We think there’s something pretty joyful about the back to school shop.
Aside from the obvious – that THE KIDS ARE ACTUALLY GOING BACK TO SCHOOL – we get excited about the new backpacks.
Oh, and pristine uniforms.
Shiny shoes.
Clean lunch boxes without mushed up food bits.
Notebooks without any scribble.
Rows of unused, sharp pencils and orderly pencil cases… mmmm parenting and organisation heaven.
So to help you with your back to school shopping mojo, here’s a guide of local shops to hit up to get you through your back to school shopping list.
LUNCH BOXES AND DRINK BOTTLES
The eco-friendly Warrior Lunch Box range has individual compartments to help with sensible and healthy eating, plus there are some very stylish stainless steel drink bottles which are nice for the older kids.
Visit the Eco Shop for their popular eco-friendly hot/cold thermo lunch jars, different sized lunchboxes and drink bottles by Cheeki.
There are a range of drink bottles in different sizes and styles in store. They are great quality, with a good selection for the littlies through to the older kids.
If your kids are all about having their favourite characters on their lunch bags, then head on over to The Reject Shop. You’ll find lunch boxes, insulated lunch bags and little plastic containers.
Plenty of drink bottle options available in store. There’s also a variety of containers in different shapes and sizes which can often be a good alternative to just one lunch box.
Such an excellent selection of kid friendly food and drink storage here.
SCHOOL BAGS
You’ll find a varied selection of backpacks for kids of all ages. Big W have a big ‘Back 2 School’ section, so you’ll find lots of what you need from your shopping list here.
A big range of sporty brand name back packs – think Nike, Puma, Adidas – available at Mittagong’s Rebel Sports store.
At Strandbags in Mittagong you’ll find good quality, durable and stylish backpack options [some of them have matching lunchboxes and pencil cases too].
HOT TIP FROM THE FOLD TEAM // Head to op shops like the Salvo’s, Vinnies’ the Red Cross and the Smith Family for some bargain backpack buys.
STATIONERY
From Bargo to Bundanoon, many of our local newsagencies have plenty of back to school stationery. And lots of them have struck a deal with their local school to help them out with discounts and pre-packing. Check in store.
A huge range of stationery requirements to fill up the kids bags and pencil cases. Pop in and chat to the lovely staff with your list and they’ll help you find what you need.
You’ll find super cute Kip & Co pencil cases at Big Little Ones. The blue Gulls one is pretty hard to resist.
Hi-Land Stationery Office Choice
A hot spot for stationery lovers with all of the back to school needs covered from notebooks through to rulers.
Treat the teens and tweens to a touch of luxury in their stationery haul.
It’s stationery heaven in here. Aisle after aisle of stationery. From pens through to labels, folders and paper, you’ll find pretty much every stationery need covered.
Aldi Mittagong, Aldi Moss Vale and Aldi Bowral
Aldi’s back to school sale kicks off in mid-January and as you’d expect, they’ve got a great range of back to school needs covered from stationery through to hair clips. They have a good stationery selection including folders, notebooks, plastic sleeves, pens and the usual items to fill a pencil case.
UNIFORMS
Many of our local schools have their own uniform shop but if you need to top up the wardrobe with unbranded socks, shorts, shirts, jumpers etc head to Whyte’s. Big Dubs also has a good range.
Check out places like Loom Fabrics for alterations, and local embroidery services that can add names to hats, bags, jumpers, etc. This could help reduce the chances of you rummaging through the ‘lost and found’ box later in the year, trying to figure out which article of clothing actually belongs to your kid.
Whyte’s sells a range of school wear both branded with the local school crests [for St Paul’s Primary School, St Thomas Aquinas, St Michael’s Catholic Primary School], and also unbranded. If you’re after things branded, then best to give them a call before you go to check they have what you are after. You’ll find all of the school uniform items you need from shirts to shorts to dresses.
This lovely store on Bong Bong Street has got some fab school basics, hair accessories sets with a selection of clips, hair ties, bows and headbands, which are super handy!
Check out our post about places to find school shoes in the Southern Highlands.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
A good selection of different guitars for your little strummer.
Also keep an eye out on Facebook Market Places for anyone selling instruments locally.
TUTORING
Help your kiddos start the year strong by signing them up with one of our local tutoring services. Check out our directory of local tutors.
THE ALL IMPORTANT HAIRCUT
Isn’t it just an unspoken rule that everyone needs a fresh trim to kick off the school year?
Pop over to our directory of local hairdressers and barbers to make sure that ‘back to school’ cut happens.
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