[Ad – Gifted Products, updated to add new items] Back to school always comes around a little faster than we’d like! Now that summer is winding to the end, it’s time to look at your school supplies and see what needs replacing. We tend to refresh most things in our household, so that everyone has a new set for the new year. Below are some of the essentials we get for back to school time!
Air Up Water Bottle
I must say, I really wasn’t sure about the idea of the Air Up, especially when it came to using a scent to get kids to drink more water. It turns out, however, these really do work! We’ve picked up a bunch of the various scents, including candy ones, and have seen a real up-tick in interest in water. This feels like a great way to keep kids drinking water during the school day.
b.box Water Bottle
I’ve written previously about how much we love the b.box water bottles. They are durable, keep water cold all day, and hold a lot of water! Amelia loved the big bottle so much that we ended up getting a smaller version for her to take to school, as the larger family bottle is a bit too heavy for her.
School Uniforms
Every school in England has their own uniforms, which often have aspects that need to be specifically ordered from your school. At the same time, we also get a lot of basics that can either have the school’s logo ironed on or can just be warn as-is. David Luke has a bunch of quality pieces that are easy to wear every day. The little heart details on the zippers is something Robin loves, especially as a lot of uniforms look exactly the same, so having this little detail means a lot. This brand also does shoes, sports wear, and secondary school uniforms, so you can shop for the while family there!
School Shoes from ToeZone
I swear, Robin, Amelia and Kai go through several pairs of school shoes each and every year. This time, we started off with shoes from ToeZone, which have these fantastic inserts that are so comfortable and soft, built right into the shoe. They are quite durable, well priced, and meet all of the requirements of Robin’s primary. They are just a fantastic pair of durable shoes and great for the start of the school year.
Heely’s Shoes
As a sort of bid so that Robin doesn’t wear her school shoes all of the time, we do grab her a pair of at home shoes around the start of the school year. This time, we went with Heely’s for extra fun! These have removable wheels in them, so they can easily be turned into a pair of normal shoes, and are quite comfortable once she got use to rolling around!
OmieBox UP
We’ve been fans of the Omie Lunchbox for quite some time now, as it’s Amelia’s favorite lunchbox. When they reached out to send their newest OmieBox UP to us, we were delighted! This is the ideal lunchbox for a hot lunch, as their thermos fits perfectly into the box, can be pre-heated, and holds a good amount of food! On the other side, there is a built in, removable ice pack that you can place under the actual box, to keep the other side cold for things like fruit and vegetables. The box even comes with a divider! It’s just such a high quality one for hot food.
EcoSplash Waterproof Jackets
It’s always good to grab a new jacket in the run-up to school, especially with the unpredictable weather. These new EcoSplash Waterproof Jackets are an absolute must, as they have a nice internal liner, a waterproof outside, and even some refletive strips for those who walk to school or just to see more easily when out in the dark. There are a few different designs and styles in the EcoSplash collection to choose from.
XOOTZ Scooter
Ever since the walk-to-school or ride-to-school programme started at primary school, we double check any sort of scooters and bikes before the start of schooltime to see if they need an upgrade. XOOTZ have a large range of different scooters, with our current favorite being the Pulse Scooter, which has a different design! Instead of needing to push off with your feet (often scraping up your child’s shoes), they will swivel their hops to move the scooter forward, without dragging their feet or pedalling.
Crystal Art Bag Charms
We are a big fan of Crystal Art and their various different ways of crystal decorating! They have a bunch of themes, some returning and some new like their Hello Kitty and Friends range, which can have you creating your own bag charm to decorate your bag. These bag charms are a great activity to get young ones back into the mindset of schooling, creating a charm that they connect with.
Taggeez Stationary
We got a ton of stationary from Taggeez as they have such fun designs! Robin is a huge fan of customisable items, so having little charms to plug into your pencil case or on a notebook is something she absolutely loves! They have pencil sharpeners and pens as well, which match the fun designs. All of these little charms are colorful and quite durable.
Beauty of Letters Book
The Beauty of Letters Book is absolutely stunning and ideal for those in primary school who are looking to engage with the alphaet. Each page is dedicated to a letter, with tons of examples of words, phrases, and silly sayings that have do with that letter (along with little pictures to go with it!) It’s just a stunning book that very much feels like a new way to introduce the alphabet.
Where’s the Artist? Book
Where’s the Artist? book is another large, over-sized book but this time featuring a bunch of different artists in their own worlds. It promotes a lot of casual learning, where you are spying the various artists while reading little bits of information on them. It’s stunning in the design and feels like a great way to promote learning.
3Doodler Start+ Essentials Pen Set
Okay, okay, is the 3Doodler Start+ an essential for back to school? No, but it is a really fun little gift that practises the way that your child holds a pen, while getting them away from screens and into some creative time! This pen is very easy to use, feeding in the plastic filaments, and allowing your child to create 3D works of art. It’s a fun little toy that is perfect for after school, keeping them busy while you unpack their bags and get their things sorted. This pen is available from smythstoys.com.
SCRIB3D P1
The SCRIB3D P1 is very similar to the above 3Doodler, but aimed at older children. This is the pen that Amelia gravitates towards when she wants to create some sort of art project while keeping it fun and 3D. This kit has plenty to get you started, with a few different colors and tons of packs that you can purchase to really bring your art to life.
Check out our other gift guides.
Win a Pair of Start-Rite School Shoe & Shoe Care Bundle!
Those water bottles are so interesting! I have never heard of them, and they would be great to try. The Air Up would be interesting to see how well it works.