“All good things come to an end..”, the summer vacations will soon be over and you and your kids should already be gearing up for the school! Most of us may already be hearing complaints to stay away from school or some smarties may be demanding new stuff to get going at school! With so much competition among kids to show off stuff as well as those demanded by academic requirements may really make it a daunting task to pinpoint the new purchases. To make this easier, below is a list so that you do not miss out on the essentials topped up with a few tips to lure kids to school:

Back To School Shopping List

1. 1. Stationery Essentials: Ensure that your child has all the writing equipments, usually-
      • 2 pencils
      • 1 eraser
      • 1 blue pen (if allowed)
      • 1 sharpener
      • 1 15cm scale

      Tips For Stationery Shopping

      • Instead of running to stationary shop every time your kid runs out of pencils or erasers, it’s advisable to buy boxes. You can easily purchase these from stationary shop or there are some great discounts online
      • If your kid is fussy you can even buy fancy erasers that can be attached at the back of the pencil. Also nowadays everything ranging from stationary to water bottles comes with the designs of cartoons – choose whatever your kid likes!
      • Also nowadays girls tend to carry a handy pouch for storing their stationary. Browse online or let your child come up and tell you which ones she would like to buy! It just makes things more interesting when getting back to school

1. 1. Craft supplies: Let your kid not be one of those who keep borrowing stuff in the arts class. Get him the following stuff and watch his crafts skill bloom:
      • Small scissors
      • Glue – get glue sticks for day to day use and glue bottles for craft classes
      • Crayons
      • Color pencils
      • Sketch pens
      • Water colors
      • Paper cutter
      • Colored sheets
      • Stapler

      
      Tips To Buy Craft Essentials

      • You can get the colored sheets of A4 size in bulk which will probably last for ages. They come handy in class projects and presentations too!
      • Buy color pencils instead of crayons as they do not leave behind waxy residues on paper and can be easily sharpened
      • Its best to invest in a plastic box which can hold these supplies together. Next time you won’t be yelling on each other for a missing scissor, you know where to find it!
   2. Geometry box: Geometry boxes are available in different colors and sizes, equipped with geometry essentials. Its essential to hone the mathematical skills – your kid will be needing below items during Geometry lessons:
      • Divider
      • Protractor
      • Crayon size sharpened pencil
      • Compass

      Tips To Shop For Geometry Kits Look for dividers which a blunt tip. Plastic variants are also available. They are much safer!

1. Lunch box and water bottle Select lunch boxes which are of good quality and keep the food warm. You might like to select boxes which come with ample-spaced compartments and mini compartments with lids – protects from any spilling. To make your kiddos love the lunch hour, buy the ones that have lovely cartoon characters on them. Water bottles for kids come in attractive shapes and sizes all well. You could browse the web for the latest ones!
   Tips

• Look for one which accommodates water bottle too
• For pre-schoolers, there are abundant of lunch boxes in amazing shapes and colors!

• Highlighters: Let your kid make notes and highlight the essential points with highlighters of different colors.
  Tip

• Highlighters in the form of small colorful stickers are also available. These work as a bookmark too!
• School bag: This is perhaps the most essential item! Remember girls and boys tend to choose backpacks differently. It’s best to let your child tag along when shopping bag.
  Tip To Selecting the School Bag:
  • Make sure its water resistant – You sure don’t want soggy and smelly books!
  • The straps should be wider – they tend to reduce the load
  • Check all the zips and buckles
  • Choose bags with bottle holder

• School shoes and polishes: Kids grow very fast during the early years of life and much to our dismay they overgrow everything very quickly! So if your kid complaints that the shoes are tight, check it out.
  Tips
  • Most schools require kids to dress in P.T shoes (white shoes) on certain days such as Saturdays, Republic Day, Independence Day, Sports Day etc. So be ready to get one for your kid
  • Normal wax polishes work better than liquid polishes which look very easy to apply. Honestly, they may leave stubborn stains on clothes and they do not shine very well like wax polishes
  • Take socks along while your kid trials shoes at the store

• Uniform: Check whether the previous year’s uniform fits the child. It’s great if it does! Although due to daily wear and tear – resulting from rough play and detergents, it may be worn. Buy one new uniform and use the previous uniform alternatively.
  Tips To Purchase School Uniforms
  • Do not purchase tight fitting uniform, your quickly growing kid may overgrow it in a few months!
  • Make sure you follow the schools code of conduct related to uniforms – most of them require the skirt just reaching the news and socks up till mid-calves
• Folders: Choose light binders which can neatly store loose test papers or assignments.Tips
  • Get transparent folders – which can be labelled
  • Light-weight plastic folders are great for storing notes subject-wise.
• Raincoats and umbrellas: Be prepared for monsoon and any unlikely spells! Get your kids cool umbrellas and raincoats so that they would want to use them and not get wet!

With so many goodies finding their way in your child’s life, he’s sure going to be very excited to make use of these. Although these may all appear very materialistic, it’s your duty to provide an environment conducive for your child’s studies! And these sure contribute to it. There is quite a shopping to be done, so discuss these with your child and get going!