The coolest school supplies | back to school guide 2015

While there are certain must-haves for school, like backpacks and lunch boxes, we always love finding the coolest school supplies that just make things a little more fun this time of year. Whether you’re helping your kid express his or her individuality with a cool backpack charm, making reading time more special with personalized bookplates, or tracking down file folders in different styles — so that there is no fighting among your kids about whose is whose — we love these little indulgences that make for big smiles.

[click here for our 2016 back to school guide]

And so we’re thrilled that this post is brought to you by our partner, the Amex EveryDay Credit Card which helps you make the most of those #EveryDayMoments like back to school shopping! Especially since these are the very kinds of items you can purchase with your Amex EveryDay to start earning Membership Rewards points; in fact you get a bonus of 20% extra Membership Rewards points after making 20 purchases in a billing period.

In other words, those pencils, backpacks, and sticky notes can add up to oh…let’s say a family vacation, far far away from anywhere you might be required to pack school lunches. And there’s no annual fee at all. Sweet.

So enjoy our picks for these cool school supplies tracked down from all over the web, which hail from smaller retailers, indie designers, and those big shops you may find yourself visiting anyway. Happy shopping!

work hard and be kind pencils $9/5 design gem | ice cream erasers $1, stubby pencil studio | heck, yeah! notebook $9.95, paper source | school year paint chip calendar $24.95, paper source | scissor + ruler set $10, poppin | ugly doll drawstring bags $20, ugly doll

tattly science kit temporary tattoos $15 tattly| kaiju monster LED key chain $5.99 perpetual kid | personalized dragon + knight bookplates $12, the fox and the teacup | personalized beetle name labels $12/sheet minted | colorful file folders $15/24 poppin | personalized avery panda binder $20.95 zazzle

band-aids by oh joy $2.49, target

personalized pencil case $22 tiny me |corkboard hedgehog $10.27 amazon | personalized name labels $12/sheet minted | wooden animal ruler set $8.97, world market | ugly dolls ice bat umbrella $15, ugly dolls |happy whale bookplate sticker pack $4.50, boy girl party

minecraft wolf phone case $19.99, think geek

arrow sticky notes $3 see jane work | retro pen set $6, kikkerland | kawaii ghibli doodle ipod skin $15 by kira kira doodles on society 6 |personalized kawaii pencil stamp $18.95

hello kitty pencil pouch $9, sanrio

geometric pencil set $9, see jane work| i am very busy pencil pouch $7.80 on sale, see jane work | bear letter organizer $22.50 amazon | geo composition book $5, poppin + matching school supplies | mt washi tape assortment $15.47, amazon | geometric file folders $9 see jane work

like a boss pencils $10/6 Macarons and Mimosas | personalized stationery $15 the fox and the teacup

personalized pencil case $9.50 PBK |viva bicycle accessories copper bike bell $20 cooper hewitt museum shop |8-pack colorful velcro cable ties $6.50/8 gorilla gadgets |ninja eraser set $13.99 perpetual kid | pixel superhero alphabet tote $22 society 6 | red monster avery binder $20.95 zazzle

unicorn erasers $1 each, stubby pencil studio

Thanks so much to our amazing sponsor and partner, the Amex EveryDay Credit Card, a no-annual fee card designed for multi-tasking parents to help us make more out of the everyday.

You earn 2x the points at groceries stores in the U.S., and 1x for every dollar you spend anywhere else. Like all the places you see here! Plus you get a bonus of 20% extra Membership Rewards points after making 20 purchases in a billing period. We can do that in a week.