UAE: 12 Must-haves for going Back-to-School in a Pandemic

Bright, bold, fun – and sanitised. This year’s Back-to-school shopping guide is still colourful as ever, if a little dystopian… [Clockwise from top left: Superhero shields by Nats & Jun; Bento lunch boxes and water bottles by Citron; Personalised name labels and water bottle by Stuck on You; Cat mask from Saffronsouk.com

GOSHOPIA PERSONALISED MASK LANYARDS The ultimate accessory this year? Mask necklaces of course! Make sure kids keep their masks safe and close by with these personalised lanyards, which show children’s names in letter beads on the side, so there’s no chance of getting them mixed up. Made by GoShopia, which also make a whole range of reversible, reusable and embroidered 3-ply masks in a range of prints, send a WhatsApp to 0555752608 to make your order.

NAKASHI PORTABLE UV-C GERMICIDAL BAR: When scanned over surfaces, this handheld disinfection device claims to kill bacteria, germs and viruses (including SARS-CoV-2) using UV-C light. Perfect for disinfecting delivery boxes, clothes, shoes and school or office equipment, although it is a portable backpack-size, the potentially harmful rays mean this one is probably best kept at home and handled by parents to sanitise bags, shoes and clothes after they’ve been to school. Dh179 BTS special offer (reduced from 299), Nakashi.ae

ASSUAGE SEAT COVERS: The founders of this UAE homegrown brand looked at the shocking research on the types of viruses and bacteria that linger on public seating areas and decided they had to invent something to help protect against exposure to coronavirus during the pandemic, since SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to survive and remain transmittable on surfaces for days. While it was designed with plane seats and hospital waiting areas in mind, they would work equally well on classroom chairs or school bus seats, putting an extra layer between your child and the nasties underneath. With a choice between the washable Ultra Cozy (Dh99) or the recyclable (Dh49 for two) seat protectors, they come with their own resealable bags to keep them hygienically stored after use. Assuagetravel.ae

SUPERHERO SHIELDS: UAE Mum Natasha Bajaj is the founder of clothing label Nats & Jun and has turned her creativity to designing a range of Protective Superhero Shields to help your child tap into their inner superhero. Designed to be suitable for children from two years of age, they combine the double protection of a visor and a cloth face mask (with a slit where you can insert a surgical face mask if you wish for even more protection), come in more than 25 different designs, and look so cool that even a fussy, face mask-hating kid might actually be excited to put them on. Dh79, payments can be made via a secure payment gateway, contact via WhatsApp on +971 552425399 for more information.

MASK BAGS: Yet another mask accessory you never knew you needed, these jaunty face mask bags are the perfect place to store your child’s spare masks, in case the one they are wearing gets spoilt during the day, or as the place to put a mask when it’s not being worn, such as when they are eating or playing sports. Made by Molly and Me Kids, which also sells mask lanyards and creates a range of reusuable face masks for kids and adults in a wide variety of beautiful prints, contact them on Instagram @Molly_and_me_kids to find out more.

STUCK ON YOU NAME LABELS: Schools have always been keen on children labelling their belongings, but it’s literally never been more important for your child’s property to be properly labelled. Luckily there are a whole range of personalised label options in fun designs for kids available from retailers like Stuck on You, which make stick-on and iron-on labels for everything from clothes to pencils – which will definitely come into their own this term, as all children are required to have their own personalised stationery, which they are not permitted to share. Label value packs available from Dh75, Stuckonyou.ae.

LUNCH BOXES FROM CITRON: Keep kids’ snacks and lunch safely contained in one place with one of the gorgeous bento boxes from Citron, which are made from easily wipe-able and sanitisable plastic. They are easy to open for small hands so kids can operate them independently without adult intervention, which right now is more important than ever, and are all 100% BPA and phrhalates free, this means no chemicals in the container so no chemicals transferred to the food. With a whole host of different designs for kids and tweens, they also offer a range of sandwich cutters and animal accessories to make packed lunches fun, as well as metal water bottles, which keep liquids cool (you may want to stock up on an extra water bottle this term, as children will not be allowed to refill their water bottles from the water dispenser while at school any more). Citron.life

PERSONALISED MASK LABELS FROM THE LABEL SOUQ: Keep the whole family’s masks organised and stored safely with personalised labels from The Label Souq, which can be stuck above individual hooks so that you know which ones have been washed and who they belong to. Thelabelsouq.com.

MODI BODI PANTS: These absorbent shorts and pants come in a range of fun and more discreet designs and add an extra layer of hygiene and protection for tween or teen girls who may be worried about feminine hygiene during the pandemic. Made from highly absorbent, anti-microbial fabric, these period-proof pants can take the place of regular sanitary products, or act as an additional layer of protection, at a time when kids really don’t ned anything else to worry about. Prices range from 95 - 125 AED for the underwear, and 140 - 320 AED for the swimwear. Modibodi.ae.

CAT FACE MASK FROM SAFFRONSOUK.COM: Face masks have been surprisingly fertile ground for creativity in the pandemic, and this cute cat face mask might just convince your little one to keep their mask on. Dh50, Saffronsouk.com.

EMBROIDERED MASKS FROM MIND YOUR BUSINESS: Get school ready with smart, embroidered face masks that will blend well with school uniform while ensuring masks don’t get mixed up. Available from Mind Your Business (@askmyb) on Instagram.

SNACK SUBSCRIPTIONS FROM KOALA PICKS: Simplify school lunches for the New Normal with a subscription to snack service Koala Picks, which will supply a customizable range of healthy snacks every week, to keep kids happy and full while they no longer have mum around making snacks on tap. From Dh216 per month. Koalapicks.com