The instant I set foot in my daughter's school, WHAM! I was overwhelmed by the scent of Eau de School. It's a heady blend that brings back memories of cafeteria lunches, sweaty locker rooms, musty textbooks, and more. School scents can be powerful memory triggers, so don't be surprised if the smells in your child's school send you on a powerful nostalgia trip. Here are a few to keep an eye (or rather nose) out for this fall.
Image © Randy Faris/Corbis
Crayons
This waxy scent is one of the best, harkening back to scribbling pictures in art class. And if it was a new set with 64 colors and a sharpener? Heaven.
Square Pizza
I remember my puzzlement the first day I got pizza in school: Why is it square? Nonetheless, it tasted cheesy, strangely sweet, and fantastic, so I didn't complain.
School Library
Barnes & Noble can't compete with the musty, dusty scent of a school library — a treasure trove of stories and need-to-know info from The Little Prince to Where the Sidewalk Ends.
Chalkboard Erasers
In many schools, chalkboards have been replaced by white boards, and this is a shame. Few things are more fun than clapping two erasers together and poof! You're enveloped in a cloud of chalk dust.
Pigs in a Blanket
Yet another cafeteria highlight: mini hot dogs rolled in pastry dough! There's little not to love about this finger food; serve 'em up at an adult dinner party and we'll wager they'll be gone in seconds.
Playground Ball
Kickball, dodgeball, soccer… gym class wouldn't exist if it weren't for these all-purpose orbs. Their rubbery scent alone can bring on an adrenaline rush.
Glue or Paste
This art class staple also had a very distinctive and oddly pleasant smell — so much so that kids would occasionally eat the stuff. Plus, if you "accidentally" got it on your fingers, it was fun to peel off later.
Sloppy Joes
This beefy goodness on a bun is another one of those signature meals served up in school. The only downside, really, is that it squirts out the end you're not eating and makes a mess.
Pink Erasers
There's no math mistake that can't be undone with a rubbery pink eraser. Whether it's the tiny nub on top of a pencil or larger, they all come in handy and smell uh-mazing.
That Sawdust Janitors Sprinkle on Puke
Last but not least: Remember when Jimmy upchucked on his desk? And how the janitor sprinkled that pink sawdust on top? Like kitty litter, it's supposed to absorb smells, and maybe it did, but it also seemed to have a scent all its own. Still, it beats what's underneath it any day, so we're glad it's around.
