It’s a day that’s been coming since birth: your child’s first day of school. This is a symbolic rite of passage—only big kids go to school, after all—and your child may be excited, scared, or both. You might feel the same way.
Basic Supplies
Whether your little scholar is heading for Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, or Grade One, he or she is going to need school supplies. The school should have a list of items you’ll need, which will be slightly different from one class to another. Some school supplies, however, are universal, so if you want to shop in advance of the big day, here’s what you’ll need:
- Erasers
- Folders
- Notebooks
- Paper (white, construction, and lined)
- Pencil grips
- Pencil sharpener
Pencil grips may not be necessary, but they give little hands a better grip on the pencil, which is helpful when learning to hold a pencil properly.
Use stickers, stars, and children’s names to mark supplies. Personalized school supplies for kids prevents confusion over whose supplies are whose.
Art and Craft Supplies
Early grades have an emphasis on arts and crafts, as art helps develop children’s motor skills, creativity, and ability to follow instructions. You can give your child a head-start on these skills by making crafts together and using coloring books during the preschool years.
You’ll need:
- Crayons
- Washable markers
- Colored pencils
- Safety scissors
- Smock or large T-shirt
- Glue or glue sticks.
Boxes, Bags, and Organizers
Classrooms require children to be organized, while supplies and lunches need to be carried to and from school. Your new student will probably need the following items:
- Backpack
- Lunch box
- Plastic pencil box or bag
- Spill-proof water bottle.
These items offer excellent opportunities to provide personalized school supplies for kids. Have kids help choose their backpack—with so many designs available they’re sure to find one with characters, animals, or colors they love. Water bottles can be customized with stickers, making it easy for kids to identify their own bottle.
As for lunchboxes, the possibilities are endless. Your child may want a lunchbox displaying a favorite character, or you can surprise her with a personalized lunchbox with her name printed on the side.
. . . And Everything Else
A classroom full of kids will have its share of accidents, messes, colds, and flus, so teachers may also ask parents to include tissue boxes, hand sanitizer, and antibacterial wipes. A change of clothes is often kept at school in case of messes really get out of hand, and many kindergartens require parents provide a rest mat for quiet time—usually a soft blanker or fluffy towel.
