Best back to school supplies to get little ones ready for a new school year

Save money by customising school essentials in the comfort of your own home with this Cricut Joy Starter Bundle, loved by crafting fans everywhere including Stacey Solomon. "It is an investment, but it is so worth it." Commented Mother&Baby Writer, Hannah Mellin. From personalised water bottle stickers that will last loads of dishwasher runs to clothing labels, the opportunities are endless and this machine will stay with you until they finish school and beyond! "I would say you have to be willing to learn how to use the machine (it does so much) but there are so many YouTube videos and tutorials that will guide you on your way. This is amazing for families, as you can make birthday decorations, ingredient jar labels - it will truly make you more organised and feel like you've got your life together."

Read our full Cricut Joy Xtra™  and Starter Bundle review

This Marvel Pen Set has everything your child needs for going back to school. With all the stationary in one convenient and Marvel styled pencil case, it features a double zip opening. The scissors can also be removed for younger children. One delighted review written by a parent said it was the perfect back to school gift, "He loves it and has everything he needs. Helps him to stay organised with everything in one place."

The easy to see Create A Space See-Through Caddy is a lovely way to keep your little ones pencils and colours organised at home. They can move the caddy around using the easy to carry handle and will feel so grown up with this organiser. Our writer loved how easy it was to move, commenting, "My son keeps his on his desk in his room, but will bring it downstairs to the table if he wants to do his 'work' at the table."

These Textsurfer Classic Pastel Highlighters are a great way for your child to use when writing. They're a more subtle colouring than normal highlighters, and they're also refillable. There's tonnes of five-star reviews for these highlighters, including one that raved, "The main reason I those these over the Stabilo ones were because I find these to bleed a lot less. And in spite of being chunky they're easy to hold because of the groves at their sides. Also, it's quite smudge-proof against a lot of different inks."

The Gabby's Dollhouse Pencil Case is a super fun design and comes with two compartments for all your childs back to school supplies. Younger children might not need everything that's in this pencil case, but they can be taken out and saved for later! A parent who bought the pencil case for her daughter noted that they were "fantastic quality" and offered a "great selection of pens, pencils and other accessories such as rulers, scissors and pencil sharpener. Really good for primary and secondary school. I definitely recommend."

It's good to start the year with plenty of hair ties, as for some reason they just disappear! So these 50 pack of Elastic Hair Bands are a must. They're multicoloured too, so plenty of options for your child to choose from. One reviewer said, "These work great. I have quite thin hair and a lot of hair bands can easily get knotted round your hair. These are just the right thickness and have the correct stretchiness for wrapping it round a pony tail just the right amount of times for the right tightness."

There is nothing worse than sifting through the lost property pile trying to find your child's belongings. The age-old sniff test doesn't always work. The Stamptastic School Name Labels Basic Bundle makes it unbelievably easy to identity for your child's possessions. Parents rave about the stamps, with one parent saying she used to use the iron on labels but her daughter used to peels them off in class and things would end up lost. She said, "I’ve only stamped about 10 items so far but they have all been washed and it’s stayed on without any ink loss. I’ve bought 2 for both of my girls."

With a press button to access the drinking spout, the Contigo Kids Water Bottle is one that you really want to invest in. Designed to be fully leak proof, this bottle can be tipped upside-down even with the spout open and not a drop of water leaks out. Our mum writer says, "My daughter tips it up and shakes it about but not a single drop of water leaves the bottle, which also means our bags are not getting soaked when out and about when the bottle accidentally tips over." The parts inside the bottle also stay together to clean, to help prevent losing anything when washing up.

With stainless steel utensils for little ones, the Bento Lunchbox is designed to fit small portions so your child can pick at whatever snacks you pack. Our team loved that the cutlery wasn't loose, commenting, "It's really convenient having all my daughters foods in one place rather than having several different containers taking up space in the bag and a loose set of cutlery. It's super handy that the cutlery that comes with it can fit to the lid, and I'm not losing them!" It has five compartments for separating foods, and is beautifully designed and even has a practical carry handle!

These cute personalised drawstring bags can be personalised with your little ones names, so you don't need to worry about them losing it in the cloak room! There's loads of colours available and you can choose between Mickey or Minnie. One happy buyer commented, "Great quality bag for nursery. My sons uses his all the time and we've never lost it or had any spills."

Most schools do not allow brightly coloured socks as part of their uniform. These white, black, blue and grey socks are perfect for pairing with your little one's school uniform. Best bit? There are 12 pairs. Because we all know socks like to go walkies in the washing machine. One parent buyer commented of the quality of the socks, saying, "In terms of product it was perfect. Has good stretch for growing feet. Did not fray or fall apart at seems. Comfy for kids, has no bobbles. Looks like they will last."

Make sure they start school with everything they will ever need with this Helix complete stationary set that includes pens, pencils, ruler, calculator and more. Reviews of the stationary set are generally great and most comment on how this is an amazing buy for your little one starting primary or secondary school this year. One review said, "It has all you need for school, very well made. I’d snap one up if I were you, you won’t find better as a starter pack for school. Buy with confidence."