Preferred Supplies
Table of Contents
Brand: Tsukihoshi 4
Background
As your child gets older, they are showing their preferences! Our goal is to help them to be self-sufficient whenever they can be in the safest and most appropriate ways possible. One of the easiest ways to foster their independence is via their basic school supplies. While it may seem obvious and simple, one of the best ways to help your toddler is by stocking them with tools that can help them succeed.
We have racked our brains (as well as those of our colleagues) to compile a list of things we recommend your toddler have. After a lot of discussion we selected some of different brands or styles of each. We were careful to add the things that we have seen children both enjoy and use quite successfully over the years. You should not feel obligated to get any of these specific brands, but rather use them as a guide when looking for similar styles!
Backpacks
As children become more confident on their feet, they want to build on that newfound skill – and take ownership of their own things – by carrying their stuff. As they eventually move into our two-year-old rooms, a backpack becomes even more important as the teachers rely on them for that assistance. Even before then, having a backpack with which your child can carry their own things to and from school can be a huge help (for you, too)! The following are examples of good sizes for small bodies that can still fit most daily necessities (such as a lunchbox, change of clothes, and a hat/mittens).
Skip Hop Zoo Little Kids Backpack (also available on Amazon) – the “Little Kid” size tends to be ideal.
Pottery Barn Kids Backpack – Pottery Barn Kids has several sizes and styles. The “Little Critters” style is one size only, but that tends to be a good fit at this age. Other styles have a “Mini”, “Small”, and “Large” – small is generally a size that will be big enough to hold a blanket or spare clothes and a lunch bag, but won’t be too big to carry.
Ten Little Backpack – The 12” is great for toddlers, 15” for older preschoolers!
Water Bottles
As children get bigger, their bellies do too! The main difference between the “sippy cups” most had as older infants/younger toddlers and a “water bottle” is the size. We recommend a 12-16 oz water bottle for all children ages 2 and up (they may be ready before then!) This is a good size so that the child does not need to constantly ask for it to be refilled, but not so big that they cannot hold and drink from it themselves. The following are good brands that children typically can drink well from, clean easily, and hold up for a while.
**One note about straw water bottles – while we have no problems with straw water bottles, those which detach can be more easily misplaced or lost during cleaning. We typically recommend a bottle with a one piece straw (such as in the first two examples below)**
Think Baby Water Bottle or Think Baby Sippy Cup (note – although this says it holds 9oz, we have found it actually holds closer to 12!)
Lunchboxes
If your child packs a home lunch, a lunchbox is helpful in numerous ways. It helps to keep all of their food together, it helps them identify what is “theirs” (as opposed to someone else’s) during lunch time, and, similar to a backpack, gives them ownership of carrying their own things. Some of our children have been finding that a great way to transition into school can be to help put their lunch in the fridge, but that is much easier to do if there is one lunch box instead of several loose containers! Of course, if your child always gets hot lunch, skip this section. Many of the backpack brands recommended sell matching lunch boxes, and those are all good options. A few other options to look at:
Bentgo Kids Children’s Lunch Box (this has the added benefit of no additional containers necessary! Some families opt to send these inside an insulated lunch box, others send the Bentgo box on its own. Bentgo does also make an insulated bag).
Wildkin, Pottery Barn, or Skip Hop Zoo (all also listed above with backpacks)
Outdoor Gear
Muddy Season (March-May)
This one is completely about you, the parent….as we enter mud season, you may wish for some gear to help limit muddy clothing! A rain suit or rain pants and rain boots can make a big difference here. Below are a few examples (this is really to give you an idea of style – we have absolutely no feelings about different brands):
Rain Pants – Velcro Bottoms or Elastic Bottoms
Shoes
Many of your toddlers already have great shoes (sneakers and/or sandals) but since it’s a question we frequently get asked, we thought we’d include our favorites! If you are happy with your toddler’s shoes, you absolutely do not need to change to any of these suggestions – this list is purely if you’re looking for something new. Do not feel the need to buy the expensive shoes (they will grow out of them!) These are just suggestions for general style to look for.
Toddler Sneakers
Generally, we find shoes with a velcro strap(s) works better than slip ons or ties (that’s not a hard and fast rule for every shoe, but a good starting point)
Brand: Stride Rite
Most children usually do pretty well with the stride rite sneakers. Some particular styles we have seen that fit and stay on well. Anything that seems to look/fit similar generally works – we just couldn’t list them all!
https://www.striderite.com/products/made2play-journey-20-sneaker-littlekid?variant=41817139019925
https://www.striderite.com/products/adler-sneaker-littlekid?variant=41771387945109
https://www.striderite.com/products/soft-motion-artie-shoe-littlekid?variant=41636141891733
https://www.striderite.com/products/jazz-hook-loop-sneaker-littlekid?variant=41635480928405
Brand: See Kai Run
Particularly anything with one or two velcro straps tends to work well. The high tops can be a little harder to get on, but both high tops and low tops tend to work well (below are examples of the one strap and two strap shoes).
https://seekairun.com/Kristin-Hot-Pink-Multi
https://seekairun.com/Robyne-Gray-Jersey-Dots
Brand: Tsukihoshi
Most of these sneakers by this brand are fairly similar, and primarily differ only in color/design. So pretty much any of the “baby” or “child” shoes work well. https://tsukihoshi.com
Some of the well-known adult athletic shoe brands have a particular shoe or two that works well for toddlers. Some examples:
Brand: Saucony
Brand: New Balance
A lot of children like the “twinkle toes” by Sketchers if you want something very sparkly, and possibly light up (not all parents do!) They do tend to fit well.
Sandals (All Ages)
At the ECC, we ask that children do not wear open toed shoes (with the possible exception of shoes for water play only). This is a safety concern, as the open toe makes it much easier to catch on something causing a fall, or to drop something on the open toe. We do not consider sandals that have something covering the toe (see some examples below) to fall into the category of “open toe”, so there are definitely options for summer shoes!
Crocs (these shoes do have less stability than other shoes. They are a wonderful water shoe, and many children love them for all day, but it would certainly be worth trying them out before settling on this style).
Native Shoes Jefferson Child (these are a similar material to Crocs, but fit slightly differently).
Stride Rite Sneaker Sandal (or THIS variation)
