It’s August! And that means summer is winding down and you’re trying to cram in a few last summer activities before it’s time to shop for school supplies, stay up late helping with homework, and days of chauffeuring around the kids. The final weeks before school opens back up can be hectic, but take a breath and try to enjoy these last days. If you need a final summer family fling, here are a few options and some tips to help you jump back into the school year, including the best school supplies and making a trip to your local Langley optometrist for a checkup.

Optometrist Langley

Hayward Lake

Take the family to the beach at Hayward Lake, just under an hour away from Langley. This reservoir and recreation area has hiking trails, including a 10 km Reservoir Trail that connects to the 6 km Railway Trail. You can bring your bikes or hiking shoes for an enjoyable afternoon viewing the scenery and wildlife.

Vancouver Zoo

Close enough you can make a day trip of it, the Greater Vancouver Zoo is just 20 minutes away from Langley. You can visit with frogs, lions, cheetahs, ostrich, pythons, and more! A great introduction for kids interested in science, wildlife, and the earth. For younger children who need a break from walking, jump on the safari train to see the perimeter of the zoo.

What Supplies Young Students Need Most

  • Eye DoctorPencils: Teachers recommend Ticonderoga #2 pencils that are sturdy and won’t be destroyed by pencil sharpeners. Stay away from cheap options that break and snap in the sharpener.
  • Eraser Caps: Because you know kids need to erase, even the best pencil’s eraser can disappear quickly. With eraser caps, you can use the entire pencil and still be able to erase.
  • Planner: An organized student is more likely to be successful and enjoy learning. Having a planner around makes it easy to write down notes and assignments.

Visit An Optometrist

If you have younger children, it’s essential to complete an eye exam before school starts. Even older students should have regular eye exams to ensure that problems aren’t developing. When lessons go by so quickly, a student should be able to focus on the lesson, instead of trying to see what’s being written on the board. With a visit to the eye doctor, they can check for myopia, or nearsightedness, and hyperopia, or farsightedness. Both of these conditions can be helped with glasses, but kids with either of them will have a hard time learning. Watch out for these signs of eye problems in your kids:

  • Squinting
  • Headaches
  • Losing place while reading
  • Avoiding close or far away work
  • Rubbing eyes
  • Turning or tilting head the use just one eye

Going back to school can be both exciting and stressful for parents and students alike. After the last summer fling is over, take your kids supply shopping with you to get them in the right frame of mind, and take them to Vision Care Centre for a checkup from an optometrist. It can be fun for kids to experience the interesting equipment and see their eyes in a way they may not have before. And a clean bill of health from the doctor will give you peace of mind sending them to school. Call us today to schedule a back to school appointment.