Back to School Favorites- Preschool and Kindergarten

We are fully in the back-to-school spirit at my house and I wanted to take some time to share a few of our favorites for the early years of school.

Meal Time- Tried and True Items

• Bentgo- bento style lunch box- This was used daily for an entire year and we didn’t have one leak. We handwashed the outer shell, but tossed the inner part in the dishwasher every afternoon. Great sized compartments for younger school aged kids.

• Freezable lunch box- The whole thing goes in the freezer and keeps the food cold. No additional ice packs required and fits the Bentgo mentioned above.

• Freezable snack box- Depending on the year, my children have been required to bring their own snacks to school and/or due to allergies we bring a safe snack. This is the perfect little pouch to transport anything that needs to be kept cold, such as yogurt, string cheese, fruit, etc.

• Stainless steel snack cups- These cups are durable! They have a straw and a lid with a hole for the straw, but we use them almost exclusively with the full lid for snack functionality. Fit into the freezable snack box mentioned above and hold anything you can think of. No leaking and dishwasher safe!

• Water bottle- I love these water bottles so much. Our oldest one has been with us for nearly 4 years and we’ve never had a problem with it. I’ve purchased multiple other colorways to help keep things easy to identify and they kids love them. Easy enough for my not quite 2 year old to open by herself, tough enough that there have been no cracks or leaks despite being dropped literally hundreds of times, and the mouth piece isn’t open to the air.

• Food picks- These cuties were a great addition to lunches to bring something fun to the middle of the school day.

• Silicone muffin liners- while we sometimes use these for actual muffins, they get the most use as holders of dips, dressings, or smaller food items inside the lunch box. These are perfect to keep food separated in a larger compartment or to contain something wet.

• Lunch box with built in Thermos- we only used this for warm food a few times a month, so I can’t speak for daily use like I can for the other products included on this list, but it did a great job of keeping food warm until lunch. This works best with soup or something with sauce or a lot of liquid.

Outside Favorites

• One piece rain suit- This thing has lasted for 3 full school years without incident! We wash ours regularly and the kids get very muddy at school, so these hold up.

• Rain boots- Another item that I have purchased in multiple sizes and colors as our oldest child grows. We pass down the smaller sizes to the younger siblings and these boots have held up for 3 kids so far.

• Rain jacket- Lightweight and effective.

• Snow boots- No laces to tie and keep children’s feet warm.

• Winter hat- I cannot resist kids in a pom pom winter hat. These hats are ultimately warm and have survived 2 Michigan winters. I toss ours into the washing machine and they dry just fine.

• Winter puffer jacket- I was a little skeptical to use an Amazon brand for something like a winter coat, but it is by far Brinley’s favorite. She pockets, cuffs, and optional thumb holes offer great functionality while the lining and hood keep the kids warm.

• Winter mittens- I still find that my 6 year old does much better with mittens instead of gloves. I’ve purchased these mittens in different sizes and colors and they have held up wonderfully over the years. I usually wash them 1-2 times a week from November through February or March. My tip is to dry them inside out or put them on a boot dryer to dry the inside.

• Snow pants- These have over 20,000 reviews on Amazon and I love them. We’ve purchased different colors and sizes throughout the years, but they always keep the kids warm and dry.

• Fleece jacket- This is our daily jacket to keep warm in the car. No fluff, so this is something I feel comfortable with in the car seats.

• Umbrella- I’ve raved out this umbrella before, but I’ll do it again here. This has saved me multiple times, especially at pickup time. The kids can hang this in their locker or cubby during the day and they don’t get soaked when it comes time for pickup. This also helps me because I can keep myself dry, hold a baby, and still see through the clear parts of the umbrella.

Other School Necessities

• Backpack- we kept it simple for the first year (August 2020). This is the perfect size to carry a folder, spare clothes, snack, and a small jacket. Once Brinley hit kindergarten, we moved on to a larger backpack to fit a water bottle in the side pocket, her lunch, and any other projects that needed to be transported.

• Glue- I grabbed the 30 pack 3 years ago and we are just about all the way through it. I just reordered because I would never remember to buy an individual glue stick from the store.

• Gym shoes- This pair is lace free, but doesn’t fall off thanks to the built-in elastic strap. This was a perfect solution for my 5 year old who couldn’t quite tie shoes yet, but then was very slow when she did learn.

• Over the ear headphones- My children love these and I’ve not had any issues with them so far.

• Scissors (blunt tip) and this pair with a pointed tip.

• Unbuckle tool- this is for the car, but has been a game changer for us! If your child is responsible enough to know when to get out of the car seat (our rule is the kids have to ask every single time, even in our own driveway), but not quite strong enough to do it independently, this tool helps them unbuckle and saves you from reaching in the backseat so often. Makes school drop off much easier!

In Case of Illness or Injury

• Bandages with fun shapes and another brand that sticks really well.

• This humidifier is our favorite out of the 4 functioning ones in the house right now.

• Thermometer- I finally replaced our old and inconsistent thermometer with this one and I’m happy we have it every single time we use it. It isn’t super fancy, but definitely gets the job done with a lot more consistency and accuracy than any other thermometer we’ve owned.

These are our go-to items all year round. Anything else you would add to the list? I hope you found something here that helps the back to school season run a little more smoothly in your house.

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