Even if you’ve already received your child’s class assignments, gotten him or her a handy 7 speed beach cruiser to ride to school and had thorough discussions about handling school pressure, you may still need to stock up on some back-to-school supplies before the semester starts.
Having the right supplies can help prepare your child to tackle the new school year head-on and can help ensure that he or she has all the tools for academic success. If you’re not sure what items you need to add to your back-to-school shopping list, cover all your bases with this quick guide.
Make Sure Your Child Has Basic Paper and Writing Supplies
While having a brand-new backpack and a beach cruiser electric bike for getting to school may add a fun touch for your child, it’s important to make sure that he or she has, first and foremost, basic paper supplies and writing utensils.
You can easily stock up on these basics at your local department store, and may even be able to find bargains if you opt to buy certain products in bulk to last you throughout the school year. Some of the essentials you should make sure to add to your list include the following.
- Pencils and pens
- Notebooks and loose-leaf paper
- Binders and folders
- Highlighters
- Subject dividers
- Erasers
Ask Your Child’s Teacher About Higher-End School Supplies
If your child is enrolled in high-level math or art courses, he or she may need additional supplies beyond the basics. Just as you may be considering upgrading your child’s bike to include beach cruiser handle bars, so too can you upgrade his or her school supplies to include some add-ons that classmates are sure to be jealous of! These higher-end supplies will depend on the courses your child is enrolled in, but could very likely include:
- Calculators
- Protractors
- Tablets or laptops
- Rulers
- Watercolor paints
Add Some Fun Extras to Your List Depending on Your Child’s Grade
Finally, once you’ve covered all the basics, you may be thinking about sprinkling in a few fun extras to make your child’s year truly memorable and enjoyable. You can shop for additional supplies that not only add a pinch of fun to your child’s school day but are also grade-appropriate.
For example, while young children might love a brand-new jumbo box of crayons, older kids might appreciate locker mirrors. Consider the following options to tailor to your child’s grade and age.
- Crayons and colored pencils
- Decorated lunchboxes
- Washable markers and glue sticks
- Construction paper
- Locker decorations and storage accessories
- New backpacks
When you want to make sure that you’ve got all your bases covered and your child has everything he or she needs to get the school year off to a strong start, pull out this quick and easy shopping guide. Make sure to include paper and writing supplies, special math or art add-ons as required and a few fun extras appropriate to your child’s age to round out the list. With this back-to-school guide, your child can head into the new year ready to learn.
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It always at these times that I am thankful we homeschool :-p But that said, buying stationery is always fun.
lol love stationary!
We have been able to reuse some school supplies from last year which is nice. This year I had to get my daughter locker stuff for middle school.
that’s a great way to do it!
Nice list of fun extras to add to the back to school shopping list , mirrors for lockers for older kids are a good idea as well!
for sure!!
I was excited and prepared to buy supplies for my son’s locker only to find out that they don’t have lockers in the school. This is a great list for parents to get kids prepared.
oh man what a pain!
I can’t believe that it is already back to school time. And I am already done with shopping. I was early this year!!
me either!!
These are all such great items to include for back to school.
thanks!
Oh! This is timely since I haven’t really completed our list. Love your idea of adding fun extras. I think my daughter would love some locker decorations. I just got them new backpacks.
yes! esp when they have lockers its so fun to decorate!
I love back to school shopping, gets me pumped for fall! Your list is even more put together than my list. The calculator are always the most difficult to get at times.
so true! i do love going with my daughter and picking stuff out
Wow, any kid would be lucky to ride to school on one of those beach cruisers!
lol
Great list! My kids always love back to school shopping.
for sure!
Love your creative ideas! Especially, the tips for the olds kids like locker decorations!