Best back-to-school buys
Girls navy blue reinforced trousers
Argos
2 for £7
Yes, you heard right — reinforced trousers. How many pairs of trousers did you go through last year? Minimise those scuffs and holes in the knees with some durable trousers this time and let go of the sewing needle. They come in a pack of two so you really shouldn't need to buy any extras.
Boys white short sleeve shirts
Black school trainers/shoes
Amazon
£24.95
Trying to find smart school shoes that won't destroy your child's feet, causing them to moan on the school run about a level of discomfort that's akin to torture? Definitely go for a trainer-style shoe because we all know that trainers are far more comfortable than dress shoes. They still look smart but will last longer and allow your child to run freely across the playground.
Black floral shoes
Sainsbury's
£20
These shoes are cute and, more importantly, comfortable. They have padded lining, an easy-to-use riptape strap and a padded collar to avoid rubbing of the ankle. Affordable school shoes that won't inhibit your child's ability to run around and enjoy break time.
Personalised PE bag
Colouring pencils
Back-to-school stickers
Amazon
£7.99 for 100 stickers
Build up some back-to-school enthusiasm with as many stickers as you can fit on your school bag, lunchbox, books, shirts, face — the options are endless. In all seriousness, little things like this can go a surprisingly long way in helping your child feel excited for that first week back.
Minecraft everything!
Black school socks
Amazon
£13.99-£15.99
Socks are the unsung hero of the wardrobe and plain black socks are a great primary-school life hack. You could opt for more colourful options with different images and words but it's easy to end up with a drawer full of odd socks that way. Keep it simple and buy a bunch of black socks and never worry about mismatching again!
Casio watch
Argos
£14.99
The Casio is a classic for a reason: it's a long-lasting, reliable watch that will probably outlive us all. This kids' watch is colourful (and therefore easy to find in the lost and found box) and the clock face is really easy to read, which is handy if your child is learning how to tell the time.
Personalised allergy labels
labels4school
£6
Allergies are on the rise in children, so these allergy stickers are incredibly handy. Avoid any misunderstandings and make sure all school staff are aware (or reminded) of any allergies your child might have.
Colourful shoe labels
labels4school
£6.99
These funky foot labels are perfect for school shoes and designed to be thin so they're barely noticeable when your child puts their shoes on. Say goodbye to those days when, for some unknown reason, your child has lost one shoe (why always ONE?).
Rainbow sew on labels
labels4kids
£9.99
These rainbow labels will be easy to spot when you're trying to find your child's jumper in the school yard for the umpteenth time. You'll spot the colours before you even have time to read the name. It takes very little time to sew and saves you a lot of frustration in the future — future you will be grateful!
Personalised book bag
Amazon
£10.90
Some schools provide book bags for the children but if you want something more personalised and unique then these funky book bags from Amazon will do the trick nicely. The font is fancy, there are plenty of colours to choose from and your child will be chuffed to carry their books around in their very own book bag.
Printer paper
Amazon
£11.85 for 500 sheets
500 sheets of paper? Not very exciting but trust us, printer paper is useful for primary-school children. You may need to print off homework or worksheets to use at home (perhaps from TheSchoolRun) and it's also useful for making small posters, creating birthday cards and doing other craft activities.
Practical pencil case
Amazon
£7.29
It doesn't have bright colours, flashy lights or sounds but it's practical and will outlast any fads (like superheroes merchandise or kids' TV characters). It has lots of zip-up compartments and plenty of storage space and will do a fantastic job at casing your child's pencils. What more could you want from a pencil case?
Spiderman water bottle
Argos
£6.38
It really is a wonder how some children seem to survive day after day, barely touching their drink bottle and taking a sip. Perhaps they have a secret source of water or juice at school that they don't want us to know about or, more likely, they're too busy running around and learning to think about something as silly as hydration. Either way, this Spiderman drink bottle will help encourage your child to have just that little bit more as they won't be able to resist showing off their cool 'merch'.
Navy/yellow backpack
Argos
£11
If your child is prone to going through phases (such as Minecraft, Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, Marvel etc) quicker than they go through socks then sticking with something practical and plain may be the way to go for their backpack. Better suited to KS2 children, this backpack should last them the rest of primary-school, with a laptop sleeve they can use in secondary school if needed.
Craft activities (with free academic planner!)
toucanBox from £13.90 a month
If it's a struggle to keep learning going at home, then try toucanBox. It's a handy resource you can use to get your child excited about learning and develop those important key skills with crafts, magazines and stickers. You can personalise your monthly box with your child's name and your own selection of craft activities. This is on our best-buy list because it pays off long-term, helps keep learning fun at home and encourages less screen time!
Back-to-school book
Amazon
£6.99`
Last but not least is a beautifully illustrated book by Nicola Killen. Ollie's Back-to-School Bear is an incredibly sweet story that helps kids feel more confident about starting or going back to school. Ollie chases the sound of an owl through the woods and discovers a school for forest animals and a little nervous bear waiting outside. She helps to show the bear how fun and friendly school can be. A delightful read for children age 3 - 8 years old.
Please note that some of the products included in this article feature affiliate links. If you click through and purchase one of the featured products, we might earn a small commission.
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