NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & TΕ«rangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • ManawatΕ« - Whanganui
    • All ManawatΕ« - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • ManawatΕ«
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

Back to school: How to prepare kids for the last school term of 2020

NZ Herald
9 Oct, 2020 12:17 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber? Β Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access contentβ€”explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
β€Œ
Save

    Share this article

Monday marks the start of term 4. Photo / Getty Images

Monday marks the start of term 4. Photo / Getty Images

It's been a rough year for Kiwi kids in and out of school amid the Covid-19 lockdowns.

Add to that the added confusion of socially distant classrooms and navigating learning online, and our young learners have been through a lot.

And as they head back into the last school term of the year on Monday, your children might be feeling anxious about their studies or their wellbeing.

So it's up to parents and caregivers to give stability and maybe a little bit of TLC as the school year resumes.

Here are our top tips on preparing for school in level 1 and maybe even getting the kids excited to head back, too.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Plan ahead

Now is the time to fish out the school uniforms - or if your child's school doesn't have a uniform, sort out their outfits for the week.

Find all those missing school socks and get the kids to lay out their clothes the night before school starts so even if they accidentally sleep in, it won't take them too long to get ready in the morning.

Making the start of the school term easier can be as simple as a fun colourful lunch. Photo / Getty Images
Making the start of the school term easier can be as simple as a fun colourful lunch. Photo / Getty Images

Declutter

After a busy year, the school bags are probably in need of a bit of a spring clean. It might also be time to refresh the school stationery and clean out the junk at the bottom of those backpacks.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

You can pack their bags and lunches the night before, too, to save time the next day. If you and your child are organised, it'll take the stress out of the first day back. Maybe even pop a special treat in their backpack or a little note.

Make a routine

It can be hard to go back to regular bedtimes and breakfast times once the term starts again, especially after daylight saving changes. It's best to ease into a new routine gradually rather than trying to stick to a rigorous schedule straight away.

Try getting the kids to bed a little earlier and getting them up a little earlier in the morning, but don't worry if it takes them and you a bit of time to adjust.

Talk about it

Before the kids head off to school in the morning, give them a bit of a pep talk to encourage them. And when they get home, set aside some time to hang out with them, have an ice block and chat about how their day went.

Discover more

New Zealand

True love story featuring two feathered friends now a children's book

09 Oct 02:11 AM
New Zealand

Hey bro: Strangers rally to build boy's dream skateboard ramp

08 Oct 10:07 PM
Royals

George's 'heartbreaking' reaction to Attenborough doco

08 Oct 07:13 PM

It's an overwhelming time for kids who have been in and out of school all year, and it's important they can talk to you about how they're feeling.

Get lunchbox ready

Celebrity chef Jax Hamilton and Best Foods mayonnaise have shared their tips for creating great school lunches that your child will be sure to gobble up.

A colourful, healthy and delicious lunch will help them look forward to each school day and help them learn at their best.

View this post on Instagram

Oh my mayo! Get Back to School ready with inspo by foodie genuis @jaxhamiltoncook 😍 Check out Jax's potato, carrot & spring onion rostis made eeextra delicious with a dunk of Best Foods Mayo and herb dip - nomnomnom! These are so much fun to make with the kids - get together in the kitchen these school holidays and give them a whirl!πŸ‘ #BacktoSchool

A post shared by Best Foods NZ (@bestfoodsnz) on Oct 6, 2020 at 11:44pm PDT

Rainbow day

Encourage your kids to pick a day and colour and create their lunch based around that colour. If the colour is green: cucumber sushi with avocado filling, green jelly, grapes, a boiled egg cooked in water with green colouring. Keep it fun and exciting!

Reason for season

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Discover what's in season and what will work in a lunchbox. During the warmer months, try sweetcorn. Experiment with herb flavours in pestos and dressings. During spring, try grilled asparagus wrapped in bacon. In summer, pop in berries and cherries.

Carb remix

Shake up the classic bread and chippies combo, swapping the chips with pretzels, corn chips, or falafel. Get creative and swap bread for rice paper wraps, egg or rice noodles, or dumpling skins.

Mystery lunch box: no peeping until lunchtime

Try a themed lunch: sandwiches are cut to look like animals, favourite cartoon characters, minions. Think outside the (lunch) box and incorporate some of your kids' favourite things. Try a superhero box – a super sammie or a super smoothie a.k.a Batman fuel, or a Harry Potter box – a carrot wand and frog-shaped sandwiches.

Jarred lunches

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

In a small mason jar, begin with dressing. Layer with carbs, protein, salad and a crunchy topping – just shake, pop the top and good to go.

Leftovers

Double up your dinner, like a fab meatloaf. Slice and pop into lunchboxes in the morning or freeze for when you need to whip up a lunch in a hurry.

Be kind

Pop an extra (something yummy) in the lunchbox and encourage your child to give it to someone less fortunate to make a new friend or cheer up someone who's sad that day.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Lifestyle

How many have you tried? Auckland's new Top 100 Iconic Eats named

16 Jun 04:30 AM
New Zealand

Why Matariki has become one of NZ's most meaningful public holidays

16 Jun 03:37 AM
RoyalsUpdated

Prince Harry celebrated as 'the best' dad in Father's Day tribute

16 Jun 03:30 AM

It was just a stopover – 18 months later, they call it home

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

How many have you tried? Auckland's new Top 100 Iconic Eats named

How many have you tried? Auckland's new Top 100 Iconic Eats named

16 Jun 04:30 AM

Debut dishes include an halal pepperoni pizza, raw ramen, honey toast - and four pies.

Why Matariki has become one of NZ's most meaningful public holidays

Why Matariki has become one of NZ's most meaningful public holidays

16 Jun 03:37 AM
Prince Harry celebrated as 'the best' dad in Father's Day tribute

Prince Harry celebrated as 'the best' dad in Father's Day tribute

16 Jun 03:30 AM
Premium
How to divorce well: Kiwi lawyer on how to avoid mistakes many couples make

How to divorce well: Kiwi lawyer on how to avoid mistakes many couples make

16 Jun 01:30 AM
Sponsored: Embrace the senses
sponsored

Sponsored: Embrace the senses

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • Β© Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP