BACK TO SCHOOL ALL SORTED AT LYNNMALL

The New Year always puts me in mind of a new start – at work (if I didn’t get to it at the end of the previous year), I always like to spend some time freshening up my space, treating myself to some new desk loot and making big plans for the year ahead. It’s a fun activity to do with the kids too – just in time for the school year! Here’s a checklist for success and my top tips for A+ Back to School prep.

PAPER PASSION

Stationery is always at the top of my list – I just love fresh new notebooks, gorgeous highlighters and fresh sharp pencils. Take your stationery list with you to WHITCOULLS as soon as the Back to School sales start to get great prices and the best range.

Top tip! Don’t forget book labels and covers – they’ll not only create fantastic personalisation that the kids will love but strengthen books (particularly softcovers) for the gruelling year ahead.

FEED (AND HYDRATE) THEIR BRAINS

PSA – if you haven’t seen your kids’ lunchboxes since December, act now! While I hesitate to suggest that losing belongings is a good thing, it might be preferable to finding new life forms setting up camp in the bottom of abandoned backpacks! If you’re brave enough, give lunchboxes a good clean and check over, or look for something fresh and new and suited to their latest requirements.

Top tip! It’s easy to overlook drink bottle lids when giving them a clean. Check bottles, lids and straws regularly and make sure all the nooks and crannies get a good scrub to keep water tasty and healthy.

LET’S GET TECHNICAL

If your child needs to bring their own device this year, your school should have provided recommendations and requirements. The team at NOEL LEEMING OR JB HI-FI can help you navigate these so bring them along with you to find the perfect solution. They can also help if your student has outgrown their device or is exploring new subjects such as design or photography that need more power. Beyond the tech specs, consider size, weight and the durability to deal with travelling to, from and around school in a backpack.

Top tip! Look out for a cool new sleeve that they’ll want to use or take advantage of the increasing range of backpacks with padded laptop pockets to keep tech protected.

UNIFORM STYLE

Whether your kids are in uniform or not, you’ll want to take some time to assess their school gear to see what’s still good, what needs to be replaced and what they’ve grown out of over the holidays. Clean and polish shoes if they still fit – and check that they are still supporting little feet as they should. FOOT LOCKER can professionally measure and fit shoes that will keep their growing feet healthy and comfortable.

Top tip! Keep clothing and footwear losses to a minimum by labelling EVERYTHING. Order personalised labels or create instant labels at home with label makers that can print adhesive and iron on labels for every surface.

GET CARRIED AWAY

The often-unsung hero of back to school, backpacks are also in line for the roughest life! So, look out for well-made, study bags with wide straps, good balance and compartments to fit books, tech, sports gear and smaller items. Before they head off on their first day, get children to pop their backpack on and adjust straps to fit.

Top tip! Bigger is not always better. Kids can – and will – fill a larger bag to the brim, and the extra weight can impact their back, shoulders and posture. Look out for a size that is appropriate and comfortable for your child, with an eye to their daily travel needs too.

A HEALTHY START

Our summer sun will make an appearance (even if your summer holiday was a little less summery than you’d hoped!) and it is powerful! Make sunscreen a part of the morning routine, equip them with hats and other sun protection and pop smaller sunscreen packs into their bags for reapplication during the day. Support their immunity with a tasty multivitamin gummy and spend some time in the lead up to school starting to get everyone back into routine for a healthy, happy start to the school year.

Top tip! Small and accessible sunscreen packs especially suited to children will ensure that sun protection is always available and encourage kids to use it. Look out for easy application methods such as sprays or roll-ons too.

Finally, consider a quick hair trim and an eye test so you know that they’re ready to learn. All sorted? Make the most of the remaining holidays by planning a well-deserved family treat in the Foodcourt – you’ve earned it!