With back-to-school season comes back-to-school shopping and increased spending.
It can be a stressful time for teachers who are stocking their classrooms and for parents, covering the cost of school supplies, uniforms and more.
To help ease this burden, many major retailers, restaurants and brands are offering special discounts and freebies.
From class pets to pancake stacks, there are plenty of deals for teachers and families to take advantage of.
For Teachers
AncestryClassroom
The Scene
The most fun things to do and places to be in D.C., Maryland and Virginia
Ancestry.com has developed AncestryClassroom to provide educators access to all the original and primary documents of Ancestry's World Explorer Collection, Fold3 and Newspapers.com.
These historical record collections are offered at no cost to "help students find their personal place in history."
Bar Louie
Teachers can save 10% on food at Bar Louie between Aug. 12 — Sept. 30. Valid in-store only with a valid teacher ID.
Canva
Canva for Education is free for K-12 teachers and students. They can create and personalize lesson plans, infographics, posters, videos, and more.
Colgate
Kindergarten and First Grade teachers can request a free Bright Smiles, Bright Futures classroom kit, full of classroom materials that support curriculum standards, plus Colgate toothpaste and toothbrush samples for up to 72 students.
Crayola Experience
Certified PreK-12th-grade teachers can receive a free Annual Pass for unlimited admission to all Crayola Experience locations. Plus, receive 20% off on-site purchases including food, merchandise and more.
To receive the offer, present a current teaching certificate and photo ID at the admissions counter.
Headspace
If you're looking for a new way to bring calm to your classroom, Headspace offers free access to K-12 teachers and supporting staff.
Sign up for a free subscription.
Jetbrains
Students and faculty from accredited educational institutions (high schools, colleges, and universities) are welcome to apply for a free educational license to learn or teach coding from Jetbrains.
Free access to all JetBrains IDEs is available for personal use at school or home.
Lysol x The GIANT Room
First and second-grade teachers are invited to sign up to receive free Lysol Mini Labs Science Kits.
The kits will be donated to a limited number of Title 1 elementary schools around the United States at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year.
Each selected classroom will receive a total of three Lysol Minilabs Science Kits throughout the school year. The kits include hands-on materials for the whole classroom, engaging lesson plans aligned with NGSS Standards, and resources for teachers for easy and effective implementation.
Pets in the Classroom
Teachers who are willing to do a little extra work in the form of a grant application can get a free pet for their classroom through this program.
Applications for the 2024-25 school year are now open. Apply here.
Thrive Market
Teachers qualify for a free one-year membership through Thrive Gives. With a Thrive Market membership, customers save up to 30% on every order, versus buying from a store.
Quickbooks
Current educators, students and staff at accredited U.S educational institutions are eligible for free trials of Intuit software. Students can take an Intuit Entrepreneurial Finance course, become certified as a bookkeeping professional and more.
Register to confirm eligibility.
Vooks
Teachers can sign up for a free Vooks account.
Vooks is a digital library of children’s storybooks brought to life with subtle animation, read-aloud narration, engaging music and sound, and read-along highlighted text that's a great addition to any classroom.
Year-Round Discounts
Teach for America has organized a list of dozens of discounts and deals from Apple, Headspace, Party City and more. See the entire list here.
For Families
Burger King
Between Aug. 12 — 25, Burger King rewards members can score a free King. Jr. Meal with a purchase of $10 or more.
Elevation Burger
Customers can get a free kid’s meal when they buy an adult burger, sandwich or chicken tenders between Aug. 12 — 18. Make sure to mention the promotion in-store or use code Back2School24 for online checkout.
IHOP
IHOP's popular all-you-can-eat pancake offer is happening now through Sept. 15. Bring your kids and start a sweet first day of school tradition with one of these offers:
- Order select breakfast combos and get an all-you-can-eat short stack of buttermilk pancakes for free (extra pancake stacks are served two at a time).
- Order a full stack of five buttermilk pancakes for $5 and get upgraded to all-you-can-eat status for no additional charge. The additional pancake stacks (after your first five) are served two at a time.
Instacart
Instacart is running a week of back-to-school deals between Aug. 13 and 19 with up to 25% off school supplies, groceries and convenience items.
Johnny Rockets
Treat your kid to a free kid's meal at Johnny Rocket's when you purchase an adult entree now through Aug. 18. To redeem the offer, mention the promotion to your server in-store.
Panda Express
From August 22 through September 8, guests who purchase $30 or more in gift cards will receive an $8 bonus card.
The $8 bonus card can be used from August 22 to October 8, 2024. The offer is only available online but can be redeemed both online and in-stores.
P.F. Chang's
P.F. Chang’s wants to help make your dinner plans a breeze with their new back-to-school bundle. The three-course family-style meal comes with a choice of soup or salad, an appetizer and a choice of entrees for each guest. The bundle starts at under $20 per person and is available through Sept. 30.
Smoothie King
Now through Aug. 29, kids can get a free 12-ounce smoothie with the purchase of any 20-ounce or larger smoothie at participating Smoothie King locations.
The offer is valid Monday — Thursday between 2 — 6 p.m. and is valid in-store and, for rewards members, in the Smoothie King app.
Whataburger
Kids eat free every Tuesday in August with the purchase of any meal (including a kid’s meal) at Whataburger.
The free meal applies to everything on the kid’s menu, including grilled cheese, Justaburger, a two-piece Whatachick’n Strips or four-piece Whatchick’n Bites. The offer is valid for dine-in and drive-thru orders only.
Contests
Hefty Zoo Pals
Enter for a chance to win a Hefty Zoo Pals Meal Kit complete with the nostalgic Zoo Pals plates, limited-edition Zoo Pals-themed sandwich cutters, cups and coasters. No purchase is necessary. Ends Aug. 28, 2024.
Quaker Oats
Enter for a chance to win an adorable school-themed lunch thermos. No purchase is necessary. Ends Sept. 13, 2024.
