Back-to-school season always seems to come with a list approximately 47 miles long. Pencils. Folders. Backpacks. Lunch stuff. Water bottles. Random supplies you somehow don’t remember buying last year but definitely need again.

Whether your kids are heading back to a traditional classroom or you’re getting ready for another year of learning at home, there are a few things that can make the school year run a little smoother. These aren’t necessarily the things you’ll find on the official school supply list. They’re the extras that help with organization, lunches, routines, and keeping at least some of the daily chaos under control.

Here are 10 back-to-school must-haves worth adding to your list this year.

Affiliate note: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through one of my links, I may earn a commission or receive rewards at no additional cost to you. I only share products I genuinely think are worth checking out.

1. A Water Bottle That Can Handle Kid Life

If you’ve ever discovered a leaking water bottle sideways inside a backpack, you already know why this is number one.

Look for something durable, easy for little hands to open, and — most importantly — actually leak-resistant. Bonus points if it’s easy to clean and doesn’t require dismantling seventeen tiny pieces every night.

Shop for one:

Amazon shoppers: 12 Oz Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottles for Kid
Walmart shoppers: TAL 26oz Stainless Steel Ranger Water Bottle with Easy Sip Straw
Target shoppers: Owala 16 fl oz Stainless Steel Kids’ FreeSip Insulated Water Bottle 

2. A Lunch Box With Enough Room for Real Food

The adorable tiny lunch boxes are great until you try fitting an actual lunch inside them.

A good insulated lunch box should have enough room for a main meal, snacks, an ice pack, and whatever mysterious collection of things your child suddenly considers acceptable lunch food this week.

I also love anything that’s easy to wipe clean because lunch boxes have a special talent for becoming disgusting surprisingly quickly.

Shop for one:

Amazon shoppers: Lunch Box Kids, Large Insulated Lunch Bag
Walmart shoppers: YOYTOO Insulated Lunch Bag, Double Deck Lunch Tote Bag Cooler Box with Adjustable Strap
Target shoppers: JanSport Big Break FX Insulated Dual Compartment Lunch Bag

3. Reusable Snack Containers

Individual snack bags are convenient, but reusable containers make packing lunches and snacks so much easier — especially if you’re doing it every day.

Grab a few different sizes so you can use them for fruit, crackers, veggies, or the emergency snack that prevents an afternoon meltdown.

They’re also great for homeschool days, road trips, sports, and basically every other situation involving hungry children.

Shop for them:

Amazon shoppers: Whiskware Bluey Stackable Snack Containers
Walmart shoppers: GoBe Kids Snack Container Snack Spinner (Small)
Target shoppers: Ubbi Platemate Bundle Snack + Sandwich Reusable Food Storage Bags

4. A Backpack That Won’t Fall Apart by October

Cute matters. But so do straps that stay attached.

Look for a backpack that’s comfortable, washable or easy to wipe down, and big enough for folders, lunch gear, and whatever random treasure your child decides absolutely must travel to and from school.

Multiple compartments are especially helpful for keeping smaller things from disappearing into the backpack abyss.

Shop backpacks:

Amazon shoppers: Bentgo Kids Print Durable & Water-Resistant Backpack
Walmart shoppers: Heavy Duty Kids Backpack
Target shoppers: Kids’ 17″ Backpack – Cat & Jack™

5. A Simple Homework or School Supply Caddy

This is one of those little things that can make a surprisingly big difference.

Fill a portable caddy with pencils, crayons, markers, scissors, glue sticks, erasers, and other everyday supplies. I also love to use inexpensive lunch boxes…they do wonders for drives and when going out to eat! The Dollar Tree is also a great place to find different containers.

Instead of searching the entire house every time someone needs a pencil, everything has a home — theoretically, anyway. We’re still dealing with children here.

For homeschool families, this is especially handy because you can move supplies from the kitchen table to the couch, outside, or wherever school happens that day.

Shop supply organizers:

Amazon shoppers: ZIPIT Recycled Plastic Pencil Box for Girls, Large Pencil Case
Walmart shoppers: Cute Transparent Stationary Organizer
Target shoppers: Large Hard Sided Case Iridescent – up&up™

6. Good Labels

Water bottles. Lunch boxes. Jackets. Pencil cases. Backpacks. If it can leave your house, there’s a decent chance your child’s name should be on it.

Waterproof personalized labels are especially useful because they can survive washing, spills, and everyday kid chaos without constantly needing to be replaced.

And even if you homeschool, labels can still be surprisingly useful for sports, classes, activities, co-ops, camps, and travel.

Shop labels:

Amazon shoppers: Personalized Name Labels for Kids
Walmart shoppers: WIRESTER 320pcs Waterproof Bottle Labels
Target shoppers: Avery No-Iron Fabric Labels

If you have time to wait, check out The Name Stamp. I am not an affiliate for them. I purchased from them 3 years ago and still am using the same ink. I waited for a deal and them bought them, works well on clothes and the waterproof labels…are still on my cups!

7. A Visual Calendar or Routine Board

School schedules come with a LOT.

School days. Activities. Appointments. Library days. Spirit days. Field trips. Sports. Homeschool groups. The random Tuesday you’re apparently supposed to remember to send your child dressed like a book character.

A visual calendar or routine board gives kids a way to see what’s happening instead of asking you approximately 84 times.

Younger kids can also use a simple morning checklist for things like:

• Get dressed
• Brush teeth
• Eat breakfast
• Pack backpack
• Grab water bottle
• Put on shoes

Anything that makes mornings require slightly less repeating yourself is a win.

Shop calendars and routine boards:

Amazon shoppers: Chores Chart for Kids
Walmart shoppers: AOC Digital Calendar
Target shoppers: U Brands Vinyl Magnetic Calendar Planner

If you have about a week to wait check out the Buddy from Skylight. It is an expense and we got it with birthday money for my daughter. It has helped her with the weather, her chores, the time and date, creating a schedule, waking up to an alarm…it also is a nightlight and a sound machine!

8. A Kids’ Headphone Set

Between school tablets, educational apps, audiobooks, online learning, and travel, a decent pair of kids’ headphones gets used far beyond the classroom.

For younger kids, look for volume-limiting headphones designed to protect little ears.

If they’re going to school, check the teacher’s supply list first. Some classrooms specifically request wired headphones rather than Bluetooth.

Shop kids’ headphones:

Amazon shoppers: Kids Headphones with Cord
Walmart shoppers: Bluey, Bluetooth Headphones with Cord Option
Target shoppers: JBL Junior 320 On-Ear Headphones

9. An Art Supply Restock

You don’t need an entire craft store in your house. But having the basics ready before school starts saves you from discovering at 8 p.m. that every marker you own is dried out.

A basic restock might include crayons, washable markers, colored pencils, construction paper, glue sticks, kid-safe scissors, and watercolor paints.

Even if these aren’t required for school, they’re great to have around for homework projects, homeschool activities, rainy afternoons, and creative downtime.

Shop art supplies:

Amazon shoppers: Blue Squid Arts & Crafts Box
Walmart shoppers: Crayola Creativity Tub
Target shoppers: 273pc Jungle Bucket of Crafts

10. A Snack Stash for the Parents

Yes. I’m putting this on the back-to-school list. Because somehow back-to-school shopping is entirely about preparing the children while the person keeping track of all of this is surviving on half a cup of cold coffee.

Keep a few grab-and-go snacks around for yourself too — protein bars, nuts, trail mix, whatever you’ll actually eat.

School mornings are easier when you’re not running completely on caffeine and determination.

Shop some favorites:

Amazon shoppers: Dry Roasted Edamame Snacks
Walmart shoppers: Blake’s Blueberry Muffin Breakfast Bars
Target shoppers: Quest Nutrition Tortilla Style Protein Chips

Back-to-School Doesn’t Have to Mean Buying Everything

Here’s your permission slip to ignore the internet telling you that your child needs 75 brand-new things before September. They don’t.

Use what you already have. Replace what needs replacing. Then grab a few things that will genuinely make your family’s routine easier. Because the best back-to-school supplies aren’t necessarily the cutest things in the cart.

They’re the things that make you think: “Okay…that actually made my life easier.”

And I’ll take more of that any day.