We are now into the school summer holidays – another 6 weeks or so off school! Make that 6 months due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) and it would be more accurate. Children should be out enjoying themselves, going on holiday, seeing their friends etc. Unfortunately, these activities are somewhat curtailed at the moment, so children are stuck at home and surprisingly looking forward to going back to school in September. So now is the time for parents and carers to start their back to school preparations.
Planning to go back to school is never easy at the best of times. There are uniforms, PE kits, accessories, shoes, stationery to be bought and then all the items of clothing need labelling. Most of us have a very good idea in our heads what needs to be done to get the kids ready for the new school year. But this year will be slightly more difficult due to Coronavirus.
There will be lots of changes this year (subject to changes) with schools asking children not to use public transport where possible, walk or cycle to school where possible, or even be dropped off in the car to reduce contact and keep social distancing measures in place. There will also be staggered start and finish times, possibly extending the school day. Some schools will not be offering breakfast and afterschool clubs. And children will be kept in support bubble or years. Schools will be a different place when the kids go back this year, but kids have that ability to adapt very easily.
As most kids will have had around 6 months off by the time they go back, it might be wise to ease them back into a learning routine by doing some fun educational things at home. Not only will it be fun, but it will keep their minds active, give them something to do and help them get back into a learning mode. There are some fun educational toys and games around, we have recently been trying out Bookeez and Secret Science from John Adams.
There is also the school uniform and accessories to go along with it, and don’t forget the stationery as children will now have to bring certain items into school with them rather than sharing or being supplied by the school.
So, I have made a small, albeit not exhaustive list, of some things that you may need to buy before the new term starts.
School Uniform
- Trousers / Pinafores / Skirts (and belt if needed)
- Shirts / Polo Shirts
- Jumpers / Cardigans
- School Tie (if your school requires one)
- School Blazer (if your school requires one)
- Socks / Tights
- Shoes – we like the look of the Treads Shoes as they claim to be indestructible
- Coats (lightweight foldable / winter coat)
- Hat and Gloves
- Wellies
Don’t forget to label all their clothes as you don’t want to be replacing if it is misplaced and no one knows who it belongs to. You can write the names in, use name stampers or even name labels that either stick on or iron on.
Also check with your school if the uniform has to be branded with logos or if you can buy generic items in the correct colours – If branded items are required, check if your school sell sew on patches as this will save a fortune over buying branded jumpers etc. It’s also worth checking if your school is part of a uniform exchange, which can save a fortune if you’re lucky enough to be in an area that has one.
PE Kit
- Shorts / Skorts
- T-shirt
- Socks
- Pumps (indoor use)
- Trainers (outdoor use)
- Track suit
- Kit/Gym bag
- Swimming kit
Accessories
- Backpack / bookbags
- Lunch box or bag
- Water bottle
Stationery
- Pens
- Pencils
- Pencil case
- Lined paper
- Coloured markers
- Calculator
- Geometry set
- Highlighters
- Pencil sharpener
- Ruler
- Eraser
If your child is starting high school, where the amount of homework and projects is going to increase, you may also want to look at getting some more expensive items:
- Laptop / Computer
- Printer
- Scanner
Also, if you your children are using public transport to get to school make sure to check bus and train times.
Get them into a school routine a week or so before they go back by starting to get them into a school day bedtime and waking up routine to get back into a regular sleep pattern.
And importantly, keep their brain in gear over the summer with educational toys and games. You can read reviews of what we have being trying during lockdown and over the summer period.
We hope this small guide helps you in some small way of getting all the items that your child needs before the new term starts and preparing them for the new school year. If your school does not require all items of clothing to branded, then the supermarkets offer uniforms at very good prices. If your school offers the option of sew-on or iron-on badges, then I recommend getting some as this can save a fortune.
Make sure that you label all items. Uniforms and all the accessories can be quite expensive, and you really do want to minimize having to replace any if you can. While labelling it doesn’t guarantee it won’t be lost, if it is you have a much better chance of it coming back.
And don’t forget the haircuts!
Click here to read my Educational reviews
