Check out the cool, new back-to-school gear

It's that time again. Time for millions of kids to get ready to go back to school, but before your kids hit the books, you'll have to hit the stores for this year's must-have back-to-school items. Camille Chatterjee of Parenting magazine visited “Today” to share the best items for your kids.

Best backpacks
Woolly Bugger Half-Pint Backpack by Jansport, $35
Tartan tote: Kids will want to snuggle up to this cozy, easy-to-spot bag.

Mini-Backpack by Dickies, $20
Retro cool: Kids will love this skater-style, checkered mini-backpack.

Messenger Bag by Modern Kids, $32
Show and tell: Swap out photos, drawings and little treasures from the clear pockets to personalize the bag any way you like.

Polka Dot Backpack from Kids’ Travel Packs, $25
This sturdy nylon backpack comes in eleven different styles, and each bag can be embroidered with kids’ names or monograms for an extra personalized touch. 

Fairfax Rolling Backpack by Pottery Barn Kids, $49
Walk ‘n’ roll: A great version of the popular rolling pack, it’s lightweight, durable, and turns into a backpack.

Lunchboxes
Brown paper bags are a thing of the past!

Lunch Tote by Modern Kids, $18
Show and tell: Customize your child's insulated bag with a postcard or snapshot.

Chalk Board Lunch Box by Zookies, $26
Doodle bag: The chalkboard (with plastic containers and chalk) makes this insulated bag perfect for downtime in the car.

The Container Store’s Sandwich Plus Lunch Container, $4
Square meal: What you see is what you get with this multi-compartment plastic box — genius for kids who don't like any foods touching!

Unique new school supplies
Boring looseleaf binders and black and white marble notebooks are so old school. Today’s range of school supplies offer more options than ever before.

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Five Star Flex Hybrid NoteBinder by MeadVastco, $9
Works like a notebook but acts like a binder, so kids can keep all of their notes and handouts organized.

Crayola Twistables, $3-9
Twistables require no peeling or sharpening when the tips get worn down — just twist them up and you’re ready to keep on coloring.

Book Sox Textbook Covers, $3.49 each
Washable, stretchable fabric book covers make protecting kids’ textbooks a snap. 

Wordlock by Staples, $6
For kids who have trouble remembering the combination to their lockers, use this clever new lock to choose from a four- or five-letter password instead.

Zwipes from Mead, $15
New line of notebooks and binders allows kids to personalize or doodle on school supplies with an included marker, and then erase later with the marker's liquid pad eraser.

Clorox Wipes,$4

Purell Hand Sanitizer, $4
More and more teachers actually require parents to purchase disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizers for classroom use.  According to a recent Parenting MomConnection poll, over 50% of moms report having to buy these items as part of their child's annual school supply list. 

Create the best study space at home
Tikkina Headlamp by Petzl, $22
Everything’s illuminated: Reading is so much more appealing after lights-out! With this nifty headlamp, he’ll have both hands free for page turning.

Pixie Dust Pixie Tuffet by Goochiegoos, $86
A comfy spot: Your child will love settling down on this oversized floor pillow. You’ll love that it's cover is machine-washable.

Cuddle Roll by JC Penney, $25
Roll with it: Snuggle up for a story with this plush cylindrical pillow, perfect for propping up both of you.

Toys and games that make learning fun
Turbo Extreme Handheld by LeapFrog, $35
Kids can master math, spelling, social studies, and science skills by playing fun twist and slam games.

FLY Pentop Computer by LeapFrog, $100
Scans what kids write on special paper to help them calculate math problems, practice spelling words, even draw instruments to compose music that the computer will play and record.

For more back-to-school articles, check out parenting.com.