For some of us, it has been months since our little ones were sat in the classroom with their books, teachers, and best friends. However, the return is soon approaching, and it is understandable that some of us feel more ready than others. In this week\’s blog, we are going to cover the Back to School period and how you can prepare.

Travelling to School

The advice to those making shorter journeys is to walk or cycle where possible. If this is not possible, public transport will be running. Capacity may be reduced but services are gradually being increased where possible in the run-up to the September return to school.  We advise that you plan ahead by checking timetables and leaving more time for your journey as this may be necessary. Remember that children over the age of 11 will be asked to wear a face-covering. It’s also recommended to use card or app payments whenever possible.

What Precautions Will Schools Be Taking?

Schools across the country will be taking steps to make sure that returning to the classroom is as safe as possible, for everyone. Staggering the drop off and pick up times for each year group is one of the biggest precautions being taken. Schools are also using one-way systems as well as specific locations to avoid group gatherings during school runs. Schools will also keep kids in their own ‘bubbles’ and make sure that everyone is being socially distant where possible! Most importantly though, everyone will be making sure that hands are washed often throughout the day!

What Can You Do?

The most important thing you can do when getting ready to send your little one off to school is to prepare. This applies to all areas of school, from looking ahead to drop off plans to what to pack for their return to the classroom. Many schools are issuing their own list of what to pack. Some are avoiding rucksacks and giving children a small list of what to bring such as a water bottle, lunch and a reading book. Most schools will be regularly releasing newsletters to keep you up to date with everything that is going on. If you or your little one is feeling anxious, there are lots of services to put you at ease and educate your child on what precautions to take, sites include BBC Newsround and Childline.

Ready for the Classroom?

Lockdown introduced us all to home-schooling, from Google Classroom to printed off activity sheets. Then the summer holidays hit, and we all began to enjoy the little things (and the sun) as restrictions began to lift. If you’re worried about how your little one will concentrate in the classroom again, why not try a few educational toys and activities? These little games and activities will help them concentrate and remind them how fun learning can be. Here are some of our suggestions here at Toy Street:

• Wildlife Safari will help with those geography skills and challenges you to collect the most valuable animals!
• Owl Grasshead is a great science experiment as you watch the grass grow over a few days.
• Dobble is perfect to get kids concentrating as they match images between cards as quickly as possible.

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