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11 Things That Make Back to School More Fun for Teenagers

While you're looking for the best back to school sales, be on the lookout for items that your teens will love.

Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.

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The Time Factory 2021-22 Academic Plannervia target.com

Back to School Planner

A new planner lets students start the school year on track. It helps them complete and submit homework on schedule. They can even start filling out the planner before the first day of classes. Pair it with a pack of colored pens so they can designate a color for each school subject and decorate special dates like homecoming, birthdays or holiday breaks.

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Locker Kitvia amazon.com

A Locker Done Up Right

For teens back in the classroom, their locker is their base camp. It’s also kind of like an extension of their rooms and a place they can express themselves. So it’s important to have fun and functional locker organizing tools.

Hook your teen up with a magnetic phone mount, so they can take the perfect first day of school selfie. This chic seven-piece locker kit will help your student organize all their supplies. It includes a wire shelf, magnetic storage cup, dry erase marker and a mirror. Finally, they can hang their favorite photos with this magnetic photo grid.

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American Eagle Jeansvia ae.com

New Jeans

Jeans are an everyday staple in a teen’s closet. While there are plenty of popular brands to choose from, one frequently tops the list. Business Insider reports a survey of 8,600 teens in the U.S. said that American Eagle is their second favorite apparel brand next to Nike. American Eagle jeans come in many different colors and styles, including skinny jeans and straight-leg jeans, so they’re a great addition to any back to school list.

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Teal Blue Hydro Flaskvia hydroflask.com

Hydro Flask

Everyone is looking to stay hydrated, including our teens. Hydro Flask is today’s trendiest reusable water bottle, according to BuzzFeed and the teens at Central High School in Fresno California.

These bottles come in all sorts of colorful designs and are made to keep hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold for 12 and 24 hours, respectively. These babies will cost you about $29.99 and up and will help your kids stay hydrated when they head back to school.

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Vintage Disney Sweatshirtsvia urbanoutfitters.com

Vintage-Inspired Styles

Bringing back vintage fashion is fun (right?). Teens are flocking to trendy stores like Urban Outfitters to get their retro clothing fix. You can also just let your kids raid mom and dad’s old wardrobe if you haven’t Marie Kondo‘ed it yet.

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apple airpodsvia apple.com

Headphones

Make sure your teen has the necessary school technology to succeed. Every teen needs a good pair of headphones for their online class meetings or for when they’re trying to get in the zone for studying. The headphones of choice among teens are Apple’s AirPods. They are compact and can fit right into your teen’s backpack.

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Zebra Pen Midliner Creative Markervia zebrapen.com

Zebra Pen’s Mildliners Highlighters

Having fun school supplies makes doing schoolwork a lot more bearable after you’ve spent the summer at the pool. But, forget about those boring neon highlighter colors. Zebra Pen Mildliners highlighters come in a rainbow of beautiful soft tones like mild smoke blue and milk vermillion. A 10-pack of Mildliner Double Ended Highlighter‘s costs about $20.00.

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Nike air force 1 sneakervia nike.com

New Sneakers

Back to school season means getting a brand-new pair of sneakers for most teens. Nike is a number one brand among teens and their white Air Force 1s are a can’t-go-wrong sneaker for everyone. Since platform sneakers are in, the Air Force 1 Sage Low for women have a larger sole and cost about $100 a pair.

Nike also allows your teen to custom design their own pair of Nikes with glitter, crazy laces and colorful swooshes. You can also check out their back to school picks. Keep your white sneakers clean all year with a little toothpaste.

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mochila high stakes pool zone backpackvia mochilajansport.com

Backpacks

The next best thing after picking out a new pair of back-to-school shoes is getting a new backpack. JanSport backpacks never seem to go out of style and come in all kinds of cool colors and quirky prints.

Nike‘s popularity also translates into their other sportswear items, including backpacks. Adidas isn’t far behind Nike when it comes to popularity and you’ll see teens wearing their backpacks this fall, as well. The North Face also makes durable backpacks that are popular with teens.

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staples accel 5 subject notebookvia walmart.com

Multitab Notebooks

Most of us remember having a five subject notebook in school. They are still on your high schooler’s back-to-school list, except your kids want multitab notebooks. These notebooks are more expensive than their multi-subject counterparts but are more durable and separate each subject with a plastic divider. This one is available at Walmart.

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Positive Affirmation Bookvia amazon.com

Positive Affirmation Books and Cards

This year can be your teen’s best year yet. Positive affirmations can help them to create the mindset they need to achieve their dreams and be the best they can be. There are all types of positive affirmation books and cards that are funny and can help your teen start off the school year on a positive note.

Check out “Afromation: Positive Affirmation Book For Black Girls”, Louise L. Hay’s “Power Thoughts for Teens Cards,Positive Affirmation Notebook For Teens or “Affirmators.

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D.G. Sciortino
D.G. has more than a decade of experience as a spirited writer, journalist, and digital media specialist. She enjoys writing content that inspires people to love and live their best lives. Visit dinagracezoemedia.com for more information about her work.