Top Picks for Back-to-School Must-Haves

Explore our back-to-school must-haves, including our top picks for backpacks, folders, binders, lunch supplies, calendars, and more.

Updated February 28, 2025

by Baby Chick Editors

Medically reviewed by Nina Spears

The Baby Chick®: Pregnancy, Birth & Postpartum Expert

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A man and a young child holding hands and walking outdoors on a paved surface. The child, who is sporting a colorful striped backpack filled with back to school must-haves, walks beside the man dressed in casual clothing. The area has trees and greenery in the background.

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Believe it or not, it’s once again time for back-to-school shopping to commence. Whether this is the first year sending your little one to school or you’re a seasoned pro, knowing the “must-haves” of the year will help get everyone excited for that first day back!

We’ve rounded up the best back-to-school supplies your child will need. From the basics like writing utensils to stain removers to lunchboxes, we’ve got you covered. Scroll through to discover the newest school supplies you definitely need and items to consider stocking up on. There may even be some things that haven’t crossed your mind before!

Back-to-School Must-Haves

Here are our top picks for backpacks, binders, planners, and more for the new school year:

Mackenzie Blue Multi Dinos Backpack

A blue backpack with colorful dinosaur prints covering the entire surface. The front pocket features the name "Remi" embroidered in yellow thread. Perfect for back-to-school must-haves, it has a handle on top, adjustable shoulder straps, two side mesh pockets, and two front buckles.

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Mackenzie Rifle Paper Co. Backpacks

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Firetruck Backpack

A red and grey backpack shaped like a fire truck, perfect for back to school must-haves. It features a fire department emblem, "Mason" written on the front, two circular yellow and red designs at the bottom resembling headlights, and a single blue strap on top.

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Herschel Heritage Youth Backpack

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Flower Garden Medium Kids Backpack

A colorful backpack with a white background and a multicolored abstract design, perfect for back to school must-haves. The design features various shapes and patterns in pink, orange, green, blue, and yellow. The letters "BL" are prominently displayed near the top center. It includes a front pocket and two side pockets.

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L.L. Bean Original Book Pack

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Kids ClassMate Extra Large Backpack

A teal and blue backpack with two main compartments, blue zippers, and a blue handle at the top. The front compartment is teal with blue piping, while the bottom and sides are solid blue. This back-to-school must-have boasts a simple, functional design.

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STATE Bags Backpacks

A multicolored backpack with blue, green, and neon yellow sections, perfect for back to school must-haves. It has a front zipper pocket, two side pockets, and a small label with the text "STATE" on the front. The backpack also features blue straps and a small red detail at the bottom right.

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STATE Bags Kane Kids Backpack

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This is the staple back-to-school item that every child needs. Be sure to look at each backpack’s size and compartments to ensure it will fit your child in size and function. These are some of our favorites for different ages!

Homecube Pencil Case

A turquoise pencil case with brown trim and a zipper partially open reveals compartments filled with various pens, sticky notes, and a small zipper pouch. The "Homecube" label makes it one of the essential back-to-school must-haves, shown both closed and open for full display.

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ZIPIT Colors Large Pencil Box

A rectangular zippered pouch featuring a colorful geometric pattern with triangular shapes in shades of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, and white. The zipper and edges are turquoise—a perfect back to school must-have for organizing your essentials.

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Personalized Pencil Case

Two canvas pencil cases, one labeled "MARCO" with colorful markers inside and the other labeled "ALICIA'S SCHOOL SUPPLIES," are placed on a stack of books and notebooks. A pair of green scissors lies nearby, making these essential back to school must-haves complete.

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Personalized Pencil Case

a clear pencil box that says "Allie" in bold letters with the image of an apple, a glue bottle, and a ruler

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Personalized Art Supply Box

A bright pink rectangular case with a design on the lid featuring a rainbow in colors teal, orange, and pink, with a small heart in the middle. The name "AUBREY" is written below the rainbow in white letters—a perfect addition to your back-to-school must-haves.

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Back-to-School Pencil Case

The image shows four personalized pencil cases, back to school must-haves, placed on a wooden surface. Each case is labeled with a name: "Jameson" on a blue case with toy plane designs, "Brittany" on a green case with band-aid designs, "Jeremy" on a black case with math symbols, and "Emily" on a turquoise case with school supplies designs

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It’s all about being organized this school year! Because if children have a place for their items, the likelihood of them putting away their items properly (and not losing them) is higher . . . at least that’s what we try to achieve, right? Here are some cute and fun ways to create a more organized system for your little student.

OOLY Icy Pop Erasers

The image shows a package of "Icy Pops" by Ooly, labeled as 4 fruit-scented puzzle erasers. This back to school must-have features four popsicle-shaped erasers in various bright colors and patterns. The package is recommended for ages 6 and up.

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Pink Erasers

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MochiThings Better Together Pouch

Six travel document organizers are displayed in two rows. Each organizer contains items such as a tablet, earphones, passport, and tickets. Perfect back-to-school must-haves, these organizers come in various colors: yellow, orange, black, purple, pink, and rose pink.

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Eagle Electric Pencil Sharpener

A black electric pencil sharpener with a pencil inserted sits on a wooden surface. Surrounding it, among the back to school must-haves, are a pink sharpener, a blue sharpener, a striped pencil, a book titled "Penguins," and white flowers.

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6-Piece Highlighter Assortment

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Elmer's Liquid Glue

Three bottles of Elmer's School Glue, a back-to-school must-have, are shown side by side. Each bottle is labeled as washable, no run, and non-toxic. The bottles have red caps and a blue and orange label, containing 4 fluid ounces (118 ml) each.

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Elmer's Scented Glue Sticks

A flat lay image of back to school must-haves including three pairs of scissors, a spiral notebook, pencils, binder clips, and four Elmer's scented glue sticks in pink, blue, green, and purple. The glue stick scents are cupcake, blueberry muffin, apple pie, and sugar cookie.

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Right- and Left-Handed Scissors for Kids

A pair of children's safety scissors with blunt tips, perfect back-to-school must-haves. One has a blue plastic handle, the other a green plastic handle. Both feature metal blades and are labeled "Westcott" on the blades.

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BIC Graphite Pencils

The image shows a package of BIC Xtra-Fun #2 HB pencils, perfect back to school must-haves. The pack contains 18 pencils with striped designs in different colors. The packaging claims the pencils have break-resistant lead and are easy to erase. Plus, the pencils are certified non-toxic.

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Crayola Crayons

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Crayola Colored Pencils

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Crayola Washable Markers

A box of Crayola Ultra-Clean Washable Markers in 12 assorted colors is the perfect addition to your back to school must-haves. The green and yellow box with white text displays the markers spread out, showcasing shades of pink, orange, yellow, green, blue, and brown.

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Plastic Rulers

A collection of colorful transparent rulers, including purple, green, blue, yellow, pink, and orange, are fanned out on top of an open book. Perfect back to school must-haves, these rulers feature both inch and centimeter measurements.

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Mini Stapler

Image of a blue Swingline TOT stapler in its packaging. The packaging indicates it includes 1,000 staples, has a built-in remover, and has a 12-sheet capacity. Perfect for back to school must-haves, the packaging is primarily light gray with white text.

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School Paper

A piece of lined paper with horizontal lines, perfect for your back to school must-haves. The lines are blue and evenly spaced, with a solid red line at the top and bottom defining the margins.

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Notebook Paper

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Kids will need the basic tools for school, like pencils, paper, scissors, glue, crayons, etc. And don’t forget about that pencil sharpener, an added charger, some highlighters, or an easy eraser for those mistakes. When a child feels prepared, they’re more focused on the task at hand.

Expanding File Folders

Four multi-colored file folders are displayed in a row: light blue with a smiley face design, bright blue, yellow, and black. Each has a snap button closure. A set of colorful adhesive labels is shown next to the folders, making these back-to-school must-haves perfect for organizing and labeling.

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Robots, Spaceships, Blocks, and Dino Folders

A collection of 12 bright, colorful, and whimsical greeting cards are displayed. Perfect back-to-school must-haves, each card features playful themes including robots, animals, and space. The designs incorporate vibrant colors, geometric shapes, and cartoon-like characters.

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Pukka Pad 3-Hole Folders

Five colorful file folders are displayed, each decorated with vibrant patterns. Three folders feature llamas and cacti on a white background with black dots. The other two have diagonal stripes in various bright colors. With holes for binder rings, these are perfect back-to-school must-haves.

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3-Ring Binder Set

Four 1-inch D-ring binders in blue, teal, peach, and pink are standing upright. Each binder is labeled "Yoobi" and holds up to 220 sheets. Perfect back-to-school must-haves, the binders have a label on the spine that mentions "You Buy, Yoobi Gives.

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Folders and binders are so important to helping kids bring home their notes or papers from their teacher. Make sure you invest in sturdy folders, or else you’ll be buying them all year long. They now make great expandable folders that can hold so much more for multiple classes. It’s our modern-day binder!

Erin Condren Kids Checklist Notepad

A weekly checklist with columns for days of the week Monday through Sunday. There is a section for daily to-dos and a reward box at the bottom. The text reads, "let's get it DONE so we can have SOME FUN!" Perfect for your back to school must-haves!

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Bloom Daily Planner

A spiral-bound planner with a floral cover is shown. Surrounding the planner are various stickers featuring reminders like "To-Do," "Appointment," and "Priority" as well as decorative stickers. A bookmark with the text "Today is a Fresh Start" is also visible, making it one of the back to school must-haves.

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Monthly Acrylic Calendar

A clear acrylic wall-mounted calendar with "The Hendersons" written at the top, days of the week labeled below, and empty spaces for dates—a perfect back-to-school must-have. There is a "NOTES" section on the right side. A plant is partially visible on the right. The image includes a copyright symbol and a Canadian flag.

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Skylight Calendar

A digital calendar display shows a family schedule with events like class planning, pep rally, volleyball practice, tutoring, harvest festival, grocery pick-up, vet checkup, and dinner at grandma's. The dates are from Thursday 26th to Sunday 29th—essential back to school must-haves for staying organized.

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Planners and/or calendars can make all the difference in your child’s organization, responsibility, and promptness for assignments. Even better, scoop one up for yourself as a parent to help organize everyone’s schedule and due dates in one place. It will help the 2024-2025 school year be so much more of a breeze!

Bentgo Kids Bento Lunch Box

A blue and pink bento lunchbox with a design of rainbows, butterflies, hearts, and flowers on the lid—a back to school must-have. It contains compartments filled with pasta, crackers, almonds, yogurt, raspberries, and green grapes. The lid is open, revealing the contents.

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Simple Modern Lunch Box

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Zip Top Baby Snack Cups

The image shows four reusable silicone snack containers shaped like the heads of animals: a pink pig, a gray bear, a blue dog, and an orange cat. Each container features distinct facial features matching its respective animal. Zip Top's back to school must-haves are visible at the top.

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Bentgo Buddies Reusable Ice Packs

Four rocket-shaped silicone baby bibs in different colors are laid out side by side. From front to back, the colors are blue, red, black, and light gray. Each bib features a cartoon alien in the center and has two star-shaped details on the bottom corners—perfect back-to-school must-haves for little ones!

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Hydro Flask Insulated Lunch Box

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Bento Snack Boxes

Three sets of plastic meal prep containers are stacked. The top container in the front contains grapes, cheese cubes, pickles, crackers, and sliced meat. Perfect back to school must-haves, these containers come in different colors: orange, blue, and green, each with four compartments.

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Yeti Insulated Water Bottle

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Some may say this is their favorite “subject in school,” but no matter how old your child is, having the right supplies for lunch helps make a world of difference. Be sure to choose a sturdy box because they tend to get thrown around daily. Does your child not enjoy a cold lunch? No problem! There are a lot of new items out there that make any school lunch possible and fun!

Miss Mouth's Messy Eater Stain Treater

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Puracy Natural Laundry Stain Remover

A bottle of Puracy Stain Remover, one of the back-to-school must-haves, is shown against a white background, with a spray of liquid coming from the nozzle. The label reads "400+ Uses," "free & clear," "perfect laundry pure ingredients," and "Austin Texas." The bottle contains 12 fl oz (355 mL).

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Tide To Go Pen

Image of Tide to Go Instant Stain Remover pen in its packaging. The packaging is mostly blue with orange and red accents. Text highlights the product as a #1 instant stain remover, ideal for on-the-go use, and holds 10 ml (0.33 fl oz). Perfect for back-to-school must-haves!

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We spend so much time and money picking out all those new back-to-school outfits, and then our kid comes home with a chocolate milk stain right down their shirt. You’ll want to throw a few stain-fighting supplies in their bag that may help you save their favorite outfit.

Lanyard Wallet for ID Badges

A floral print crossbody phone case with matching adjustable strap and wrist lanyard, perfect for back to school must-haves. The set features a clear front pocket, additional zippered pockets, gold-tone hardware, and a detachable key ring. The pattern consists of pastel-colored flowers and leaves.

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Vegan ID Badge Holder With Lanyard

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Leather Lanyard Badge ID Holder

A beige lanyard cardholder with a gold clasp, perfect for your back-to-school must-haves. The cardholder features a textured surface, black trim, and the word "Coach" embossed in gold near the bottom. The lanyard is made of matching beige material.

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Panda ID Badge Holder With Lanyard

Two gray cardholders are shown. The front cardholder has a cute panda graphic with cards inserted. The back cardholder has a transparent window displaying a panda-themed card with hearts. A matching lanyard with a panda design and keyring is attached—perfect back-to-school must-haves!

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Some children need to carry school IDs at all times, along with their house keys and other important cards. Having a safe, stylish, and fun spot for these important items is “key” (pun intended).

Multipurpose Case

Stacked fabric bags with colorful stripes are displayed as back-to-school must-haves. Two of the bags are beige with orange and red stripes, featuring initials "L" and "K C" in red letters. Three bags are green with black, white, and orange stripes, showcasing initials "P," "E D," and "L" in black letters.

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Name Stamp

A custom clothing stamp with the name "Mack" is placed on top of a white garment's button placket. The stamp has a white casing with a pink label from Mabel's Labels and the website mabelslabels.com printed on it—truly one of the back-to-school must-haves.

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Personalized Shoe Labels

A pair of yellow baby shoes with white laces is surrounded by various name labels featuring rainbow designs. The names on the labels include Fabian, Leoni, Emily, Andreas, Martin, Daniel, Paulina, and Valentin. These back-to-school must-haves are set against a light blue background.

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7-Piece Locker Kit

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Personalized Envelopes

A group of labeled name tags with various colorful illustrations are arranged on grass. These back-to-school must-haves feature names like Christopher, Michael, Ashley, Max, Dylan, Logan, and others, accompanied by cute drawings such as rainbows, dinosaurs, and animals.

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Personalized Name Labels

A collection of back-to-school must-haves including a ruler, pencils, colored pencils, glue, water bottle, paint set, and notebooks. Each item is labeled with colorful name labels featuring the name "ADLEY MEYER.

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Urban Infant Personalized Tot Cot Nap Mat

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There’s so much gear when it comes to back-to-school supplies. Be sure to label everything so that nothing gets lost or swapped out with a friend’s items. There are so many easy, fun, and cute ways to do this, from name stamps to personalized labels or cases.

Hopefully, this list will help you get into the groove of preparing your child for school. New outfits and supplies mean your kid is ready to take on the new 2024-2025 school year with ease! Don’t forget to grab extra snacks since they’ll definitely be hungry after getting back into the swing of things. Also, snap plenty of photos of the beginning of the year for memories to look back on. Have a great year!

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