10 Back-To-School Must Haves 2024

Kids across the country are headed back to school soon. In fact, mine have their first full day of school tomorrow. I have loved having all this extra time with them this summer and we sure had some fun travels over the summer, but, I am so ready for them to start school again! I have even managed to complete all the back to school shopping. Here are ten back-to-school must haves.

Cool School Must Haves

Back-to-school shopping can be exciting! Here’s a list of must-haves that can help students prepare for a successful school year:

1. A Good Quality Backpack

I learned this lesson the hard way and bought cute backpacks that were at my local stores but I have had to buy a new one each year that way. A good quality backpack that lasts and doesn’t develop a rip or have zippers break off is a back-to-school must have! I recommend L.L.Bean for quality that lasts and backpacks that can be personalized. A book sack needs to be durable and comfortable for carrying books and supplies.

2.  Insulated Lunch Bag

There are tons of good BPA free insulated lunch bags on the market.  You can find tons easily at your local grocery store or big box store.  I find they all hold up pretty well but if you are looking for a cute must have lunch box that is out of this world, check out Dabbawalla Bags.

3.  Reusable Lunch Containers

Reusable lunch containers are a back to school must have for packing low waste lunches. Ziploc® Containers To Go Variety Pack offers an assortment of sizes to pack lunch and snacks to go.

4.  Water Bottle

High on the list of back-to-school must haves is a good water bottle. There are 1001 good water bottle options but look for one that is BPA free.  My daughter likes this one from Mighty Nest.

5. Healthy Snacks

Besides lunch, a healthy snack or two is another back to school must have. Slammers Super Food Snacks have 7 grams of protein per pouch! Created to be easily digestible & instant fuel for active kids, Watermelon Kiwi Burst and Pomegranate Grape Crush have both been approved by my kiddos. You will like knowing that these pouches have included super foods like acai, amaranth, yumberry and even beets. Plus, you can grab them at a great price at Target!

Kids come home hungry and you want to get them an after school snack as quickly as possible to avoid seeing their moody side! This Kid Saves Lives are a great choice for a snack. These gourmet bars are natural, gluten-free, nut free, non-GMO, and have fair-trade ingredients that provide food to a child in need with each purchase! Lots of good rolled into one delicious bar. This nutritious must have after school snack comes in two flavors – Wild Berries and Chocolate Chip. This new line of snack bars contains 14 essential vitamins and minerals. Plus, like the name says, This Bar Saves Lives. Available exclusively in select Target stores nationwide and online at www.thissaveslives.com

6. School Supplies

School supplies are certainly a back to school must have and each school usually has it own list of supplies for each grade. You can buy extra basic school supplies to help kids in need at your school! You can also look for the green version of school supplies when possible, like Crayola sun powered products. Kids will need Notebooks and Binders of different sizes for various subjects. They will also need Pens, Pencils, and Highlighters. Having various colors is great for notes and organization.

7. Duck Tape

Duck Tape come in handy for a huge variety of fun back to school crafts that kids will enjoy.  Here you can see how Duck Tape helped my daughter and I customize her school supplies. See the locker pocket tutorial here.

8.  School Planner /Agenda

If you child is in middle school or high school, then this is one of the important back-to-school must haves for them. Help your child stay organized with a school agenda.  You can select the perfect school planner agenda for your child at schoolmate.com where they offer planners for elementary school, middle school, and high school so that it will be age appropriate. Or use my affiliate link for a Happy Planner, whatever helps them stay organized.

9.  Back To School Clothes

We all know that kids just keep growing so they are bound to need some new clothes. I find that (my affiliate link) French Toast has amazing deals on school uniforms and Land’s End has has programs set up with many schools to give back a percentage of sales.  Organic kids clothing is always a great way to support going green and you can find quite a selection at Hanna Andersson, just type “organic” into their search bar. Get my free printable BTS clothing shopping list pdf.

10.  Shoes

Your child has growing feet too so naturally a good pair or shoes or two or three are also back to school must haves.  Most boys can get away with a good pair of sneakers.  I got mine from Jambu this year and he is loving how lightweight and comfortable they are.  A girl could use a pair of sneakers, a cute flat to wear with dresses, and a cute boot for the winter.

On top of these basic must haves, there are tech must haves for older children.

Tech Gear:

1. Laptop or Tablet: Check if the school recommends specific requirements.
2. Headphones or Earbuds: Useful for online classes or studying in noisy environments.
3. Portable Charger: Keep devices powered up throughout the day.
4. Laptop Case or Sleeve: Protects the device from damage.
5. USB Drive: For storing digital files and assignments.
6. Calculator: Depending on the grade level and classes, a scientific or graphing calculator might be needed.

Conclusion:

Consider the specific needs and requirements of the school or grade level when creating a back-to-school checklist. Some schools provide a list of required supplies, so it’s a good idea to check with them as well. These ten back-to-school must haves will help your child be fully prepared for school.  Are there any school must haves you would add to this list?

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