There’s always so much to remember when you’re sorting out back to school supplies – from making sure that the uniform still fits and the games kit’s good for another term. And then there’s all the back to school stationery, that’s essential if you’re going to send your child off fully equipped for school. After all, without the right equipment how will they be able to do their best?
We’ve put together a couple of essential checklists for primary and secondary school pupils to help you to make sure that they’re ready for the term ahead.
Primary school equipment
Backpack
The first thing to think about is the bag that they’re going to carry everything in. Choose a backpack that your child likes and that will make them enthusiastic for school, perhaps with their favourite cartoon character on like Ninja Turtles or Hello Kitty.
Coloured pencils
Essential for everything from colouring in to drawing pictures, no school bag’s complete without a set of coloured pencils.
Felt tip pens
These are also very important for drawing and colouring and if you choose doubled ended felt tips it’s like getting two pens for the price of one.
Pencil case
A pencil case will help keep everything together and, hopefully, mean that they’ll always know where to find the pen they need. There is a wide range available at Staples, from the plain essential pencil pouch to colourful ones with cartoon characters on to really get them enthusiastic about going back to school and showing off their new kit.
Erasers
We all make mistakes at any age so having an eraser to hand will mean that they’re easy to put right. You can get all sorts of erasers for your kid’s pencil case, including plain ones and lots of others in fun designs.
Drinks bottle
Last, but not least, make sure that your child stays well hydrated at school with their very own drinks bottle – especially essential when the weather is warm. Why not get a matching one to go with their pencil case?
Secondary school equipment
Backpack/laptop bag
The sheer number of books that secondary school pupils need to carry around means a strong and sturdy backpack is vital – and sometimes they may even need to carry a laptop too.
Maths set
Learning geometry means that a maths set with ruler, compass, set square and protractor is a must-have.
Highlighters
Highlighters are invaluable for everything from marking out key quotes in texts to colour-coding revision notes.
Writing pen
You can’t take the effort out of writing essays, but having a good pen to write them with can make the process a little easier – and it can also help to make handwriting clearer.
Coloured gel pens
Coloured gel pens can really bring drawings and diagrams to life in a range of subjects from geography to science and, like highlighters, they’re also very useful for colour-coding revision notes.
Pencil case
Most schools insist that pupils take in clear pencil cases when they’re sitting exams so it might be worth having one in preparation, along with others that are ideal for the rest of the term.
Notepad
Notebooks and notepads are another real school essential for everything from taking notes in lessons to planning out essays and jotting down things to remember – like when homework’s due to be done by.
Zipper bag
On the subject of homework, zipper bags or sheet protectors are the perfect way to make sure that it doesn’t get dog-eared as it’s carried round in your child’s bag before they hand it in.
Ensuring you’ve equipped your kids with the essential items for their return back to school will mean they’re fully prepared, and by letting them pick their favourites, will help get them excited to go back.
(Making sure they remember to take everything with them is another matter!)
