The Muddy Puddles Back to School Guide

We’ve rounded up lots of helpful tips we hope will make the back-to-school season a little easier for your family. We’re also sharing our ultimate Back-to-School checklist, and our top Muddy Puddles jackets which are perfect for School.

With the School Holidays in full swing, now is the perfect time to get a head start on planning for a smooth back-to-school transition.

Our Top Tips for a Great First Day of School

We’ve rounded up a few tested and parent approved tips on how to prepare your children for the new school term. Read on and have a wonderful and stress-free back to school season!

• Good nights sleep: Get your children to bed early so that they wake up feeling fresh and happy in the morning. You can even establish a new bedtime routine a couple of weeks before school starts to help them set up good sleeping habits.
• Healthy breakfast: Start the day with a healthy and delicious breakfast to keep your children focused and energetic until lunchtime.
• Get organised: Pack your children’s school bags and organise their outfits the night before. Make sure their pencil case has everything they need in it with shiny sharp pencils and an ink-ready pen.
• Name stickers: Get your name stickers ready before school kicks off. You can even put name stickers in shoes with L for left and R for right to make things easier for smaller children.
• Be weatherproof: Make sure your children have a lightweight waterproof jacket handy in their school bag. September weather can be unpredictable, so having a drizzle-defeating raincoat handy is always a good idea.
• Take a photo: Everyone loves looking back at old photos and those of the first day of school are very special. Save some extra time to snap a photo of them showing off their backpack and uniform. Capture this special moment so you have a keepsake of your little one’s first day to look back on.
• Have a lucky coin: Give your children a lucky coin to keep in their pocket which they can rub if they feel worried and help remind them that you are with them.
• Show excitement: The first day of school can be emotional and stressful. Showing your excitement over the first day at school will make your children feel better and they will look forward to the big day. You can even create a countdown to build the anticipation.

Our Ultimate Back to School Checklist

1) Outerwear

- Unlined waterproof jacket

- Fleece-lined waterproof jacket

- Warm winter/ski jacket for chilly days

- Waterproof suit (for younger children)

- Waterproof trousers

- Wellies/welly socks

- Waterproof gloves

- Warm gloves/hat/neckwarmer

- Thermals/baselayers

- Trainers

2) Uniform

- School shoes/trainers

- Jumpers/cardigans

- Shirts/polo shirts

- Trousers/skirts

- Socks/tights

3) Stationery

- Pencil case

- Pens and pencils

- Pencil sharpener

- Calculator

- Ruler/geometry set

- Notebooks

- Scissors/safety scissors

- Gluestick

- Eraser

- Highlighters

4) Essentials

- School bag/backpack

- Water bottle

- Lunchbox

- PE kit/swimming kit

- Name tags

Our Top School Jackets

Finding the perfect school jacket for your children can be tricky. It must be waterproof, protective and durable – and the list goes on! With the first day of school right around the corner, we’ve rounded up our best school jackets to make your life easier. These school waterproofs are perfect to keep your children dry and happy whether they are walking to school, discovering the natural world through outdoor learning or getting active at the playground.

1) Originals Recycled Jacket

Our Originals collection remains our most popular range amongst schools and parents looking for high quality, super water and weatherproof school kit. Why are our Originals so great for school? For starters, they are lightweight, and are fully breathable, especially handy to keep active children dry in warmer weather. Generously sized for maximum comfort and flexibility, they’re perfect to stick on over the top of a school blazer and ideal for layering over warm clothing during the colder months. Plus, this jacket is longer at the back – perfect for sitting on wet benches or playing outside in the rain. Our Originals jacket is a great, unisex option for young adventurers of all ages. It is available in fantastic school friendly colours: black, royal blue, forest green, midnight navy and a bold red. 

2) Rainy Day Jacket Recycled

If you are looking for a lightweight school jacket that will keep your child protected from every drop of rain, our Rainy Day jacket is just the ticket. This super waterproof jacket is designed to keep young explorers dry whatever the weather so rain won’t keep them indoors. The unlined PU fabric is made using recycled plastic bottles and is flexible, soft and comfortable, perfect for tumbling around in. Plus, we’ve added elasticated cuffs and taped seams keeps the rain out. There’s plenty of room for lots of extra layers, school uniform or warmer clothes, making this jacket perfectly versatile from early autumn all the way into winter. We’ve also added reflective details for higher visibility for those darker autumn evenings.

3) EcoSplash Fleece Lined Jacket

This lightweight, bright and ultra-waterproof jacket is perfect to keep children warm and dry throughout autumn and spring. Practical for outdoor learning, the flexible material allows for easy movement while providing full protection from the elements. We’ve crafted our EcoSplash jackets using cutting-edge recycled fabric. The jacket is fleece-lined and cosy, perfect to keep your children warm even on colder days. Reflective high-visibility details , and the fun unisex prints make it easier to spot children when playing outside. 

4) PuddleFlex Insulated Jacket

Our PuddleFlex jacket is another favourite with parents. It is super waterproof, perfect for our unpredictable British weather. The soft fleece lining and sturdy fabric make this jacket surprisingly warm and cosy, yet breathable and durable enough to withstand the rough and tumble wear of outdoor play. Made to last, this jacket is ideal as an everyday school coat but equally good at protecting children from the elements when out and about. The classic fisherman’s design is available in three vibrant colours (red, navy and yellow), a go-to school essential for this autumn and winter.