With so many people opting to send their kids to cyber school this year, I thought I’d share a back to school guide focusing on teenagers going into virtual high school. Some of these supplies are, at least in my opinion, absolute essentials. Others are just “really nice to have” items. All of them will help make their lives (and by extension, your life) easier in one way or another.
Back to Cyber School Shopping Lists for Teenagers
First, this isn’t mean to replace the list shared by your teen’s school, but rather a companion guide if you will. They’re all things my son has used when he was in REACH or will use when he starts cyber again in two weeks.
Also, the links below are affiliate links, so if you buy anything through them, I get a smidge of a commission at no extra charge to you.
Last note, I promise. You’ll notice that I left Chromebooks and laptops off the list. While this is definitely a major essential, your teen’s school will most likely supply it. Also, Amazon and Best Buy are almost completely sold out of every affordable model. If you CAN find a good deal, I do like ACER Chromebooks quite a bit. I reviewed one back in 2017 that still works great.
1.Keyboard Cover
If you’re using a school-provided Chromebook, this is absolute essential. The last thing you want to do is pay out the wazoo for a ruined laptop, especially considering schools tend to charge more than the devices are actually worth. This one comes in a bunch of colors, but read the description to see which devices it doesn’t fit.
- 【!!!Compare Your keyboard layout with IMAGE 2 to see if can fit】Perfect fit for 2020/2019/2018/2017 Acer Chromebook Spin 11 311 CP311 511 11.6 /Chromebook Spin 512 12" /Acer Premium R11 11.6 / Acer Chromebook 11 CB3-131 CB3-132 /Chromebook R 11 CB5-132T/ Acer Chromebook Spin 13 713 CP713 /Acer Chromebook R 13 CB5-312T /Acer Chromebook 14 CB3-431 CP5-471 CB514 /Acer Chromebook Spin 15 CP315 CB3-531 CB3-532 CB5-571 C910 CB515 Chromebook US Layout.
- 【❌❌❌NOT Fit Acer Chromebook 15 with Numeric Keypad】The Cover Does Not fit 15.6" Acer Chromebook 315 CB315 & Acer Chromebook 715 CB715 with Numeric Keypad, 17.3" Acer Chromebook 317 CB317 with Numeric Keypad Laptop.(Search ASIN: B09L8779PV for it)
- 【US KEYBOARD LAYOUT】Designed for US keyboard layout, you can distinguish: US TYPE: "Enter" key is a rectangle,like normal keys, EU TYPE: "Enter" key is like "7",shape not like other keys. Please do check your "Enter" key's shape avoid buying wrongly
- 【ULTRA THIN & PREMIUM SILICONE MATERIAL】Amazing 0.12MM thickness, real THIN, maximize to restore the original typing experience. Made of Eco-Friendly silicone material.Perfectly fit for each keys with all-around protection. The latest design with every key individually molded to its unique color. Every key is printed on clear silicone for a long lasting professional look.
- 【WASHABLE & REUSABLE】The chromebook silicone cover can be washed by soapy water and make it as clean as a new one. Just put it back on the keyboard when it get dry enough.
2. Ergonomic Laptop Stand
Sure you could just plop your teen’s laptop on the table and call it a day. An ergonomic stand is far more back- and neck-friendly, though. This one is highly rated and affordable.
- Heat Dissipation: With the open back design it offers the best ventilation and airflow needed to cool either your notebook or gaming laptop and preventing it from Overheating. And the rubber pads and aluminum alloy acts as a thermal pad to take the heat of too.
- Broader Compatibility: Nulaxy C3 Laptop Stand is compatible with all laptops between in 10-16 inches such as MacBook 12/ 13 MacBook Air 13 Macbook Pro 13/ 15 Google Pixelbook Dell XPS HP ASUS Lenovo ThinkPad Acer Chromebook and other notebook PC computer sizes between in 10-16 inches.
- Ergonomic Riser: The Laptop stand works as a riser to elevate the laptop screen to 7’’ and brings it to a perfect eye level to fix your posture. The ergonomic riser will help reduce neck and back pain, reduce eye strain creating extra space giving you the option to work without any clutter on your desk. Note: We suggest you to use an external Bluetooth keyboard and mouse because our testing showed that it might be a little wobbly while you type on the laptop keyboard.
- Sturdy & Protective Design: Made with premium 5mm aluminum alloy this laptop stand is study and is able to support laptop weighing up to 22 lbs (10kg) and with the large rubber pads on the surface it will hold it steady too. We also have pads on the bottom to prevent it from sliding and protecting your laptop from any unwanted harm.
- Detachable & Simple Installation: This laptop stand has premium CNC cut aluminum alloy material that will make sure it’s easy to reassemble and fits perfectly without any issues. With our easy to disassemble design you can easily detach it into 3 parts and store it to keep your desktop clean.
3. USB Hub
Chromebooks and laptops don’t really come with enough USB ports, especially if your teen uses a lot of peripherals like mine does. This one is compatible with pretty much everything, so you can swap it from Chromebook to MacBook to PC.
4. External Mouse
Trackpads on laptops are awful, in my opinion. Attaching an external mouse makes things so much easier, especially when your teen has to click those teeny, tiny little boxes during quizzes and what not. This one comes in a bunch of cute colors, works with Chromebooks, and is fairly inexpensive, too.
- 2.4GHz Wireless ensures reliable connection with a long working distance of up to 10m and 250Hz super high speed rate of return, which eliminates delays, dropouts and interference.
- Cute Animals matte surface, quiet & ergonomic design and comfortable cherry wheel provide all-day comfort for work and entertainment, portable and perfect for travel as well, just enjoy it with its silent click.
- Intelligent power saving design eliminates the need to change batteries often. The wireless mouse will enter into power saving mode after 5 minutes free, click left or right button to wake it when you want it to work again, so the on and off switch is not required.
- A tiny USB Nano receiver (stored within the back of the mouse) conveniently slots into your computer's USB port, and takes up minimal space. No need to drive, plug and play directly.
- Work with Laptop, Notebook, Computer, PC, Mac, Chrome book and more. 30 days money-back & 6-months guaranty, when you are not satisfied with our product, please don't hesitate to get a after-sale service, we will give you a satisfied response within 24 hours.
5. Kindle Fire HD 10
Why would you need a Kindle if you’re getting a Chromebook or laptop? For the same reasons you’d get one even though you already have a personal computer- they’re highly portable, durable, and versatile. Use it for everything from reading assignments to watching educational videos. When the school day is over, it becomes an affordable entertainment device.
- 10.1" 1080p full HD display; 32 or 64 GB of internal storage (add up to 512 GB with microSD)
- Now 30% faster thanks to the new 2.0 GHz octa-core processor and 2 GB of RAM
- Longer battery life—Up to 12 hours of reading, browsing the web, watching video, and listening to music
- Hands-free with Alexa, including on/off toggle
- 2 MP front and rear-facing cameras with 720p HD video recording
- Stay on track – Check email, make video calls, update shopping lists, and set reminders. Use your favorite apps like Zoom, Outlook, and OneNote
- Now with USB-C and faster charging. Includes a USB-C cable & 9W power adapter in the box
- 1-year limited warranty
- Enjoy your favorite apps like Netflix, Facebook, Hulu, Instagram, TikTok, and more through Amazon’s Appstore (Google Play not supported)
- Picture-in-Picture viewing with Netflix, STARZ, Pinterest, MLB At Bat and more
6. External CD/DVD Drive
Very few laptops and Chromebooks come with internal CD/DVD drives, so if your kids plan to use CD-ROMS (some old-school programs use them) or just wants to use his Chromebook to watch DVDs, you’ll need an external one. This model has great reviews and doesn’t cost a fortune.
- Plug & Play. Easy to use,powered by USB port. No external driver and Power needed. Just plug it into your USB port and the DVD driver will be detected
- High Speed. Compatible with USB3. 0 and backwards compatible with USB2. 0 , bringing faster data transmission speed (up to a maximum of 5Gbps) and stable performance with strong fault tolerance
- Intelligent tech. Designed with eject button so that you never have to worry about your disc getting stuck inside this external CD/DVD drive. The copper mesh technology of this external component, you can be rest assured of stable data transmission
- Trendy design. Brushed texture shell brings trendy sight and touch enjoyment. Embedded cable design, worry- off cable missing any when and where
- Wide Compartibility. Ideal for various devices. It supports Windows XP/2003/Vista/7/8. 1/10, Linux, all version Mac OS system. For the desktops, Please connect the device to the back USB port of the motherboard for normal use
7. Plenty of back and neck support
- Heat Dissipation: With the open back design it offers the best ventilation and airflow needed to cool either your notebook or gaming laptop and preventing it from Overheating. And the rubber pads and aluminum alloy acts as a thermal pad to take the heat of too.
- Broader Compatibility: Nulaxy C3 Laptop Stand is compatible with all laptops between in 10-16 inches such as MacBook 12/ 13 MacBook Air 13 Macbook Pro 13/ 15 Google Pixelbook Dell XPS HP ASUS Lenovo ThinkPad Acer Chromebook and other notebook PC computer sizes between in 10-16 inches.
- Ergonomic Riser: The Laptop stand works as a riser to elevate the laptop screen to 7’’ and brings it to a perfect eye level to fix your posture. The ergonomic riser will help reduce neck and back pain, reduce eye strain creating extra space giving you the option to work without any clutter on your desk. Note: We suggest you to use an external Bluetooth keyboard and mouse because our testing showed that it might be a little wobbly while you type on the laptop keyboard.
- Sturdy & Protective Design: Made with premium 5mm aluminum alloy this laptop stand is study and is able to support laptop weighing up to 22 lbs (10kg) and with the large rubber pads on the surface it will hold it steady too. We also have pads on the bottom to prevent it from sliding and protecting your laptop from any unwanted harm.
- Detachable & Simple Installation: This laptop stand has premium CNC cut aluminum alloy material that will make sure it’s easy to reassemble and fits perfectly without any issues. With our easy to disassemble design you can easily detach it into 3 parts and store it to keep your desktop clean.
8. Headset
Wearing earbuds all day is actually super bad for your teen’s ears, so an over-the-ears headset is essential. I know this is a gaming headset, but it’s the pair that I use to watch Netflix and whatnot on my Kindle (i just tuck the mic out of the way). It’s very comfortable, and the sound is fantastic.
9. A good surge protector
With all the devices you’ll be plugging in, this one is absolutely vital. I like the Belkin model because it has swiveling outlets, so you can actually get everything plugged in rather than have a large brick take up half the strip.
- MULTI-OUTLET SURGE PROTECTOR: Turn 1 outlet into 12 surge-protected AC outlets with a compact power extension cord with 8-foot cable. Get power to multiple computing devices and peripherals, from iPhones, tablets and smartphones to laptops and projectors.
- COMPACT, SPACE-SAVING PIVOT OUTLETS: Designed with 8 rotating outlets and 4 widely spaced stationary outlets, as well as an efficient cord-management system to provides you with a clutter-free desk and all-day power.
- SAFEGUARD YOUR DEVICES & APPLIANCES: This extender has been run through extensive testing to ensure your expensive computers, monitors, hard drives, home theaters, and other appliances are protected by 4,320 joules of overcurrent and overload protection.
- SAFETY LIGHT INDICATOR: This convenient surge protector features a safety indicator light to put your mind at ease while charging. The "Protected" indicator light lets you know your equipment is secure or if your outlet needs to be readjusted.
- RELIABLE SURGE PROTECTOR: Secure your electronic devices from overload, short circuit, power spikes, lightning strikes, or fluctuations. Plus, you can purchase with confidence as it is protected by $300,000 Connected Equipment Warranty.
10.Digital Graphics Tablet
If your kids are taking art online, grab them a graphics tablet. Trust me, it’s a lot easier than trying to scan and upload their non-digital designs!
- 【Battery-Free Pen】StarG640 drawing tablet is the perfect replacement for a traditional mouse! The XPPen advanced Battery-free PN01 stylus does not require charging, allowing for constant uninterrupted Draw and Play, making lines flow quicker and smoother, enhancing overall performance.
- 【Ideal for Online Education】XPPen G640 graphics tablet is designed for digital drawing, painting, sketching, E-signatures, online teaching, remote work, photo editing, it's compatible with Microsoft Office apps like Word, PowerPoint, OneNote, Zoom, Xsplit etc. Works perfect than a mouse, visually present your handwritten notes, signatures precisely.
- 【Compact and Portable】The G640 art tablet is only 2mm thick, it's as slim as all primary level graphic tablets, allowing you to carry it with you on the go.
- 【Chromebook Supported】XPPen G640 digital drawing tablet is ready to work seamlessly with Chromebook devices now, so you can create information-rich content and collaborate with teachers and classmates on Google Jamboard’s whiteboard; Take notes quickly and conveniently with Google Keep, and effortlessly sketch diagrams with the Google Canvas.
- 【Multipurpose Use】Designed for playing OSU! Game, digital drawing, painting, sketch, sign documents digitally, this writing tablet also compatible with Microsoft Office programs like Word, PowerPoint, OneNote and more. Create mind-maps, draw diagrams or take notes as replacement for mouse.
11. Thinkster Math Tutoring
I know it’s not really a supply so much as a service, but Thinkser Math is great for kids of all ages who struggle with math class. I’m thinking about using it for Jake, since math is the one thing I can’t help him with at all. I haven’t understood his assignments since he was in 5th grade! I’m just that bad with numbers.
Get Started with your 1 Week Free Trial of Thinkster Math Today!
Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
