AD. This post is sponsored and contains gifted products, but all views are my own. Read my disclaimer for more information.
It is back to school season and a time for you together all your supplies, whether it is for you or your children. The start of a brand new school year.
I LOVED back to school season when I was in primary school but more so when I moved to secondary school. I got to go stationery shopping and that was my favourite kind of shopping and still is! That feeling I got when I had my new pencil case and the huge collection of pens. I still enjoy this season as I manage to get some great deals!
When you or your children are getting ready for school, college or university, there are so many things to think about and supplies that can add a huge financial burden. My advice as I have visited a lot of retailers sharing their ‘back to school’ range – there are some bargains to help you!
As it can be overwhelming when you have children going back to school or maybe you are going to college for the first time, there are some tips to remember:
- Research (even on the school or further education website) what supplies you will need.
- See what supplies you already have – this can enable you to save money and use up any left over supplies from the previous terms or year.
- Make a list of what you need to buy
- Shop around for the best deals
Now, let’s dive into the ultimate list of back to school supplies for all ages:
1. Cherry Blossom Shoe Cleaner – £4.50
Cherry Blossom is a British brand which has been manufacturing show care products for 100 years. When your child starts school you want your child’s school shoes to look smart and protect the new shoes from the general rough and tumble that can happen on the playground. For convenience, they also have wipes that you can use on the go – so helpful when it comes to young children!
2. Post It Notes/Page Markers
Post it notes can be extremely helpful when studying and can be used to record key-points, research references and much more. Having some on your desk at home or into college or university during lectures. I get my post it notes from BusyB as they have unique designs and shapes.
Page markers are super handy when you are having to work from books, textbooks or other course material. It enables you to find the pages and the important references you need easily. I also got these from BusyB.
3. Essential Down Jacket – £72.00-£84.00
Unfortunately, rain comes a lot during Autumn and sometimes just for the school run! It is important your child has a coat that isn’t only warm but is going to keep them dry. This essential down jacket is down-filled for warmth and enhanced with water repellent technology. It has a zip through, front pockets, a high neck and Tommy Hilfiger logo inside the collar.
4. Herschel Classic Backpack – £45.00
Whether you are going to college, university or your child is going back to school, you are going to need a sturdy back pack to fit everything you need for the day.
The Herschel classic backpack offers a clean and simple design that is perfectly tailored. The bag has the signature striped fabric liner, a front storage pocket and a prusik cord zipper pulls.
5. Uni-Ball Eye Fine Pens – £7.57
Having pens that feel comfortable is important when you are in college and university, you are expected to write a lot. You are going to want to use pens you like and that are comfortable.
These Uni-Ball Eye fine pens are the perfect fit for people who want flawless handwriting. The ‘uni-flow’ system ensures a steady flow of continuous ink to give you clear, clean handwriting. I love using these pens because they feel like a fine liner and are super comfortable.
6. Zebra Pen Mildliners
Zebra Pen Mildliners are a double-ended highlighter and marker. One end is a chisel tip and the other is a bullet fine tip. They have mild translucent ink makes it a unique highlighter.
Highlighters are valuable for being able to pick out important information in your books, textbooks and paperwork. You can also use them in your notebooks for headings and sub-headings. If colour coding is your preferred method of organisation then these mildliners will be perfect for you.
7. Hype Multi Coloured Bundle – £49.99
When back to school comes children all need a backpack, a lunchbox and a water bottle. Well you can get this matching bundle, all for £49.99. The backpack is 410mm x 310mm and is a bit bigger than A4 (18L). A perfect size to fit everything in that they will need. These products are wipe clean only.
8. Kickers Kick High Zip Infant Leather Shoes – £50.00
Footwear for back to school is so important to help them not only feel comfortable during their school day but also look smart.
These are the high zip ‘mini me’ shoes are timeless in style and comfort. The shoes have an added side zip, this means they are easy to put on and take them off for your child. The laces and the side zip offers extra security when your child is in the playground.
9. A Planner
When you are attending college or university using a planner is going to make you an organised student. You will have classes, appointments, deadlines, exams etc to record. Using a planner will allow you to have all of that information in one place.
You can get slim-line planners for as little as a £1 – but will be an invaluable asset. I use a Happy Planner to keep me organised in all areas of my life. These planners are a little more than a standard planner. I shop on the Happy Planner Store on Amazon because it is too expensive to shop from their website to the UK.
10. Contigo Easy Clean Water Bottle – £16.50
The Contigo easy clean auto-spout straw water bottle has a spill-proof valve that makes school runs and playtimes easy and mess-free. Children simply push the button to release the pop up straw. This bottle is sustainable and super easy to clean. There are a variety of designs to choose from to make it fun for children to use. I know from having younger siblings, a nephew and a niece that finding a leak-proof bottle is essential to avoid a soggy bag or lunchbox.
11. Dingbats Notebook – £17.95
When you go into college or university you are in charge of finding your own notebooks and supplies to use in your lessons. Dingbats Notebooks is a sustainable brand that offers a variety of notebooks in different sizes. You can choose your Earth or Wildlife design and whether you would like the pages to be: lined, dotted, plain or squared. This is really helpful if you are doing a subject that would benefit from a specific page ruling.
Fine liner pens can be a great tool when writing and drawing. They are usually popular when it comes to writing and you can get them in a range of colours!
12. Stickers
Stickers can be used for all ages returning all school. You can use stickers for young children when they do well with reading or their homework for example. You may also use a star chart at home. They can create motivation to do well and give them something to be proud of.
Stickers can be used in your planner or your notebooks to help keep you organised, to highlight important information or to help with revision notes. I like to use Happy Planner stickers from Amazon and stickers from Etsy to use in my planner, notebooks and for important notes.
13. BillieBlush Puffer Jacket – £89.00
Coats are a must especially in the UK when you are going back to school in Autumn. This long hooded BillieBlush puffer jacket is navy with two zip front pockets and a zip fastening. The coat has a fleece lined hood to help keep your child warm on colder days.
These are some of the essentials your child or you may need going back to school. Different schools, colleges and universities have different criteria for their students. I have included a list of things you may need on your back to school checklist:
- Hand sanitiser
- Pencil case
- Pencils, eraser, ruler and pencil sharpener
- Index cards
- Tissues
- A binder or display folder
- A calculator
- P.E kit and trainers
- Laptop and charger
- Textbooks
- Hygiene products such as: sanitary products, tampons, hairbrush or deodorant
- Book bag
I hope this ultimate list of essentials can help you get ready for your child or you going back to school. Remember to write your checklist before you start school supply shopping. I hope your child or you have a great start to your new school year!
What is one essential you like shopping for when it comes to back to school supplies? I’d love to hear in the comments.
I loved back to school shopping too! My daughter already started school on the 8th, but she would love the unicorn Contigo water bottle though!
Aww, I hope she had a good start to her new school year. Thank you for reading and commenting.
I used to love back to school shopping. Everything is crisp and brand new and the smell of the plastic pencil cases! Not to mention the extra wallpaper to wrap our books in.
Oh my mum used to cover our books in coloured plastic wrap etc, loved it! Thank you for reading and commenting.
I loved back to school shopping! I would have loved the water bottle too.
Thank you for reading and commenting.
I always loved going out with my mom to get school supplies. The days of Lisa Frank… The shoe wipes are a brilliant idea. We could definitely use those here!
Thank you for reading and commenting.
The Cherry Blossom Shoe Cleaner looks cool. This post reminds of my school memories. Thank you for sharing
Thank you for reading and commenting. X
Thank you for reading and commenting.
I used to like back to school shopping with my mum when I was in school! Always loved looked for new shoes and a new school bag 🙂
It was such a fun time. Thank you for reading and commenting.
It was always a fun time. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Ooh I love this! Back to school shopping is always so much fun. I’m starting uni in September and I still need to get a backpack and the Herschel one looks amazing – I’ll definitely consider it! I love my mildliners too – I need to check they’re all still working properly. Thank you so much for sharing x
That’s great! Good luck with starting university! Thank you for reading and commenting.
I hope university goes well for you. Thank you for reading and commenting.
I definitely need to start my back to school shopping so these tips were great! Thanks for sharing!
Glad this is really helpful! Thank you for reading and commenting.
I am glad you found this post helpful. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Hi Lauren,
Ultimate list indeed! Nice job 🙂
I always liked going back to school and getting all the new ‘essentials’ for the year ahead. Not so much with the clothing (mum and dad didn’t have much money when I was at school) but certainly with all the other items.
I am glad you enjoyed this post. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Thank you for reading and commenting.
I remember needing the majority of these supplies every new school year! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
I loved shopping for them all! Thank you for reading and commenting.
Thank you for reading and commenting.
Great things to have for school. I remember the days when we go school shoppig and get a lot of things. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for reading and commenting. X
Thank you for reading and commenting.
These are definitely some great going back to school essentials. Thanks so much for sharing your list!
Thank you for reading and commenting.
Love this list, especially as I have just started university! I have to have a backpack, water bottle, pens, and paper. A raincoat and pullover are also nice to have for those off days. Love the looks of Cherry Blossom, though! How handy is that for protecting our shoes? 🙂
Aww really? Congratulations on starting university! I hope you have the best time! I might be applying for next year! Thank you for reading and commenting. X
These are some great list of back to school supplies. Making a shopping list as you shared, is the #1 tip when shopping for back to school. Here in NYC, one tip I have used to save money is to wait until the after the back to school buzz is over and purchase the school supplies that will go on sale; save them for next school year.
That is a good suggestion to get bargains! Thank you for reading and commenting. Can you link your blog so I can have a read?
I used to LOVE getting new stationery for going back to school. There wasn’t anywhere near the choice then that there is now (but it also wasn’t as expensive 😆). I’m still a sucker for stationery – I got some of those zebra Midliner highlighters earlier this week actually! Fab suggestions lovely.
Caz xx
I love the mildliners. Thank you for reading and commenting. X
Stationery is always a good purchase! Thank you for reading and commenting.
I love stationery shopping, I am going with my daughter next week. The Dingbat notebooks are great, I have one of their bullet journals. There are some great products in this list xx
Good luck with your shopping! I hope you find your daughter everything she needs. Thank you for reading and commenting. X
I always find that stationary shopping really nostalgic to me as I use to love going shopping with my mum for the start of a new school year! You’ve shared some really great suggestions here lovely which I’ll defiantly be passing onto my family whose little ones are back to school soon. For me, my favourite part was packing my new pencil case full of the new stationary I’d brought! Thank you so much for sharing this with us, it will be super beneficial to a lot of people Xo
Yeah the stationery bit and my new shoes were exciting for me. Thank you for reading and commenting.
This post reminded me of the fact that for the first time in years I don’t have to prepare to go back to school. I’ve taken a year off from teaching and before a lot of these items were on my list as well. The highlighters, drink bottles and all. But I can understand that these are stressful times for parents. Thanks for sharing this list.
That’s great you don’t have to prepare this year. I hope you have a great year experiencing new things. Thank you for reading and commenting.
I finished school nearly 10 years ago now! Which is crazy but my little sister is starting secondary school in September so I will definitely be passing this on to her! X
Aww I hope she has a great time. My littlest sister starts college in September. I haven’t been in school for 12 years – but still love the stationery 😂 c
I’m a sucker for post it notes! And Herschel is a great choice for backpacks. Thanks for the great ideas.
Thank you for reading and commenting. X
Thank you for reading and commenting.
It’s been many years since I went back to school shopping for myself or my adult son but this looks like a great collection of goodies! Shoe wipes? Yes please!
Thank you for reading and commenting. The wipes are super handy!
It is so helpful. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Back to school shopping is my favorite and always has been. I just love the smell of new crayons! My favorite school supply to shop for has to be felt pens and a planner. Those are essential for me as a teacher!
Thank you for reading and commenting. I hope you have a great new term! Xx
I love back to school! Thank you for reading and commenting.
Such a great list. I used to love back to school shopping. Kickers were my fave shoes.
I loved kickers as well with heels. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Kickers were awesome. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Oh back to school shopping was something I always so looked forward when I was going to school and honestly felt so lost after my last year of high school when I wouldn’t go back for it! I lvoed shopping for any stationery! x
Thank you for reading and commenting so glad you could relate to the post x
Loving the pens and the water bottle. The coloured set is also amazing. I would have loved this as a kid!
Thank you for reading and commenting!
Those wee Zebra pens look AMAZING! I need these, despite the fact I don’t go to school and I already have MULTIPLE pens like them!
I brought them and I love them. Definitely get them! Thank you for reading and commenting. X
They are awesome. I love them! Thank you for reading and commenting.