Back to school checklist 2021

Now that Summer has now come to an end it is once again time to send our little ones back to school. With all the commotion of returning home from the holidays it can be easy to forget what they might need going back to school. So here is a helpful checklist to make sure they go back to school with all of the essentials!

Stationery

First on the list we of course have stationery. Pens and pencils will most definitely be required for going back to school, as well as the extras like erasers, rulers, highlighters and notebooks. 

If your child is going into a slightly higher level this year e.g. Year 5 they might be beginning to learn about angles and decimals so they may need more advanced stationary such as a scientific calculator, protractor, compass etc. Once purchased, a scientific calculator can be made use of all the way through high school into their GCSEs (as long as they don’t lose or break it of course – personally I went through four of them!) 

Those still in the younger years will most likely not need these items since what they are learning will not require these advanced tools. However, some stationery they may need could include post it notes, crayons and washable pens. 

And to make sure everything fits in your child’s backpack it is always a good idea to buy a pencil case, this will make losing or breaking things much more difficult. 

To make it easier to find the best stationery, here is a list of different recommended brands for kids. 

 

 

Hand Sanitiser 

One previous item in the back to school checklist which is now a big must have is hand sanitiser. With schools now officially going back with regulations such as masks and ‘bubbles’ no longer being needed, it is important that your child stays sanitised and clean at all times especially since they do not fully understand the risk of Covid at their age.

 It is more than likely that most schools will have hand sanitiser stations set up around the school, yet it is important that they themselves carry their own sanitiser too so they can use it whenever they like.

 It is important to ensure that when purchasing hand sanitiser it has a minimum of 60% alcohol as this is the minimum amount needed to kill the virus. 

Although the amount of deaths has slightly decreased over recent weeks, the number of cases confirmed has shown a slight increase. Covid 19 is still around so we all need to be aware, stay safe and keep sanitised. Teaching your child this from a young age will also ensure that they understand the importance of washing hands and using sanitiser. Of course teachers will still be keeping an eye on your child and making sure they are staying safe as well. 

Backpack & Lunchbox 

Of course a big essential for any child going to school is a backpack and a lunchbox. If your child managed to not completely sever their school backpack back in July then you may be in luck of saving some money. However, when starting a new year of school it is usually a good idea to invest in a new bag. Children moving into higher years may want more mature bags, in addition to requiring more things to go into their backpack as well. 

Children at this age are beginning to define their personalities and will want to express this, so what better way to do that than with an item that all their classmates will see. So if your child is making a big fuss over what backpack they want, understand that they are just trying to make a big impression on their friends and classmates after such a long break of not seeing them. 

This will be their first statement to their friends without even saying anything, indicating to their peers how their personal interests may have grown or differed from the past year. 

/if you’re planning on getting a new backpack, it is likely a new lunchbox is also needed as well. Most kids aren’t as picky on their lunchboxes and will be happy with something fairly quickly. Just ensure that it is good quality and is able to keep foods warm/cold throughout the day. It’s always a benefit to have a water bottle holder as well. 

Water Bottle

Finally, it’s always good to make sure your child has a water bottle for school. This will not necessarily need to be bought as water bottles can last for a long time, it just depends on how absent-minded your child may be. As we have already established, I was personally terrible for losing things as a child but some of you may have kids with the same water bottle from reception. Here is a list of the recommended water bottles for kids, this includes water bottles that are child resistant and leak proof as well. 

If you’re looking for any more tips and tricks or a simple activity for the family you can read more of my blogs here. Thinking of doing a casting kit either at home or in the studio? Feel free to read through any FAQ’s you may have here or pop-up and contact me here.

 

Here is a free checklist template I have made to help you out as well!