Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
Back to school essentials for boys (ages 8-12)
8
items The everyday back-to-school items I keep buying each term for my kids - socks and a backpack that actually last the school week, plus a lunchbox and water bottle that work through the Botswana heat. I put the durable gear and the lunch-and-hydration ...
Sections
2
Durable School Gear
Lunch & Hydration
Durable School Gear
Sturdy socks and backpacks I buy for my kids before term - the things that need to survive dusty boots, gym bags, and a full school week. The Nike socks and Jansport SuperBreak Plus in this section have actually lasted past the first month.
Cheap socks used to wear through in my kids' feet before the term even starts, and the Gaborone heat makes things worse. The Nike Everyday Cushioned crew 6-pack actually lasts the whole term and keeps their feet comfortable - it's the one school sock...
Nike Everyday Kids' Cushioned Crew Socks (6 Pairs)
Most school backpacks get too heavy halfway through the term and the zips give out. The Jansport SuperBreak Plus holds books plus a lunchbox without weighing them down, and it's the bag that has actually lasted past one term in my kids' use.
Superbreak Plus - Black
Under Armour kids shorts are what I grab for gym and hot Gaborone days - they move with them, don't ride up, and wash out clean even after a rough term. The ones I keep buying are lightweight, hold up through sports, and don't fall apart by the secon...
Boys Under Armour Shorts
The Nike Revolution 6 in the big-kids size is the cheap running shoe that actually lasts for PE and cross-country - it's lightweight, grips the track, and holds up through the dusty term better than most budget trainers. The go-to school shoe I repur...
Nike Revolution 6 Big Kids' Road Running Shoes
Nike Dri-FIT shorts are what I buy for sport days and recess - the fabric dries fast in the Gaborone heat, they don't cling when the humidity kicks in, and the waistband doesn't dig when they're running around for an hour. The PE short I keep repurch...
Dri-FIT Shorts
Lunch & Hydration
A lunchbox and a water bottle that actually survive the school day - the STANLEY keeps drinks cold till after school and the Simple Modern bento keeps food separate so nothing gets squashed. These are what I pack every morning.
School drop-off in the Botswana heat and I need a bottle that won't leak in their bag all morning. The STANLEY IceFlow flip straw keeps drinks cold till after school and the flip straw means my kids can drink it themselves without fiddling with a cap...
STANLEY IceFlow Flip Straw Water Bottle 17 oz
My kids always came home saying lunch got squashed in one lump or the sauce ruined everything. The Simple Modern 3-compartment bento keeps the portions separate so the food actually tastes right at lunch, and the compartments are easy for small hands...
Simple Modern Kids Bento Box, 3 Compartments
Hydro Flask's kids standard-mouth bottle is the one that actually stays cold through a Botswana school day and doesn't leak when it's tossed in a backpack next to a lunchbox. It's the kid-sized version I repurchase when the sippie cups finally wear o...
Stainless Steel Kids Water Bottles