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Original poster

What to put in a 4yo school bag

29 replies

Noomininoo · 20/08/2011 23:14

Hello,

My 4yo DD1 will be starting reception in 2 weeks and, although we've got her uniform etc all sorted, I've suddenly realised I've no idea what I need to put in her school bag

I'm guessing I'll need to pack a spare uniform in case of accidents and her packed lunch but aside from that - what else? Do they need pencil cases/ stationery at that age? If so is it pens, pencils, crayons...?

Anything else...?

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cheekster · 20/08/2011 23:17

A water bottle???

I dont think you will need to send stationary

PuppyMonkey · 20/08/2011 23:21

Spare uniform?!

Lunch box. That's all, unless you are school dinners.

Spare uniform

hopenglory · 20/08/2011 23:23

Most reception classes will have a stock of spare clothes to cover for any little accidents

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hellymelly · 20/08/2011 23:23

pants and tights should cover it in case of an accident.

elphabadefiesgravity · 20/08/2011 23:23

Nothing. Well I tell a lie ds had a few problems with chronic constipation so I did used to put spare pants in.

The school provided pencils, water bottles and everything else from reception to year 2. It was only from Year 3 you had to start providing stationery plus a water bottle as they would have lost them by then.

diggingintheribs · 20/08/2011 23:24

When you say spare uniform is that a whole outfit (pants, socks, trousers, shirt, jumper). And 1 outfit or 2? And on the days he does PE and goes in his kit do I have to send a whole spare of that too?

Wonder if I have enough uniform!

We have to send in a mid morning snack so I have bought a little snack box. I hadn't thought about a water bottle.

diggingintheribs · 20/08/2011 23:24

xpost!

HauntedLittleLunatic · 20/08/2011 23:26

Lunch

Most schools provide a 'book bag' which will be where is reading books, any 'homework' and newsletters go. If one is not provided then these can go in his book bag.

jimswifein1964 · 20/08/2011 23:27

God, dont bother with spare uniform; they'll lose that as well as the original!
Do they not leave their pe kit at school btw? We only see ours each half term.

Just butties and water. Then they will one day get a reading book in there too. School bags are mainly so they can bring home tons of drawings and school newsletters...

HauntedLittleLunatic · 20/08/2011 23:28

Or kit goes in its own bag. Best left at school and bring home for washing at the holidays.

Out our school foundation and ks1 don't take water bottles (they are provided with water machine & disposable cups) but this probably varies.

rubyhorse · 20/08/2011 23:39

DS started school last week (Scotland) and his bag contained

pencil case (with chunky pencils, rubber and pencil sharpener - no pens)
raincoat (because he didn't want to wear it and you never know)
PE kit (which I don't expect to see again until Christmas)
water bottle
small playtime snack (which I sent in a pocketable food bag rather than a bulkier box)

This will vary from school to school.

weakestlink · 20/08/2011 23:49

I don't understand what you mean about leaving the PE kit at school? does it not need washing? DS is about to start kindergarten and they do games twice a week.

Original poster

Noomininoo · 20/08/2011 23:55

Thanks for the responses.

By spare uniform I was really just talking spare pants & skirt (+ tights in winter). Although DD doesn't really have many accidents now, she was an absolute nightmare to potty train & we had soooo many accidents for soooo many months I guess I'm still a bit paranoid about them . I still keep a change of clothes for her in the car whenever we go out & I'd just hate to think that she might have an accident in nursery & have to spend the day in wet clothes (or 'nursery issue' clothes).

OP posts:

Limejelly · 20/08/2011 23:57

You don't need to send him with anything. They will give him a reading book/ dairy at some point during the first week most likely, so just keep sending it in empty. Mine do not get given a reading book until they have their book bags.

I always try to discourage parents from taking PE kits home (except the sensible ones) because you will never see it again!

MumblingRagDoll · 21/08/2011 00:01

They are well used to the odd accident and they have a box of things...pants, tights, skirts...everything. There's nothing wrong with "nursery issue" the kids don't know!

Clary · 21/08/2011 00:01

Water bottle. Snack.

Packed lunch goes in a separate bag usually.

That's it really.

At our school all the young ones carry a reading folder for book, reading record and any notes from school. No need to bring stationery. Or spare uniform - school will have in rare cases it is needed.

bilblio · 21/08/2011 00:46

DD's starting reception. We've been asked to send a bag with PE kit, and a bag with wellies, both of which will stay at school. We'll just bring the PE Kit home during holidays to wash it. The wellies are probably unusual for most schools but there's only 12 of them in her class and the school backs onto fields and moorland with lots of paths so they like to take them out exploring when they can.

On a daily basis she'll take her packed lunch, and her reading folder.

They provide everything else, snacks, stationary etc. (We give them £1 a week for snacks.) They ask us not to let children bring in anything else in case it gets lost and the children get upset. If the children do take things in that they want to show people at registration it has to go into the "blue box" straight after until home time.

Seona1973 · 21/08/2011 07:39

ds has a pencil case in his but doesnt really need it as the school provides pencils, paper, etc. I put his snack for playtime and sports bottle of water in his school bag and his lunch is in a seperate lunch bag. I havent put spare clothes in.

jimswifein1964 · 21/08/2011 08:59

weakestlink ... pe kit stays at school. If your dc is doing pe twice a wk in nursery or reception, that is, for example, 2 x 1hr. Of each hour, 20 mins is getting into kit, 20 mins getting back into uniform. That leaves 20 mins of tottling round doing balancing/running games/throwing&catching. They wont work up a sweat/get too muddy with that!

PuppyMonkey · 21/08/2011 09:20

DD1 often forgot to take PE kit home at half term too, so it basically never got washed. never did her any harm.

Seona1973 · 21/08/2011 09:45

ours dont leave pe kit in school - shorts are put in the school bag on pe days and they come back home again the same day

weakestlink · 21/08/2011 10:42

Ok will investigate the games kit washing protocol! I can imagine DS would get pretty filthy out on the playing fields tho - even for 20 mins Mud seems to be attracted to him!!!

hocuspontas · 21/08/2011 10:47

In infant school I'd be surprised if they went on a muddy field! Here you would transfer PE to the hall or the playground. Maybe we are wimps in the SE...

SaulGood · 21/08/2011 10:56

Different schools have different procedures. We had it all explained at the parents introductory evening and we were given lists of what we needed to do/take on the first day and thereafter. So here...

PE kit stays at school and you take it home only at half term as they don't go out in the mud. Hall or dry playing field only.

They provide morning snack (they're signed up for the government's free fruit programme).

You provide a clear water bottle and water daily as they have no tap in the classroom for drinking water.

Book bag will be sufficient for things they need to bring home.

Lunch box or purse with lunch money.

That's it. No school bag needed actually. Pens, pencils etc are all provided.

bananamam · 21/08/2011 15:17

My son took a gym kit and bag the first day which now stays.
He took a pencil case, which he keeps at school also in a separate tray.

Daily he takes a snack and his water bottle.
He is only half days until mid sept(Scotland) and he will then take lunch with him.

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