Whether your kids are starting pre-school or taking their first steps into college this fall, our back to school guide help you make smart choices on stationary, clothing, snacks, and get your back to school sorted. We share with you some of our favourite picks.
1.eatsleepdoodle
Ensure yours is the coolest kid in school with eatsleepdoodle’s fun colour-in pencil cases! Design options include dinosaurs, butterflies of the world and our classic notebook print for completely freestyle designing! Brand new for back to school is space explorer pencilcase. Complete with a cool red, white and blue zipper, it features the historic moon landing on one side and the order of the planets and solar system on the other. It’s huge fun to colour in with so much learning to absorb at the same time: all our designs come backed up with lots of fun facts and educational info on our website.Â
More than new pens to carry into school? Doodle backpack is great for everything from sports kit to books and files – and it’s all ready for you to customise exactly as you like. Alternatively choose the world map print option and pack in a bit of would-be world travel as you colour!
Like all our products, eatsleepdoodle pencilcases and backpacks are super versatile too: get colouring and customising, and when you’re ready for a new look, just machine wash (our super washable ink leaves no colour on anything in the washing machine!) and dry naturally.
Back to school treat: use NEWTERM for 10% off pencilcases and backpacks at www.eatsleepdoodle.com
2.Tyrrell Katz
Tyrrell Katz was born 20 years ago as the result of an idea by James, his wife and his business partner, who wanted to create designs that were original and fun in their look, feel and attitude. Have a look at their super eye catching set for kids of all ages. Sure to bring a smile your little ones’ faces at lunchtime !
ALSO The lovely team at Tyrrell Katz are offering a 10% discount on their ranges for us Kensington Mums* Use Code ‘KMUMS10’ at checkout. www.tyrrellkatz.co.uk
3.StiketsÂ
Stikets was born in 2010 as the result of an idea by a mother, Stephanie Marko, who wanted to solve an everyday problem for families as the fact that things get lost. Her aim was to offer a practical, effective and economical solution to mark clothes, books, shoes, school supplies, backpacks and any other item to make life easier for families. At Stikets you will find name labels, stamps, ID bracelets for kids, and much more! For more info visit www.stikets.co.ukÂ
4.LoLA
LoLA – Lots of Lovely Art is a magical, educational art box for children of all ages delivered directly through your letterbox. Each box of LoLA (age 6+), and LoLA for Little Ones (age 3+) is filled with high-quality art materials, beautifully constructed information sheets on artists and galleries, and lots of inspiring artist-based projects. Each LoLA box celebrates an overall art theme and three relevant artists. Included is a special section called ‘LoLA recommends’ which lists suggested reading and related gallery visits. Seeing the work of artists who feature in a particular box in local museums, galleries or exhibitions aims to enable children to absorb art in a multi-faceted way.Fantastic Flowers, Sculpture Surprise, Portrait Party, Tactile Texture and Abstract Action are just some of the themes to date. Art Projects are offered with carefully planned activities relevant to the age range. The LoLA boxes deliver a generous amount of beautifully selected art supplies that allow a child to build up their very own art cupboard. Varying each month, the boxes encourage children to experiment with different materials, such as acrylic paints, oil pastels or water paints. Buy a box or subscribe online www.lotsoflovelyart.com
5.Hydro FlaskÂ
Hydro Flask 12 oz Kids’ Bottle
Small size. Big adventure. Just the right size for little hands, our Hydro Flask for kids is made with the same stainless steel double-wall vacuum insulation as our bigger bottles. Every sip stays icy cold for up to 24 hours – so when playtime or sports club wraps up, the perfect refreshment is waiting on the sidelines. With a colourful, easy-to-clean Straw Lid and a durable Flex Boot this is the perfect companion for any adventure – big or small. Check out their website for more information.
6.My Busy Bots
My Busy Bots specialises in designing award winning busy bags for children from 18 months up to 8 years old. They find a variety of ways to encourage learning through play. All of the activities are designed to focus on different topics as well as develop key skills. They all come in colourful, compact zipped bags making them perfect for on-the-go, travelling or tucking in your handbag ready to whip out. The brand-new School Starter Toolkit, a compact deck of flash cards, covers the four main areas of learning. Starting big school can be a daunting (for both children and parents!), we all want our little ones to be as prepared as they can be and we want to help but often we are not sure where to start… well here you go!My Busy Bots have developed a School Starter Bundle, which comes with three of busy bags and the new School Starter Toolkit. These busy bags will help a child navigate key learning areas that they will cover when they start their school career. Including developing fine motor skills which are key to be able to write with ease. For more information check out their website.
7.Micro Scooters
There are lots of health benefits for children that can scoot or walk to school. From strengthening bones and muscles to controlling body fat, decreasing the risk of developing diabetes to ultimately being less likely to be overweight, the benefits are innumerable. Scooting or walking to school also helps build independence. Simple things like fitting helmets, choosing the pace and direction in which to scoot all have a positive impact on a child’s social and emotional development. There’s also a proven link between physical activity and exercise and improved academic achievement and many believe it improves children’s concentration in school. Micro Scooters is the home of children’s scooters. Their range of Swiss-designed children’s scooters has been designed to suit each stage of a child’s development from ages 2-12 years. Find out more at www.micro-scooters.co.uk.
8.Trotters
Whether you’re looking for the perfect pair of shoes to start the new school year or those final finishing touches, Trotters has got you covered.With an extensive range of school shoes for boys and girls, you can find both lace-ups and hook & loop fastenings ranging from an EU24 all the way up to an EU41. Our exclusive range of Hampton Classics school shoes are available in Black, Brown & Navy and are made in Portugal from high quality European leather. Why not add some accessories? From hair bows and alice bands to packs of bobbles, we’ve got all the hair accessories you need to tame those locks for school. Our tights and socks also come in various colours to finish your school look completely.If you shop online or in-store, the Trotters team will be happy to assist you in finding the right sizes and accessories.
Illytrilly makes fun leather accessories for little ones and grown-ups. Illytrilly founder Ilaria is the designer – Mara is the bright commercial mind of the brand, both mums, Italian living in London. They wanted to design fun accessories for girls-thinking of the beauty and quality that every girl deserves; pieces that will last over time. Illytrilly brings a contemporary touch to hair accessories, full of sparkles, fluffy creatures, and pastel colors. The collection is always complete by little bags, cute backpacks, flying belts and sparkling bracelets. Illytrilly accessories encapsulate a unique design aesthetic, all Made in Italy.
Multi-award winning luxury accessories brand Jem + Bea was launched in 2015 by friends Dominique Hughes and Rebecca Da Silva Lima. Unable to find a desirable changing bag on the market when looking for themselves, they set about creating a collection that was both covetable and practical for stylish mothers. Every season new collections are designed and crafted in premium leathers and materials that they have lovingly hand-picked. Functional details are cleverly worked into the brand’s designs, to create beautiful bags that are durable enough to stand up to the rigours of daily life with a baby. Perfect for a back to school in style! More information on their website.
11. Jelly Bear
Jelly Bear offer a range of soft, delicious vitamin gummies to support child development and give them the best start possible. Mill House, high on the Findon Downs, is home to Jelly Bears. Developed especially for children, the fruity bear gummies provide essential nutrients to help promote health and development in early years.
Jelly Bears come in four different varieties: Calcium and Multivitamins – Summer Berry flavour ; Omega 3 and Multivitamins – Orange flavour ; Multivitamins – Summer Berry flavour ; Zinc and Multivitamins – Orange flavour. These unique vitamins are Vegetarian and free from a number of ingredients:Vegetarian • Gelatin FREE • Gluten FREE • No Artificial Colours
• No Hydrogenated Fats • No Nuts • No Wheat • 100% Natural Jelly Bears are made from plant derivative pectin, as opposed to the animal derivative gelatin. The suggested intake is for children aged 3 and older to take 1 to 2 bears daily, with 60 bears per pot. Available to buy from Holland and Barrett.
12. MadeGood
Launched in the UK just last month, MadeGood is the first ever totally allergen free granola snack bar. Not only are they safe for kids to eat in school, they’re the perfect healthy, tasty and nutritious lunchbox treat for children. Launching with three flavours – Mixed Berry, Chocolate Chip and Chocolate & Banana. Available from ASDA stores across the UK now, each box contains 6 x 24g bars and costs £2.79 RRP. More info on their website.
13. Confidence Cobble
New starts and new adventures can be exciting for anyone of any age – but they can also be daunting, lonely and even overwhelming until you settle in. This is when Confidence Cobble can help to ensure that your child’s first day at school, or back to school, is a positive experience and a great beginning to the academic year ahead. Confidence Cobble is small and discreet enough to fit in the palm of a hand, a pocket or a bag and flat so that it can sit quietly on a desk without rolling around. It soaks up the sunshine and light, enabling it to glow in support and with delight about your child’s achievements when they cup it in the darkness of their hands. Confidence Cobble, given by you, is a constant companion and reassurance that your child is not alone – they have an unobtrusive, glowing gift of confidence from you with them all day. It is Confidence Cobble’s responsibility to carry any stresses or worries so that your child can relax and enjoy their adventures – and what a great companion to show new friends and teachers too as a conversation starter! Fun, simple, effective.Accompanied by a personalised or standard ‘Guide for Successful Owners’
14. Epson Printer
Epson EcoTank ET-2710 Printer will remove the stress and hassle of printing homework, permission forms, and the myriad of other school-related admin from the family life. Whereas most printers these days use cartridges, which require replacing as soon as they run out (which could well be only a couple of art projects away), the EcoTank runs on ink bottles instead. In fact, each printer comes with the equivalent of 88 cartridges worth of ink included. With the amount of stress involved in bringing a child through school (at whatever age), this is one thing no parent should have to worry about.
15. Miffy
Miffi Shop showcases high quality and fun stationery that will put a smile on your little one’s face. From mini notepad, pens, coloured pencils, plain pencils with rubbers on the end, eraser, pencil sharpener … and all with adorable Miffy on them. What more could anyone possibly want?
For more information check out their website.
16. 3 Sprouts
Brand new from 3 Sprouts, the Litterless Lunch collections provides you with everything you need to ensure a litter free lunch for your little one! Perfect for eco – conscious families, the range includes sandwich bags, ice packs, bento boxes, water bottles and snack bags featuring all your favourite 3 Sprouts characters. RRP: From £3.99 | Stockist: https://1two.co.uk
17. Jojo Maman Bebe
If you’re toddler is off to nursery, a day out or visiting friends, make sure they have everything they need to hand. The JoJo Bunny Rucksack is comfy and adorable, encouraging little ones to be responsible for their belongings. Perfectly sized for snacks, drinks or toys. Check out other design on their website.
The Protein Ball Co. Apple + Blueberry Breakfast Balls are perfect as a lunchbox snack, high in fibre and protein, they are 100% natural with no added sugar (and no nuts!).
More flavours at https://www.theproteinballco.com
Premium milkshake producer, Shaken Udder, has overhauled the recipe for its kids carton range of milkshakes, unveiling a new and improved flavour. Shaken Udder’s Kids 200ml cartons are available in two delicious flavours: Chocolate and Strawberry and the improved recipe, developed tirelessly over the past six months, means both flavours are now smoother and creamier than ever before with a delicious flavour profile that kids will love.
Say hello to Hopscotch! The perfect school shoe from Start-Rite to hop, skip and jump in all day long in perfect comfort. With a classic Mary-Jane design, soft black leather with beautiful flower detailing and ultra-flexible soles, these are school shoes the RITE-way.
At Start-Rite, we’ve been making children’s school shoes since 1792. Trusted by generations of parents to create dependable, fitted shoes that are never outworn, only outgrown. With cutting-edge science and data at the heart of our designs, we create school shoes that are created for comfort, support and confidence to make moving all day at school feel good. From the padded ankles that reduce rubbing to the cushioned insoles and flexible streamlined sole, Hopscotch is designed for niggle-free, all day comfort. Leather linings will absorb any moisture to help keep little feet happy and dry, while the rip-tape fastening keeps a snug fit and allows for easy adjustment by little fingers. So, whether it’s playground antics or classroom conundrums, these beautiful school shoes will give little feet the comfort and confidence to make the most of every minute. Check out their website.
21. Frugi
Young adventurers can bravely tackle their first day back with Frugi’s brand new lifestyle collection, including the Pack-a-Snack Lunch Bag and Adventurers Backpack made from plastic recycled bottles. The accompanying Splish Splash steel bottle with its practical sports cap fits perfectly inside the lunch bag or side pocket of the backpack. Not forgetting the classroom essentials, there are three Brave and Brilliant Crafty Pencil Case designs to choose from, matching the Adventurers Backpack. Three bright and distinct prints feature across the new lifestyle products. ‘Polar Play’, featuring cheerful Polar Bears, breaching Orca’s and cosy penguins; Rainbow Roads, a fun mix of teals and pinks, peppered with bright vehicles; and Rhino Ramble featuring a repeating white rhino print on a green backdrop.
If you’ve ever felt confused about your child’s nutritional needs, whether they need to take any supplements and if so, which ones, you’re not alone. Research by Boots Kids Vitamins recently found 43%i of parents are unsure which vitamins are most important for their child’s development, despite recommendations from The Department of Health recommends that all children aged six months to five years should take vitamins A and C, whilst daily vitamin D supplements are recommended to children up to the age of four.ii Whilst most children outside of these age brackets should obtain all the vitamins and minerals they need from a healthy varied diet, parents may still choose to supplement their diet to ensure they are getting enough essential nutrients.
The recently reformulated Boots Kids Vitamins range contains a range of products containing the key vitamins children need to help their development and is the UK’s broadest range of children’s vitamins with the government recommended level of vitamin D.
23. Yumbles
The Panino Yumbox lunchbox with exterior box and removable tray houses 4 compartments (with illustrations in a ‘Eat Well’ Design). Panino Yumbox is designed for older children and adults and is available in 8 beautiful colours. What makes a Yumbox different from other lunchboxes:
– Balance & portion control:Â Yumbox’s pre-portioned illustrated (and removable) tray guides you to pack a healthy and hassle-free lunch. The Panino Yumbox tra is divided into a large (2 cups) portion (perfect for a sandwich or sald), 2 (1/2 cup) portions and a dip well.
More information on their website
Be brave, adventurous and hydrated with GB Eye brand Unicorn Water Bottle, a sustainable choice to avoid single use plastic bottles! Ideal for trips out or for back to school, these fit perfectly in the side pockets. More design on their website.
Leak-proof, kid-friendly water bottle with integrated advanced filtration. The first water bottle with a filter designed for kids. The 10 oz bottle incorporates a 2-stage filtration system with a sturdy leak-proof design ideal for turning any fresh water source into safe drinking water at school, while travelling or outdoors. For every LifeStraw you purchase, one school child in a developing community receives safe drinking water for an entire school year.
Sainsbury’s Home offers a beautiful stationery range for the back to school season. From A5 agate notepads to the Rose Gold PU Pencil Case, their stylish selection will bring a vibrant touch to your school set.
For more information check their website.
27.Elastoplast
Elastoplast the UK’s leading plaster brand, comes to the rescue again announcing a new range of ‘PAW Patrol’ plasters which feature all famous characters from the hit animated pre-school series – Chase, Skye, Marshall, Rubble, Zuma, Rocky and Everest. Elastoplast children’s plasters are specially developed for the sensitive skin of children. The plasters are dirt and water-resistant. They are very skin-friendly and easy to remove.
28.LittleLife
Starting preschool and reception marks a major milestone in households up and down the country! LittleLife’s imaginative range of back-to-school kit is perfect for school-life’s little adventures – from hi-vis backpacks to no spill water bottles, LittleLife has your back. Check their backpack range on their website.
