Back To School Essentials for Kids
Back to school is around the corner (eek!) and so today I'm sharing a round-up of some of my favorite back to school essentials for kids.
I don't like to scramble at the last minute looking for that new backpack or lunchbox, so I am taking inventory of what we have and what we need while we still have a few weeks left of summer.
Check out these back to school essentials for kids - many of which are favorites that we have and love.
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Back to School Backpacks for Kids
In order for a backpack to last all year, you need a good one. Here are some great backpack options.
These Simple Modern toddler backpacks have over 6K reviews and are a best seller on Amazon. They have lots of adorable prints and they are about $40. Perfect for your preschooler.
Pottery Barn Kids makes my favorite backpacks, hands-down. They are great quality and last for years, and they have a nice selection of designs and sizes. For my elementary age kids, we always go with the x-large size. You can also get matching lunch boxes and water bottles, too.
These JanSport backpacks are sturdy, come in multiple colors and styles, and are popular with the tween crowd. My daughter picked out this light blue backpack for this coming school year.
My soon-to-be middle schooler picked out this Adidas backpack for the new school year. It has a spot for a laptop or tablet and lots of pouches to organize all the things big kids need.
Lunch Gear for Kids
If your kids bring a lunch each day, you'll want a sturdy bento or lunch box. Here are some of our favorites for school along with some lunch accessories.
Bentgo makes our favorite Bento box lunchboxes. My daughter uses hers every day. I like that I can pack a variety of different things without using lots of different containers. We've used this classic Bentgo box for years, and I just got this Bentgo with a built-in ice pack. We also have this stainless steel option that my oldest likes to use.
If you like to send in warm food for lunches, we like this thermos. It comes in many different designs, and even has a little built-in spoon in the lid.
My daughter loves these cute food picks for sliced fruit. They fit well in bento boxes.
These flat square ice packs work really well for lunchboxes.
If you are already feeling stumped on what to pack for school lunches, check out my easy lunch box ideas.
The Best Water Bottles for School
Water bottles are definitely a school essential. I feel like I spend half my life washing and filling them, along with buying new ones because my kids leave them places. It never fails. Here are some of our favorites!
I like the Ello stainless steel bottles because they are simple and sleek. This one is 14 oz, which is good for kids in preschool up until 1st grade or so.
My big kids love these Hydro Cell water bottles. We use them for sports and school. They keep water cold for hours.
Of course I have to include the ever-popular Stanley water bottle. The IceFlow is nice for school because it has a handle for carrying, is fairly leak-proof, and keeps water cold for hours.
School Supplies for Back to School
Headphones, labels, pouches and some cute extras for kids.
Headphones are pretty much always on our school supply lists. We like these headphones, but to be honest they are all pretty similar.
As a teacher, I always tell parents to label everything! Name Bubbles makes great labels for kids. I bought several sheets years ago and haven't needed to reorder since. I highly recommend. You can use them to label clothes, jackets, backpacks, lunchboxes, water bottles, everything. They stay on so well, I almost never have to replace.
Organize those backpacks with these zipper pouches. You can use them for everything from extra clothes or supplies, to snacks, pencils and pens, chargers, etc. They are inexpensive (24 for under $10!) and come in a variety of sizes.
My daughter has this cute pop-it pencil case and these cute erasers on her wishlist.
I hope this round-up of back to school essentials for kids is helpful. Good luck with your back to school shopping, and let me know if you have any favorites below!
For more on back to school, check out how to get organized for back to school and my easy lunchbox ideas for kids!
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