It’s hard to not get excited about Back to School—even if just for preschoolers. Actually, it may be the preschool moms who are the most excited. Amazing how only three or four hours of time alone/or with one child can change a moms!
So with all the back to school craziness right now, what do need for your little preschooler's first day? The good news is probably not too much. Most preschools slap on a hefty "supply fee" to your tuition, which is for all the necessary supplies like paint, colors, paper and PlayDoh. Although depending on the type of preschool you're at (like a co-op), parents may be asked to bring in some additional supplies.
If you’re looking to shop for fun extras (to help stimulate the economy and have some new things for the new year), we’ve put together just a additional items to help celebrate back to school season.
1) Bag. Every child needs a back for school However, many schools provide or offer suggestion s on the type of bag they would prefer. The reason for this is they need something big enough to send home all that macaroni artwork. Our suggestion is to get a canvas "tote bag" that can be dragged around or washed to get all the glitter out. If you feel like getting a cute back pack, go right ahead, but we've found the tote bags are just easier for throwing things in and shaking out glitter.
2) Water Bottle. Chances are your child's school will provide snack and drink. But my son was always thirsty for water and hated the juice. The Sigg or Nalgene bottles are great because they tend not to leak as much all over everything.
3) Labels. You will have to label almost everything your kid wears. Although, I admit that I never labeled clothes since my kids were sure of what belonged to them, I know the schools prefer it. There are labels out there like Mabel's Labels to help you get everything ready for school. Some brands such as Polarn O. Pyret, Hanna Andersson and H&M have labels already built into their clothing.
4) Great outerwear. This is an absolute must! Each school is different, but in many areas kids play outside until the weather drops below 32 degrees. Some even play outside if it's just drizzly or misting. And while fall weather isn't here yet, now is the time to buy boots. Why? Because the second you get the first good rain, all the rain boots at Target are gone. You will need boots, winter hats, mittens (buy a lot of these as your kids will lose them). A variety of coats/jackets--rain coat, light weight coat, fleece and a heavy jacket. Every year I think I can skip out on one of these, but every year I end up needing all of them. Again, Polarn O. Pyret, Lands End and LLBean are great places for these items that will last so buy in a neutral color (red, light blue, green, yellow, orange) so you can hand down to your next child since they are big purchases.
5) Lunch box. A lot of schools offer lunch bunch as an option for kids. My kids lived for lunch bunch each week, and it was considered one of the best parts about school. Get an insulated lunch box and get creative on lunch ideas because most schools say no-no to peanut butter.
Just an extra tip , we know it's tempting to match items when you have kids so close in age. Take our advice and have different colored bags, lunch boxes, water bottles, etc. so you can keep track of your own kids' stuff.
Please let us know of some other fun preschool back to school items we might be missing or if you have some favorite items like bags, water bottles or lunch boxes. And next week, we'll be doing a post on tips for Back to School with your Bunch.
I would love to hear about "favorite" lunch boxes for preschoolers and also lunch ideas! I can't believe I'm buying my 2 year old a lunch box!
Posted by: Knowles | Aug 14, 2009 at 11:05 PM
I can't say I have a favorite lunch box. I bought one for my daughter last year on sale at Gap for $2 and my son one at the grocery. I didn't want to spend a lot of money because I knew their lunchbox needs would change when they got to kindergarten. However, I'm a BIG fan of the Bento Box idea. http://secure.laptoplunches.com/AMAZING/index.asp because it allows you to get creative. I pack things like ham/cheese on tortilla, cut up hotdogs (cold), hard boiled eggs, yogurt, pasta salad, etc.
Good luck!
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