Back to school checklist

September is approaching fast, and that means kids have to start getting ready to go back to school.

By EVA BEN-DAVID
backpack 88 (photo credit: )
backpack 88
(photo credit: )
September is approaching fast, and that means kids have to start getting ready to go back to school. Hopefully, kids from all over the country will be able to start the new school year September 1, as scheduled. According to a survey done for the stationery stores Kravitz, parents will spend NIS 300, on average per kid, on supplies and if they buy the latest trends this amount can go much higher. LOOKING AT the illustrations on backpacks, notebooks and other supplies, you will notice that the big favorites this year are still Bratz (the more hip, modern version of Barbie), the characters from the television series HaShminia, Sponge Bob Squarepants, Superman, Pucca and, for kids of kindergarten age, Dora the Explorer. At Toys 'R' Us, you can find Dora the Explorer backpacks for NIS 50, pencil cases for NIS 27 and a so-called orthopedic backpack for first-graders illustrated with this character for NIS 200. At Kfar Hasha'ashuim you will find almost everything you need in the way of school supplies at attractive prices. New are pencils with removable erasers in the shape of butterflies, bees, hearts, smiley faces, etc. sold at only NIS 2.50 - the pencils are funny but take up space in the kids' already stuffed pencil cases. Foldable pencils are NIS 5 for a package of 12, and prices for orthopedic backpacks for first and second graders start at NIS 99.90. With the purchase of school supplies worth NIS 150 or more at Kfar HaSha'ashuim, you will receive a free entrance ticket to Luna Park or Superland. Holders of a Visa Cal credit card can pay in 12 installments. A BACKPACK can be an expensive item, especially the orthopedic ones, which can cost as much as NIS 200. Older kids usually go for backpacks without the Disney, Bratz, etc. illustrations; for them, fashionable backpacks are made by Reebok. For example, pink and gray ones with little hearts or blue and white ones made of a water-resistant fabric are NIS 119-199, depending on the model. Holders of an Isracard credit card can take advantage of a deal at Kravitz: If you buy a Keds or Reebok backpack at this store, you can get a Reebok or Keds pencil case in exchange for 10 "stars" the deal lasts until September 5. And, if you have a Visa Cal credit card, you can get a reduction of NIS 50 when buying a Keds, Reebok, or O'Neil backpack at a Kravitz store; this deal is valid until September 10. Also at Kravitz, you can get a white Keds backpack with blue, pink, red and gray hearts for NIS 99. Office Depot sells office supplies under the private label College at a cheaper price compared to the bigger brand names. A small backpack for little kids, for example, costs NIS 29. At the Mega Sport stores, you can find a good deal if you need several backpacks or sport shoes - if you buy two pairs of shoes or two backpacks from a range of items that are included in this deal, you can get the third one for just NIS 1. LAFAYETTE MARKETS supplies including a collection of small backpacks, also some on wheels, notebooks, folders, pencil cases and diaries with characters from the new Disney movie "Cars." Palphot markets school supplies with popular characters such as the cute little Pucca, Snoopy, Micky Mouse and Tinkerbell. If you buy a set of three peanut-flavored, star-shaped snacks by Elite in the supermarkets, you will receive a sheet of Pucca labels free; the package of three Elite Pucca snacks costs NIS 11.50. KIDS WHO are going to first grade can prepare for the big moment with a cute work book published by P.M.I. and featuring characters from the children's channel Hop! There are two different work books: Hebrew with Nahshon and mathematics with Nimi, and each comes with a sheet of stickers. You can also find games that help kids learn Hebrew and math at the Internet site www.hop.co.il. The price for a work book is NIS 24.90. Work books for first and second graders in the subjects English, Hebrew and math can be found at the stationery stores - at Kravitz, for example, prices for these work books start at NIS 9.90. SCOTCH 3M has plenty of handy items your kids will need in school, as well as some you will need around the house or in the office. New for kids is a glue stick shaped like a little alien. These Gluguls, which, thanks to their shape won't roll off your desk, are NIS 10. Other 3M products include the Post-it note you can stick wherever you want, which are available in different shapes, or scotch tape holders in the shape of a snail. THE FLAIR angular pen has a kind of bend tip that supposedly makes writing a lot more effortless. Because of the shape of the tip, you won't have to press hard to make the ink come out and, therefore you avoid getting pain in your wrist. The Flair angular pen comes in blue, black and red, and costs NIS 6.90. A DIARY is another item most kids will pick out with care, and they come with all the kids' favorite characters. P.M.I. has a wide variety of diaries such as a Super Goal diary for those who love soccer, or diaries featuring Winx, Pokemon, the Bratz or the characters from the television series "Our Song" Diaries with a soft-cover are NIS 29.90 and the ones with a hard cover are NIS 39.90. At Office Depot, you can find a diary with a cute picture of Winnie the Poo, sold exclusively at this store for NIS 40. Older kids will love the Rosh Rosh or Keds organizers, for example with a romantic flower pattern, sold at Kravitz for NIS 60.