Hi, I’m Mim! I’m a planning-obsessed, Award-Winning Online Business Owner, Author and 5-Star Planner Sticker Seller.
I help new sticker makers create planner stickers from scratch that stand out and sell … even if you’ve never made a sticker before!

What to Pack in a School Bag + Free School Bag Checklist!

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.

Boy with Back Pack - Love from Mim

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.

Lunch Box Idea - Love from Mim

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.

Nexcare Heel Plasters - Love from Mim

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.

Nexcare Heel Blister Plasters - Love from Mim
That’s not your heel!
Nexcare Heel Blister Plasters - Love from Mim
That’s better!

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!

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!

Coloured Pencils in Pencil Case - Love from Mim

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.

Nexcare Heel Blister Plasters - Love from Mim

I hope this school backpack checklist helps to make your life a little easier – grab yours here from my Resource Library:

Read next:

PIN THIS POST:

Want to know what to pack in your kid's school bag? Find out here what to Pack in a School Bag plus a free printable School bag Checklist School Checklist #schoolbag #freeprintables #schoolmom #schoolmum #schoolchecklist #schoolbagchecklight

Let me know if I’ve missed what to pack in a school bag from the school bag checklist!

Follow:

2 Comments

  1. Ruth Hill
    / 9:52 pm

    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.

  2. Manali
    / 12:10 pm

    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 :)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

I hope you enjoy learning how to make planner stickers or how to start a sticker business!

I’ve been making and selling stickers for journals and planners since 2017 and it’s become a wonderful and creative way to turn my hobby into a side hustle, then full-time online business.

Whether you want to make Cricut stickers, Silhouette stickers or you’re starting from complete scratch, you’re in the right place. Making planner stickers can be for you, or to start an Etsy sticker shop and sell stickers online and you don’t need any previous experience to get started.

Want to make planner stickers from home? Check out my sticker making courses, eBooks and other products here!

I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land I work and live on, the Awabakal peoples, and pay my respects to Elders past and present.
I thank them wholeheartedly and express my love and gratitude for the privilege to live and work in such a beautiful part of the world and for the opportunity for my family to be part of this vibrant and supportive community.