Your ultimate back to school essentials shopping guide 2024

When it comes to kids' lunch boxes, we think the b.box lunch box is hard to beat! It has a durable hard shell, perfect for clumsy kids, and a special fruit compartment with a stretchy seal that can even fit a whole apple. With a two-litre capacity, there’s plenty of room to satisfy hungry tummies. Our favourite feature is the dedicated spot for an ice pack, which keeps their lunch fresh all day long.

Our review: "I was really impressed with this lunch box! It’s usually tough to find space for everything, especially the ice pack, but this one has plenty of room. I love that you don’t need to cut up fruit to fit it in, and the leak-proof sections are perfect for packing yoghurt or soup—my son’s favourites."

One of the biggest challenges for many children is getting used to drinking water, especially since many schools have a strict water-only policy, which can be tough for kids who love juice. With so many changes and adjustments already, you don’t want hydration to become another hurdle. That’s where Air Up water bottles come in handy. They work by placing pods on the bottle, so when your little one takes a sip, flavoured air bubbles travel from their mouth to their nose, tricking the brain into thinking they’re tasting a flavour.

Our review: "During his first term in reception, my son couldn't stop talking about Air Up bottles. I've never seen him so interested in drinking water. He's always been notoriously bad at staying hydrated, so I was thrilled when he asked for the new water bottle. It seems to be the must-have item in the playground, but if it gets him drinking more, then I'm all for it!"

Marks on your child's uniform can be a sign of a day well spent, but stains can be incredibly frustrating, especially when they’re tough to remove depending on the school colours—especially those pesky pen marks! That’s why we love the stain-resistant school polos from M&S. The best part is these polos come in a selection of school colours.

Our review: "These shirts are of excellent quality and a great price. I really like that they come in a bundle of three, which means they are fantastic value for money. Unlike some supermarket brands, I have found the colours are closer to the school-branded polos and they wash better."

One of the hardest parts of learning to write is mastering the tripod grip. As adults, we don’t even think about how to hold a pen or pencil; it’s second nature, but when children first learn, they often hold the pen in a fist.

This makes it harder to control the stationery, and schools don't encourage it. The Ergonomic Graphite Pencil helps with a relaxed hand posture thanks to its triangular shape and non-slip grip zones. We also love that they have options for left- and right-handed kids, preventing pencil marks from smudging.

Our review: "I'm a big fan of these pencils (and the ergonomic pens, too). Whenever a child in my family is about to start school, I always gift them an ergonomic pencil. With my own three children, I’ve found that these pencils make learning to write much easier and more enjoyable."

Even if a backpack isn't a requirement for school, it's a pretty good idea, especially if your little one is planning on having a packed lunch. In our experience, little ones find it incredibly difficult for them to keep hold of all of their belongings (and carry them around). So we love this oversized backpack, which is perfect for storing a book bag, lunch box, and water bottle (and all the crafts they make at school).

Our review: "This bag is brilliant, it's great to use for school but also great for short weekends away. I love the design that is child-friendly, without having a short shelf-life like some of the trends lead bags."

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!

Our 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!"

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.

Our 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."

We love this collapsible water bottle because it easily clips onto your child's book bag, which means one less thing to remember in the morning! It's lightweight and can be filled in both smaller and larger sizes. And don’t worry about spills— we’ve tested the leak-proof design for over a year without any issues.

Our review: "This collapsible water bottle is great! It clips onto my child’s book bag, so we never forget it at home. It's perfect for my football-mad son, and since so many of his friends have the same bottle, I love that there’s a spot at the bottom to write his name."

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.

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 review: "I think these are a great little item, and my son found them easy to put in his ear. Like most children, he has difficulty 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."

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.

Our review: "My son and I have loved going through this book together. It's been great for sparking conversations about starting school, and I think it’s helped us both feel more prepared for this exciting new chapter."

The Tale of Starting School uses 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!

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 review: "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 Name Stamp for Clothes - Deluxe Bundle makes it unbelievably easy to identify your child's possessions.

Our review: "I love this stamp set; I have been using it for two years now, and even with multiple washes, you can clearly see my son's name. This bundle is a game changer for keeping track of my child's belongings and avoiding the lost property pile. It's so easy to use, and it saves you from relying on the dreaded sniff test!"

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.

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.

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 or 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. It is a great activity to enjoy after a long day at school.

Our review: "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."

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 review: "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."

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.

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.

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