What goes in a reception child’s bag?

[BeccaBean]

Please can someone tell me what I should put in my DD’s bag when she first starts? Just a water bottle? Her school has sent zero info about changes due to Covid yet, so I’m assuming she’ll still have school lunch. Thanks for any tips x

Book bags are for books - reading book and reading log. Water bottle will usually stay at school. Year R to Y2 will get free fruit snack and school dinner so nothing to send in.

Our school is not allowing any pencil cases or stationary from home (not that it's needed as it's all provided).

So not much goes in. Mostly one book, one log and jumper that cost you a fortune but they rarely wear!

We sent a change of clothes which lived on her peg in a bag for life.

Just in case of

• toilet accidents
• getting soaked in the rain
• chucking her dinner down her front
• stomping in a muddy puddle

She also had a pair of wellies in there as school asked for them in case of wet days.

She didn't carry a backpack day in day out though just her school shoulder book bag which they provided which had school book and any homework in it.

I put a change of clothes in mine! My second child is just about to start and not quite as... mud-attracting as her brother, but it still really helps to have a dry set. Not for toilet accidents but for getting filthy in the sand pit, spilling a pot of paint water in their lap, failing to find their top after PE etc etc.

We've also been told to make sure they are well equipped with sun hat, rain coat etc just in case, as there won't be any spares handed out.

They only needed their bag on reading day and library day, which were the same for us. They actually asked us to stop sending the bag in each day as it was unnecessary faff. They just took their water bottles in each day and they were put on a tray. School asked for a bag for change of clothes but I didn't bother.

It will differ from school to school. For us it is art apron. They also take their water bottle separately.

A change of clothes to be kept at school went in a separate drawstring bag. Wellies also had go in for the term for forest school. It is only from year 2 they are allowed to take a pencil case in my child's school.

Thanks everyone for your feedback. Sounds like some variation between schools - DD's new school has sent very little information so far. I like the idea of sending in spare clothes in case she gets wet or dirty after painting or play.

At our school they don't need a bag. They take pe kit in day 1 and it only get sent home at the end of each half term. They put their water bottle in a tray when they arrive and get given fruit for snack. They just need a book bag. Is their a parents fb page for your school you can join?

Our school have asked that only a water bottle and reading book in a poly pocket are brought in. Not even pe kit - they will wear it to school on pe day and stay in it all day. This is all to reduce items being brought between settings

Lots of schools don't have space for bags. Remember that her coat will probably* have to be hung over her bag so the bigger the bag is the more difficult it is for the child to hang their coat up.

My top tip for this is to teach them to hand their coat up properly by the loop, rather than by the hood as it's far more likely to stay on the peg.

In winter, those combined hat/gloves/scarves are great for playtime as some children can spend half of their 15 minute break finding their hat in their bag, finding their gloves in their pockets and retrieving their scarf and then putting them all on.

*some schools have separate places to store bags

I'm just sending water bottle, pack of tissues and spare clothes each day. Roll on sun cream and sun hat if it looks like a hot day. No PE bags for us at the moment.