The trick to making homework fun

Let's face it: There are very few kids (or parents) who actually like homework time. For the majority of us, homework time can be a chore like any other. So, what's the solution? Although you may never get your kids to enjoy homework per se, there is one thing you can do to make them look forward to it just a little bit. Arm them with super-fun at-home school supplies!

Sure, you could stock up on standard-issue, function-over-form school supplies, but if you want your kids to want to do their homework, why not give them fun tools of the trade? There are so many options out there that for adding a little fun and flair into your homework station (stay tuned for my post on how we set up ours).

International Arrivals has some of the coolest school supplies around. They feature fun motifs and bright colours -- perfect for taking the drudgery out of homework, but without compromising quality in the name of fun. These products are the perfect balance of fun, funky, and functional. And as a kid of the 80s, I love the "feel" of these products. They remind me of the days when all I wanted in life was one of those pens that could write in a bunch of different colours. My life certainly has changed since those days, but my love of school supplies is eternal.

Behold the awesomeness:

I mean seriously! How fun is that picture! Who wouldn't love doing homework with these? (I'm not going to lie -- I am going to be tempted to steal some of these for my planning and list making! Think she'll notice?)

One of my daughter's favourite things in here are the Ninja erasers. Here's a closer look:

Fun, right??

The Chalk-o-Rama Chalk Crayons are awesome! We will be taking them to Disney World with us next month (many more posts about that to come). These crayons write on white boards, blackboards, wood, dark paper, light paper, and WINDOWS! One of my best travel tips I can give parents going on road trips with kids is to give them markers that write on glass, such as these. The kids can draw on the car windows, and then wipe away their masterpieces with a baby wipe and start again! They can be a lifesaver and I can't wait to use these.....er, I mean, I can't wait for HER to use them. Yes, that's what I meant <innocent look>.

I'm going to have to hide the Eiffel Tower eraser from my Paris-loving mom! This is a big eraser that is sure to last awhile, and the purple colour does not come off on the paper when you use it - major bonus.

I also love the Color Appeel Crayons. Instead of sharpening them, simply peel them away to reveal more of the crayon. No additional sharpener needed. (Hmm, come to think of it, that would be pretty handy for our road trip, too, wouldn't it?). At any rate, I digress. This post is about homework, after all!

Those Monster Pencils and Sweet Thing Pencils both bring the number No.2 pencil into a whole new dimension of fun. These pencils feature fun, bright designs and motifs that will appeal to a wide variety of kids. The Monster ones went to school with my daughter, and the Sweet Thing ones are in her homework station. (Stayed tuned for a post on that, too).

One of the coolest and most innovative products in this bunch is the Creatibles DIY Eraser Kit. Basically, it's a set of 12 specially designed clay colours that kids can use to create their own erasers in any shape they want, just like using modelling clay. From there, simply bake the designs and use them like a regular eraser. My creative-minded kiddo LOVES the idea of this. I'll be doing a separate review of this product in another post.

So there you have it. If you want your kids to like doing homework (or at least dread it a little less) check out some of these awesome products from International Arrivals.