Back to School Shopping List: Top Trends for Your Kids
Sneakers they can decorate, and a 7-year pen.
Aug. 5, 2010 — -- Americans are still enjoying summer fun, but back to school season is almost upon us. Kids always want to sport the hottest items, and trend and lifestyle expert Jane Buckingham, the author of "The Modern Girl's Guide to Sticky Situations" shared the must-have supplies, clothes, and room decor for kids and teens this year with "Good Morning America."
Buckingham, who is also the founder of Trendera, a trend forecasting company, says that one of the big trends this year is to personalize everything -- from shoes to lamp shades.
Must-Have School Supplies
Personalized School Supplies
$1.50 each at Target: www.target.com
You can get a 2-pocket folder, 1-subject notebook, composition book or Sharpie box, all for $1.50 each. With these items, your children can customize everything just the way they like it.
Personalized Sigg Bottles
$29.95 at Www.MySigg.com
Everyone is trying to be eco-friendly and not use plastic water bottles. The problem is a lot of those bottles have the same design, and you don't know if it's your bottle or someone else's. But with these Sigg bottles you can upload your own design or use one of theirs.
Graffeeti Sneakers and Backpacks
These sneakers and backpacks are DIY. You can write on them and do what you want -- it's all about individuality. Kids usually write on their own sneakers anyway, now they'll have permission to do it. The shoes are $44.99 and the backpacks are $29.99 at FAO Schwarz.
Look Smart and Be Smart
The 7-year pen has ink that supposedly will last for 7 years. It's from seltzergoods.com for $7.50.
It's hip to be smart, and what makes a kid look smarter than wearing glasses? Fake reading glasses from fredflare.com are hot right now. They cost $12.
Personalizing Your Bedroom or Dorm Room
Personalized Headboard Decals: These headboard decals from Urban Outfitters are an inexpensive way to personalize a college room without adding furniture. It freshens up the home bedroom to make it look like you have a fancy headboard. You can take it off easily if you don't like it, and it won't harm your walls.
Pottery Barn customized lampshades from PB Teen ($39) hold seven photos. It's great for kids who are going away to college and who may miss home.
Lightbulb, $18: www.uncommongoods.com
The lightbulbs are an inexpensive way to change the look of your room. It's like a modern-day lava lamp. They make the room look groovy without having to spend too much, and they're a great way to decorate without doing anything permanent.
* You can get all of the bedding seen on "GMA" from Pottery Barn's PBdorm collection.
Be as Cool as Your Kids
Yes, it's impossible to keep up with what the kids are saying. But parents can use these slang flashcards from knockknock.biz to test each other. They cost $11. Parents should probably hide them from the kids.
Web Extra: Get the Look!
Girls' Trends:
Jeggings, leopard shoes, and bows.
Lilia is wearing:
A $19.50 Old Navy sweater.
H&M jeggings, $9.95.
She is wearing a $10 American Apparel bow.
Her leopard shoes cost $12.99 at Target.
And she is wearing a multiprint DIY backpack, $24.50 from The Gap.
Boys' Trends:
Military jacket, retro head phones, skateboard backpack.
Taraun is wearing:
H&M military jacket for $34.95
Shirt: $9.50 from Old Navy: www.oldnavy.com
Skinny jeans: Old Navy $24.50
Shoes from Converse, $45 to 65.
Retro head phones, $24.99 from
merkuryinnovations.com
Backpack: Dakine, $50 from zappos.com
Web Extra Product: Recycled Notebooks
$7 at www.abesmarket.com
Wirebound notebooks are available on Abe's Market, an online marketplace for all-natural products. It connects buyers seeking eco-friendly and green items with the people who make them.
For eco-conscious college- and high school-bound students, these wirebound books are eco-friendly and filled with Mr. Ellie Pooh's elephant dung paper. Each page is going to be 100 percent recycled -- 50 percent fiber from Sri Lankan elephant poo and 50 percent post-consumer waste.