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How To Fill a School Cone - The Sustainable Edition
Do you still remember what was inside your school cone? Myself, I am still using a small fabric purse that was in my school cone back in 1995. Plain to see: a school cone can be filled sustainably! In this article, we have assembled sustainable products that come in perfect for starting school: for class, for the belly and the soul!
Pencils & Co. - but make it sustainable!
School material is necessary anyways and will play a role in your child’s daily life long term. This poses a true chance for sustainable alternatives: show your child that sustainability is not one of many options, but an everyday lifestyle.
Color pencils should be without or with non-toxic lacquer outer. The true classics in this field are the pollutant-free color pencils and wax crayons .
On top, pencils can also be produced in a resource-friendly way: just like these pencils from recycled paper instead of wooden pencils.
The crayons should always be ready to use, therefore you need a tool: for example this sharpener made out of Bio-Plastic.
Once a pen is too short to draw, a pencil extender is very handy. It will accompany the new pupil throughout primary school and longer and is a perfect little gift for filling the school cone.
Drawing a straight line has to be learned, a ruler made of Bio-Plastic will be your helping hand.
All parents and teachers love pencils: Kids however love felt pens. Refillable and pollutant-free felt pins will also be approved by parents. You can explain the difference between resource-friendly and conventional products when refilling the pens. Win-Win!
Whether Crayons or Felt Pens, we all have to stow them. Therefore you should get a pencil case made of recycled PET bottles, which not only organizes your pencils but also looks amazing.
Photo by Miguel Padrinan on Pexels
Maybe a guest of your school enrollment gathering likes to sew? DIY folder covers from fabric scraps give any folder a personal touch. Things that come from the heart are always the best.
Sugar cone, but healthy!
There is no school cone without sweets! But it does not necessarily be pure sugar as in the classic German “Sugar Cone”. The following alternatives are just as tasty!
Before the big day, you might be too busy to bake yourself and your child might find cookies by mum boring anyways. With six-year-olds you never know… But true “uncle-cookies” or “grandma-cookies” just taste fantastic. A little planning and coordination are necessary. But in the end, you know what is inside of the school cone: only good ingredients and lots of love!
As opposed to other dried fruits, Cranberries contain a little artificial sugar. But for precisely this reason most kids like them just like gummy bears.
Beautiful accessories for more independence
Starting school, your child will become more independent, that is for sure. The school cone is also a sign of acknowledgment for the new pupil and his abilities.
Reusable water bottles from stainless steel are a modern classic. There is a large variety of styles, colorful and less colorful. We especially love bla bottles. Your child now will be carrying this bottle around all day and is responsible for it. That will leave its traces. This is why you might want to consider a water bottle where parts can be replaced when broken. Speaking from experience, the most flexible and easily available option in this respect is Klean Kanteen.
Not only drinking much water but also a well-balanced meal in the mid-morning break plays a huge role. Best of all you use a Bambus-Lunchbox with subdivisions for different meals. Or if you are looking for a more robust alternative a Lunchbox made of stainless steel would be the best choice.
Often, starting school is also the start of a life with pocket money. A first real purse is a great gift inside the school cone. At best, it is made from durable material and is functional for long term use. The small label YKRA designs develops and produce canvas purses all in Hungary.
Sometimes the school also makes a mobile phone necessary. If that is the case for you, a durable handy case, e.g. by Sticky Lemon is a good idea to last as well.
Will your child be walking to school from the start? A true children’s compass is a symbol for the trust you have into your child, on the way to school and for life. This one is a sundial at the same time. With this, your child learns the correlation between the position of the sun, hour of the day, and cardinal direction. Is it ringing? No? That is OK! “We are not learning for school, but for life”, a German idiom says.
The only open question about filling a sustainable school cone is: which school cone? All these great things will fit perfectly into fabric school cone by Lisqa. Made by hand in Frankfurt/Main from GOTS certified cotton, they are extremely fluffy and soft. After the big day, they will stay with your child as a pillowcase or as a dear toy. Lisqa creates a range of accessories for children, all produced sustainably and fair.
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
Learning sustainability is a lifelong process, too. Give your child things that last on this first day, inside his school cone - for a beginning without pressure and a day to remember.
Is there anything missing in this list for filing a sustainable school cone? Do you have more ideas? Write us to hi@orbasics.com
