ARLINGTON — Families will have a chance to prepare for school while acquainting themselves with Arlington’s downtown merchants during the Aug. 30 “Back to School Scavenger Hunt,” sponsored by the Downtown Arlington Business Association.

Nola Smith, owner of the School Box on Olympic Avenue, explained that the hunt starts at 10:30 a.m. and is open to all school-age children, each of whom will receive a prize for participating.

The two-dozen merchants participating in the hunt will have a picture of a school bus in their windows and all of them will be dispensing special check-lists, printed to look like backpacks, of all the participating merchants.

“Every participating business will have an apple inside, which the kids will need to find,” Smith said. “Once they do, that merchant will give them a sticker for that business. Every kid who fills up their card with stickers can then come to the School Box and receive their prize.”

The prizes will be school supplies, including rulers which display all of the American presidents to date. The first five children to turn in completed cards will receive grand prizes of up to $25 in value.

“It’s our first annual kick-off of the scavenger hunt,” Smith said. “It’s a great opportunity for kids to meet the merchants and receive prizes to get themselves ready for school.”

“Make a full day of it,” said fellow Olympic Avenue merchant Julie Tate. “The Local Scoop is holding its arm-wrestling contest at 2 p.m., so you can have some lunch there or in the park and really have fun with it.”