The Ultimate List of School Store Ideas for Elementary and Middle School
From Takis to Smencils, we round up popular school store items that elementary and middle school students love—along with ideas for free and low cost "experience" rewards.
A one-stop shop for school supplies, school spirit wear, fidgets, snacks, and more, a school store provides students with easy access to items while fostering a sense of school community. They can generate funds for the PTO and serve as a place for students to redeem PBIS rewards, while also teaching students valuable life lessons in business, responsibility, and financial management (shopping on a budget, testing out those math skills, etc.). Whether it's run by the PTO or student volunteers, a school store can enhance your school community and contribute to students' overall school experience. Below, you'll find tips from our community, a shoppable list of the most popular items sold at school stores (according to PTO and PTA leaders who stock them), and a list of free and low cost PBIS reward incentive ideas to motivate students.
@thatnormalptomom The best school project to date! #pto #pta #schoolstore #schoolmakeover #parentteacherorganization ♬ original sound - Amber Weber
First, a few helpful tips on running a school store from our community:
- While a school store can generate funds for the PTO, not all schools choose to charge for items. Instead, some schools use school stores as an opportunity to give back to students who have earned PBIS points (for good behavior, etc.).
- Some schools charge a flat fee (like $1 per item) to keep budgeting and shopping simple for students. Many schools keep all items affordable, between 25 cents and $3, so that it's something all kids can participate in.
- Consider gifting students a $1 school store certificate on their birthday, and a $2 school store certificate for those who earn "student of the month". Allow teachers to purchase school store shopping gift certificates that they can use as they see fit in the classroom, too.
- Check with your principal and cafeteria manager first before selling any candy, snacks, and toys. Some schools follow USDA guidelines to the T while others are more flexible. For toys and fidgets, check to see if any specific items have been "banned" at your school due to being a distraction in the classroom.
- Make your school store available through an online store platform so parents can shop and pay online. The PTO can then distribute items to students during store hours.
- During sports games and events, open the school store for attending "fans" who want to purchase school spirit wear (hats, hoodies, shirts, etc.) to show off their school pride.
- Ahead of the holidays, turn your school store into a "Winter Bazaar" where students can shop for gifts for family and friends. Invite student vendors to set up shop and sell handmade items.
- School store location and hours: while having a room for your school store is great, a cart that you can wheel out works great, too. Open your store at lunch time, during recess, or before school starts on select days (some open their school store on the last Friday of the month, or once a week) - do what works best for your school community and volunteers.
@cces.pto School store day! Did you miss it? We will be back next month. What would you like to see for sale in the school store? #mostfunschool #bestteachersever #pto #ptomeeting #elementaryschool #schoolstore ♬ original sound - CCES PTO
Shop Our List of Popular School Store Ideas
Below, we round up the most popular items sold at elementary school stores, shared by our community of PTO and PTA leaders. Scroll to the bottom of this article for school store ideas that middle school students love!
Smencils
According to our community, anything with a smell (good...or bad 😂) is a top-seller!
Smillows
Smens
Koala Pencil Toppers
PTO groups share these adorable Koala bear pencil toppers are a school store top-seller among students. Again...anything "mini" is going to sell well with this crowd!
Butter Slime
Chapstick Holders
Croc Charms
Check out all the knock off variety packs of Croc Charms available on Amazon. Feature seasonal charms ahead of the holidays, like Halloween and Christmas.
Fidget Bracelets
Finger Skateboards
Galaxy Slime
Fidget Toys
NeeDoh Teenie Gobs of Globs
Hatching Eggs
Spa Headbands
Invisible Pens
Mini Erasers
"Pit Viper" Imitation Sunglasses
Apparently, "Pit Viper" looking sunglasses are all the rage (at recess anyway). Students can get the same designer look for a fraction of the price with these snazzy replicas.
Pop Sockets for Phones
Rubber Ducks
We don't know why students love rubber ducks either...(LOL). But, we do know hundreds of rubber ducks will come in handy on National Rubber Ducky Day on January 13! (Get our full list of special days and holidays to celebrate during the school year)
Bling Glitter Shoelaces
Takis
But be warned: there will never, ever be enough Takis in stock (especially if you're a middle school)! Some PTOs share that they buy Takis in bulk at big box stores and sell them for $1 per bag.
Straw Toppers
Perfectly paired with those Stanleys, of course! Take advantage of holiday themes and popular characters that are trending with kids.
Squishmallows
Temporary Tattoos
Some schools will even created custom tattoos featuring the school mascot! If your school is having an indoor glow run or glow dance, stock the school store with glow in the dark temporary tattoos for some fun.
Teeny Tiny Ducks
We're not sure why either, but our community shares that tiny ducks are a "thing" with students. Apparently, "minis" are a hot commodity in general! These tiny ducks also glow in the dark - fun for indoor glow dances!
Vinyl Stickers for Water Bottles
Pro tip: be sure to look through all stickers when buying in bulk. Sometimes, inappropriate stickers are found in the mix.
Squishies
When PTO leaders are asked what sells the most in their school store, it's a resounding, "Squishies...lots and lots of squishies!"
Snake Slap Bracelets
Small Stuffed Animals
Scented Mini Erasers
These scented mini erasers are so popular with students, some schools limit sales to two per student!
Water Bottle Handles
Because those Stanleys are soooo heavy! These water bottle handles make it a little easier to carry heavy bottles around school.
Maze Pens
Sensory Stress Balls
Free and Low Cost Experience Reward Ideas
Experience rewards (like the ones below) are also great to use as PBIS incentives.
- Vouchers for things like free dress down day (if your school requires uniforms), homework pass, or a hat pass
- Bring a stuffy to school for the day as a "desk pet"
- Line leader/first in line for the day
- Eat with a friend in another class pass
- Eat with a VIP (another adult at the school, like the counselor, teacher, principal, etc.)
- Join recess with another class
- Deliver the morning news from the main office
- Shoes off in class
- Share a joke over the intercom during morning announcements (tip: make sure the joke is approved ahead of time!)
- Lunch with a teacher or staff member
- Pull the fire alarm for next drill
- Janitor assistant for the day (there's something exciting about seeing all the "secret" rooms you never get to see as a student!)
- DJ for the day if your school has a DJ at lunch time during the week
- "Classroom DJ" (student gets to choose the classroom playlist for the day)
- Choose a special seat for the day, like sitting in the teacher’s chair
- Principal for the day
- Check out an extra book in the library
Popular Items to Sell in Middle School Stores
Check out our list below of popular items middle school students love are sure to be top sellers at your middle school store.
- School spirit wear (shirts, hoodies, hats)
- Experience rewards, like a homework pass, free seat choice, or DJ for the day
- Inexpensive fashion jewelry
- Custom Pura Vida bracelets in school colors (some PTOs will mark these up by $1)
- Cool and trendy snacks and drinks du jour, like Takis, Flamin' Hot Cheetos, and Prime
- Small individually wrapped candies
- Locker decor (including mirrors)
- Pens
- Pencils
- Cute erasers
- Mochi squishies
- Giant pickles (...we don't know why either!)
- Highlighters
- Vinyl decals for water bottles
- Stanley straw toppers
- Lead refills for mechanical pencils
- Ear buds
- Hair ties (especially in school colors)
- Phone wallet
- Pop sockets
- Fidget spinners
- Lanyards
- Lip gloss/balm
- Scrunchies
- Claw clips for hair
- Fuzzy socks
- Celebrity merch featuring musical artists that are trending with students (like Taylor Swift, Eminem, Snoop Dog)
Tip: keep your middle and high school store stocked with school spirit wear and items (hoodies, shirts, hats) and stay open during sports games and events when attendees are really feeling the school spirit and want to represent!
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