Gear up for preschool

Blabla's butterfly backpack

Back to school time is right around the corner. For many toddlers that means getting ready for their first preschool experience. This big step calls for some extra special (and extra cute) gear to make the transition easy.
Below are a few unique ideas of things to put on your shopping list (plus links to here you can buy them to make it easier for you):

• Backpack - Finding a backpack to fit well on little ones is not easy easy as it sounds. The Blabla line of backpacks are created especially for the tiniest school kids. They come in a variety of characters from dogs to tigers and my favorite - the butterfly. My 2.5 year old Ava tested this out. It was easy for her to put in and take out supplies. She didn't want to take it off. They're a little more than I would normally want to pay for a child's bag but for such a special occasion, you need at least one splurdge. Plus it's handmade in Peru by local artisans (paid under fair trade principals) from 100% natural cotton, it's machine washable, and lined. In other words, it's made to take a lot of tot abuse, so you'll have this for a long time. ($42.99, Oompa.com)

• Safety ID Bracelets - Mabel's Labels has come up with a great product to ease parents minds sending little ones off to school. They're called "My 411 Wristbands." Parents personalize them with any information they deem necessary: name, parent's cell number, food allergies, and more! As if that wasn't good enough, Mabel's Labels donates 10% of the proceeds from the sale of the wristbands to the Autism Speaks foundation. ($21.99 for a pack of 30 bands, mabels.ca)

• Pencil/Crayon Case - For something extra special, albeit extra pricey... opt for this fun pencil case that doubles as a toy. Make sure you put your child's name on this one, as it's sure to be popular with all the kids in the class. ($24.99, Oompa.com)
  

• Lunch Bag - BUILT NY's Munchler Lunch Bags are so cute, you'll want one for yourself. They come in four friendly styles: dog, panda, rabbit, and tiger. This lead and food safe bag insulates for a few hours, has handles specially sized for little hands and unzips completely for easy cleaning and flat storage... which means they double as a place mat at lunch time. And they're designed by award-winning children's book illustrator Stephen Savage to boot. ($12.99 for one, $21 for two pack, Buy.com)

• Snack Containers - Go green and ditch the ziplock baggies for reusable containers. Check out the BPA-and-lead-free Lap Top Lunches containers. They're reusable, recyclable and dishwasher safe. You can buy the set alone or in their Bento Box container to keep it all organized. They come in a variety of colors. ($10.99 for set of 5 containers, $20.99 with the bento box, LapTopLunches.com)

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• Thermos - For this I suggest my favorite no-spill kids cup - the Foogo Straw Cup by Thermos. Read my review of them HERE. They keep drinks cold for up to 12 hours and they're cool to look at too. ($17.99, LandofNod.com)

• Utensils - The bamboo fork/spoon combo pack by Bamboo Kids is safe and sustainable and designed specifically for little hands and mouths. They're made from a solid piece of bamboo and finished with a food safe oil. ($12.99 for a two pack, OurGreenHouse.com)

• Alarm Clock - If they're big enough to go to school, then it's a good idea to start teaching them about time and waking up on a schedule. That means buying them their own alarm clock. For boys, check out Clocky. When you hit snooze, this little clock gets rolling, jumps off the night stand and beeps til you get him. It comes in blue, brown, pink and white. ($49.99, PerpetualKid.com). Girls who aren't into things with wheels might prefer a classic style clock, like Haba's Emilia clock. I love all of their products and my girls seem to as well. My oldest daughter loves when this clock goes off. It sounds like an old phone. ($19.99, Maukilo.com) Whichever you select, don't forget to practice/train waking up with the alarm with your youngster the week before school starts

• Starting Preschool DVD - Rent the "My First Day at Preschool" DVD at Netflix or see if your local library has a copy (mine does). Buddy Bear shows kids what to expect at preschool. It's filmed on location at a real preschool with real kids and real teachers. It's music driven and will help take the edge off first day scariness. ($12.99, target.com)

• Preschool Memories Journal - You can make a custom scrapbook or just buy a ready-made one like the Preschool Memories Album by Teacher Created Resources that you just fill out and add art and photos. ($21.99, BuyTeacherCreated.com)

• First day outfit - Make it something special that your little one loves wearing and is super comfy.

Parents.com has a good checklist for other things you need to do to get ready for back to school HERE. They also have an article on how to make school less scary for little first-timers HERE.