Back to school

The Best Lunch Boxes for Back To School

July 25, 2019 By Laura Epstein Leave a Comment

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase on one of these back to school essentials for special needs children. Thank you for supporting my blog.

Back to school time is so fun! While many supplies are dictated by the school and teacher lunch boxes are not. That makes picking out the perfect lunch box a great place to show your child’s personality while still having a functional lunch box. These are my favorites:

Best Bento Box

Bento Boxes are a great way to portion food while avoiding unnecessary packaging (that is not only wasteful but also sometimes frustrating for children) My favorite on is the Bentgo Box. It has large enough compartments to fit a normal amount of food, it is well insulated and comes in fun colors and patterns that kids will actually like.

Best Stainless Steel Box

For those that don’t like plastic there is an awesome steel bento box for you. It’s from LunchBots and is available in several colors and with different numbers of compartments depending on your needs.

Best Lunch Box Price

This one was also in the running for cutest! But, this Skip Hop lunch bag is also affordably priced at less than $9.00 and it is super durable and well insulated. While we have never had this exact version (none of my boys wanted something with unicorns) we had the monkey version for several years and it never showed any wear and tear. It is not huge and as my son got bigger he needed a bigger lunch box. While this is solidly a preschool lunchbox and not an elementary school lunchbox it is a great, affordable option.

Cutest Lunch Box

Want something unique and adorable? This one’s for you. This donut lunch box is well insulated and big enough to fit a full lunch and thermos even though it doesn’t have a middle!

Best Minecraft Box

Yes, this is a category. I have a seven year old boy who NEEDS minecraft everything including everything at lunch… of course we have a minecraft thermos too. Some of them I have found to be a little too flimsy but I love his Thermos creeper soft lunch box. It is also well insulated and easily cleanable when everything spills (because it will eventually)

Best Soft Lunch Box

If space is limited or you just prefer a soft container for your child’s lunch then my pick is the Goprene insulated lunch box. This pack stay cools, is easily cleaned and is cute too.

Don’t Forget to Label!

My oldest was not the only one in his class with that minecraft lunch box and of course my twins insist on having the same lunchbox so we definitely label all their lunch boxes and everything in it. For the box itself we find Mabel’s Label’s Small Rectangle Labels work well and for the stuff inside (water bottles, etc). the Tag Mates work well. While the tag mates are technically for clothes tags they definitely stick to the kid’s small stuff too (yay for multitasking products!)

I hope you found a lunch box your little one will love! For more back to school info check out my essentials for special needs children and IEP tips.

Back To School Essentials for Special Needs Children

July 17, 2019 By Laura Epstein 1 Comment

Getting ready for school is fun and exciting! It also involves lots of coordination and prep (IEPs, new teachers, etc) and of course, new supplies. Here are some of my favorite school essentials for special needs children.

Backpack

Backpacks are a little tricky with my autistic son. In preschool he became attached to a hand me down Thomas the tank backpack. The problem was it was a plastic, “cheap” backpack that already had a couple years of wear and tear on it. So pretty quickly it started to fall apart. Of course he was attached to it and having autism he struggles with change so we tried to sew it, tape it and do anything else to keep it functional. It made it through the year and he agreed to find a new one for the next school year but I learned my lesson if using cheap backpacks. We found him an awesome Pottery Barn Kids backpack with a panda (his favorite) on it. While it was expensive after two years it has shown very little wear and tear and I highly recommend getting a Pottery Barn or similar higher end backpack especially if your child struggles with change.

Basic School Supplies

Basic school supplies are, of course, dictated by what the school and teachers want. At my son’s school you have the option to buy a pack with most of the school supplies from the PTO (which I do because it’s readier) or purchase on your own from target, amazon, etc. One supply which was not included in the schoolpack were headphones. Because my son has some sensory sensitivities these were a little tricky. We decided to try one of the top rated amazon headphone, the LilGadgets Connect+ Premium Volume Limited Wired Headphones with SharePort for Children and just double checked we could return it as necessary. But, they worked! He tolerated them and they were rated highly for not breaking which made me happy. We’re a year into using them and no complaints by my son or me!

Labels

Every parent needs labels for their kids stuff (otherwise half of it would be gone, right?) What I particularly love about the Mabel’s Labels is that they have a wide array of icons that you can add. These are perfect for kids who can’t recognize their name but can instead find their stuff by using an icon. Having panda bear pictures on our labels really helps my son recognize his own belongings.

Fidgets and Chewies

Back to school means making sure you have adequate fidgets if they are a tool help your child. There are innumerable types of fidgets including my favorite (for myself and my son) spinners!I even found a panda spinner this year for my oldest!

Chewies are also an important tool for many children with special needs. I like any chewy that is on a necklace or bracelet (because it lasts a little bit longer). My son loves all things LEGO including a fun block chewy.

Lap Pads and Animals

Weighted lap pads are another item that may or may not be provided by the school but are often a back to school essential for special needs children. Weighted lap pads provide sensory input that can calm children and help them focus. Weighted lap animals are a fun alternative for younger children. My son has a “lap cat” that he adores. He no longer needs it at school but still likes it at home.

Alternative Seating

While most public schools provide any alternative seating required (and in the IEP accommodations) you will need to provide your child’s own at many private schools. At Ross’ first preschool our OT decided a cube chair would be beneficial. The school could not provide ont so we got him a cube chair from amazon and it was very helpful in his being able to sit and focus during stories and other group time.

IDs

Not every child needs an ID bracelet or tag but for many children having one for school, the bus or field trips can provide added safety and peace of mind. Mabel’s Labels recently came out with new silicone bracelets that have received great reviews for their comfort and staying power.

That’s my rundown of the back to school essentials for special needs children. What else would you add to the list? Also make sure to check out my article on what NOT to say to the parent of a child with Autism and also my best toys for fine motor skill development.