Preschool Essentials for Little Learners

If there's one item that always gets little kids smiling, it's their very own backpack. We have so many cute preschool bags featuring every motif they could imagine — dinosaurs, unicorns, bees, butterflies, you name it  — so there's sure to be one that gets them excited about packing up their crayons. We love Powell Craft’s colourful collection of backpacks which can be wipe-cleaned (perfect for mucky fingers) and come with lightly padded backs for comfort and a range of compartments for all their bits and bobs.

Once you've got their equipment housed in style, it's time to pick out a coat that will keep them warm and dry at playtime and on the school run. Mitty James has lots of brightly coloured designs for preschoolers, including waterproof styles — we’re particularly fond of this sunshine-yellow raincoat, complete with reflective trims so you’ll be able to spot them a mile off when it comes to pick-up. Just add a lunch box, easy-to-wear, sturdy shoes and a kiss for luck and they’ll be on their way!

A day at preschool is full of adventures that require a little bit of forward planning when it comes to outfits. We have lots of soft jersey pieces and outfit sets that were designed with dancing, climbing, running and sitting comfortably in mind, not to mention getting little imaginations whirring with their gorgeous prints and colours. A jersey tracksuit set from our friends at Stella McCartney Kids is a good choice for warmer weather and a knitted set from Artesanía Granlei is ideal when it’s colder. And for the inevitable outfit change, our own Childrensalon Occasions collection offers a variety of multipack pieces made in soft organic cotton to pop in their backpack, and they can be washed with ease on repeat.

Preschool is also the perfect place for your tot to get creative. And creative play also comes with lots of mess (that’s where those spares you packed earlier will come in very handy). For budding artists, an overll apron bib, like this handy design from CeLaVi, is a great idea to keep clothes clean-ish. A few paint splodges will be worth it though when they bring home their latest masterpiece for you to display proudly on the fridge.

Getting out into nature is such a wonderful way to teach little ones about the world around them, and in preparation for their first fun-packed day of preschool, you’ll likely receive a handy checklist of practical items to stock up on. We've got all the gear they could possibly need for outdoorsy adventures, from waterproof all-in-ones, like this matching jacket-and-salopettes set from CeLaVi, to cosy base layers and a spare pair of socks, so they can enjoy bird spotting, nature trails, making mud pies and singing in the rain in complete comfort!