Our Back to School Essentials for September

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It’s hard to believe there are days left until the end of the Summer holidays – despite it feeling like we haven’t had much in the way of sun at all. Before we know it, it will be September, (hopefully an Indian Summer) and we will be preparing for the return of the morning madness. THIS IS NOT A DRILL!

I have been lucky enough to have 2 weeks off work during the 6-week break and whilst it’s been a fairly low-key summer, it’s been lovely to spend some quality time with my girls away from the juggle of working two jobs and managing childcare. This September, my eldest starts her first year at secondary school and my youngest a brand new juniors, so it’s a huge transition for all of us. Both girls are super excited to continue their learning see their friends.

If like many of us parents, you aren’t quite Back to School ready for the start of term yet, here are some of our Back to School Essentials you might want to check out before September!

Get organised with a Family Planner

Every year I try and keep on top of everything I need to remember when the kids go back to school and every year I really struggle. With two children at two different schools, it can feel almost impossible to keep track of all the PE kit days, school trips, plays, fetes and school projects and no one wants to be the parent that sends their kids to school in uniform when they could be wearing their own clothes (and yes, I’ve actually done that – twice!)

The Family Home Planner from BoxClever Press is a great place to start for parents attempting to get organised in 2024/5. A 16-month calendar starting in September 2024, it has a six-column layout, allowing you to visually keep track of where every family member needs to be and when. There are even bright and colourful reminder stickers in a handy pouch at the back, helping make key events such as birthdays, holidays, term dates and dentist appointments stand out.

If you really want to focus on school organisation, BoxClever Press also sell a separate School Calendar & Diaries sticker pack, with a wider range of school-related stickers including Event’, ‘Trip’, ‘School’s out’, ‘Back to school’, ‘Exam’, ‘Match’, ‘Play’, ‘Presentation’, ‘Essay due’ and ‘Revision’ meaning you’ve no excuses for not knowing what is happening each day. If this doesn’t work – nothing will 😉 – wish me luck!

Select the School Uniform

It’s always making sure your child’s school uniform still fits and is in good condition before the start of term and if your child has had a growth spurt during the summer holidays, you may need to invest in the next size up.

If you’re looking for affordable uniforms that are both great value and easy to care for, you can’t go wrong with the new Back to School Range at Tesco.

Thanks to their permanent pleat technology, their skirts and trousers don’t need any skilled ironing to have them looking crisp and fresh, whilst their adjustable waistbands ensure a secure and comfortable fit, even for children like Erin who are very slight and slim on the was it. The easy-iron shirts are sold in convenient packs of three. whilst the Tesco school jumpers and cardigans are dyed with colours that won’t fade, no matter how many times you put them through the washing machine, so those red jumpers will still be bold and bright when photo days come around.

Tesco school uniform also comes with a 1-year guarantee, so you can buy with confidence knowing that they’ll replace them free of charge if they don’t last – if only they could guarantee your child actually keeps them on their shoulders hey?!

Protect against head lice

Thanks to Vosene’s multi-award-winning hair care range – you’ve got one less thing to worry about. Their 3-in-1 Shampoo not only smells amazing – made with tea tree and lemon eucalyptus oils – but it’s also specially formulated with natural lice repellent active ingredients that can help keep pesky those head lice at bay.  

After shampooing, following up with the citronella oil Conditioning Defence Spray to help detangle and restore shine, helps to leave the girls’ hair protected against head lice – because no one wants some extra guests to contend with! 

Winner of the Marie Claire 2023 Best Kids Hair Range award, it’s suitable for daily use and is paediatric dermatologist tested and approved. The Vosene Kids range is available at Asda, Morrisons and Wilkinsons.

The Perfect Lunchbox and Drinks Bottle

If your child is taking their own lunch to school, it’s helpful to have a strong and durable lunch box to hygienically house their food.

We absolutely love the range from Linwood at Scandiborn. Not only do they have some really striking and unique designs, but these lightweight stainless steel containers are super easy to clean and do not retain colour of scent. With three handy compartments, there is plenty of space for lots of yummy snacks, whilst the flexible silicone lid is super straightforward for even young children to remove unassisted. We love the Leopard / Sandy design – perfect for picnics and summer.

Neve also fell in love with the LIewood Falk Water Bottle. Available in a choice of colourways and unique patterns, we loved this stunning pineapple design which adds a bit of personality into your school bag, Made from durable stainless steel that can keep 500ml of kids drinks cool for up to 24 hours(!) (or even hot drinks warm for 12) – they’re also completely unbreakable, durable and leak-free, making a far more sustainable choice to plastic.

The healthy lunch time snacks

It can be hard to find health lunchbox snacks that kids actually want to eat, and if a banana and some fruit just isn’t cutting it, these Organic Crunchy Waves are a great option. Available at all good supermarkets, you can pick between two flavours – tangy tomato or crazy carrot, they’re actually made from chickpeas – but your child will never know!

With a fun wave shape that kids will love, they have under 100 calories a bag and are made with 100% organic ingredients, no added salt, artificial colours or flavours. What’s not to love!? You can find these in any major supermarket.

Label everything with name labels

If your children are starting school for the first time, you may be yet to experience the talent that children have for losing things. You wouldn’t think it possible, but even shoes, book bags and cardigans can go missing, so most school parens will tell you – label absolutely everything.

Fear not however, gone are the days of labelling name labels by hand (so no need to hunt down your needle and thread). Stickerscape have a fab range of personalised school name labels in eye catching designs from dinosaurs and unicorns to animals, fairies and more. For older children, there are even some ombre watercolour and army patterns, whereas preschoolers will love their collaboration with Peppa Pig.

Each pack contains a variety of labels personalised with your Childs first and second name and they’re suitable for labelling pretty ache everything from lunchboxes to stationery and water bottles, whilst the iron on labels are ideal for clothing and textiles.

You can choose from 4 pack types, with prices starting at just £9.95 and even better, you also get 15% off your first order by signing up for the Stickerscape newsletter

Options of pack sizes include:
– A little mixed pack, which includes 46 name labels (some iron on and some stick on!)
– A big mixed pack, which includes 171 name labels (lots of iron on and lots of stick on!)
– A stick on pack, which includes 136 name labels (all stick on)
– An iron on pack, which includes 128 name labels (all iron on)

(Please note for privacy reasons I have blurred out Neve’s. surname on these designs)

The Perfect Fit School Shoes

Shopping for school shoes can be at times pretty stressful and right now, even the prospect of going into a shop and standing in a ticketed queue to have shoes fitted absolutely fills me with dread!

At Clarks, you can take the pressure off by booking a specific time slot online – then just turn up and have their trained fitting experts accurately measure your child’s perfect size and width, before assisting with fits and styles. All Clarks shoes even come with a fitting guarantee – so if your child outgrows them within 3 months of purchase, they’ll exchange them for another pair.

Don’t want to leave the house? Order a Clarks measure at home gauge online and you can carry out an accurate foot measurement from the comfort of your own home, allowing you to buy online with confidence.

Clarks have a huge range of school shoes to choose from. Not only are they made from high-quality materials, they also come in a range of whole and half sizes and a choice of widths – so your child can be comfortable all day long no matter how active they may be. Conscious of the rising cost of living, Clarks have even frozen the cost from 2023, a big plus point when tackling the high prices of back-to-school uniforms.

The girls picked their own pairs this year, but the Lock Shine Kids Black Patent shoes took me STRAIGHT back to my childhood – I’m not the only one who is old enough to remember the magic shoes advert right? Neve fell in love with the patent t-bar design with a printed sole and key buckle on the riptape strap. As well as looking great, these shoes are designed to aid children’s natural gait development, with super soft padded collars to support little feet and a foam footbed for all-day-long comfort. Children can get the riptape as tight as they need and its simple to do without assistance – no matter how pressured your mornings may be. If your kids are prone to stinky feet, you’ll also love the Microban odour control which can help keep shoes feeling fresh, even after substantial wear.

You can check out the full Clarks back to school range below

The Autumn / Winter Coat

Over the last couple of years, the girls schools have been doing more outdoor activities than ever before. Their outdoor explorer and forest school lessons, coupled with the fact we are trying to do more of the school commutes on foot, means we can never be too prepared for the UK’s unpredictable weather!

If you’re looking for hardy, warm and waterproof jackets that complement the school uniform and still look smart, then you really can’t go wrong with the Wheat Thermo Chardy Jacket. Made from super soft, lightweight and non restrictive fabric – it’s both waterproof and dirt resistant – making it simple to clean with a wet cloth for stress free maintenance after a muddy afternoon on the playground. 

We love the detachable hood, spacious ide pockets and elasticated cuffs for comfort.The jacket even has matching trousers or overalls, so you can get the complete rainwear set for younger children.

Wet weather wear

With the weather the way it’s been lately, it’s so hard to predict what coats and jackets to put the kids in for school and preschool. One minutes it’s monsoon rain, the next it’s warm and sunny. Spotty Otter has got the kids covered (quite literally) with this lightweight parkway waterproof jackets from the Forest Ranger collection.

Available in bold, vivid shades. theses bright and reflective jackets are made from soft and flexible wipe down PU fabric. which is both waterproof and windproof – even the seams are welded so no water is getting inside! We love the handy storm cap on the hood, elasticated cuffs and the zip that’s super easy to secure even for little hands.

No matter how much ‘treasure’ they collect on their travels. the two buttoned patch pockets can keep them safe.

Stay Connected

Will your child be walking to school for the first time this Autumn?

Xplora have recently launched the brand new XGO3 smartwatch for kids, a new edition of its predecessor, the XGO2.

Great for parents’ peace of mind, the XGO3 is the ideal first phone for children aged 5-12 now offering an improved camera, longer-lasting battery life, improved water resistance and a more sleek and lightweight design. The watch is available in five vibrant colours which includes orange, green, pink, black and blue.

The XGO3 allows kids to use a range of functions whilst remaining safe and secure. Children can make and receive voice calls from pre-saved numbers only, so they can communicate with friends or family without the risk of receiving any unsolicited calls.

With no social media, the device can also receive and reply to messages including text, emojis, images and voice messages but School Mode can be activated during the day, so only the SOS function works whilst in class. Children will love having fun with the 2MP camera and with 4GB storage, there is plenty of room to store photos.

The Xplora Connect is an affordable monthly subscription of £7.99 and there is no minimum term.

The XGO3 also encourages kids to stay active, with a step-counter and the award-winning Goplay platform where children can play games to earn rewards.

The Xplora XGO3 has an RRP of £139.99 from Amazon.

Personalise their bag

With kids all tending to go for the same designs and brands of rucksacks and school bags, it can be hard to make them stand out from the crowd. These CraftBuddy crystal art keyring sets are a fun way to add a touch of personality – available in a choice of designs including Harry Potter, Angel and Stitch, LOL and DIsney.

Each Crystal Art Bag Charms kit comes with everything you need to complete the project, with a pre tacky character and all the sparkling tiny resin rhinestones, wax, pick up pen and tray needed to bring these characters to life. Not only is it super fun and relaxing to create, it also comes with a clip-on hanger so you easily put on any backpacks, laptop pouches or lunchboxes so its instantly recognizable. You’ll even find space to write your child name and class on the back!

Handwriting Help

As Mum to a left-handed child, I know only too well some of the extra challenges that arise for lefties when learning to write legibly and manage simple tasks like cutting paper and sharpening pencils.

Thankfully did you know that Stabilo have an entire range completely dedicated to left handed children?

The Stabilo EASYBundle has everything your child needs in their pencil case for KS1 and comes in three colour sets.

The STABILO EASYstart handwriting bundle – Key Stage 1 includes:

• 1x STABILO EASYoriginal handwriting rollerball pen – the official pen licence pen with a moulded grip zone and tip that makes it extremely easy to refill with no mess. There’s even a handy space for personalisation so they don’t get lost. The STABILO EASYoriginal is the first ergonomic rollerball specially designed for left or right handers, ensuring your child is happy and comfortable when they write.
• 1x STABILO EASYgraph graphite handwriting pencil – The EASYgraph is the first ergonomic handwriting pencil with versions for right handers and left handers. It has a triangular shape and moulded grip zones along the whole shaft ensure a relaxed hand posture and correct grip
• 1x STABILO EASYsharpener – Especially developed for left or right-handers, it’s ergonomic grip ensures a secure hold. A safety screw is included in the sharpener to prevent injury to children

Stabilo Easyergo Retractable Pencil

The STABILO EASYergo 1.4 is recommended by teachers, occupational therapists, special needs experts and approved by the National Handwriting Association.

With a 1.4 mm lead and ergonomic shape which makes writing more comfortable, it is perfect for developing and perfecting handwriting. The sturdy and cushioned tip helps prevent breakage and is self sharpening, so your child will never have a dull pencil in their pencil case again!

You can learn more about the STABILO left handed range at the STABILO shop.

Learning through play

Finally, if you are looking to support some of the kids learning at home, Orchard Toys have a great range of educational, interactive and fun games that the whole family can enjoy together. The learning is so subtly engrained within the game play that the girls hardly even notice they are learning! We are HUGE fans of Orchard Toys in this house and can’t recommend them highly enough.

Here are two of our favourite recent additions to the Orchard Toys range which are ideal for supporting your child’s English and spelling at home.

Slimy Rhymes 

This game was a real hit with Neve in particular (nearly 6) and the feather really had everyone laughing out loud!

Starting with a selection of green slime cards, children must take it in turns to chose a purple slime card from those lay face down on the table. If the card rhymes with any of their green cards, they must think of a silly sentence that uses both words. Before they say it out loud however, they spin the spinner to find out what style they need to say it in – from holding their nose, using a squeaky voice of said with their teeth together!

It was hilarious listening to Neve’s (at times quite random!) sentences, and watching her ‘feed’ the slime monster after coming out with her rhyming line.

The winner is the first player to post all their green cards into the slime monster’s mouth.

Slimy Rhymes is lots of fun and has some great educational benefits, including reading and identifying words that rhyme, learning how to use them in context, listening to other players share their ideas and discussion and social skills too.

Speed Spelling 

Speed Spelling is a fast-paced literacy and spelling game for children age 5-8 that is designed to make spelling practice fun in a way that your child will completely forget they are learning!

Picking up letters from the board in front of them, players race to spell their complete word before the timer runs out. If they don’t make it in time, the word is passed to the next player to finish it off! The fast paced and pressurised nature of this game adds some anticipation and excitement as the other players attempt to ‘steal’ the words when the timer runs out. It can however be played without the timer if you want to involve younger players who may want to practise spelling without the pressure.

Speed Spelling can be used to develop letter recognition skills and discussion. You can check out all the other new release games at Orchard Toys.

Yoto back to school range

It’s no secret that we’re huge fans of Yoto for screen free fun. As part of their huge library of engaging and entertaining stories, games and educational titles, Yoto also have a wide selection of Yoto cards that are ideal for children starting school.

We love the I’m Ready for Big School card – a selection of fun stories from Ladybird that help children to feel more comfortable and familiar with the new changes to their routine (as well as giggling along to My Teacher is an Alien).

More practically, the Yoto Phonics and Maths cards are a fantastic way to support your child’s learning at home – from recognising letters and sounds, to blending words and completing basic sums and arithmetic. Making use of the Yoto Player’s pixelated screen, these cards are so fun your child won’t even feel like they’re learning

What are your other back to school essentials? 

I hope you find these suggestions helpful. How are you feeling about the back to school routine?