funding and regulations, and the agrarian culture (an historic need to tailor education around the cycle of crop growth and harvest, so children could help on farms when they were most needed).
Last-Minute Vacation
Whether your children have gone back yet or not, take a last-minute weekend trip for some family fun before the weather takes a turn. For ideas, check out Trivago Magazine’s 19 Back-to-School Family Vacations to End the Summer or Travel Channel’s Back-to-School Weekend Travel Ideas for Families. Some good suggestions include the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, in Jekyll Island, Georgia; California’s Coronado Island and Central Beach; Lake Placid, New York; and a tropical 2- to 4-day cruise in the Caribbean or Baja Mexico.
Back-to-School Shopping
According to S&P Global, back-to-school spending in the U.S. is expected to reach $1 trillion this year (yes, we said trillion with a T! 😳). This time of year is the second most popular shopping season for retailers, only behind winter holiday shopping.
Chain Store Age conducted a survey regarding back-to-school shopping. Their results found that Walmart is the top retailer, with Amazon and Target taking the second and third spots. Here are the most popular items according to their survey results:
- Apparel and shoes (74% plan to buy)
- Pens and pencils (73%)
- Paper/notebooks (71%)
- Folders/binders (66%)
- Backpacks or lunch boxes (58%)
- Crayons/markers/colored pencils (56%)
What’s your number-one back-to-school purchase?
Best Lunches and Snacks
Snacks and lunches are always a hot topic during the school year. Does your child prefer school lunch or a packed lunch from home?
School lunches used to get a bad rap, but have improved over the years. Check out FoodCorps “6 Amazing School Lunches from Cafeterias Around the World.” If you would like to know how your state compares to others in school lunch quality and nutrition, read ProCare Therapy’s “The State of School Lunch Report: An Analysis of America’s School Lunches.” They also include a list of the most popular school lunch item in every state.
If you prefer to pack lunch, PureWow put together a list of “75 Simple, Delicious School Lunch Ideas That Your Kids Will Actually Eat”.
No matter if they’ve already started or not, we are wishing your child (and you) a great year! Hopefully, the information above will help make it easier.
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