What to pack in your child’s school bag for their first day

By Cheryl Peebles

July 29 2021, 11:45 am

A guide to what your child will need for their first day at school.

Starting school is an exciting milestone and parents of this year’s new primary ones are already preparing for the big day.

If that’s you, you’re likely to be thinking about what to pack in your child’s school bag.

To help, we’ve pulled together a guide to what kit children need for starting school and some tips on preparing their bag and uniform.

First of all, your child’s school bag should be comfortable to carry – such as a backpack with padded straps.

It should also be big enough to carry an A4 folder for all the delightful artwork they’re likely to create and any homework they might get.

What to put in their school bag

There are some things your child will need to take with them to school everyday.

These include:

A filled water bottle
A healthy snack for break time
A packed lunch with a drink (unless they are taking school meals or going home for lunch)
Indoor shoes (if required by their school)
A waterproof jacket or other outdoor clothing if there’s a chance it could be rainy or cold
Any items required for personal care, such as tissues or wipes, or spare clothes if they are prone to toilet accidents

child's school bag — Will your child be taking a packed lunch or eating a school meal?

Your child will also need a PE kit on some days, and their school or teacher should tell them which days these will be and of any special requirement, such as whether shorts and t-shirts need to be a particular colour.

Last year, due to the pandemic, many schools advised against bringing unnecessary items to school, such as toys and pupils’ own pencils and pencil cases.

Primary school children were not required to wear face coverings in school but were on school transport (unless under the age of five or exempt).

The Scottish Government is yet to clarify how restrictions will affect schools from August.

Label everything

Your child will likely be changing for PE with a bunch of children all wearing the same colours, and it’s almost certain their clothes will get muddled up.

To ensure they don’t lose every cardigan or jumper in week one, make sure everything from their sweater to the water bottle is labelled with their name and class.

Some retailers sell labels printed with your child’s name which can be stitched or stuck to their clothes and belongings.

Or simply a permanent marker can be used to write on clothing labels.