I did it. I made it to the end of my kid’s school year, which for New York City public school parents goes all the way to the end of June. But while I can congratulate myself on getting my scholar through the end of the term unscathed, I’m not sure I can say the same for her school supplies.
I really, really want to throw it all in a pile, take the “no more pencils, no more books” schoolyard chant to heart, and forget about it all until after Labor Day. But I know from covering parenting products that right now is actually the best time to stock up and get ready for next school year. Or at least I could try to score some deals during Amazon Prime Day, feel satisfied that I’m a little bit ahead of the game, then stick everything in a closet and leave them there until the first day of school approaches.
More Prime Day Deals Right This Way
Lunch boxes are a good place to start. Bentgo is currently offering 40% off its classic kids’ lunch box for Prime Day. In addition, there are deals on Chill Max lunch box, the water bottle two-pack, and the Classic adult bento box.
Good Housekeeping Institute experts have been impressed with Bentgo’s leak-proof design and compartments that kept food separated. They say it's especially good for little ones—kids between the ages of 3 and 7 specifically—since they're the ones who are most interested in making sure their food doesn't touch. The latches are easy to open and close, and the tray can be removed and popped in the dishwasher. It also comes in lots of fun patterns. If there's a downside to the Bentgo, it's that it doesn't have a huge capacity—another reason that it's better for the little ones than the big kids.
For the older ones, there’s the OmieBox, which has been named one of the best kids’ lunchboxes by the Good Housekeeping Institute. Both the OmieBox (for kids ages 3+) and the OmieBox UP (for kids ages 9+) are 20% off for Prime Day. (And for those with real littles at home, their Easy Scoop Plate Set is even more discounted, at 35% off.) Both come in multiple colors, including the new Pop Pink and Jade Green shades that have been a huge hit for the UP.
What Good Housekeeping Institute experts like most about the OmieBox lunch boxes is that there’s an insulated container that keeps food hot or cold, in addition to other movable compartments. If the thermal food jar isn’t needed, it can be removed, and its spot is big enough to hold a sandwich instead. The insulation does make it heavy, and a little tricky to clean, but it may be worth it for kids who love to have hot leftovers for lunch instead of cold cuts. And it doesn’t look too kiddie, which means I may be able to steal it for my own brown-bag lunches.
