It feels like summer just started here in Vancouver, but back to school is really just a few weeks away! And whether your kids are heading off to daycare, preschool or elementary, Lower Mainland parents are lucky to have access to lots of wonderful products & programs that make back to school a little bit greener & healthier.
We’ve rounded up our favourite back to school snacks, backpacks, lunch boxes, activities & more for our first annual Back to School Guide below, and we’re also giving away everything featured in the guide at our Back to School Facebook Party on Thursday, August 11th at 8 pm PST.
To RSVP for the online party, just visit our Healthy Family Expo 2017 Facebook Event and click “GOING”. Then join us online in the Facebook Event on August 11th for your chance to win over $1,000 in prizes!
BACK TO SCHOOL GUIDE
FOR METRO VANCOUVER FAMILIES
Onyx+Green School Supplies
from London Drugs
London Drugs is working to be greener, from supplier to shelf to shared product responsibility. One of our favourite brands they carry for greening up your Back to School supplies is Onyx + Green. These school and office products are made from mostly recycled and natural materials, helping increase student and parent awareness for protecting the environment. The Onyx + Green product line includes notebooks with recycled pages and soy-based ink, bamboo pencils and pens, non-toxic, recycled plastic highlighters and so much more!
Facebook Party Prize: Onyx+Green School Supplies ($50 value)
Website: www.londondrugs.com
Healthy Snacks & Lunches
from Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market is the healthiest grocery store in town, seeking out the finest natural and organic foods available, while maintaining the strictest quality standards in the industry. They have an un-shakeable commitment to sustainable agriculture and a desire to bring excitement and fun to shopping for groceries! With an incredible array of healthy, allergen-free options that your kids will love, Whole Foods Market has everything you need to make packing school lunches a breeze.
Facebook Party Prize: Gift card for healthy back-to-school basics ($50 value)
Website: www.wholefoodsmarket.com
Back to School Label Packs
from Emily Press Labels
Local Vancouver-based Emily Press Labels has all the waterproof personalized labels you need to keep your kids gear out of the Lost & Found this year. Check out their eco label options like Write Your Own label line that allows you to customize the labels as you need them. Also, right now in their traditional vinyl label line, get BONUS LABELS in the First Class label packs and super cute Preschool label packs. That’s more labels for your money just in time for the school season. Check out their NEW cool designs that your kids will love to stick on their school supplies and lunch gear. From skulls to hearts to Parisian favourites, there’s a design to suit any personality for tot to teen and even adults. Check out all their dishwasher and laundry safe labels for water bottles, lunch containers, clothing, school supplies and more. Super quick FREE shipping that usually arrives next day!
Facebook Party Prize: Online gift card for labels ($50 value)
Website: www.emilypress.com
YumBox, Colibri Snack Bags & Replay Utensils
from Yaya Baby
Go litter-less with school lunch essentials from Yaya Baby. They carry only the very best, “Picky Mom Approved” products, and the YumBox makes packing lunches a piece of cake! It’s totally leak-proof – so you can put yogurt beside crackers and they won’t get mushy – for real! Cut down on the garbage with Colibri reusable snack bags and a Replay fork and spoon set made from recycled milk jugs. Litter-less lunch made easy! Yaya Baby is a retail boutique & education centre in North Vancouver. They specialize in practical, eco-friendly products for the whole family. Yaya Baby also supports parents on their journey with weekly babywearing, cloth diaper & prenatal classes.
Facebook Party Prize: YumBox, Colibri Snack Bags & Replay Utensils ($60 value)
Website: www.yayababy.ca
Discount Code: BK2SKL for 10% off until Aug 25
Allergen-Free Cookies & Bars
from FreeYumm
FreeYumm creates yummy, school-friendly treats that people love. Made with care in their dedicated bakery in North Vancouver, using wholesome ingredients. The #1 Free-From snack, their bars and cookies are full of flavour and free of the Top 9 Allergens; Gluten; and GMOs. Be inclusive. Have fun. Share the Yumm! And sneak some into your own purse or backpack as well – these bars are our favourites for an energy boost during busy days on the go!
Facebook Party Prize: Cookie & bar prize pack + lunch box ($100 value)
Website: www.freeyumm.com
Kidsworld 44 Passes to Weekly Events
Around Vancouver from Sept to June
Kidsworld offers a pass into activities and events each week throughout the year for both children and their parents to attend with no additional cost. A pass is only $50 per child and includes entrance into VanDusen Gardens, BC Hall of Fame, Abbotsford Tulip Festival, Bloedel Conservatory, Vancouver Christmas Market, and many more great places. Plus there are bonus discounts on Playland (16%), Stanley Park Horse Drawn Carriage (50%), Whitecaps FC 2 (60%), and more!
Facebook Party Prize: 2 Kidsworld 44 passes ($100 value)
Website: www.kidsworldprogram.com
Oaty Chomps & Fruity Chomps Bars
from Love Child Organics
Snack time is fun-time with Love Child Organics! Their all natural Oaty Chomps and Fruity Chomps bars have short, easy to understand ingredient lists, contain real whole fruit, and include superfood ingredients like chia, quinoa and amaranth. Finally a bar with no added sugar, syrups or fillers! They are a nutritious snack for lunchboxes to keep kids fuelled and ready to learn (and parents love them too!).
Facebook Party Prize: Love Child Organics Snack Pack ($50 value).
Website: www.lovechildorganics.com
Dairy-Free Food Options
from Daiya Foods
No matter what better living means to you, Daiya makes it easier to stay true to your healthy ideals. Every Daiya product — from macaroni and cheese to Greek yogurt alternative — is a plant-based, dairy-free alternative disguised as creamy, cheezy deliciousness right there on your plate. And you and your kids would never guess from the taste – pure heaven!
Facebook Party Prize: Dairy-free prize pack ($50 value)
Website: www.daiyafoods.com
Jumpstarter Grab-and-Go Breakfast
from JillyV’s
The JillyV’s Jumpstarter is an easy grab-and-go breakfast or snack which is great for parents and kids alike! Parents love that it’s chock full of protein (10 g per cup!) and fiber, with natural ingredients including a fruit compote and organic yogurt – and don’t forget the chia! Kids love it because it’s a sweet treat, while also being healthy (shhh…don’t tell them!). Grab it for a quick, easy, hearty breakfast on the go, give it to kids before or after a sporting event, use it as an after workout snack or have it for a quick mid-day pick me up. People young and old love Jumpstarters!
Facebook Party Prize: Family of 4 Pass to Extreme Air Trampoline Park in Langley or Richmond ($100 value)
Website: www.jillyvs.com
Sunflower Butter
from SunButter
SunButter Sunflower Butter is a delicious sunflower seed spread – perfect for sandwiches and recipes! With 7 grams of protein per serving, SunButter has as much protein as the leading peanut butter, and it’s free from the top 10 food allergens, so it is safe for people with peanut allergies and other food allergies. It’s a perfect school safe solution to pack for lunches and snacks where peanuts can’t be served.
Facebook Party Prize: SunButter Gift Basket ($70 value)
Website: www.sunbutter.com
Science Programs & Birthday Parties
with BrainSTEM Learning
BrainSTEM Learning is an extracurricular education service based in North Vancouver that teaches children ages 4-14 about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). They give them 20% theory and allow them to experiment the other 80% of the time. BrainSTEM is where your kids use their own creativity to design, build and test their inventions. They offer six week workshops throughout the school year during the day for home-learners or after school, and parents can even introduce BrainSTEM Learning to their PACs to bring after-school programming on-site. Choose from aerospace, civil, chemical, environmental, manufacturing, mechanical, robotics & more. And let’s not forget their popular water rocket and robotics birthday parties offered at their facility or at your home or a nearby park!
Facebook Party Prize: Child’s Birthday Party ($350 – $550 value)
Website: www.brainstemlearning.ca
Promo Code: “healthyfamily” for 10% off fall after-school programming
So Young Backpacks
from Active Baby
So Young backpacks from Active Baby are designed to please not just toddlers but their parents too! These stylish backpacks are made of machine washable, PVC, Phthalate, Lead and BPA-Free fabric with a reinforced bottom! Roomy enough for the things a preschooler needs; a pair of shoes, a change of clothes, and of course, something for Show & Tell. Active Baby is a local family-owned business with locations in North Vancouver & Langley, committed to supplying other active families with specially curated— baby-safe, organic, environmentally-friendly, top-quality— products, from nursery essentials, toys, and clothing, to car seats, strollers, furniture and more!
Facebook Party Prize: So Young Backpack ($50 value)
Website: www.activebaby.ca
Sensory Fidgets & Tactile Toys
from BC Playthings
BC Playthings in North Vancouver has a fantastic selection of sensory fidgets from Sensory University, Toysmith and Relaxus. Many children need these tools to help them through their day at school for various reasons: to calm them during an anxious transition, to offer a quiet means of stimulation or fidgeting that can be used in a classroom or home setting, to help mentally focus, and more. BC Playthings also carries tactile open ended building toys like Plus Plus from Denmark that are amazing for toddlers up to grandparents. Their team chooses fidgets & toys carefully and can help you find the perfect ones for your family!
Facebook Party Prize: Gift Certificate for BC Playthings ($50 value)
Website: www.bcplaythings.com
Organic Cereal & Bars
from Nature’s Path EnviroKidz
Nature’s Path is a local family-run business that has been making tasty organic breakfast foods & snacks for 30 years. And their EnviroKidz product line offers more than just great-tasting, organic, peanut free and gluten free ways for kids to start their school days – they show their love for the planet by donating 1% of sales to animal conservation groups like the Australian Koala Foundation.
Facebook Party Prize: Basket of organic cereal & bars ($50 value)
Website: www.ca-en.envirokidz.com
Connect: Facebook; Twitter; Instagram; Pinterest
Toddler Balance Run Bike
from Tykes Bikes
Why drive or walk to school when you can bike? Tykes Bikes is a locally owned family business that manufactures and sells run bikes specifically designed with toddlers in mind! Tykes Bikes’ lightweight, durable design provides the best platform for your little one to learn balance and become confident riders. Suitable for 15 months to 6 years old, and each bike comes with a 3 year unconditional warranty!
Facebook Party Prize: Toddler Balance Run Bike ($99 value)
Website: www.tykesbikes.ca
Connect: Facebook
Butzi Kids Puzzles & Placemats
from Modern Mama
Modern Mama’s favourite new find is a locally designed children’s line featuring all the fun things to do and see in the beautiful city of Vancouver and the amazing resort of Whistler! Created from original, commissioned artwork, their 60-piece jigsaw puzzles, placemats and prints are favourites with kids and adults alike. Playing games & doing puzzles as a family are great ways to stimulate little ones minds as they head back to school after summer break – and being able to recognize local landmarks like the Lions Gate Bridge & Science World definitely ups the fun factor for kids! Modern Mama is your online and local pregnancy through preschool resource in cities across Canada.
Facebook Party Prize: Vancouver & Whistler 60-piece jigsaw puzzles with matching children’s placemats ($50 value)
Websites: www.butzikids.com; www.modernmama.com
Connect with Butzi Kids: Facebook; Twitter; Instagram; Pinterest
Connect with MM Vancouver: Facebook; Twitter; Instagram; Pinterest
Comments 117
We have a kindergarten and a grade 3! Starting this year – we would love to win ANY supplies! Yay!!
Wow !!! Great prizes !! Would love to win a yum box prize pack for my son !!! Thank you for the giveaway 🙂
Looking forward to the party later today! I’m excited for all the amazing prizes especially the whole foods prize pack! It would come in handy to crate healthy lunches for the kids!
I would love to win the Colibri Snack Bags by Yaya Baby, as I have been wanting something reusable and compact I can put into the diaper bag for my toddler and soon to have newborn (when they’re old enough to snack)
The London Drugs green school supplies or the passes to various local events and educational centres would be wonderful!
I’d be happy with anything I win. I have a four year old going into kindergarten and she is a picky eater
Wow! So many great things to win. I hope to win something for either my 7 year old or my 4 year old who are both going back to school.
Any thing news to use for back to school would be great for my new son soon to be
The Yaya Baby items look awesome!
I would love to win YumBox, Colibri Snack Bags & Replay Utensils from Yaya Baby.
Wow! These prizes are amazing and I would love to win any of them. I was checking out the earth friendly supplies at London drugs yesterday but have my eyes on the yum box, sensory toys (plus plus is awesome) and can’t wait until my son is old enough to participate in a STEM learning class.
Would love the London Drugs giveaway!!
Hope I can win anything school Supply related. Thanks for the opportunity.
I would love to win the YaYa Baby supplies – specifically the Yum Box.
So excited! I’d love to win either the Yumbox prize package or the kidsworld passes. 🙂
Awesome contest – my toddler’s excited about the backpacks!
Would love to win the dairy free prize pack from daiya.! Though there are other prizes I’d also love to win 😊
Great prizes! I would like to win the BC Playthings fidgets for my kids.
I would love to win a YumBox! 😊
I would love to win the balance bike for my son.
Would love to win anyone of the wonderful prizes but especially the yum box prize pack.
A toddler bike what an excellent prize!!the kidsworld passes are like a prize that keeps giving!
Lots of awesome prizes! Hope I win a a bike from Tykes Bikes and or Emily Press labels! My child is forever losing his water bottle!
I would love to win anything from love child organics and the backpacks look awesome.
Love to win the backpack absolutely adorable
I would love the Brian Stem birthday party package for my son! So cool!
Kidsworld 44 Passes
Would love to win the kidsworld passes. Thank you.
My son is in a reduced attendabpnce program at school and we would love the kids world pass.
Fun fun fun!
Love the Nature’s path organic cereal and bars package.
I would love to win the bainstem learning birthday party for my girls birthday party!
I would love to win a Tykes bike for my daughter 🙂
Would love to win the Emily Press labels!
Would love to win a balance one for our little guy as his big sis doesn’t seem like she’ll be giving hers up anytime soon!
Would love to win the BrainStem birthday party! Sounds awesome!
Wow all of these products look great, I couldn’t choose just one! I love the focus of less waste, the healthy snacks and fun tools to assist little ones with learning! The reusable lunch kits/supplies by Yaya Baby are colourful and exciting and make lunch fun for even mom’s 🙂 way to go @healthyfamilyexpo! I can’t wait for my kids to start school!
Would be awesome to win any of these prizes, specially…. Onyx+Green School Supplies
from London Drugs, Dairy-Free Food Options
from Daiya Foods or Allergen-Free Cookies & Bars!
So many great sponsors we’re already fans of – I’m definitely going to have to learn more about the replay fork and spoon set made from recycled milk jugs – genius!! There’s really something for everyone tonight from back to school to first time school 🙂
I would love to win a brainSTEM party for my son. 😄
The BrainSTEM course sounds amazing. My daughter lives math and science so I will definitely be looking at Tere after school programs.
So hard to choose!
Either the kids pass or the brainstem pack, my 9 year old is obsessed with science! She would love it 🙂
Wow, so many great prizes. What would I like to win – anything really but in particular the yum box prize or the Emily press labels or any of of the yummy/healthy foods/ snacks! Thanks so much!
Would love the set from Yaya baby! Always need new ways to pack great lunches!
Wow such good prizes. Would love to win any of them especially the kid passes and birthday!
My niece would LOVE the trampoline park tickets from Jumpstarter Grab-and-Go Breakfast from JillyV’s!!
We could really use a balance bike!
Wow! Such great prizes! I love them all, but especially the Free Yumm cookies that my daughter loves and I adore because they are gluten free.
Would love to win a cool new lunchbox
Would love a balance bike!
It would be amazing to win the science party! My kids looooove science!
So many awesome prizes. Would love to win the yumbox !
Wow! What fantastic prizes! I would love to try the Jumpstarter Grab-and-Go Breakfast
from JillyV’s! Everything else sounds exciting too.
Lots of great prizes! I would love to win a birthday party. 🙂
I’d love to win a So Young backpack.
I would love to win the school supplies of the balance bike…my 3 year old almost wore out his needed to get a new one for his little brother.
Such great prizes to choose from! I think winning passes to Kidsworld would be amazing!
Wow! Fantastic prizes! Would love the Daiya pack. Thanks!
Ooh I would love to win the snack bags from Yaya baby. We just use ziplock bags right now.
We would love to win a bike! It looks like we will have two tiny kids on balance bikes soon enough! BC playthings is a great source we have in the Lower Mainland and it would be great to win a collection of their awesome fidget toys as well!
Would love to win the package from BC Playthings!
Would love to win any one of these amazing gifts. But the birthday party pack would be the best gift of all for my little one.
Would love a Yumbox from Yaya baby or a backpack from Active Baby 🙂
Would love the Emily Press labels! So much more convenient to have pre printed labels! Great prizes! Awesome!
I love that one of the prizes is a gift ca.rd to ashore that has fidget toys. My son is a kinesthetic learner and this would be an awesome one to win. Or the Extreme Air park passes – we love that place! Really, all of the sponsors have provided cool, generous prizes. This will be great fun!
I’m excited! I would love to win the whole foods to help with packing lunches 🙂
Oooh awesome prizes this year! I hope I get the yumbox prize pack!!
So impossible to choose which prize I would like to win…they are all fabulous.
Would love the free yum prize – always a struggle for school snacks when there are children with allergies
I Would Loveyhr Freeyum, yaya baby or emily press giveaways
All the prizes sound amazing but anything for my almost two year old would be fantastic!
Wow! So many great prizes. I’m excited for the run bike the most 🙂
Awesome prizes! We’d love the Yumbox from Yaya Baby!
Can’t wait for tonight! Hoping to win the Brainstem giveaway!
I would love to win the BrainSTEM birthday package for my daughter!
Amazing!!! Can’t wait for the party!
So many awesome prizes! A yumbox or soyoung backpack would be great to win 😀
Would like to win the balance bike from Tykes Bikes! Thanks for organizing the party!
I would love to win the bike.
Would love to win the Kidsworld 44 passes so I can finally take my kids to places they haven’t been to and would love to experience!
With 2 boys going to school this year, the youngest just starting Kindergarten, I would love any of the supplies. There are so many wonderful ideas. 🙂
Would love to win some new snack boxes/lunch kits – constantly replacing these!
I’d love to win anything, but the toddler run balance bike from Tyson would be so cool for my little guy!! 🙂
The science birthday party or the back to school labels would be awesome!
Wow! What a great contest. Tough to choose from such a great list but my top three, would be BrainSTEM (my kids LOVE their camps), Emily’s Labels (just in time as we need more), and KidsWorld passes (how much fun would that be?).
Wow there are so many amazing products! The yumbox looks super cool and my little one would love it for her lunches!
I would love to win the Nature’s Path gift pack!
These are SUCH awesome prizes!! Excited for them all!
Would love to win any of the prizes for my daughter! 🙂
So many amazing prizes, it’s very hard to choose! Having a little one with a couple of food allergies, we would love to win any of the Daiya, FreeYumm or Sunbutter packages. Thanks!
I think I would like to win a tikes bike 🙂
What great prizes! Would love to win the Kidsworld passes!
I would love to win the whole foods gift card.
We want to win school supplies!
I would love to win the lunch and snacks from Whole foods.
Wow prizes are amazing! Would love to win anything!! 🙂
Great prizes.. Love the Organic Cereal & Bars from Nature’s Path EnviroKidz
Love the variety of prizes! I wanna win the labels or extreme air park! Thanks for putting this FB party on!
Everything looks amazing! I would love to win some school supplies.
The So Young back pack or the YayaBaby stuff would be a great win!
Would love to win any of the prizes. The Tykes Bike would be perfect for my daughter now. 🙂
Wow! So many incredible giveaways! I’d love to win the So Young lunch bag! They are such awesome bags
Hoping to win the kidsworld passes tonight!
For our Grade 10 and Grade 2 students it would be awesome to WIN the Weekly Events passes for events around Vancouver from September to June!!
That would be a Great Prize to Win, but ANY would be Awesome!!
All amazing! Our top picks would be the sensory fidgets from BC Playthings for my busy boy or the brainstem party! Such incredible prizes … all of them! Good luck everyone!
Balance bike!! My Lil man would be so stoked!!
Wow! So many great companies participating in this big event. Happy to win anything 🙂
Would love to win the bike, school supplies or one of the food prizes 🙂 Oh and the Active Baby prize 😉
It would be awesome to win the Whole Foods gift card since it’s so close to us!
Amazing prizes! Would love to win the litter less lunch set from Yaya Baby. Good luck everyone 😊
Would love to win some EnviroKidz goodies!
Oh my gosh, the brainSTEM party would be so cool!
Or the air park pass!
But the Yaya Bany prize will get used all year long….especially if I label it with an Emily’s Press label so it is less likely to get lost.
How can I choose??
Can’t wait for the expo itself too. That’s ALWAYS a good time
We are interested in the Kidsworld 44 Passes for our family!
We’re new to the whole school thing but our 2.5 year old is moving up to the 3-5’s in a month. Eeek! The Yumbox would be ideal. It is our most used item in the house but it’d be nice to have a second for emergency “I don’t wanna do the dishes” moments.
Would love to win a bike for my son!
We would love to win any of the giveaways but most excited about the envirokidz giveaway! My kids have loved everything they’ve tried from them 🙂
Whole Foods Whole Foods Whole Foods!!! Yes, please!!
All the prizes look great! But knowing my toddler, he’d say the Toddler Balance Run Bike by Tykes Bikes! I was interested to learn about Kidsworld as we love checking things out around town!
I’m looking for more food ideas for the lunch kits! Peanut free of course.