This week I had the pleasure of attending the Back to School 2016 Launch by Centrepoint, where all the school essentials across Babyshop, Splash, Lifestyle and Shoe Mart were being showcased. There was everything from trolley bags, pencil cases to shoes and water bottles. Centrepoint has you covered for the oncoming school year ahead.

It was a pleasant surprise to see such a wide range of fictional characters on all the school essentials ranging from cartoon characters such as Minions or Minnie Mouse, to the Marvel fanatics such as Super Man and Bat Man. Both boys and girls of all ages are catered for with this collection, and they have kept in mind to also appeal to teenagers with more mature and sophisticated patterns, which I liked very much.

Upon scanning all the items on show, Baby Z kept going back to the Frozen themed Trolley Bag. He wasn’t prepared to “Let it go” (excuse the cheesy pun, I simply had to!) and I don’t think he is alone in loving the Frozen collection, as majority of the children’s population on this planet are also very much taken by it! So if you have a little Anna, Elsa or Olaf getting ready for school, you know where you should be heading first!

I was rather smitten by the Storm Trooper backpack and lunch box, being an avid Star Wars fan, and that would probably have to be my pick if I was going back to school, but then I caught a glimpse of the Preschool bags by Babyshop, and I was in love! These pre-school trolley bags are tiny, colourful, and best of all, FURRY! Yes, they are as cuddly and soft as your child, and seems to be the perfect incentive to get your little one excited for school. There are a wide range of choices including a bright red Lightening McQueen and purple Princess Sophia too.

Below is a little more information about the Centrepoint Back to School 2016 Collection:

“Babyshop’s selection of Back to School merchandise is every child’s dream. The entire showcase also features the widest range of licensed character merchandise across ages with a huge selection for both boys and girls. Backpacks have been revamped this season with four exciting new shapes that make going to school comfortable and stylish. Character themed collections add to the fun with insulated backpacks, stainless steel bottles, tritan bottles and spacious lunch boxes for your child’s special meal. Stationery items also include fun-shaped erasers, 3D hard case pencil boxes, and colourful gel pens and markers.”

“Lifestyle’s collection of backpacks, trolley bags, lunch bags, pencil pouches, note books and water bottles are the top selling products for teenagers and pre-teens this season. The range sports popular products from brands such as Jworld, Jansport, Sakroots, Minmei and Outsider in attractive prints and colours.”

“Shoe Mart’s offerings makes back to school shopping easy, with an eclectic range in black uniform shoes, white sporty kicks and must-have combo packs by leading brands like ‘Puma’ and ‘Kangaroos’; complete with a pair of shoes, socks and backpack and priced at AED 299 and AED 199 respectively, they also go easy on the pockets and will suit every school’s formal dressing. High on comfort and style, the specially designed range features all leather Velcro strap ultra-light shoes. White canvas sneakers take care of sporty days and are designed to withstand active lifestyles.”

“Splash is offering a full range of backpacks, pouches, pencil cases, iPad bags, headphones, caps, sling bags and canvas bags for trendy teens. The collection highlights popular characters like Hello Kitty, Batman, Superman, Minions, Barbie, and the Smiley range.”

if you are preparing for Back to School, be sure to check out Centrepoint’s 2016 collection for style that is affordable as well as kid-approved! As for what to pack for school lunches, now that’s a different matter all together…

Note: Product Images and Information used is courtesy of CentrePoint.