Best back-to-school buys

Argos
2 for £7

Yes, you heard right — reinforced trousers. How many pairs of trousers did you go through last year? Minimise those scuffs and holes in the knees with some durable trousers this time and let go of the sewing needle. They come in a pack of two so you really shouldn't need to buy any extras. 

Amazon
£24.95

Trying to find smart school shoes that won't destroy your child's feet, causing them to moan on the school run about a level of discomfort that's akin to torture? Definitely go for a trainer-style shoe because we all know that trainers are far more comfortable than dress shoes. They still look smart but will last longer and allow your child to run freely across the playground. 

Ryman
£11.99
 

No need for labels when you've got your child's name printed in clear letters on their very own personalized PE bag. This is simple, useful and just darn cute — it's a shame it has to have smelly sports kit in it! 

Amazon
£26.99

Can you ever really have too much Minecraft stuff? Your child would likely say no and that's why this back-to-school Mincraft deal has made it on our list. It comes with a backpack, pencil case, lunchbox, keyring and hand sanitiser. Job done. 

Argos
£14.99

The Casio is a classic for a reason: it's a long-lasting, reliable watch that will probably outlive us all. This kids' watch is colourful (and therefore easy to find in the lost and found box) and the clock face is really easy to read, which is handy if your child is learning how to tell the time. 

labels4school
£6.99

These funky foot labels are perfect for school shoes and designed to be thin so they're barely noticeable when your child puts their shoes on. Say goodbye to those days when, for some unknown reason, your child has lost one shoe (why always ONE?). 

Amazon
£10.90

Some schools provide book bags for the children but if you want something more personalised and unique then these funky book bags from Amazon will do the trick nicely. The font is fancy, there are plenty of colours to choose from and your child will be chuffed to carry their books around in their very own book bag. 

Amazon
£11.85 for 500 sheets

500 sheets of paper? Not very exciting but trust us, printer paper is useful for primary-school children. You may need to print off homework or worksheets to use at home (perhaps from TheSchoolRun) and it's also useful for making small posters, creating birthday cards and doing other craft activities. 

Argos
£6.50

It really is a wonder how some children seem to survive day after day, barely touching their drink bottle and taking a sip. Perhaps they have a secret source of water or juice at school that they don't want us to know about or, more likely, they're too busy running around and learning to think about something as silly as hydration. Either way, this drink bottle can be a great reminder to keep drinking throughout the day, encouraging your child to have just that little bit more. 

toucanBox from £13.90 a month

If it's a struggle to keep learning going at home, then try toucanBox. It's a handy resource you can use to get your child excited about learning and develop those important key skills with crafts, magazines and stickers. You can personalise your monthly box with your child's name and your own selection of craft activities. This is on our best-buy list because it pays off long-term, helps keep learning fun at home and encourages less screen time! 

It's also good value for money and toucanBox is running a limited 50% off until December 2022 and you can get a free academic planner (valid until 4th September 2022). Use the code theschoolrun.