Do You Know What’s In This School Year?

From the NPN Weekly: The items, trends, and you might hear a lot about this upcoming school year

Trending: What’s All the Rage This School Year

Back-to-school prep comes with the requisite shopping list. But it can also be an opportunity for kids to solidify or reset their identity in many ways.

With that in mind, here are 5 items/trends Yahoo Life and Parents say you might hear requests for or buzz about during the 2026-2027 school year.

Emotional Intelligence FTW: From preschool and beyond, learning about emotional literacy, regulation, and mindfulness is baked in to the curriculum and daily conversations.
Squishies Galore: Fidget toys and other sensory items like squishies, dumplings, and NeeDoh continue to be a popular among elementary schools kids and even teens. They might even pop up on school supply lists.
Bag Charms: Tweens and teens alike are all about bag charms, key chains, and Labubus to personalize their daily carry.
90’s Nostalgia: Y2K fashion with mixed prints and bold neons, analog over digital, including pen and paper (and hand-written notes) and film cameras are cool with high schoolers.
The It Water Bottle: Depending on the age of your child, you might hear about the cool brand as Thermos or Owala or a specific type of bottle.

In Chicago Parenting News:

A survey of Chicago K-12 parents shows that most expect back-to-school shopping to cost about $794 per child.
There’s no clear leader in the Chicago School Board President race.
If you feel like your family’s suffered more mosquito bites this summer, you’re on to something.
Wicker Park’s Meet Me on Milwaukee car-free Sundays start at the end of August.