14 School Supplies That Were a Total Distraction
Here's a list of school supplies that were more about fun and fidgeting than function.
- Alyana Aguja
- 4 min read
Classrooms of the past were filled with quirky school supplies that often stole the spotlight from actual learning. From scented pens and neon folders to slap bracelets and erasers shaped like sushi, these items turned desks into playgrounds. While marketed as tools for education, many became distractions that teachers had to manage, and students secretly loved.
1. Scented Gel Pens
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These pens came in a rainbow of colors and sugary scents like watermelon, bubblegum, and grape. Kids spent more time sniffing their notes or doodling scented hearts than actually learning. The ink also smudged easily, leaving sticky hands and stained papers.
2. Mechanical Pencils with Twistable Erasers
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The novelty of a pencil with an endlessly twistable eraser distracted students who couldn’t resist spinning it all class. Some even wore it down without writing a single word. It was more of a fidget toy than a writing tool.
3. Trapper Keepers
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With their loud Velcro closures and flashy ’90s designs, Trapper Keepers were a spectacle. Every time a student opened one, it sounded like tearing open a bag of chips. Teachers dreaded the noise, and classmates often peeked to see the colorful artwork on the covers.
4. Troll Doll Pencil Toppers
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These fuzzy-headed creatures made pencils nearly unusable. Students spent more time brushing their troll’s neon hair than doing arithmetic. They often fell off mid-writing, creating even more chaos.
5. Lisa Frank Folders and Notebooks
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Bright unicorns, dolphins, and glittery tigers covered everything. Kids would trade and compare them more than take actual notes. Entire recess periods were spent organizing their Lisa Frank collection.
6. Pencil Boxes with Secret Compartments
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Some of these had pop-out drawers, rotating sharpeners, and hidden buttons. Students treated them like spy gadgets instead of basic storage. Opening one became a performance that could stall the whole class.
7. Erasers Shaped Like Food or Animals
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These erasers were so cute, you’d never want to use them. Kids played with them like toys, especially during group work. They crumbled easily and didn’t even erase well.
8. Clickable Multi-Color Pens
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Switching between red, green, blue, and black ink with a single click was a thrill. The constant clicking drove teachers mad, and students used them more for fidgeting than writing. It became a contest to see who could click through all the colors the fastest.
9. Slap Bracelets Disguised as Rulers
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Sold as dual-purpose tools, these “rulers” quickly turned into fashion accessories. Students wore and slapped them all day, disrupting class. They eventually got banned in many schools for causing too much noise and distraction.
10. Wite-Out Pens and Correction Tape
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Fixing a mistake became an art form with these supplies. Kids decorated their notebooks with thick layers of correction tape or dotted Wite-Out designs. Often, they used more to decorate than to correct.
11. Foldable Scissors
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While useful in theory, foldable scissors turned into classroom toys. Students opened and closed them repeatedly, like mini switchblades. Some even used them to mimic sound effects during lessons.
12. Pencil Grips in Wild Shapes and Colors
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These squishy accessories promised better handwriting but mostly served as toys. Kids would take them off, trade them, or squeeze them like stress balls. They often got lost or ended up as chew toys.
13. Binder Clip Chains
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One student figured out you could link binder clips together, and suddenly it was a trend. Entire chains dangled from desks or backpacks. Teachers had to confiscate these homemade accessories more than once.
14. Highlighters in Every Color Imaginable
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Instead of actually highlighting text, kids used them to create rainbow borders and ink tattoos. Some would “highlight” entire pages just to see how neon it could get. The smell of the markers also became a weird fascination.