The summer holidays always seem to fly by.
One minute you're enjoying lazy mornings, days out and ice creams, and the next you're wondering where on earth the school shoes have gone and whether anyone even remembered to buy a new pencil case!
The good news is that a little preparation can make the return to school feel much more manageable.
The Ultimate Back-to-School Guide for a Happy, Organised Start
From practical lunchboxes and roomy backpacks to stationery, a waterproof jacket and those all-important school shoes, getting everything organised before the first day means fewer last-minute panics and a much calmer start to the new school year.
Here are some of our favourite back-to-school essentials, along with some simple ideas for getting the whole family ready.
Start with a Back-to-School Reset
Before rushing out to buy everything new, take an afternoon to check what you already have.
Empty school bags, sort through pencil cases, get the kids to try on last year's uniform and school shoes, and make a list of what genuinely needs replacing.
It's also a lovely opportunity to make the end of the summer feel positive rather than focusing solely on the return to routine.
If you're looking for inspiration, take a look at our guide to 7 Fun Family Activities for the End of the Summer, with plenty of ideas for squeezing some extra family fun out of those final school holiday days.
And if your family enjoys marking the start of a new school year, our ideas for Fun Back to School Traditions is packed with inspiration for creating special memories around the occasion.
The School Bag: Practical and Personal
A good school bag needs to carry plenty without becoming a chaotic black hole where they will never find anything!
Look for comfortable straps, useful compartments and enough room for the things your child actually needs every day.
For children who like their school accessories to have plenty of personality, the hype Kids Black Charm Backpack is a fun choice.
This black backpack has padded back and shoulder straps, reflective piping, a front pocket, bottle holder and padded laptop sleeve, plus an 18-litre capacity.
It also comes with five removable charms, including colourful designs such as a butterfly, rainbow, cherry, flower and heart.
For a brighter, more colourful look, the hype Girls Multi Charm Cherry Backpack features an all-over pastel cloud, rainbow, star and cherry design.
It offers the same practical 18-litre capacity, padded straps, bottle holder, laptop sleeve, water-resistant construction and removable charms.
Whichever bag you choose, encourage children to have a regular 'bag reset' each day after school.
Empty old letters and rubbish, put homework straight into the right place and check that everything needed for the following day is packed before bedtime.
For more ideas on getting your home and family organised, read our guide on How to Set Up a Back to School Command Center.
Lunch Made Easier
Lunchboxes are one of those everyday essentials where good design can make a surprisingly big difference.
The b.box Lunchbox is designed around flexible compartments rather than lots of tiny sections and has its own small ice pack which can be easily incorporated to keep lunch colder for longer.
It has a large sandwich compartment, a stretch-and-flex whole-fruit holder and leakproof silicone-sealed sections for wet foods.
There's also a removable divider, carry handle and easy-open grip clip, while the 2-litre capacity provides plenty of room for a satisfying school lunch.
It's particularly useful for children who don't want their fruit cut into small pieces, as the flexible fruit section can accommodate whole fruit such as an apple.
The lunchbox is also dishwasher safe on the top rack and microwave safe.
Need inspiration for what to put inside it?
Our guide to How to Pack a Healthy, Well-Balanced Lunch Box for Kids is a useful place to start.
Don't Forget the Water Bottle
A reusable water bottle is another school-bag essential, particularly for busy children who need something easy to carry and use independently.
The b.box 690ml Insulated Flip Top Bottle combines a generous capacity with triple-layer insulation, which keeps drinks cool for up to 44 hours.
It has a flip-top lid, stainless-steel straw, leakproof closed lid and flexible carry handle, and is suitable from age four upwards.
The lilac colour makes a lovely match for the Lilac Pop lunchbox, creating a co-ordinated lunch-and-hydration set that children will be happy to take to school every day.
For older students and grown-ups looking for a different hydration option, nonni offers flavour-first electrolyte drinks, which are low sugar, low salt and low calorie.
Flavours currently include Pomelo Grapefruit with Green Lime + Pink Himalayan Salt and Sicilian Lemony Lemon with Garden Mint + Green Lime.
Our older teens love these nonni drinks as a delicious healthy alternative to sugar-laden cans.
Get Stationery Sorted Early
There's nothing quite like the first week back at school to reveal that three pencils have disappeared, the ruler has snapped and nobody can find a calculator!
For older children and secondary-school students, the Helix Oxford Complete Back to School Stationery Set is designed as an all-in-one solution.
The set includes a scientific calculator, maths set, pencils, pens, rulers, glue stick, colouring pencils and a clear pencil case, making it a convenient way to cover many of the basics in one go.
For keeping all those supplies together, the SUNEE Large Capacity Pencil Case is designed with generous storage, a carrying handle and secure zip closure.
It's a useful option for children who need to carry more stationery and prefer to keep everything together rather than rummaging around the bottom of a school bag.
Make Technology Less Stressful
For older children who take devices to school, keeping charging cables and adapters organised can be a challenge.
The Krafted Connex is a compact cable adaptor hub designed to reduce the number of separate cables needed in a bag or on their desk at home.
It has two inputs and four outputs and supports charging and data transfer, while measuring just 95mm wide by 31mm deep by 19mm tall.
It's the kind of small accessory that can make a big difference when a school bag is already full of books, stationery, lunch and sports kit.
Be Ready for British Weather
Back-to-school weather can mean sunshine at drop-off and torrential rain by home time, so a reliable waterproof is worth having close at hand.
The Muddy Puddles EcoSplash Fleece-Lined Waterproof Jacket combines waterproof and windproof protection with a warm fleece lining.
It is also breathable, durable and insulated, and made from recycled fabric in a variety of styles.
Keep the jacket somewhere easy to reach rather than buried beneath PE kit and lunchboxes.
If there's space, leaving it permanently in the school bag can be a good way of ensuring it is actually available when the weather changes - as it inevitably will!
Get School Shoes Right
School shoes are one purchase that's definitely worth sorting out before the last minute.
Give children time to walk around in them and, importantly, make sure they're properly fitted.
The ToeZone LILO Girls Black Patent Rip Tape Unicorn School Shoes combine a classic black patent school-shoe look with a fun unicorn detail.
They have rip-tape fastening and have an antibacterial coating, non-marking soles and child-safe construction.
ToeZone also recommends using its fit guide or SizeWise tool to help get the correct size, which is worth doing before ordering rather than guessing.
Prepare the Child, Not Just the School Bag
Back-to-school preparation isn't only about shopping. Children can need time to adjust emotionally and practically to a new routine too.
If your child is feeling anxious about returning, our guide to How to Prepare Your Child for Back to School is a helpful resource to read together and use as a starting point for conversations about the new school year.
Likewise, How to Create a Calm Stress-Free Morning Routine for School Days focuses on creating a calmer rhythm for those first early starts which will benefit all fo you.
The key is to practise the routine before school actually begins.
Move bedtime gradually towards school-night timings, get children used to getting dressed and eating breakfast at the right time, and encourage them to take responsibility for simple tasks such as packing their bag.
Make Mornings Calmer
The first few school mornings can feel like a military operation: wake the children, find the lost socks or books, make breakfast, locate the missing shoe, brush hair, pack lunches, remember PE kit...
A little preparation the night before can transform the experience.
Try packing lunchboxes after dinner, putting water bottles in the fridge, laying out uniforms and shoes, checking the next day's timetable and getting school bags ready by the door.
For more practical suggestions, read How to Make Mornings With Kids Less Hectic.
And remember that children don't have to do everything themselves immediately.
Build independence gradually by giving them one or two responsibilities at a time, such as putting their lunchbox in their bag or checking that they have their reading book.
Create a Simple School Command Centre
A dedicated place for school paperwork and everyday essentials can make family life much easier.
It doesn't have to be elaborate. A basket for letters, hooks for school bags, a place for shoes, a calendar and perhaps a weekly timetable can be enough.
The aim is to create one obvious place where everyone knows to look for school-related information.
That way, permission slips don't disappear under piles of post and nobody has to ask, "Where's my school bag?" every morning.
For a step-by-step approach, see How to Set Up a Back to School Command Center.
Make the First Day Special
After all the practical preparation, don't forget that going back to school is a milestone.
A special breakfast, a photo on the doorstep, a little note tucked into a lunchbox or a favourite after-school snack can turn the first day into something children look forward to rather than dread.
See 10 Fun Back to School Traditions Your Kids Will Love for more ideas.
A Back-to-School Checklist
Before the big day, run through this quick checklist:
- School bag chosen, labelled and ready
- Lunchbox washed and ready
- Water bottle cleaned and ready
- Pencil case stocked
- Stationery checked
- Calculator and maths equipment packed if required
- School shoes fitted and worn around the house
- Waterproof jacket ready
- Uniform checked and labelled
- PE kit packed
- Books and reading materials ready
- School timetable somewhere easy to see
- Breakfast options stocked
- School-night bedtime routine re-established
- Morning routine practised
- Any forms, letters or payments dealt with
Remember, the aim isn't to achieve a perfectly organised household.
It's to remove as many unnecessary stresses as possible so that your family has more time and energy for the things that matter: helping children feel confident, capable and excited about the year ahead.
With a few well-chosen essentials, a little preparation and some family traditions of your own, you can send them through the school gates feeling ready for whatever the new school year brings.
Good luck!
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