So it's that time of year again....when the kids head back to school.
The start of the new school year. The memories of covering books with contact, filling a brand new pencil case with
pencils, textas and pens. Picking out that new back pack, lunch box and drink bottle. Times have changed and there
are so many new things available to help both children and parents start the new school year and stay organised from
term one through to term four.
We have selected some great products, services and ideas to help you and your children get off to a flying start this year.
Along with with the tried and true, the ideas and products we have come to know and love, we step out of the square to
bring you innovative alternatives from food choices to fundraising. Added to these ideas we have also listed some great
resources, links and specials. Check out the NSW Department of Education and Communities School A-Z website,
a fabulous and informative website for parents.
Browse by scrolling down the page or click below to go straight to what you are looking for.....
Educational toys and tools - great ideas to make learning fun
Uniforms and shoes - keep the kids looking smart
Pens, Pencils - and other essentials
Lunch boxes and drink bottles - to get them through the day
Food and nutrition ideas - fun & healthy ideas
Computers, printers and communications - technology tailored for students
Keeping organised - must have ideas
Fundraising - the healthy way
Latest crazes - hitting a playground near you
Back to school specials - find out where to grab a bargain
LeapFrog - the fun way to learn
From toddlers just starting pre-school, through to primary schoolers, LeapFrog
provides fantastic and age-appropriate learning opportunities in kid-tough designs.
LeapFrog learning toys can help kick-start the back to school fun with activities including
reading, spelling, maths and geography – all designed to match the curriculum criteria.
The Leapster Explorer handheld features hi-res graphics, a stylus to practice writing,
and a powerful processor that allows for action-packed game play.
Connect online to discover a world of fun and learning! Personalise your play and
learning in LeapWorld where you can adopt a pet, play games and earn rewards.
Leapster Explorer comes with a preloaded game and a Leaplet (a learning app download card). Suitable for ages 4-9, RRP $139.99
The LeapFrog Tag Reading System brings books to life. With just one touch, the Tag stylus makes words talk and pictures sing.
The small, sophisticated infrared camera at the tip of the stylus ‘reads’ letters, words and symbols printed on the special dot-patterned
pages of books in the Tag library. Suitable for kids 4-8, RRP $59.99
The LeapFrog Learning Path
Parents can connect to the free online LeapFrog Learning Path to see what their child is
playing and learning, and explore ways to expand their child's learning journey. Each time
a child finishes playing with Tag, parents simply connect via USB to their computer to view
details about the learning games played, skills engaged and progress made.
LeapFrog products are available from major department stores and independent toy retailers.
For more information about LeapFrog and a chance to win a
LeapFrog Tag Reading System and Interactive World Map
checkout our blog.
FindAUniform - a complete online second hand uniform noticeboard.
The start of the school year is an exciting time
for parents and kids. However, with the additional costs of uniforms,
shoes,
pencil cases, lunch boxes and all the other school essentials, it is also a very expensive time for families. FindAUniform helps
ease the pain by helping parents think differently
about how they can access what their kids need.
FindAUniform, a national online second hand uniform
noticeboard, was started by Bernadette Alexander in January 2011.
“I was
constantly being frustrated by how difficult it was to find second hand
uniforms for school, as well as all the different
activities my four girls do.” explained Mrs Alexander
“I
started FindAUniform for busy parents like me. Through the site you can
buy, sell, swap uniforms or place wanted ads.
Ask for what you need and
sell what you don't! Visit www.findauniform.com.au for more information.
Stubbies Schoolwear
The Stubbies UPF50+ range is designed to offer maximum UV protection for a
child’s skin, teamed with a close knit fabric that stops up to 97% of the dangerous
UV rays.
Other key features of the Stubbies range include its cool, loose fitting design,
scratch free labels, underarm cooling vents and adjustable waist bands – purpose
built to handle childhood mishaps and the rough and tumble of the playground.
Stubbies school wear can be purchased from BigW, leading schoolwear stores or
online from www.stubbiesschoolwear.com.au.
Prices range from $15.95 for sport shorts, $16.95 for polo shirts. $17.95 for collared shirts to $27.95 for pants.
Smiggle
If you haven't heard of Smiggle you have been living under a rock!
They have a great Back To School - B2S Range. We have picked a couple of our favourites.
B2S Jotter Pad
Perfect for those times when you've got to jot down a super important message, this Desktop Jotter features our hot
new B2S graphic so you can mix and match the whole range to make all Smiggle fans jump for joy! RRP: $9.95
B2S 33cm pencil cases
Get back to school Smiggle style with the new B2S range with quirky designs that are sure to get everyone’s attention.
Plastered with our bold new graphic, this pencil case made from canvas, 33cm long and fits a 30cm ruler inside.
17.5cm x 33cm. RRP: $12.95
As the oldest pencil maker in the world, Faber-Castell has mastered the perfect design to encourage
small hands to use the correct grip, essential for all children going back to school this summer.
From the award-winning GRIP pencils to the all-time favourite Connector Pens, students at all stages
of writing love the ergonomically designed pens and pencils that Faber-Castell, with 250 years experience,
creates using the highest quality materials.
We love the Back to School Set - Covering all the essentials for primary schoolers, the Back to School Set
includes a retractable ballpen, mechanical pencil, super fluorescent highlighter, leads and sleeve eraser.
Paper Mate InkJoy 100
From the innovators of writing comes a new range of pens that revolutionse the way you write.
The new Paper Mate InkJoy range features a revolutionary writing system, giving you the best in effortless writing .
(We think the kids will love the colours too!) The Paper Mate InkJoy 100 (pictured) features a triangular shape to
provide comfort and control when writing. RRP 10pk $4.49 (45c per pen loose)
Fridge To Go Lunch Boxes
The perfect lunch box for hot Aussie summers. The Fridge-to-go lunch box has a patented cooling system
that keeps contents cool for 8 - 12 hours - safe for yoghurt, ham etc even in extreme temp!
How does it work?
1. Just FOLD your Fridge-to-go bag or, remove the zip-out freezer panels.
2. Place the bag or removable panels in your refrigerator's freezer overnight.
3. When ready to use, remove bag or freezer panels (replace panels into zip-out pockets), FILL, and you are ready to go!
4. To keep clean wipe with soap and water, DO NOT place in the washing machine.
Get 20% off Fridge-To-Go Lunch boxes at www.bubbahh.com.au
Smiggle
B2S Stainless steel water bottle
Check out our new 750ml stainless steel bottles in all of the Back 2 School graphics!
Not only will your drinks be kept cool, the handy screw top lid will ensure no leaks.
Bottles are BPA free. RRP: $19.95
Cheeki - Australia’s leading stainless steel water bottle brand,
Cheeki is excited to launch its new Giggle and Hoot range for kids, which will appeal to young fans of the
popular ABC Children’s TV show. These fun designs are a great way to ensure kids are rehydrated,
while also providing while also providing an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic bottles.
Available in handy 350ml and 500ml sizes, Cheeki’s new Giggle and Hoot stainless water bottles are
perfect for lunchboxes, throwing into a backpack, sports, exercise and general every day use. Cheeki
water bottles keep water fresher and colder for longer, up to four hours, meaning they are healthy and
hygienic, crucial for Australia’s hot summer months.
All Cheeki products are free from Bisphenol-A or BPA and made out of a Premium Food Grade stainless
steel known as Grade 304 or 18/8. They contain no linings, which means they won’t leach toxic chemicals
back into your drinking water.
Available now, the Giggle and Hoot water bottle range for kids are available in 350ml (RRP $14.95)
and 500ml ($16.95). To find your local Cheeki stockists and see the entire range, visit www.cheeki.net.au
Check out the Back to School Sales and specials below to get 15% off Cheeki Drink Bottles at Mishee Moo!
Bonito Baby
Bonito Baby has a great range of Back to School essentials.
From drink bottles to lunch bags. We have chosen a couple products we think are "must haves".
Vapur Foldable Drink Bottles: School bags are so heavy these days without adding more weight to them.
These unique foldable and freezable drink bottles fit easily into the school bag and weigh next to nothing.
When they are empty they fold up. BPA-free and freezable so they can be used as the ice block in a lunch
box as well. $17.95 for 500ml or $23.95 for 400ml twin
pack.
4MyEarth Reusable Sandwich Bags: Many schools now have rubbish-free policies. Ditch the plastic cling
wrap and foil and be more environmentally friendly with these fabric sandwich pockets. Designs for both
boys and girls. $12.95
Visit Bonito Baby to see all there great Back To School ideas
Lunch Boxes With Love has been created for you by a mum who is passionate about
providing her kids with delicious and varied lunches which are fun and practical too.
We offer a range of products including funky boiled egg molds, to transform your plain
old boiled egg into a car or a bunny, sandwich punches to shape your sandwich into
anything from a Choo ChooTrain to a Fairy Princess with wand.
The team at Lunch Boxes With Love has compiled a range of adorable & eco friendly
Lunch products to make kids lunches fun and enjoyable. We can help you turn any
boring old lunch into a wo rk of art that NO CHILD could resist!
Boiled Egg Molds, RRP $8.95 for a set of 2.
Who would have thought a boiled egg could be so fab?! Just boil a small egg as normal,
take off the shell while still hot and pop in the mold. Put the mold in a bowl of cold water
and leave for just a few moments and voila………..An egg no child could refuse!
Sandwich Stamps, RRP $15.95This gorgeous set of 3 sandwich cutters and stamps are TOO CUTE for words.
They make any boring old sandwich a work of art.
For more information visit Lunch Boxes With Love
Nature's Own Omega Delight
Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil are important for learning in children.
Omega-3 is required for optimal brain function and may be beneficial for
behaviour, cognitive function, memory and learning in some children.
As children grow, their requirements for omega-3 may increase.
Omega Delight is a good source of Omega-3 with the delicious taste and
texture of a fruit smoothie. It’s a delicious way to get the benefits of Omega-3
and can be enjoyed on its own, in a drink or as a cereal topping.
As an added bonus, it doesn’t contain any sugar. Omega Delight is available in
three different delicious flavours: Mango Peach, Pineapple and Citrus Burst and
is now available in good pharmacies and Coles stores.
Keep an eye on our blog for more information about
Nature's Own Omega Delight!
Mums Lunch Helping Busy Parents Get Back To School
With the school year about to commence parents are busy preparing for it, along with work,
after school activities and planning meals. Those looking to save time and money while
remaining healthy are turning to Mum’s Lunch for inspiration.
An online subscription delivering weekly to your inbox, Mum’s Lunch offers balanced,
nutritious and delicious meal plans with recipes to fill the lunchbox and keep the kids happy and healthy.
Featuring fun and tasty lunch suggestions kids will no longer be swapping for someone else's or throwing it out.
With morning and afternoon snack also included and a balance of fruit, vegetables and dairy in each meal plan
you can be assured everyone is receiving the right nutrients to get them through a busy school day.
Founder of Mum’s Lunch, Joanna Reymond is the daughter of renowned chef and restaurateur,
Jacques Reymond, her innate love and appreciation of food coupled with her desire to help individuals
eat better, with healthier choices has resulted in Mum’s Lunch.
Some of Australia’s best chefs feature with their favourite lunch and recipe, including Jacques Reymond,
Adam D’Sylva, Maggie Beer, George Calombaris, Martin Boetz and Frank Camorra, Kym Machin and more.
To keep it simple Mum’s Lunch meal plans for the following week are delivered by email on Friday morning
with the shopping list, so subscribers can hit the supermarket Saturday and be prepared for the week ahead.
For more information about Mum's Lunch visit www.mumslunch.com
Allergy Riders
Allergy Riders is a fun and simple food labelling system, and for allergy sufferers it's bringing
the life back into parties. Using brightly coloured cupcake baking cups and food flags,
Allergy Riders takes the stress out negotiating a food buffet. Guests who have allergies can
simply choose food with the appropriate coloured flag or cake cup, and enjoy!
With the incidence of childhood allergies on the rise, the demand for
improved food labelling is ever increasing, even in the domestic setting.
Allergy Riders products are becoming a must-have item for party supplies
stores as parents take a more allergy-aware approach to their catering
and party planning.
Next time you're planning an event, keep allergy concerns at bay
and let Allergy Riders be the life of the party!
The Pre-Paid Telstra Qwerty Touch, the perfect smartphone for
students returning back to school
and mums and dads looking for an
affordable handset for their peace of mind, only $129 outright.
The youngsters will love the stylish handset packed with all the
features they need to stay connected
to their world. The 2.6” touch
screen with full QWERTY keyboard allows them to keep in touch with their
social life, and with access to the Android Market™ app store, they can
download apps and customise
their phone to be exactly what they want.
Let's not forget that it also comes in black and pink, important
for
those image conscious teens :)
The HP Pavilion dm4 Beats Edition Notebook PC is a great tool for school sporting a
striking black and red themed exterior, slim profile with a red backlit keyboard.
Not only is its portability an ideal companion for kids going to class or older students
making late night rushes to the library; it features Beats Audio by Dr Dre which
delivers studio quality sound for those who like to listen to music while they study or play.
Keep the kids entertained with DVDs, or enable older kids to complete their homework on
the HP Pavilion dm4 Notebook when sitting at the family desk or table. You don’t need to
worry about carrying power cords as the HP Pavilion dm4 has an extended battery life to
get through any day. The HP Pavilion dm4 is definitely a portable powerhouse; it also
features the latest Second Generation Intel Core i5 processor so users can multi-task with
several programs on the go. RRP: $999 www.hp.com.au
MiniStation Extreme portable hard drive
The dog ate my home work is no longer an excuse with the Buffalo MiniStation Extreme
portable hard drive. Its shock-resistant design protects data against accidental bumps and
drops, making it ideal for students travelling to and from school. Available in three cool
colours (black, dark silver and ruby red), the MiniStation Extreme provides instant access
to assignments and study notes – or better yet hundreds of your favourite movies, music
and photos.
MiniStation Extreme portable hard drive RRP $129.00 (500GB), $179.00 (1.0TB)
Print like a pro
Equip the whole family for the school year with the Fuji Xerox DocuPrint CM205 fw
- an affordable 4-in-1 multifunction device which enables print, copy, scan and fax.
Professional-looking projects are easy to create with SLED ‘laser’ technology,
producing outstanding colour prints every time. The DocuPrint is network-ready for
wireless printing. You can even print direct from your iPhone or iPad.
Fuji Xerox DocuPrint CM205 fw RRP $439.00
We love the new Peel and Stick range from Avery Office and Consumer Products!
Make the transition back to school smooth sailing with the help of Avery! Peel and Stick lets you
communicate whatever you want and wherever you want whilst adding colour, fun and organisation
into your life.
These Dry Erase Decals help the kids to get excited about staying on top of their school work in a cool and fun way. They are ideal
for homework reminders, practicing handwriting skills, ‘to do’ lists, and more! Create a reusable, writable surface anywhere and use
dry erase whiteboard markers to easily wipe clean for use again and again!
Mums, be rest assured you can stay on top of the families routine with the pre-printed Calendar Sheets! Durable and removable,
mark important dates and schedule appointments anytime, anywhere. Change of plans? Erase and rewrite without the mess!
The new Peel and Stick range goes where whiteboards have never gone before. The entire family can get excited about heading
back to school and learning how to organise their time effectively!
The Peel and Stick range retails between $6.49 - $13.99 a pack and is now available at Officeworks, Big W and all good
stationery suppliers. For more information go to www.averyproducts.com.au
Living Fundraisers - Organic 'Grow-in-the-bag' Herb Kits
Schools, kindergartens, children’s centres, charities and community groups now have a healthy,
‘fat-free’ alternative to chocolate drive fundraisers.
The self-contained kits are designed to grow tasty herbs on your kitchen window sill.
Simply tear open the packet, toss in the seeds, water occasionally and watch them grow.
The herbs grow inside the specially-designed bag that acts as a mini-greenhouse and reflects
light onto the herbs to help them grow. They can be grown indoors or outdoors.
Grow-in-the-bag herbs are available exclusively as fundraisers to help groups
raise much needed funds. They come in five varieties:
• Organic Sweet Basil
• Organic Flat-leaf (Continental) Parsley
• Organic Chives
• Organic Coriander
• Organic Rocket
Each herb pack sells for $6 each, with the fundraising group keeping 40% of
proceeds. Australian made and owned.
Products are made in partnership with Paramount Workforce, a community organisation
supporting people with disabilities to lead independent lives of dignity and achievement.
Proceeds from the sale of Living Fundraisers products also support the Stephanie Alexander
Kitchen Garden Foundation, the Happy School Cambodia and Greening Australia.
Latest crazes hitting playgrounds.
Playground games it would seem have been around since school began with yo yo’s dating back to 500BC.
Hopscotch, hula hoops, elastics, spinning tops and marbles made the playground a wild obstacle course and
trading cards printed with footy greats such as Wally Lewis were traded as prized possessions.
While at home, today’s tech sa-Dizzy-Dancers-2-Pack.jpg)
vvy kids can hardly pry their little fingers
away from keyboards and games consoles, it would seem that schoolyard
crazes have never really changed. In fact, the latest crazes ready to hit the
playground in 2012 are reminiscent of the school days of old. Marbles, jacks,
spinning tops and trading cards have transcended time and NOW with the new
Star Wars Fighter Pods boys will be reinventing the skills developed in marbles
and the Furreal Friends Dizzy Dancers lets girls relive the fun of the spinning top.
Both encourage healthy competition and collectability, the essential elements of a
perennial school yard favourite!
From February 22nd the twirlicious collection of FurReal Friends Dizzy Dancers will be
spinning their way across playgrounds all over Australia. They perform awesome dance
tricks as they get set to balance, spin and twirl. Over 70 different pets to collect.
The tiny but tough Star Wars Fighter Pods will be in store March 7th 2012 which bring
together the perennial playground favourite play patterns of marbles, spinning tops
and collectables under the ever popular Star Wars brand. Fighter Pods are micro heroes built for mega playground battles! With over
120 figures from all six Star Wars films and The Clone Wars to collect including heroes Luke Skywalker and evil nemesis Darth Vader,
kids can launch, spin or roll their pods and figures into battle and onwards to victory!
BACK TO SCHOOL SALES AND SPECIALS
Mishee-Moo: Goodies for mums and bubs
Mishee-Moo have a back to school sale on children's animal backpacks
which are currently 15% off and the Cheeki brand
stainless steel
bottles which are 20% off original price. More discounts are also
available for larger quantities.
Visit www.MisheeMooHandmade.com
Bonito Baby
Bonito Baby are offering 10% off all back to School products including Contigo drink bottles, Fridge-to-Go lunch
bags
and much more. Back to School packages available with our best
selling products at 10% off regular prices
(plus add additional
discount). Use code BTS12 at checkout. Valid until 28 Jan, 2012.
Contact details:www.bonitobaby.com.au, Ph: 1300 857 807
Bubbahh - Things for babies and kids
Bubbahh are offering up to 40% off storewide until 27 Jan. Get 20% off the Fridge-To-Go Lunch boxes.
Visit www.bubbahh.com.au