14 Things To Buy Now That The Kids Are Finally Going Back To School

Our thoughts are with the teachers at this time.

1. This Harry Potter Formidable Backpack from Cotton On, which could only be improved by being in Ravenclaw blue, aka the superior house.

Cotton On

Emblazoned with the Hogwarts crest (where they'd rather be going, let's be honest), this backpack is constructed with side pockets for water bottles or brollies. It comes with an external 15" padded laptop sleeve, so their laptop doesn't get damaged when they carelessly throw it around (as you know they will). There is also a phone slot, pen slots and a clip for keys in the front pocket — so they have no reason to lose anything, as much as they might argue otherwise.

Buy for $49.99 from Cotton On.

2. This beautifully illustrated, colour pencil case, which will hold in place all 694 pencils your kid has somehow accumulated over the years.

Amazon

Okay, it likely won't hold that many, but it does hold a lot. There are 220 slots, so there's a place for absolutely everything. No longer will your kid go digging for a particular colour, only for the entire contents of their pencil case to go spilling all over the floor.

Buy for $29.99 from Amazon Australia.

3. These obscenely cute Kikki K pens, complete with cat toppers, should your kid be missing their furry companion during the day.

Kikki K

I've been using Kikki K ballpoint pens for years. They're so smooth to write with and lightweight in your hand. Somehow they've improved on the perfect formula with these gorgeous cat toppers — sweet motivation for your kids to keep working on their handwriting.

Buy four for $12.99 from Kikki K.

4. And this stackable lunch box, because this is the year we stop sending our kids with food stored in single-use plastic.

Kikki K

Sandwich bags are my weakness. They're just so convenient when you have (several!) kids. But it's 2020 and I know better, so I'm going to make some changes this school year. If you're making eco-friendly practices a priority this year too, this stackable lunch box comes with two detachable compartments (one for hot food, one for cold), reusable utensils and dual latches on both sides to avoid last night's dinner spilling all over your kid's homework.

Buy for $29.99 from Kikki K.

5. These Adidas Superstar Foundation Shoes, because if you're going to drop money on shoes, your kid better be willing to wear them on the weekend too.

Amazon

Your kid may or may not get away with these sneakers, depending on their school dress policy. Should black sneakers be a go, these are a sure fire way to ensure your kid is comfortable all day long and will make use of them out of school hours, too. Should you care to go digging around the Amazon reviews, parents report the durable, rubber sole and comfortable textile interior as absolute wins.

Buy from $79.20 from Amazon Australia.

6. This small ice brick, because ham and cheese sandwiches need help surviving the Aussie summer.

Kmart

Save your child from food poisoning with this obscenely cheap, brilliant ice brick. Pop it into the freezer every night as part of your meal prep routine, then into their lunch box or cooler bag in the morning. Now they can't chuck a sickie and blame it on last night's tuna bake.

Buy for $2 from Kmart.

7. These dry erase markers, because — well, I'm not sure, but they're on my son's back-to-school supplies list.

Amazon

Presumably a lot of schools have the same supplies list, so this might be of help to some parents out there. These eight dry erase markers are non-toxic (essential, because they'll inevitably end up all over arms and legs), quick-drying and smear-proof.

Buy a pack of eight markers for $9.90 from Amazon Australia.

8. This SanDisk 32GB Ultra USB 3.0, which in my day would've been a floppy disk and it's making me feel very old.

Amazon

Look, my kid is only in Year One and is already being asked to bring a USB to school. It's freaking me out — I was today years old when I learned how to open a spreadsheet. In any case, if your kid is also being trained in the ways of the computer, this here will do the trick. It transfers up to five times faster than standard USB 2.0 drives. Also, because digital safety is something we need to teach from a young age, it is fitted with secure file encryption and password protection.

Buy for $8.48 from Amazon Australia.

9. This Smiggle Gleam Novelty Pencil Case, which I kinda want to bring to work, not gonna lie.

Smiggle

Just. Look. At. It. It literally says "sparkles" and is awash in glitter. Big enough to fit all your kid's stationary essentials, it is that little bit of personality in a landscape of drab, uniform exercise books, rulers and calculators.

Buy for $16.06 from Smiggle.

10. This dinosaur backpack from Kmart, which your kid will love if they're into dinosaurs — and let's be honest, that's basically every second kid in primary school.

Target

There was this kid I went to school with, James. He loved dinosaurs — I mean, really, really loved them. He would play with toy dinosaurs, talk your ear off all day long about velociraptors, t-rexes and the like.

Buy this backpack if your kid is a James. It is chock-a-block covered in dinosaurs. It also has an elastic-bound section inside for holding books, a padded back and adjustable shoulder straps for comfort and a carry handle for when you inevitably end up picking it off the floor after school.

Buy for $12 from Target.

11. Alternatively, there's this unicorn-print backpack, which I can't let my daughter sight, as we've already bought her a bag and she'd instantly reject it in favour of this one.

Target

If you child is more sugar, less spice, this backpack could be for them. Like its dinosaur counterpart, this sickly-sweet, unicorn-print backpack has an elastic-bound section, a padded back and adjustable shoulder straps and a front pocket for all those regular-use items.

Buy for $12 from Target.

12. This insulated water bottle, which will avoid nasty build ups in straws and narrow bottle necks.

Amazon

I feel like I'm constantly replacing my kids' water bottles. I've opened up many a bottle lid to find gunk hidden in crevices I didn't even know exist. This lightweight, BPA-free stainless steel bottle removes the ability for bacteria to grow, thanks to its wide-neck opening and simple screw lid. Double-walled construction means liquids remain hot for up to 12 hours and cold for 24 hours — perfect for extreme Aussie weather.

Buy for $13.99 from Amazon Australia.

13. This A5 notebook covered in silicone building blocks, so your kid can learn first hand what "work hard, play hard" means.

Amazon

Sure, you could get them notebooks with snap closures, but that wouldn't be nearly half as fun, would it? These 100 page, lined notebooks come with a fixed ribbon for keeping place, and should you prefer — also come in A4 size.

Buy for $14.97 from Amazon Australia.

14. And finally, this pack of Bic Kids Colour & Erase Magic Felt Pens, which will make school projects much more fun than if they were written with your average marker.

Amazon

These are the number one best-selling kids' markers on Amazon — and I mean, I get it. With 10 essential colours and two ink erasers, these felt tip pens allow kids to literally colour out of the lines, knowing they can tidy their work when necessary.

Buy a pack of 12 for $2.14 from Amazon Australia.

We made it, parents. We made it.

HBO

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