Hopefully you have been following along with my posts about school supplies. Today I’ll be focusing on some of the accessories (backpacks, lunchboxes, etc.) that your kids might need! This post will also include a few things your younger kiddos (Pre-K and Kinder) might need.
Most students need a backpack to carry their things to and from school. I know not all schools allow backpacks so this may not apply to you and your kiddo(s). Last year I let my daughter pick her backpack to get her excited about going to “Big school.” She was so excited to get to pick out a big girl backpack! Of course she picked out a backpack that was sparkly! It was actually super cute and it held up really well! It was still a little big for her, but she will be able to grow into it. I have no plans to get her a new backpack for this year. It held her lunchbox, folders, extra set of clothes, extra set of shoes, and things the school sent home. We could attach her sleeping mat to it as well so she didn’t have to carry it and let it drag the ground. I liked her nap mat because it was easy to wash each week. and as mentioned, she was able to hook it to her backpack and go. It came with a small built in pillow. It wouldn’t have been a big enough pillow for me, but it was “just right” for her. I also liked that the “blanket” was built into it. It also held up. I was surprised because small kiddos can be hard on their belongings. I am including links to what I purchased for her. The sellers offer other options so if your daughter isn’t a sparkly kind of girl or you have a boy, you can see what else they might offer to fit your needs!
***Disclaimer: If you click any links in this post and make a purchase, I may make a commission from the sale of the product at no additional cost to you.***
So my daughter likes sparkly. She also likes unicorns. Or mermaids. Or dogs. Or cats…okay so luckily for me she isn’t too picky! Have you hear of L.O.L. Doll Surprise toys?!!? My daughter LOVES those things. Pieces end up EVERYWHERE. If you haven’t heard of them, thank your lucky stars! For your viewing pleasure if you don’t know (or do know) what they are but might want to get them for your kiddo or a kiddo in your life: L.O.L. Surprise Amazing Surprise with 14 Dolls, 70+ Surprises & 2 Playset or a single doll L.O.L. Surprise! All-Star Sports Series 1 Sparkly Dolls with 8 Surprises (if your kiddo likes sports) or you could even get L.O.L. Surprise! 2-in-1 Glamper Fashion Camper with 55+ Surprises so the L.O.L. dolls can glamp in style. I digress…Since my daughter is in love with these lovely dolls, I got her an L.O.L. Doll lunchbox. It was by far her favorite lunchbox to take to school. I got a couple of lunchboxes because I knew chances were good that she would leave one at school and then we would need a back up or she would set it somewhere and lose it, or that it would just fall apart. I’m linking some of the lunchboxes I got her. For this year, I got a backpack and matching lunchbox for my son. He is BIG into dinosaurs. He hasn’t used his yet, but he’s excited! The link below is to a different fabric style, but it is the backpack and lunchbox I got him!
The lunchboxes for my son and my daughter are both a good size. My daughter’s lunchboxes fit the things I packed. Sometimes I would even pack a small water bottle in the box or I would put her bigger water bottle in her backpack. I haven’t used my son’s lunchbox yet, but it is the same size. I imagine they will likely need their water bottles this year to avoid drinking from water fountains if the schools even allow their use this year. As and FYI, if you don’t have any lunchbox cool packs, you can always get a small water bottle and freeze it. The first thing I do when I wake up is take the water bottle out of the freezer and put it in the lunch box so it can start to warm up. It was then mostly thawed by lunchtime but this will depend on when your child has lunch.
Speaking of things your kiddo might need to have with them: I would recommend at least 1 full change of clothes and a change of shoes for younger kiddos and even for older (junior high and high school students) I would recommend a full change of clothes. In elementary, accidents happen. In Junior high and high school, accidents happen. In junior high and high school it may be puberty related, but it can also food/drink spillage, or digestive issues. If it is puberty related or digestive issues at least you child won’t have to sit and wait in dirty clothes or drive home (if old enough) in dirty clothes.
Most elementary students will need construction paper of different sizes, manila paper, and pocket folders. I like to have construction paper on hand at home too. I liked the Tru-Ray Color 9 x 12 Inches construction paper and ordered it for her school. My daughter also had to have 12 x 18 inch construction paper so I purchased Tru-Ray Construction Paper. I forgot she also had to have Construction Paper, 9 x 12 Inches, White until I was looking back on my Amazon ordering from last summer! She had to have Manila, 9″X12″ and 12″ x 18″ manila paper as well. I remember I had such a hard time finding the manila paper as the start to school started. I shopped Amazon, Target, Walmart…I think I ended up having to get it at one of the office supply stores and I had to pay quite a hefty price in comparison for it. I have already mentioned the pocket folders. The ones my daughter was required to have had to have the 3 brads (or prongs) and she had to have certain colors.
If you have followed all 3 Back to School posts, I think that covers the most basic school supplies we have had on our list and that teachers have recommended. What school supplies does your school require that you didn’t see listed? If you are a teacher, is there any supply you wish had been included on my lists? I’ll also do a post at a later date on some of the most requested items (gift ideas) for teachers! You could do a back to school gift, a just because gift, or Christmas gift! Because I know some like to include back to school gifts for your child’s teacher, I will try to get that put together soon!
