Have you heard about Silly Bandz yet? Chances are if you have a child under the age of 12, you know what they are. These colorful rubber bands come in a variety of themed shapes (rock and roll, space, animals, beachtime, etc..) and have the amazing ability to be stretched and worn around the wrist and then snap back into whatever incredible shape they were initially. I don’t know how this works. If I did, I would test the technology on my post-baby stomach and snap it back into it’s pre-baby state.
These rubber bands cost about five bucks for a pack of 20, so they are not outrageously priced, but I do realize they cost probably less than a nickle to manufacture. Someone is making a fortune on these stupid things!! They immediately exploded onto the elementary school scene and Learning Express couldn’t keep them in stock. Urban legends sprung up about mysterious “rare” bands like a glow in the dark astronaut that was worth gold on the lunch time exchange market, if you could find one. I saw kids in the hallways of school with the bands stacked up their arms like the rubberized bangles Madonna wore back in the day (remember those?).
But just as most fads have, an ugly side arose. Bandz bullies (mostly the girls) made fun of kids without “enough” of the cool ones and the boys immediately used them to launch a rubber band offensive across classrooms and lunchrooms, popping one another, and occasionally an errant teacher, with a small, stinging snap. Our school administration had enough and declared a ban on Silly Bandz in our school. The classes fell silent at the announcement over the intercom except for an occasional muffled sobbing sound, and that was the end of that. But there will be another craze to take it’s place by next school year. I am working on a couple of ideas that will make me a million dollars and they involve either edible pencil erasers or fully stocked minibars in the teacher’s lounge….
What fads have you seen in the schools or with your kids?
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Tags: fads, million dollar idea, schools, Silly Bandz
The edible pencil erasers is how I would go…grab your patent papers and get them filled out immediately…LOL
Back in my day, garbage pail kids were banned for their crude nature.
I don’t know Diane, I am leaning towards the minibar in the teacher’s lounge
Niki, I remember those gross things! My younger brothers used to torture me with them!
I kind of liked the “bands” I bought a bunch.
I think the fads, back in my day, were collecting The Beatles bubblegum cards, and Dr. Kildare shirts!!!!
Bonnie you make me laugh-Beatles bubblegum?
Back in my day, garbage pail kids were banned for their crude nature.
Bonnie you make me laugh-Beatles bubblegum?