Back to School: Your Essential Survival Guide

Four children wearing Cath Kidston backpacks

Back to School: Your Essential Survival Guide

The end of summer is upon us, and that means one thing: the kids are going back to school. After a summer of adventures with your little ones, it’s now time to prepare them for another school year. Fresh starts and exciting new beginnings. To help, the parents of Cath have put together this essential survival guide to getting your kids ready for school – compiled in solidarity.

A variety of eight kids backpacks in Cath Kidston prints

Make sure you’ve got all the back to school essentials

There are some essential supplies every little one needs for a successful start to the school year. And what says a new school year more than a pencil case full of fresh, rattling stationery? New pens and fresh pages - it was definitely one of our favourite parts of going back to school.

We recommend investing in a robust kids school bag designed to withstand their adventures – and our Cath Kids backpacks have been tried and trusted by parents over decades, known for being strong, durable and dependable. All in hand-painted prints designed for mighty imaginations; from our rocket and dinosaur prints, to our best-loved unicorns and butterflies.

Don’t forget about the essentials that go inside the backpack, too – brand-new colourful pens and pencils will spark their imagination and have them itching to get back to school and put them to use. Organise their new stationery in pencil cases that match their new bag for a perfectly coordinated kit.

Bring Joy To New Routines

Sometimes, the most challenging aspect of preparing your kids for going back to school is getting everyone back into a bedtime and morning routine. Yes, that does include the parents, too.

One of the best ways to make your kids look forward to bedtime is to make it an enjoyable activity. There’s fun to be found wherever you look for it. Kit them out in some fun printed kids’ pyjamas that they’ll be eager to get into, and make sure you’ve got kids’ bedding sets in their favourite prints and colours, too. After all, who wouldn’t want to jump into bed when it’s covered in rocket ships ready for their next trip round the moon? Reading them their favourite bedtime story is a classic – but you could switch it up and do some wind-down crafting such as colouring in – perfect for a little mindfulness before bed, too.

Sharing in a crafty activity before school, too, can also encourage your kids to get out of bed of a morning. Or, if they have a favourite cooked or baked breakfast like eggs on toast or wholemeal muffins, get baking with them. It’s much easier to get out of bed knowing that you’ll be doing something you love with your parents before school.

Boy and girl each in a single bed with Cath Kidston bedding

Two boys and two girls in Cath Kidston clothing

Organise your after-school activities in advance

After a big day at school, your kids will be excited to get home and spend some quality time with you. Planning out your after-school and weekend activities is a great way to keep their mighty minds occupied in the hours before bedtime.

If you’re looking for some time away from screens, we have plenty of art tutorials so you and your kids can recreate some classic prints and characters, like Desert Cowboy, Seaside Shells, and even one of our favourite Mr Men Little Miss characters, Little Miss Giggles.

The end of summer doesn’t mean you have to put an end to outdoor activities either. An autumn walk through some crisp, crunchy leaves on a Sunday afternoon is the perfect way to end a busy but fun week.

When do kids go back to school?

For most children in England, the new school year starts on or around 1st September 2021. Don’t worry though – you can still stock up on essentials on the Cath Kidston website with multiple delivery options, or shop in-store.