Back to School with Babipur
For many parents September brings a very mixed bag of emotions with the beginning of a new school year. Whether your little one is just starting their school or preschool, or moving up into a new class, there are feelings of excitement and anticipation of a new adventure, and a little sadness that those long lazy days of summer are over. If you are home schooling there is a sense of a fresh new year with the change of seasons, with forest schools restarting and the cooler temperatures and less crowds making it easier to get out and about again.
Getting organised ahead of time always helps, before the mad back-to-school rush. We’ve put together a list of our favourite back to school/ preschool/ forest school and home education items to get you off to a flying start.
Eco Friendly School Uniform
With school kids spending 35+ hours in school uniform playing and learning, school uniforms have to be comfortable and durable. Eco Outfitters are on a mission to freshen up school uniforms, go green, and make fair trade uniforms.
Made from lovely soft GOTS certified 100% pure organic cotton, ideal for sensitive skin, allergies, and eczema. Kind to the earth and responsibly made, with much less water used than non organic fabric processes, and no toxins or chemicals used. Most importantly GOTS organic cotton is socially responsible, so the people who make your kids school uniforms are respected, paid a fair wage, and work in safe conditions.
Backpacks
A comfortable backpack is a must! Check the straps are padded and comfortable, and distribute any weight evenly. For younger children it will need to hold a change of clothes and a water bottle, and older children may need it to be big enough to hold books or a laptop. Check with your school first to see if a bookbag is supplied for children in Reception, sometimes an additional backpack isn’t required until later years.
From a young age children love carrying their belongings around, and it gives them a real sense of independence. With a choice of styles and sizes there is a Frugi backpack to suit everyone. Made from recycled plastic bottles, Frugi bags are durable, showerproof and eco-friendly too. The largest in the range is the Trail Blazing Backpack and the Adventurers Backpack (many of our customers have one for themselves!)
For younger preschool and nursery age children the Little Adventurers backpack is a smaller size for little ones. A new style launched for Autumn 2021 is the Frugi Globetrotter Satchel. With its classic, retro styling this satchel is ready for the school day. Big enough to hold A4 folders and books, a laptop, pencil case and Pack-A-Snack Frugi lunch bag. We love that it coordinates with the Rain or Shine Frugi outerwear.
Fresk backpacks are stylish and a great size for older children and can easily carry books, a change of clothes, a lunchbox and drink (in the internal drinks holder to keep it upright). Made from recycled plastic bottles it’s showerproof, has a useful front pocket. The grab handles as well as straps are perfect for when you end up carrying it!
The Fresk School Bag is a satchel style backpack perfect for storing school supplies, pens and accessories, and is designed to hold an A4 size notepad. Kids will love to match this bookbag up with coordinated Fresk goodies such as a pencil case or lunchbox.
Coats
Children go outside whatever the weather at playtime so a good warm, waterproof coat is essential. We love the Frugi range of outerwear, that will keep your child warm and dry through autumn and winter. Made from recycled plastic bottles and with a warm fleece lining, Frugi Puddle Busters have a bright and fun range of prints that are just a bit different from what you would find in the high street. The reflective strips are also a great addition to increase visibility on gloomy days.
For little ones who feel the cold the Reversible Toasty Trail jackets and Ski jackets by Frugi will keep them snug, even at the coldest playtimes. The showerproof Toasty Trail jacket has a fun Frugi print on one side and a coordinating block colour on the other.
If your child is a reluctant coat wearer, then a body warmer or gilet is a great alternative on dry days. These will keep them toasty warm without impeding their movement. Keep in mind that many mainstream schools now have Forest school sessions (hooray!) so wellies and waterproof trousers are also a really good idea. We’ve also got a great range of snood scarves and hats perfect for adding a bit of fun and colour to the school day, as well as keeping off the chill.
For top eco-credentials and performance even in extreme weather conditions, you really can’t beat Patagonia. Leading the way in environmentally responsible business for decades, you can really feel the quality and durability in their outdoor clothing. Choose from our range of warm fleeces, coats and waterproof jackets to keep your little one warm and dry, whatever the weather throws at us!
Stationary
Many schools provide stationary, but your child may like to have their own pencil case at home with pens and pencils to help with any homework, or if you are home schooling.
Frugi have some great pencil cases that are a generous size, and match their Explorer range.
OkoNorm do a great range of craft materials, many suitable for the youngest children, made from safe, non-toxic dyes. There are water colours, finger paints, chalks and crayon rocks and modelling clay. All are great for mark making that is an essential first step on the road to writing.
Lunchboxes and drinks bottles
If your child is taking a packed lunch, then they will be needing a lunchbox! A stainless steel lunchbox will be robust and easy to keep clean. They often come with separate internal boxes to take different snacks, fruit or salads. Look for one that has a leakproof seal if they enjoy taking left-overs or anything runny. Klean Kanteen leakproof lunch boxes are a great choice.
If you are looking to keep your child’s lunch chilled for longer, the Frugi insulated lunch bag is a great idea. It will hold sandwiches and a small drinks bottle, with room for a piece of fruit and a snack. Again made from recycled plastic bottles, with top eco-credentials and in bold colourful prints. We love that they match the Frugi outerwear ranges.
Fluf zipper lunch bags are also a popular choice, with some really cool designs, and being wipe clean and washable. They have an internal bottle holder and plenty of space for lunch and snacks.
Kid Kanteen’s are our top pick of drinks bottles. It’s really important that children stay hydrated through the school day, and these stainless steel bottles come in a great selection of colours and fun designs. Choose between the sports cap (for 4 years +) or classic loop cap. If you want your child’s drink to stay chilled for longer then the insulated bottle will keep drinks cool for the whole school day.
If you want your drinks bottle to match your bag or coat, then the Frugi range offers a good range of both insulated and non-insulated reusable bottles. These are available in the matching outerwear and accessories fun designs and colours.
We hope this gives you some back to school inspiration ready for a busy new term – good luck!
