Head to School in Style
While it might be summer now, it will soon be that time of the year again when your little one is going back to school. Cue the back-to-school shopping trip. The easiest way to make sure your shopping trip for the school season is a success is to have all the items you want to buy planned in advance. That way, you’ll avoid tantrums about what they do or don’t want, and you won’t walk around the shopping center only to find out you missed a crucial item five shops ago!
Luckily, we’ve done all the hard work for you by putting together a back to school shopping list with essential school supplies that every kid needs for heading back to school.
13 Essential Back-to-School Items
1. School Clothes
If your child goes to a school where they don’t have to wear a uniform, you’ll have to purchase clothes that are suitable for the environment. Boys should wear trousers and a smart shirt or polo top, while girls will benefit from either a skirt, trousers, or both, alongside a smart blouse or top.
If your child’s school mandates a uniform, you’ll need to buy the clothes from a local uniform store that contains uniform items for your child’s school. You’ll also need to think about an outfit for gym class for your child, whether it’s mandated by the school or otherwise.
In general, school shoes are best bought in versatile colors such as black and long-lasting materials like leather. This is particularly true if you have an older child whose feet have stopped growing, so you won’t have to replace the shoes every few years.
2. Backpack
Your child will need a backpack so they can carry all their belongings to school. You can opt for something neutral or something with a little personality, like a backpack featuring characters from their favorite TV show or movie. Just check the policy at your child’s school to see what is and isn’t allowed.
3. Pencils and Pencil Sharpener
Both gray pencils to write with and colored pencils for art class are a must for your child’s back-to-school kit. Invest in a pencil sharpener, too, so they can keep their pencils sharp and ready to be used whenever necessary.
4. Pens
Gel or ballpoint pens in black or blue are a must for your child’s back-to-school stationery set. Check with the school whether they’ll need any colored pencils for their art class.
5. Markers
Markers and highlighters can be incredibly useful, especially for older children who have to study for tests and exams. They can be used to draw on whiteboards, mark study notes, or even highlight important passages in books (not the books that are school property, though, of course!).
6. Notebooks
It’s a good idea to get your child an academic diary for the new year that they can use to write down important upcoming events such as tests, parents’ evenings, tryouts for extracurricular activities, and more.
Equally as useful are notebooks - they don’t have to be anything fancy - that your child can jot down study notes in during class.
7. Lunchbox
Until your child pays to have lunch at school, they’ll need a lunchbox. There are tons of options available on the market, from lunchboxes featuring their favorite TV show and movie characters to lunchboxes made from sustainable materials, such as bamboo or stainless steel.
8. Three-ring Binder
A three-ring binder, along with paper, plastic wallets, and dividers, can give your child a place to store important documents and notes without them getting damaged.
9. Ruler
A ruler is especially useful for math class. If you’re worried about creating plastic waste, opt for a ruler that’s made out of sustainable material, like wood, bamboo, or metal.
10. Calculator
Calculators come in useful in math and science classes. In fact, your child might even need one for exams. Where possible, buy a calculator with as many features as possible to allow your kid to take on even the most complex of calculations.
11. Textbooks
Depending on the school your child attends, they may be required to buy their own textbooks. Find out from the school before the school year what’s on the curriculum, and search for the textbooks in specialist bookstores and on eBay or Amazon.
12. Eraser
No back-to-school stationery set is complete without an eraser to get rid of any mistakes made in pencil.
13. Index Cards
Index cards are the ultimate tool for study notes and presentations in class. They’re probably more useful if your child is in middle school or high school, while an elementary school child will probably be okay with a couple of notebooks.
In Conclusion
The good news is you’ll be able to find most of your child’s school supplies on your back to school shopping list from cheaper places like Amazon, Walmart, or Target. For more specialist requirements like a uniform or textbooks, consult the school for tips on where to find these items.