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Starting School Gifts: 9 Ideas for Reception That Get Used
Starting school gifts for reception that won't duplicate the uniform list: nine ideas from free to £34.99, and what to check with the parents first.
Buy for home, not for the book bag. The best starting school gifts are for the hours around school, because the school usually decides the uniform and often the bag, so a present for home can't clash with the kit list. For a child of 4 or 5 starting reception, anything from a card you write yourself to a £34.99 present works.
A starting school gift is a small present that marks a child's first term in reception, often from a grandparent, aunt or godparent. In England, most children start reception full-time in the September after their fourth birthday, though some start part-time or later in the year, and Scotland and Northern Ireland have different rules. For presents through the rest of the year, our screen-free gift guide covers ages 3 to 8.
Why sort starting school gifts by the day at home?
These starting school gift ideas are for a child of 4 or 5 starting reception, and they're sorted by the part of the day at home they belong to: the night before, the morning, after school, the weekend and the end of the year. Each one says who it's best for, the age and a rough price. Prices are guides for the kind of thing, not quotes.
After school matters more than it sounds. The NHS notes that difficult behaviour in young children is often just because they're tired, hungry, overexcited, frustrated or bored, and a new school day can bring several of those at once. Three of the nine ideas are for that hour.
What are the essentials for starting school, and what should you check first?
The school sets most of the essentials, so check with the parents before buying anything that goes into school:
- Uniform and book bag: schools and their governors decide the uniform and what it includes, and gov.uk says they should limit the number of branded items. The book bag may already be on the list.
- Lunch box: may not be needed. In England, children in reception, Year 1 and Year 2 at a government-funded school can get free school meals, though some families still choose packed lunches.
- Name labels: useful and cheap, but parents usually sort these, so ask.
- Anything for a pocket or bag: ask what the class allows before buying a keyring or a token.
What are good gifts for kids starting school?
Good gifts for kids starting school belong to home: things for the night before, the morning, the hour after pickup and the weekend. Here are nine.
The night before
1. A card or letter from you
Best for: any child, from any relative. Age: 4 to 5. Price: free to £5.
Read it aloud at bedtime the night before, then keep it. Two or three short lines a parent can read out are plenty. It costs almost nothing, and it's the easiest present to keep.
2. A picture book about starting school
Best for: a child who has questions about what school will be like. Age: 4 to 5. Price: under £10.
Read it together in the week before. A good one shows coat pegs, the carpet and lining up, so the first morning has some familiar pictures in it. Choose one where the child in the story feels a bit unsure, then finds their feet.
The morning
3. A picture checklist for getting ready
Best for: a child who likes to do things themselves. Age: 4 to 5. Price: free if you draw it, under £10 for a wipe-clean one.
Shoes, coat, book bag, by the door. Draw it together with a picture for each step, so they can follow it before they can read. It turns the morning rush into something they can tick off on their own.
After school
4. A mat for the after-school hour
Best for: a child who comes home fizzing. Age: 4 to 8, so reception to Year 3. Price: £34.99, and this one is ours.
The Sun Salutation mat has 15 numbered poses engraved into it, from mouse at 1 to dancer at 15. Roll it out after pickup, start at 1, and go as far as they like, with nothing to set up and no screen. For a child who comes home flat rather than fizzing, there's a floor version.
5. An art box that stays on the kitchen table
Best for: a child who likes to draw and make. Age: 4 to 5. Price: under £10.
Chunky crayons, a pad and a sheet of stickers, kept at home for after school. Check the school's own list before buying any stationery for class. This one never leaves the house, so it can't clash with it.
6. A quiet-corner kit
Best for: a child who wants ten minutes on their own before tea. Age: 4 to 5. Price: £10 to £20.
A floor cushion and a book torch, set up in a corner that's theirs. No rules about what happens there. It's a place to land after a busy day, and it costs little more than the cushion.
The weekend and the first half term
7. A trip they choose
Best for: a child who's earned a Saturday morning. Age: 4 to 5. Price: free.
The library, the park, a bus ride to somewhere new. A grandparent can give it as a voucher written on a card: "One Saturday trip, your choice." The present is the choosing.
8. A standing date with you
Best for: a grandparent who lives close by. Age: 4 to 5. Price: free.
Friday pickup, or Saturday breakfast, every week of the first half term. It gives your grandchild something to look forward to at the end of each week, and gives their parents a break.
The end of the year
9. A memory box or folder
Best for: a child whose paintings are taking over the fridge. Age: 4 to 5. Price: £10 to £20.
For the first paintings, the first-day photo and the end of year report, which in England the school must write by the end of each summer term. Write their name and class on the lid together.
What is a good gift for a grandchild starting school?
Looking for a present for a granddaughter starting school, or a grandson? The best ones come with you in them: a card in your handwriting the night before, a standing Friday pickup, or a mat you can both use. The mat is full length, 183 x 61 cm, so you can do the tree pose with them after pickup. For the rest of the year, our gifts for grandchildren that get used carry on the same idea.
Starting school gifts in the UK, by budget
Starting school gifts in the UK don't need to cost much, and several of the best are free:
- Free to £5: a card or letter (1), a hand-drawn checklist (3), a trip they choose (7), a standing date (8)
- Under £10: a picture book (2), an art box (5)
- £10 to £20: a quiet-corner kit (6), a memory box (9)
- £20 to £40: a full-length mat (4)
Starting school gift sets for near and far grandparents
- For a grandparent who lives far away, around £20 to £35: the card, the picture book and the memory folder, posted the week before.
- For a grandparent who lives close: the mat for the after-school hour, plus a standing Friday pickup. Our guide to the sun salutation, step by step covers the first go.
A reception child's first Christmas comes at the end of their first term, so a starting school present can wait and double as a Christmas one. For the hour after pickup, choose a colour: £34.99 with free UK delivery and 30-day returns, and 10 per cent off two or more if a brother or sister wants one too.
What if they're too tired for anything new?
Some children are flat out in the first half term and won't look at anything new. That's fine. Put the present away and bring it out at half term, when they've settled and have more energy for it. If you're worried about how your child is settling in, their class teacher is the first person to talk to.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good first day of school gift?
A card or letter from you, given the night before, plus one thing for the after-school hour. Keep it to things that stay at home, so nothing clashes with the school's kit list or gets lost in a cloakroom. A picture book about starting school, read together the week before, works well too.
What is a good gift for a 4-year-old who is starting school?
Something for home they can do without help: a picture book about starting school, an art box for the kitchen table, or a mat with numbered poses they can follow on their own after pickup. Here are more presents for a four-year-old, sorted by the time of day.
What do you write in a card for a child starting school?
Two or three short lines a parent can read aloud: something you're proud of, one thing to look forward to, and who's picking them up. For example: "I'm proud of you for being so brave. I can't wait to hear about your new friends. Grandma's picking you up on Friday." Then sign and date it.
Do children starting school need a lunch box?
Not always. In England, children in reception, Year 1 and Year 2 at a government-funded school can get free school meals, so many won't need a packed lunch every day. Some families still choose packed lunches, so check with the parents before you buy one.
