The new school year is just around the corner. If you’re not quite sure what to put on their back-to-school checklist, we’ve got more than a few suggestions. Each of these back-to-school shopping lists has everything they could need, jam-packed with highlighters, pencil cases, notebooks, pens and pencils, maths sets, drink bottles and more.

Of course, you could also use Officeworks’ School List Service, where you upload your shopping list, review the quote and Click and Collect the items from a store near you, all while being assured you will get the best value, thanks to the Parents' Price Promise. 

SEE ALSO: How to Save on Back to School Supplies

Fill Their Back-to-School Bag for $25

If your kids tend to come home each day minus their new ruler or a favourite highlighter, you might want to consider taking a fairly conservative approach to creating their back-to-school kit. You can still order all the essentials and fill their school bag for around $25. 

When you’re ticking off the back-to-school checklist for primary school kids, look for products that will keep them safer and make your life easier. They’ll need glue, so one that’s non-toxic is a good choice, such as the Bostic Blu Stik. It’s also acid free, so it won’t damage their precious artworks over time, a great feature if you like to pop creations on the fridge or have the best of them framed for sentimental reasons.

Ink can get into uniforms and be hard to remove in the wash, so look for markers that use water-based ink. Faber-Castell markers fit the bill, as do J.Burrows highlighters. The former have cool connector caps that encourage kids to join the pens together with the lids on, thereby stopping them from drying out.

Thankfully, watching your pennies doesn’t mean undermining environmental considerations. These Studymate exercise books and rulers are made from recycled and sustainable materials so by choosing them, you can help make a positive difference to the planet. Keji colour pencils are not only FSC-certified to support healthy forests and protect wildlife but their purchase contributes to the Restoring Australia initiative, which plants two trees for every one used to help regenerate woodland ecosystems across the country.

And while you’re looking after the planet, help the kids stay healthy as well, by sending them off to school each morning with a reusable water bottle that’s BPA free and leakproof, like Keji’s budget-friendly number.

The back-to-school supplies they’ll need, including colour pencils and a reusable water bottle, for under $25. 

Total $25.31 (prices subject to change)

Put it all in:

Fill Their Back-to-School Bag for $50

Maybe your child is starting a higher grade at primary school or is entering high school? When you’re shopping for their back-to-school supplies, you’ll probably need a little more of everything and a tad more durability, since they’ll not only be using them at school but also at home for revision and study.

The first thing they’ll need is pens. Go for plenty of colours, so they can use colour coding to make it easier to differentiate important points in their notes. Consider stocking up on retractable varieties, so they don’t leak inside pencil cases and backpacks. Each of these Artline retractable ballpoint pens includes four cool colours and has a rubber barrel grip for ease of writing. Or try these fun Studymate retractable ballpoints, with bright colours like purple, lime green and pink.

Encourage kids to practise their writing skills by stocking up on notebooks that are big enough to fit in all that school work. The A4 spiral bound J.Burrows notebook comes in a range of colours, so they can have a different one for each subject, and with a polypropylene cover to protect the paper inside.

Make it easier for kids to express their creativity with easy-to-grip pencils such as these Faber-Castell triangular pencils. They’re also FSC-certified and part of the Restoring Australia project. Keep their drawing implements, from lead pencils to sharpeners in this Otto pencil case. It's made from recycled plastic, which is a great way to help keep waste away from our oceans and landfill. 

Check off the back-to-school shopping list with everything they could possibly need for later primary school.

Total $49.18 (prices subject to change)

Put it all in:

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‍Fill Their Back-to-School Bag for Under $100

Kids go through a lot of pens in a year. For an environmentally friendly option, these Studymate ballpoints are made from recycled materials, taking waste away from landfill, and can be popped into the Bring It Back wall at Officeworks stores when they’ve run out of ink to be recycled again.

Post-It notes are another useful study aid. They make great bookmarks for tracking passages that might prove valuable when writing an assignment, or to note ideas for essays or reminders of formulas that can then be stuck to desks and whiteboards when they get home. Try document wallets colour-coded by subject or topic to stash these and any other scribbled notes for future reference.

If you’ve got an artist on your hands, you could invest in a set of Staedler colour pencils that come in their own tin. And they can stash the rest of their paraphernalia, such as mechanical pencils, highlighters and brightly coloured ballpoints in a pencil case, like one inspired by gaming. 

What To Try

High school back-to-school supplies include study aids as well as pencils, pens and highlighters. 

Total $96.97 (prices subject to change)

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Don’t Forget the Back-to-School Tech

Pencils and exercise books are all essentials, but there are also pieces of electronic kit that they might need either at school or while they’re doing their homework. 

First off, many schools now require students to bring a device, such as a laptop, 2-in-1 or tablet with them. The BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Parent Assistance Tool on the Officeworks website has plenty of useful information about what to look for, depending on the grade they’re going into and your budget. You can even enter the name of the school and your child’s grade and the tool will give you a few options, including best all-rounder, best value and best performance.

SEE ALSO: BYOD at Any Budget: Find the Right Device for Your Child

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For their home setup, you might want to consider adding a larger monitor and ergonomic keyboard and mouse, especially if they’re in their senior years and will be spending many hours studying.

What To Try

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