It's school holidays and the kids are home. Some of us are going crazy and some of us are preparing for the firsts. Preparing for the first day at kindy, prep, primary or high school for our children. Everywhere you look there is back to school ads and products for sale. We have teamed up with Officeworks to tell you about their FREE app to keep the kids little minds busy and also some money saving ideas and fun products available.
To start with, here are three easy ways to develop growing minds, saving some money and keep your sanity.
Read MORE, Buy LESS
Experts recommend that you read your children 1000 stories before they start school. Did you know that by reading the same book to your child every night for 3 months they will know it off by heart? Knowing it off by heart is a GOOD thing! If they are looking at the words while reading them, eventually it clicks that every time they point to "the" they say it and it starts to establish a connection between written and spoken words. Save money by joining your local library- it's a magical place full of stories! The Elephant Learning Company library bag (RRP $5.48) is a fun and easy way for them to carry and store them.
Learn at Home
Remember that children develop and learn at different rates. You can see what your child actually can do by sitting down with them and trying out letters on paper. Simple things like using old newspapers and magazines and cutting out words and pictures is not only cost effective it's teaching your child to reuse and recycle. A scrapbook can be a good way of storing the projects you do together and a good way to look back at your child's progress. Scrapbooks are also awesome for storing crafts and work brought home. We love the Olympic Mega Bond scrapbook (RRP $1) to fill up and the Micador Art Smock (RRP $12.48) save clothes from sticky messes. Practicing writing with coloured texters or pencils, like the Staedtler Noris Club Coloured Pencils (RRP $2.47), is also a fun way of making words stand out and learning colours at the same time. Saying things like "pass me the pink texter" or "can we make the grass green" will help install this into them daily.
It's All About Routine
Setting up a routine chart for getting ready in the morning will not only save your sanity it will teach your child responsibility and time management. Get your child to tick each step off as they go to school helping them to follow directions and develop independence. Letting your child do tasks will instil responsibility for their belongings. Easy tasks like packing their lunch from the fridge into their bag and putting in their drink bottle will help. With all the cute accessories and fun lunch bags like the Fox Boggle Lunch Box (RRP $9) and the Scrunch Collapsable Drink Bottles (RRP $2) they will love filling it up everyday. Think- one day they might even wash the dishes if you put it on the chart!
Officeworks have a Parents Price Promise, which means if you find an identical stocked item on a quoted school list at a lower price, Officeworks will beat it by 20%.
Plus- if the kids are bored these holidays, Officeworks has just launched Growing Minds, a fun new FREE App to keep young minds active through the summer break. The Growing Minds app is a fun and educational app with learning games targeted at kids from prep to year 12. Available on Apple and Android.
Doing our bit...
From the 1st January to the 15th of February Officeworks is supporting The Smith Family’s Back to School Appeal helping disadvantaged young Australians get the most out of their education.
To help, go in store and buy a stationery donation card, write your name on it and place it in the store’s display to show your support, or make a donation online at www.officeworks.com.au or at the register. The Smith Family will put these funds towards mentoring and developing young Australians in need. This is such a worthy cause and even a small donation can make such a difference to a child's education this year.
We have six children between us so this is a busy time of year for us and if you see us in our local Officeworks make sure you say HI! Secret... We buy Lindt chocolate and wine with any savings we get!
To get all your back to school shopping done in one place visit www.officeworks.com.au
Andrea from Sublime Finds
I love a good office works haul! And six! Your house is going to be quiet next week! x
Ultimate Pillows
Who doesn't like an Office Works shopping spree! Yes, you do need that colourful market men and 100 million sticky notes!
I've found that taking small kids there is great as there are SO many colourful things for them to look at. There are always tester pen for the kids to go nuts. Great post!