Your ultimate back to school essentials shopping guide

With stainless steel utensils for little ones, the Bento Lunchbox is designed to fit small portions so there is plenty of choice at lunchtime and your child can pick at their dinner. It has five compartments for separating foods, and is beautifully designed and even has a practical carry handle!

Writers review: "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, so that they don't go missing too! My daughter loves helping herself to the foods, and as the handle is on the opposite end to the close mechanism of the lunchbox, there's no accidentally catching it so that it opens!"

Lightweight and good at keeping packed lunches fresher for longer, the ZWILLING Fresh N Save Dinosaur Lunchbox is perfect for school lunches. It has an adjustable divider to separate foods in the box, or it can be removed completely. It's also dishwasher safe, so it's easier to clean.

One review said: "Great product, I was looking for something long lasting and airtight to keep fruit or veg in good condition. I am really pleased with the results so far."

The Bugucat Bento Lunch Box is convenient and allows you to separate your child's food for school. It comes with three storage compartments that can be stacked and clipped together, with a separate cutlery compartment.

One review said: "Actually really like this. Has stopped me lugging various bits of Tupperware to work. Super compact and neat. Strong, good quality and clips really sturdy. Love the cutlery compartment and fork has a serrated edge too to act as a knife. Sauce pot a great extra and divider really handy to separate things. Size is perfect. Would repurchase."

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. The parts inside the bottle also stay together to clean, to help prevent losing anything when washing up.

Writers review: "We go through so many water bottles throughout the school year, if they're not constantly leaking we're losing the straws or they're breaking, but this water bottle has really changed things. My son has dropped this bottle so many times and it hasn't even got a tiny crack in it, and he doesn't chew the spout where you drink from like he normally does (and if he does chew it I can't see any teeth marks!)

It is also incredibly easy to clean, and the straw stays attached to the bottle so we aren't constantly losing it. It is incredibly good value for money and I've definitely spent the same on three different bottles over the last few weeks, whereas this one has actually lasted."

The FUNtainer Football Bottle looks cool and keeps cold drinks cool for up to 12 hours, so you child won't have to worry about their water going warm. It's made from stainless steel and is durable, with a convenient carry loop. It also features a pop-up straw.

Easy for your little one to identify and to avoid bottle mix-ups, the Personalised Trixie Orange Cat Bottle is incredibly sweet. It can be personalised with a name of your choice up to ten characters, making it easy for your child to know it's theirs. It also has a leak-proof cap.

This double-walled ZWILLING Thermos Flask Dinos is a cute design, and will keep drinks cool for up to 12 hours and hot drinks warm for up to 7 hours. It has a practical carry strap that you can hook over your shoulder or on your neck, so it doesn't have to be carried. It also has a cup that acts as a lid.

The Share a Hug Pin badge is a beautiful way to reassure your little one that you're always with them, even if you're a bit further away from them. You wear one half of the badge and they wear the other on their jacket, jumper or even school bag.

One review said: "My little girl is starting Junior and wanted to get something to help her feel loved and supported- this will do just that! It’s lovely and well made"

Ideal for little man buns or ponytails, these Zulfaye Hair Bobbles are ideal for thick or long hair. They're snag free and don't cause damage to hair either. The black bobbles come in a pack of 40.

One review said: "Chose these based on the reviews and am very pleases. Buying hair bands on Amazon seems very random, I didn’t fancy a pack of 100, just wanted some good ones. Never heard of this brand before. It’s actually very good. Perfect stretchiness to hold up a pony tail or bun without feeling like you’re pulling for dear life. Really comfy to wear, nice colours."

These Engage Kids Loop Earplugs help to reduce noise sensitivity and allow children to focus more at school (or at home!) They can help manage to reduce anxiety so that they can enjoy being kids too. The Loop Earplugs come in three different fun colours to choose from, and are subtle to wear.

Our writer said: "I think these are a great little item and my son found them easy to put in his ear. Like most children, he does have a hard time concentrating but I noticed he wasn't looking around the room at different noises as much and would sit building his Lego with a lot less distraction."

This lovely wooden Back to School Hanger is a great way to be organised for your little ones first day of school. You can personalise the hanger with your child's name, and then you can hang their uniform ready for them to get dressed. You can also use it to hang their uniform every night so there's no delay in getting ready in the morning when trying to find the uniform you need.

This adorable assortment of hair accessories is ideal for children with red school uniform. The My School Hair Set Red matches red uniform perfectly, and comes with 16 assorted hair accessories that your child can choose from.

Five Minute Mum: Starting School is a gentle and funny guide all about starting school. From getting ready in the morning to meeting their teacher for the first time, and making new friends, it'll help guide your child through what to expect. It also has lots of five-minute activities and games to help your child feel more confident and excited.

The Tale of Starting School use personalisation to help prepare your child for their first day of school or nursery. It's a great way to introduce your little one to their school using your own photos of them, their school and their own words. It then becomes a lovely keepsake of their first year!

One review said: "We have bought copies of the tale of starting school and my school adventures and both books are just wonderful. They are such good quality and the drawings and pictures are beautiful. They are such a brilliant way to prepare your little one for school and also a great keepsake to collect and store memories. Just fabulous. Customer service along the way has been brilliant as well. Have recommended to many friends!"

Welcome to Unicorn School is a magical tale that follows Rocky on his school adventure. Join him as he makes new friends and discovers the magic of teamwork. The book is beautifully illustrated and is a great way to start conversations about those first-day worries.

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 said: "This caddy is really lovely and the clear container design makes it easy to locate stationary. 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. The coloured lids make the organiser a lot more fun too."

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.

These Shoe Stickers are a brilliant way at helping children independently put on their shoes. The stickers are soft yet durable, and provide a visual way for little one's to not only recognise their own shoes, but to see which shoe belongs on which foot.

One review said: "These shoe stickers are in-genius! They haven’t budged and my daughter confidently puts her shoes on the right feet every day. It’s also a great way for her to quickly recognise her shoes. Couldn’t recommend them enough!"

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 review said: "Gift for my son going back to school - he loves it and has everything he needs. Helps him to stay organised with everything in one place."

For the Bluey fans, your little one will love this backpack! The adorable Bluey backpack is the perfect size for young children, and has plenty of storage so that there's enough space for spare clothes, their water bottle and lunch box.

One review said: "Bought this bag for my granddaughter. She’s starting school in September and we were told she needed a bag that could hold an A4 sized folder. The bag is good quality, the perfect size for her folder and lunch box. She loves it."

This super-soft backpack doubles up as a little companion for your little one starting nursery. The Lilliputiens Stella Backpack keeps all your childs belongings safe. It's an adorable design, with the 3D elements bringing the bags to life.

With all the essentials your child needs for school, the Pokémon 4 Piece Set comes with a water bottle, matching pencil case and lunch bag. It has plenty of space to store the extras inside the bag, and has an external mesh pocket for the water bottle.

One review said: "Great quality, perfect for all my sons school items really good size fits an a4 work book with plenty of room spare, would defo recommend."

This beautiful Smash Daisy Backpack not only looks incredibly sweet, but it's designed to last. It has a large front pocket and also an elasticated pocket on the inside. It's comfortable to wear and has a padded back panel and adjustable shoulder straps.

The DC Comics Boys Batman Backpack has a Batman cape that your little one can have out, or you can fold it neatly away into a zipped compartment. It's a large enough size to fit everything they need for school too. They'll love feeling like a little superhero on the school runs.

One review said: "My son uses this for his school bag. It fits his school stuff (a folder, water and snack ) in nicely. It’s durable (it gets thrown and flung about and not a mark on it). The straps are nice and comfortable. Easy to clean, just wipe it down. Waterproof both inside (he tends to leave lids off his drinks) and outside. Plenty of space for a child’s belongings. The cape is easy folded into its little pocket at the top of the bag and easy to bring out when wanting it out."

A fun yet challenging way to stimulate your child's concentration, problem solving skills and cognitive skills, the Plug and Play Ball provides a lot of fun. With seven puzzle pieces, your child has to put the ball back together by simply plugging the pieces together. It's a great 3D challenge toy that also doubles as a fidget toy.

While this can't be left outside, it's a great toy to let your child play with in the garden! They can use it as a bridge, a mini slide and can even practise their balancing skills. They can even relax on it with their teddies. The Size M Balance and Motor Skills Board is such a simple toy, but the play possibilities are endless.

Our writer said: "My 6 year old loves the balance board. He uses it to stand and rock on, as a bridge for his cars and even to sit on to play games. He sits and rocks himself, and I've noticed that it really helps him release some of his energy as he likes to move around, so for him to sit and rock it's a really great support."

This LEGO Moana's Wayfinding Boat set will not only look great on display in your child's room once built, but it's great to play with and provides so much entertainment when building. It has 321 pieces and even comes with two mini figures and a dolphin.

Our writer said: "my children love LEGO and I find it helps to keep them entertained and their mind and hands busy. This LEGO Moana was simple to build, but it provided a good hours worth of concentration which was a great way to unwind after a busy day and helped to pass time between getting home and having tea."

The Yoto Player is designed for all ages and can be used by parents through the app for babies and toddlers or by toddlers and older kids themselves. The cards play stories, games and even music, and you can even create a night time routine with the nightlight, and have an alarm for the morning.

Our writer said: "The Yoto Player was really easy to set up, and I love that I can create a routine for my son on it, which will be really handy for when going back to school. It's easy to use the cards and it's handy to download them onto the app too. He's enjoyed sitting and listening to the stories and educational cards through the headphones when he's wanted 5 minutes peace."

A game that can be played independently or with an adult, Finding Your Bearings In Space - The Garden game is an educational game that helps children to understand spatial awareness. Recreate the scenes from the card and learn the vocabulary as they play, with three difficulty levels.

Our writer said: "This game is a really nice design and it even looks nice left out on a shelf. It's a simple concept that my son has enjoyed playing with and he gets really excited when he gets it right. He's not always confident with directions, but this game is certainly help build his confidence and understanding."

Making maths fun, the Sum Swamp board game helps children to practise their addition and subtraction skills in order to win the game. Suitable for two to four players, simply roll the dice and solve the problem to move the marker forward.

George has a fantastic range of Polo Shirts for boys and girls that are guaranteed to meet your school uniform requirements, no matter the colour scheme! Plus, they even have scallop collar options and ruffle detailing for girls and long-sleeved shirt options for the winter.

One review said: ""Lovely polo shirts which I ordered for my son starting nursery again. Look great quality and are fab value for money."

There are so many school uniform Dresses at TU Clothing! The cotton-rich dresses are designed to be stain-repellent with easy-iron Teflon-coated fabric to suit everyday school activities. Some even feature a one-touch fastening front with faux buttons, making it easier for little ones to get dressed independently.

One review said: "I really love the style of these dresses, the frill adds a nice detail. They do seem to come up quite big, but the tie around the back means you can pull them in and it looks fine - plus it means they will last as your child grows! It's also great to get 5 in a pack, brilliant value for money."

The School Shoes range at M&S are available in three shoe styles, standard, regular and wide and also a wide range of sizes. With different materials, there's definitely a shoe to meet your little one's school requirements. They even have Velcro and lace options. They're cushioned designed and some also have antibacterial Freshfeet™ finishes.

One review said: "Good solid school shoe which is durable. I have bought from this range for the last 3 years choosing different designs. Practical"

Suitable for indoor shoes, the Kids Riptape Plimsolls have a Freshfeet design to prevent fodours. They're riptape so they're easy for little ones to take on and off, to swap for their outdoor shoes at school. They're a flexible cotton design with suporttive underfoot foam.

One review said: "My kid is a G width fitting at Clark’s, and these are the widest plimsolls I could find. They have a soft cushioned sole and are machine washable which is a bonus."