Primary Prep - essential items to prepare for the big day

My oh my oh my…. It’s exactly 12 days to the start of school. Exactly 12 days before EV starts her Primary One journey! Panic mode! 

Well, I think this mummy is more anxious than panic. Anxious because her little baby is growing up too fast, as I had shared here and here.

Anyhow, what has to come has to come, and I’ve been busy preparing her for the new journey, preparing her room and getting all her things prepared.

Here’s a list of what I’m putting together.

Ergonomic backpack

So every backpack claims to be ergonomic, but I think the real test is when books are in and the kid has to carry it around. While buying this, we had a few backpacks in mind. I stuffed several books inside and got EV to carry the various backpacks around. Doing this actually emulates the actual weight that EV might have to carry when she heads to school, and in my opinion, is a better gauge of how ergonomic the backpack is and how comfortable it is to carry. 

EV decided on the backpack with a better lumbar support and is more comfortable to her lower back. And of course, she chose pink, because they didn’t have purple.

Easy to open pencil box

Pencils & erasers, with additional for standby

Sharpener & ruler

An easy to open pencil box is, in my opinion, quite important. On one hand, the box (in our case, it’s more like a pouch) needs to be secure enough such that the things inside don’t drop out easily. On the other hand, it needs to be able to be opened wide enough, so that it’s easy for the kid to reach in and search for what she needs. And on top of that, it has to be extremely light, so it doesn’t add unnecessary weight to her back pack.

Pencils and erasers, sharpener and ruler. I selected a sharpener with a simpler and flatter design, so that it’s easy to fit into her pencil box. Extra pencils and erasers are always good, as I foresee many misplaced ones.

Pencil caps

This is to put over the pencils, so they don’t stain the pencil box. I foresee this item being misplaced quite often too, so I got them from Daiso. $2 for a pack of 18. Very good value.

Wallet or coin pouch

Some recommend getting a wallet in the kid’s favourite character. I’ve tried looking for one, but none of the designs seem suitable. I mean, all have slots for notes and cards, but really tiny coin pouches. 

At Primary One, I think the kid might need something with a bigger coin pouch. So, we opted for a coin pouch from Daiso instead. EV chose this one. It’s big enough for coins with a separate compartment for putting notes. But importantly, it can open wide so it’s easy for her to search for her coins, rather than keep digging for it.

Drawstring bags or plastic zipper pouches

Sometimes, the kid might have to go to a different classroom for a particular lesson. So instead of her having to search for that subject’s books in her bags, respective subject books can be put into various drawstring bags or plastic zipper pouches. The bags or pouches can be colour coded, so she just picks the correct bag or pouch for that subject and her pencil box and go.

Small notebook

Some schools provide journal, some don’t. Whatever it is, a small notebook is useful to let the kid take down homework, or teacher’s instructions. The good old small blue ones are light and handy, which can be bought from Popular for just under $3 for a pack of 10.

Plastic wrappers and name labels for school books

I think this is quite important to help identify belongings, which can be easily misplaced, and for protecting the books.

Hair accessories

In the permitted school colours. Otherwise, just keep to black, which is an extremely safe colour. I also got black hair pins, to keep stray hairs at bay.

Water bottles, at least one on standby

This is another item that can get lost easily, so we have one on standby. Both are labelled with the kid’s name and class very clearly.

Analog watch

This is helpful in honing the kid’s time telling skills. One that also shows the time in digital format is beneficial too.

Lunch box

One that’s light and not too bulky is a good choice, because the last thing we want to do is to add unnecessary weight to the kid’s bag.

A good pair of white shoes, at least one on standby

A comfortable, light, easy to wash pair of white shoes is what we opted for. We are also going to buy another one before the holidays end, just to be on the safe side.

If you have a child heading to Primary One next year, I hope this list is helpful. Fret not! There are still 12 days to prepare!

If you have any other tips on what to prepare for Primary One, do share!

Do check out our earlier Primary Prep Series, and do stay tuned for more.

Preparing for Primary One - inculcating values
Preparing for Primary One - inculcating life skills

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