Ultimate back-pack hacks

Keep your kids organized, awake, well-fed and de-stressed with these backpack hacks, from education expert Vanessa Vakharia, founder of themathguru.ca: Healthy snacks! Hungry kids will eat anything, and high sugar snacks lead to crash and burn. “Stock your child’s backpack with healthy snacks so they can fuel up when feeling fatigued.” A super cool pencil case is key. Your kid’s backpack is often a total mess when they get home because they’ve stuffed their supplies randomly in their bag. “Getting a pencil case that’s big enough to hold everything, and cool enough that they’ll want to use it, will totally solve the problem,” says Vakharia. A no-drip water bottle. Hydration is so important for stimulating focus and preventing fatigue. “Make sure it’s drip-proof to avoid backpack disaster! Again, let your kid pick one that they love so that they’re more likely to use it.” Notebook or binder? The debate rages but the binder is the way to go. “It helps kids organize their notes and worksheets and ensures that everything is in one place,” she adds. Make sure your child’s binder is stocked with lined paper too. Throw in an in-binder, 3-hole puncher. No more crumpled up worksheets. “Get one of those flat three-hole punchers that sit inside your kid’s binder — all they have to do is punch holes, stick the sheet in their binder, and voila!” Pencils, an eraser, highlighters, a no-mess pencil sharpener, pencil crayons and markers — get all that stuff at your local dollar store. “So much cheaper and makes no real difference.”