Our Back To School Favourites


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It's back to school is in a matter of days and if you are anything like me then you'll still be scrambling to get everything sorted. I like to think that it will all come together when it's ready. That said, I hope this blog post will give me the nudge that I need to be more prepared, and maybe it will introduce you to a couple of new bits and pieces.

First, on my list are the new BIC Gelocity quick drying pens - RRP £6.49 for a pack of 3. They have been my first port of call as they are ideal for making back to school lists. Noah has also been practicing his handwriting with them and likes how there are so many different colours to choose from. They also dry super quick and are suitable for both lefties and righties. You can buy them at Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Ryman or online at Amazon.


We are all delighted with this personalised art set from I Just Love It. It retails at £29.99 and contains everything needed to become a little artist. In fact, inside are an impressive 63 pieces; coloured pencils, crayons, markers, pastels, paint, a ruler, paintbrush, eraser, and sharpener. I had it personalised with both of their initials and I'm sure they'll use it for years to come.


I adore books and thankfully, so do Noah and Ava. We have our day to day picture books, bedtime books and themed books for events like Christmas and Halloween. Then we have books which are designed to help children through different stages in their lives, like Mummy having a new baby, potty training, going to school and so on. I won these two books in a competition a while back and they've been perfect for Noah and Ava with school and nursery coming up. The sticker book is from Galt and the board book is from Campbell books. I'm not sure on the RRPs but I'm sure you'll find them on Amazon for a great price.


My kids are constantly eating so these Squeezie fruit snacks from Del Monte made our list in a heartbeat. These pouches are 100% real fruit, great for lunchboxes and after school treats. They are great for snacking on during long journeys, enjoying as a refreshing fruit burst or added to cereal or porridge in the morning. They come in in three fantastic flavours, Apple, Strawberry & Banana, Apple & Mango,and Apple, Strawberry & Blueberry. They also contain no preservatives, no added sugar and one pouch is 1 of their 5 a day. You can buy Del Monte Squeezies from ASDA for just 50p a pouch.


Next, we have two essentials that are a must-have for school, for days out, for picnics at the park - lunch boxes! These personalised lunch boxes are from The Gift Experience and cost £12.99 each. There are a variety of different designs and colours to choose and can be personalised with up to 15 characters. They are a great size and fit right into lunch bags.


Name labels are essential for every parent when their child is starting nursery or going to school. These stick-on and iron-on name labels are from Stickerscape and I received them last week as part of a Peppa Pig back to school collaboration. I've already labeled half a dozen things ready for their big days and they seem like they are such great quality.


Noah and Ava are milk fiends, even more so if it's milkshake! Shaken Udder sent us half a dozen of their school-approved kids milkshakes, to pop into their lunch boxes, or to enjoy after school and they've already guzzled most of them. They contain no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives and come in two yummy flavours, strawberry and chocolate. Find out more about them here.


Last but not least, I have a toy that we reviewed a while back, one that is so fantastic that I just have to mention it again. The Super Sorting Pie is from Learning Resources and is one of the kid's favourite toys, however, it's not just lots of fun, there are lots of benefits to it too. It's great for shape, number, and colour sorting, for building hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills and much more. The grippers have really helped Noah build the muscles in his hands, which are needed for writing and they also use them in his school. Read our review of the Super Sorting Pie here.

What's your favourite item on this list? Are you ready for back to school?

12 comments:

  1. Great recommendations! I always get my boys the stick on labels for their uniforms and other school bits to try and reduce the chance of their things getting lost. I can't believe the summer holidays are nearly over already, time is flying! x

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  2. That colouring set is amazing, I'd have loved that as a kid!!

    Katie xoxo

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  3. Love the Im starting nursery book, we used something similar when Cody started school

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  4. Lots of BEAUTIES - the boys can't wait to get back

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  5. Some good recommendations thankyou
    Looking forward to my daughter going back to school 😂 :-)

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  6. My granddaughter starts Reception in a few days' time, so my daughter has been frantically trying to get everything for her.

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  7. Love the fabulous personalised art set - very grown up for little ones. Also love the fun super sorting pie. Hadn't seen it before. Thanks.

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  8. shaken udder milkshakes are a must have in our house

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  10. The art set looks great. Children do enjoy Arts and Crafts, so very useful :- Accessible and portable, organised set.

    Rachel Craig

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  11. Del Monte Sqeezies seem convenient, delicious and nutritious.

    Rachel Craig

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  12. Loving that personalised art set

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