Back-To-School Favorites Top Shopping Lists (NAPSA)—For many parents, standing on the street corner, watching a big yellow bus carry their children off to school can be a trip down memory lane—inspiring a feeling of nostalgia for such schooltime traditions as football games, fall leaves and new sneakers. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 55 million students will return to school this year. That means millions of parents will be thinking about yesteryear’s backpacks, notebooks and other school supplies—how things have changed and how they’ve remained the same. “Parents are using this time to reflect on their youth and to fondly remember when they went back-to-school shopping,” says Cheryl Wilbur, market researcher at Parenting magazine. Though the old-fashioned crank pencil sharpener and steel lunchbox havefallen victim to the generation gap, products such as Elmer’s Washable School Glue have prospered. The familiar orange-capped, easy-squeeze bottle even features a newly improved, less-mess formula that stays whereit’s put for cleaner, more precise projects. Other traditional back-toschool essentials like folders, notebooks, backpacks, scissors, pencils and rulers that show up on school lists year in and year out also have evolved from their original form. Take the backpack as an example. Once viewed as uncomfortable or cumbersome, new bookbags have designs for better comfort, more color choices and new storage features for everything from notebooks and sneakers to cell phones and MP3 players. Products, such as Elmer’s newly improved formula of Washable School Glue, take a new twist on moms’ old favorite back-toschool brands. Old school meets new school MP3 players, cell phones and other electronic devices have quickly become standard equipment for students. Thanks to instant messaging and family calling plans, cell phones have become a reasonably priced way for youngsters to stay in touch with both parents and friends. MP3 players, on the other hand, offer both entertainment and important school-related functions, such as listening to lessons in audio format. Plus, many of them have additional capabilities, including alarms to make sure tired students don’t miss the bus. Shop Today, Save Tomorrow Gone are the mason jars and piggy banks once used to save for the proverbial college fund. By joining Upromise, a free college savings program,families can save for college while they shop for school supplies. Each time an enrolled participant makesa qualified purchase of designated products, a percentage spent turns into college savings. To learn more, visit www.elmersbrands.com.
