With These After-School Essentials, You Kid Is Ready for Anything the Afternoon Throws Their Way

School’s out and your child wants something else in their ears besides the sounds of school bells, facts about parallelograms, and their gym teacher’s whistle. That’s where these super cool earbuds by iScream come in. With a battery life of 2-3 hours and compatible with most Bluetooth enabled devices, these earbuds will make the commute home all the more enjoyable and musical.

Your kid loves drawing and art — but because they were taking notes all day and listening so intently, they had no time to doodle in their notebook! Now that school is over, Kid Made Modern’s On-The-Go Drawing Kit is perfect to help your child unleash their pent-up creativity. The 32-page book features partially complete drawings to get you started. Plus, you can keep everything neatly organized in the handy carrying case.

When it comes to “vegging out," different kids have different definitions of what helps them decompress. Some kids like to watch television while others like to lay on the grass and look up at the sky. As a kid, I had a hard time sitting still, so I spent lots of time doing puzzles. Sean Jackson’s Book of Mazes “From Here to There” features 50 colorful and detailed mazes of varying levels of complexity aimed at providing mindful activity for kids —it would’ve kept me mesmerized for ages! 

Just as your child finishes their after school snack and free time play, a beeping sound starts to ring out. What’s that? Oh it’s just the alarm from their super cool, totally customizable and funky fresh Paper watch telling them it’s time to get started on that homework!

Did you know that Einstein got most of his solutions while he was on long walks? Sometimes relaxing your brain when struggling with a difficult problem is the best way to clear your head and gain some new insights. This set includes a looped string and an instruction booklet for 10 string games your kiddo can use to calm their mind. Side effects include inadvertently learning how to hypnotize people. 

Have you and your kids ever heard the legend of the illustrious substance that is not totally silly putty, not exactly crazy sand, and not quite a stress ball? It was foretold that a man named “Crazy Aaron” would bring this item to the masses and it would be the perfect toy to squeeze, stretch, and play with in between homework assignments, and bring to school to show off to all of their friends! 

A fidget toy for the ages, Tangle BrainTools Think add a whole new level to sensory stimulation toys. These are perfect for helping your child ease their racing mind or just keeping themselves occupied.  

Did you know that memory foam pillows were actually invented for the sole purpose of helping children remember more while they read books and homework assignments on their bed? It’s true, I swear! And this memory foam pillow kicks up the comfort an extra notch with a hoodie attached to it so their whole head is comforted.

Are they headed to sports practice or drama club after school? Kids can carry your gear in style with awesomely colorful, super-sturdy CAMP bags — there's a backpack with retro flair and a just-the-right-size duffel with a braided zipper pull.