What’s the best method to name pens, pencils, rulers etc? What should I be buying that stays put?

[justanotherneighinparadise]

I’m trying to be organised. Both children now need their own pencil cases with each item needing labelling with their name. How would you label a pencil for example?

Buy personalised ones, or take a sliver of paint off with a knife (easier with hexagonal pencils) and write on there

Stikins labels or order personalised Pens/pencils.

Do they really have to name each item? What’s the point if they can’t share?

Pencils - my mother had a blade and she scraped some of the colour ribbing at the base away and wrote our names on
Ruler - our names were scratched into the top with a blade
Pens - I can't recall but I am sure it involved her trusty blade

Try Studio for named items

They’re not allowed to share due to Coronavirus so my reception child needs his own pencil case too with coloured pencils etc so I’m going to have to label them all 😬

Studio looks perfect! Thank you x

Don’t put the name sticker where your child will want to put the cap on the pen while using it.

Are you sure they are allowed to take them in? My DD isn't allowed to take in pencil cases in Sept (not that we ever sent her with any anyway).

Yes. We’ve all received the final newsletter saying each child has to have their own equipment.

This is likely to be the case for all schools as it’s recommended in the government guidance for September.

Cash's woven name tapes firm also do personalised pencils and a wipeable personalised pencil case. Their plain printed shoe labels come with a film to go over the top to prevent it from rubbing off which makes it really useful for things like rulers/calculators/hockey sticks etc as well as shoes.

If they are not allowed to share, why do you need to label them?

So that if they put it down another child will not pick it up thinking its theirs

This is likely to be the case for all schools as it’s recommended in the government guidance for September.
Unless they are at my DCs' schools where they say DO NOT bring anything in.

For Reception, add a coloured dot or similar to make it easy for them if they can't read their name well enough to pick it out from a similar-looking one. (Don't use just the dot, that won't help the adults identify the pencil's owner.)

Instead of labelling add a spot of coloured nail varnish or a piece of tape around each one.

Alternatively you can add a label and around each piece and stick it to itself leaving a flap to write on.

For receptionist I'd be tempted to get patterned washi tape and put some of that in each item. Not all the kids will be able to read but they'll soon know that e.g. the duck pattern is for dc1.

Costs me a fortune but I put stickins around the top of all DD's pencils. She always takes her own in as they're ones she can grip easier. Don't want to shave end bits off as she's a chewer (so school gladly welcome her chomping the shit out of her own pencils and not theirs!)

Name needed as well as identifying feature. The green dot or blue duck will help your D.C. recognise what is theirs but won't help anyone else to.

You really don't want another child to pick up a pencil and put it in their mouth (or in their ear or up their nose) and then it go back to its owner.