The most overlooked office supply has to be the humble spiral bound graph paper notebook. Great for doing math problems, making seating charts, and for teaching kids the basics of computer programming or architectural design, this is a versatile notebook that has the potential to grow with a child up into college.

Laser printer labels can be printed with family names and stuck into a spiral bound graph paper notebook to make an organized, readable family tree.

Small 3 ring binders are just made for a variety of notebooks. English composition homework goes into the lined notebooks, while graph paper notebooks are perfect for doodling and planning creative projects.

Wholesale bubble envelopes can be included in any three ring binder to hold keys, lunch passes, and important toys that can get easily lost in a backpack. A spiral bound graph paper notebook can be used to trace toys in order to learn math skills like estimation and area.

Small binder rings can be attached to any notebook to make sure that keys don’t get lost, and a sheet of printable sticker labels should always be included in case food is brought to school and needs to be labeled with the child’s name or homeroom.

Most people find clutter to be distracting and a hindrance to work. In the right hands, creativity can be messy but not cluttered, complicated and exuberant but still organized and educational. After all, 50% of all the paper produced in America still goes into notebooks, many of which are used by school-aged children.

America is increasingly shifting toward computer use and online sales (nearly half of all college kids are turning to the internet to purchase back-to-school items), but the classic spiral bound graph paper notebook is still holding strong and providing many opportunities for imaginative play.