I’ve finally got the hang of what to pack in a school bag each day for my daughter and wanted to share the school bag checklist we now use.
Am I sharing this because I’m a super-organised school mum?
No way (I wish) – it’s because without this list, I forget at least one thing. Sometimes five things.
So, let’s make our lives easier and just use a school bag list to get our kids school bags ready and keep our stress levels down.
Bear in mind that you can use some of these school bag essentials for school or even day care too. We have a child at each and a lot of the items cross over.
You can also download my free School Bag must haves Checklist from my Resource Library here:
This helpful list is kindly sponsored by Nexcare™.
School Bag Packing List
1. Clothing
If they’re not wearing their hat, pop it in their bag – this is a year round essential.
Depending on the time of year, you might need to pack a coat, jumper, rain coat or gloves too.
For younger kids, popping in some spare uniform, socks or undies might also be a good idea, just in case.
2. Lunch & Drink Bottles
At most schools, the child keeps their lunch in their school bag until lunchtime – so it’s a good idea to pop an ice pack next to it to keep it fresh and cool in the bag.
We like to use bento box style lunch boxes as they keep the kids’ food fresh and separated.
You will also need to pack one or two bottles of water for them to drink throughout the day.
3. Crunch n Sip Box
Many schools participate in the Crunch n Sip program – which means sending in a small box of fruit and vegetables for your child to eat during the dedicated Crunch n Sip break at school.
You can find out more about Crunch n Sip here.
Related: Crunch and Sip Ideas for Fussy Eaters
4. Plasters
Plasters – the fascination/obsession of many kids – are school bag essentials! We pack a few in the front of the bag so they can be easily reached if our daughter needs them.
Our favourites are from the Nexcare™ range because they’re so easy for her to remove the backing and they stay on so well. It means she isn’t having to constantly replace them as they stay put.
One of the reasons we first started putting plasters in her bag is that while she was walking in her new school shoes, her feet were prone to blisters. These heel blister strips are perfect for that.
She can easily pull the wrapper apart, remove the plaster, pop it on her heel and pull off the backing strips.
I love that the plasters are so effective but also very thin. Once you put them on, they feel smooth and don’t add any bulk. It doesn’t feel like you’re wearing a plaster but you know they’re doing a great job at protecting the skin underneath.
Nexcare™ are the ‘Winner of Product of the Year 2018 Foot Care category. Survey of 13,500 people by Nielsen’ – and I can see why because their plasters do the job so well for us. We also love their animal print plasters – the kids love the bold designs!
Related: Nexcare Animal Print Waterproof Bandages Review
5. Medication
If your child needs any medication, check with your school to find out their policy on where to keep it, when they arrive at school, and how it should be administered to your child.
A small packet of tissues is always a good idea because…snot.
6. Art Smock
Art smocks protect your child’s uniform from paint and other marks at art and craft time. They will either need to take it in on art day or leave it at school.
7. Stationery
One of my favourite parts of back to school shopping as a kid was buying all the stationery. All of it!
You might need to put together a pencil case of their stationery essentials to pack in the bag. Or the school might supply stationery.
8. Library Bag and Books
Something that we are prone to forgetting it my daughter’s library bag and books. One day a week she needs to take them in and visits the library that day to swap the books for new ones.
9. Sunscreen
Throughout the year, we pop a roll-on sunscreen in the school bag so that, if she needs to, she can reapply sunscreen quickly and easily herself.
10. Homework
I thought that homework was reserved for high school backpacks, but my five-year-old daughter has it too.
We like to keep this list on the fridge so that we can check off everything as we pack the bag.
It’s a good idea to pack your school bag the night before with as much as possible, so that mornings are not a crazy rush.
Eventually, you get into a groove of knowing what needs to be packed and when, but we found after a recent school holiday that you can forget!
If your child is going to be starting school for the first time, or returning after a long break, this list works perfectly as a back to school list of all the essentials you need to remember.
To find out more about the Nexcare™ product range, click here. You can grab them at your local supermarket and pharmacy.
I hope this school backpack checklist helps to make your life a little easier – grab yours here from my Resource Library:
Read next:
- How to Tell if Your Child is Ready for School
- 10 Back to School Tips for Parents
- Sound School Learning Review
- How You Can Stay Well this Winter and Best Cold Hacks
- This is a great resource for keeping on top of key school dates.
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Let me know if I’ve missed what to pack in a school bag from the school bag checklist!
Very well put up the checklist. As a mom, I did most of the things from here. Some of our new and I will do that in the very next time for my boy. Thanks for your checklist.
Very well put up checklist .. It’s more or less same for me .. Just one extra item that I would like to add is a small bottle of sanitizer… I like to hand it to the handle of the lunch bag so my dad will always remember to clean her hands before eating :)