Shop Gifts ‘N Things for Back to School Supplies

Retail stores aren’t the only places where you can shop for back to school items for your young, bright students. Explore Gifts ‘N Things for colorful, unique, and exciting school tools and accessories for this school year.

Smencils, Smens, Smarkers, Oh My!

Help your child understand what it is to be environmentally-responsible from a young age. These colorful writing and drawing tools are created from recycled newspapers and corn-based biodegradable plastic, and, additionally come with environmentally-friendly packaging and biodegradable erasers. They come in a variety of delectable smells, and your kids can choose from a variety of options including glitter, metallic, seasonal, mini-sized, and more! Learn how to mix your own here!

Highlighters and Erasers

Check out colorful, fun-shaped erasers like the quirky Dino Puzzle eraser and vibrant fruit-scented erasers so your kids can really make the most of their education and have fun learning. Look in the Lil’ Shopper’s Shoppe for more fun school accessories.

Incentive Prizes

For all the teachers out there, Gifts ‘N Things has a collection of items that you can use in the classroom as incentive prizes, small gifts, and classroom tools to reward excellent behaviors and fantastic scholarship. Browse our selection of monster/zombie finger tattoos, tornado high bounce balls, and jurassic putty, as well as putty, rings, bracelets, stickers, and more!

Personalized School Spirit Apparel

Get your kid in style by adding some school spirit to their closet. Personalizing t-shirts and hoodie sweatshirts can be a practical addition to your school supply list or a fun Christmas or birthday present. With an array of colors and designs to choose from—school emblems, mascots, buildings, and more— the quality and versatility that the school spirit apparel adds to your child’s wardrobe can make any school year more exciting. Start designing your apparel here.

Gifts ‘N Things offers a variety of presents and supplies for holidays and birthday, but they also have items that make for excellent additions to your child’s school supply list. Start your search today.

Free Summer Activities

Do you feel like no matter what you do, it costs money? Summer has arrived, the kids are home from school for the season, and keeping them busy and having fun might feel like an expensive endeavor. Well, take heart my thrifty friends; for families trying to stick to a budget, there are a whole host of fun, free - or highly affordable - ways to fully enjoy all that summer has to offer.

1. Plant a Garden

Even for those with the least experienced green thumb, potting your own flowers, herbs and veggies - or creating a small raised bed - is a great way to celebrate the arrival of summer. Start from seeds or buy a few developed plants at a garden center. With a little TLC, your summer plants will add a lovely touch.

2. Lemonade Stand / Car Wash 

Many of us can look back on childhood and remember at least one entrepreneurial summertime endeavor. For this writer, it was definitely a lemonade stand. The great thing? Projects like lemonade stands and car washes become a source of great pride for kids. Plus, they don’t really require a whole lot of initial investment, and often end up being a great way for members of your neighborhood to get to know one another! And obviously, a little extra pocket cash is never a bad thing!

3. Backyard Art Projects / Show

Help the kids stay creative over summer break with group art projects. One cool idea we bumped into? Painting on plain, white sheets for “display” on a clothesline. Once the art has been completed, kids can invite friends over for a “gallery opening.”

4. Handmade Bird Houses / Feeders

This one’s a classic, and thanks to the wonders of Pinterest, there are more variations on the craft than ever before!

5. Backyard Scrabble

Here’s a really cool idea we found while trolling the web. Make words and spelling fun outdoorsy with your own homemade letter tiles...because, on a beautiful day, Words with Friends is much better in person!

6. Dollar Store Spray Bottles = DIY Squirt Guns

Think cheap squirt guns, only more durable in the long run. (Those cheap discount squirt guns tend to break on a dime). Added bonus: add washable paint to the bottles and spray them at bed sheets, pieces of poster board or big sheets of paper to create original outdoor abstract art for your “art show.”

7. Host a Neighborhood Baseball / Kickball / Wiffleball Game

You don’t need a ton of backyard space for a scaled-down version of baseball-diamond style activities. Gather the neighborhood together for a little physical fitness fun...just make sure you get plenty of water!

8. Visit The Library 

Air-conditioning is always a plus on the hottest of summer days, and lots of public libraries host a ton of free activities for kids all summer long!

9. Volunteer

Summertime is a great season to plot out a few days of the month to roll up your sleeves and help out the community. Organizations like Habitat for Humanity, for example, are ultra-busy during the warmer months, and are always looking for a helping hand. Check out your library for fliers from area organizations who could use a little manpower!

10. Bug / Amphibian / Other Critter Hunt

This is just always fun for kids. Find a nature preserve or park near your neighborhood, get out the jars and nets and see what you can find!


These are only a few of the many, many ideas for inexpensive summer fun. Have one of your own? Leave us a comment and tell us about it!

Free Idea Fair Luncheons in Your Area

Over the next few weeks Gifts' N Things will host Idea Fair Luncheons around the region in appreciation for the hard working school communities. These informal luncheons will feature prize giveaways and a free lunch on Gifts 'N Things. Check the list below to see if a luncheon is being held in your area.

Commack, NY

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

11:30am-2pm

Good Taste Chinese Buffet

200 Jericho Turnpike

Mayfair Shopping Center

(631) 543-9583

Langhorne, PA

Thursday, March 27, 2014

11am-2pm

J.B. Dawson’ Restaurant

92 N. Flowers Mill Road

(215) 702-8119

Reading, PA

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Toscani - Wood Fire Grill

1101 Rocky Drive

(610) 678-4060

Center Valley, PA

Thusrday, April 3, 2014

11am-2pm

Melt

2805 Center Valley Parkway

(610) 798-9000

Wilkes Barre, PA

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

11am-2pm

TGI Friday’s (attached to Holiday Inn)

880 Kidder Street

(570) 823-9923

Harrisburg, PA

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

11am-2pm 

Red Robin

5125 Jonestown Road

(717) 540-8600

Exton, PA

Thursday, April 10, 2014

11am-2pm

TGI Friday’s 

301 North Pottstown Pike

(610) 594-6646

Lancaster, PA

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

11am-2pm 

J.B. Dawson’s

491 Park City Center

(717) 399-3996

Tannersville, PA

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

11am-2pm

The Chateau Resort

300 Camelback Road

(800) 245-5900

Fleetwood, PA

Thursday, May 1, 2013

11am-2pm 

Gifts ‘N Things

26 East Locust Street

(610) 944-1400 

If you attend one of our luncheons, be sure to ask how you can win a $50 gift card to Restaurant.com and a $300 Carnival Kit for your school.