Cool Tools for School

These fun finds for school days are practical, too. Get kids up and going on time, fine tune the soundtrack to their school year, and get the latest in free homework help.

By Amy Crelly

Tick-Tock
If your late bird likes the snooze button a little too much, try these fun and ultra-functional alarm clocks. Invented by a night-owl engineering student determined to make her morning classes, Clocky is the robot alarm clock that dodges snooze button slaps by actually leaping off the nightstand and racing around your kiddo’s room (noisily), forcing your sleepy head to get up and give chase.

Just like Clocky, Tocky leaps and rolls out of reach, but with a built-in MP3 player (USB cord comes with), Tocky lets kids pick a favorite song to get up (and dance) to. Or, record a custom wake-up call to get ‘em moving in the morning, whether it’s breakfast bribes or motivational messages. Here’s to fewer tardy slips this school year!

Clocky ($44) is available at Nordstrom (Arden Fair/Sacramento). Clocky ($39) and Tocky ($69) are also available at NandaHome.com.

Pop Rocks!

Super-charged Seattle kindie rock band The Not-Its! unleashed their latest this summer: Tag, You’re It! While their somewhat bubble-gummy sound may be a little too sweet for most parents to handle all in one sitting, several tracks are practically guaranteed to put grins on both grown-ups and kids. “Hank Is a Rock Star” is a fun one, and “Great to Be a Kid” is a pop anthem for all seasons. Want to watch your kids go wide-eyed and smiley? Play them the intro to “Puppy Dog.” (I dare ya!) Definitely download “Carry Me,” a mellower but still funny-cuz-it’s-true track that has smiles punctuating each stanza of the lyrics. While you’re at it, get “Green Light, Go!” too (from a previous album)—it’s a catchy little number built to kick-start any all-ages dance party!

Take a listen, watch videos, or score coloring book pages and sing-along lyrics, at WeAreTheNot-Its.com.

Homework + Help = Happy Homes

Sophia.org is a fast-growing—and free!—online education resource. A sort of Facebook-meets-Wikipedia-meets-YouTube, but entirely focused on education, the site offers academic tutorials in learner-friendly formats, 24/7 and in an ad-free environment. So, whether you need to brush up on a Geometry concept before helping your aspiring mathlete or your budding essayist needs a go-to source for grammar answers, adding Sophia to your toolbar is a bright idea.

Families seeking free homework help online should also check out Sacramento Library's newly redesigned Homework Help Now website, which instantly connects 3^rd through 12^th graders with expert tutors who can help them tackle homework problems, master new skills, and tame term paper assignments. Students can access this online service daily, between 1pm and 11pm, by visiting SacLib.org. Click on the Kids or Teens section, and select Homework Help Now!

A library card is all you need to access the site. Still need to get that particular school supply for your little scholar? September is Library Card Sign-up Month. (Who knew?) So, your timing is perfect. Parents just need to show a photo ID and proof of address to get cards for their kids. You can even set restrictions so kids can’t check out R-rated DVDs (just speak with a library staff member). Having a library card also gives kids access to a ton of free programs and fun library events happening throughout the year.

Get free academic lessons and tutorials at Sophia.org or SacLib.org.