Finally Back to School
Whether back to school or starting school for the first time, it is an exciting and emotional time for parents and children alike. After winding down from the excitement of summer break, it’s now time to focus on getting ready for the school year.
If you’re a K-12 teacher and want to know the best supplies for distance learning, check out this post.
As parents, we know that properly preparing for this journey is crucial to help our children feel ready and excited for school, which will make a world of difference in their enthusiasm and dedication to their education.
So, to help all you first time and back to school parents, we will provide a best school supply list for K-12 students.
What Are the Best School Supplies for K-12 Students?
Kids may hate seeing the back-to-school sales since it means summer is ending, but if we get kids involved and excited about back to school, the transition will be easy peasy.
But remember, the early bird gets the worm, you don’t have to wait until your local shops start to advertise back-to-school sales, be mindful of sales early, and don’t forget online options. If you do all your school shopping online to get the best deals or avoid the crowds and chaos, these lists will still help you ensure your child is prepared. More importantly, you can take the summer to relax and keep things low stress.
A great site to use to buy school supplies, which a large breadth of stock, is: Discount School Supply.
Another, which is where most of our recommendations are from is: Amazon.
Please note, we have added some links to help make the shopping process easier, but they may not cover all items listed. We suggest getting your children involved to allow their personalities show and promote the feeling of ownership over their supplies.
As you know, prices and availability change, especially as Amazon runs various promotions, but as the time of writing, all prices are correct and all products are currently available via amazon.com.
Best School Supply List for K-12 Students - Preschool Essentials
Preschool is such an exciting time for both parents and children. It’s a child’s first experience with school, and it should be a fun one!
Preschool is a time where your child will begin to develop emotionally, intellectually, and socially. Basic cognitive skills will be learned, such as counting and learning new words. This will set your child up for success during their life.
Preschool is also where children develop those crucial social skills and learn about positivity and self-esteem.
Here is a list of (in our opinion) the best pre-school supply list for K-12 students, so your little preschooler is ready to embark on their new journey.
Our favorite K-12 pre-school supplies pack
Back to School Supply Box
Make your life easy, this pre-packaged pack will provide most of what you need for your young learner.
This pack is a great starting point for any student, as they get older, repurchasing this pack can replenish their school supply stock so keep this in mind as you look at the list for the following
Here is a list of some other useful supplies for pre-school students
- Crayons
- Markers
- Glue Sticks
- Pencil Sharpeners
- Erasers
- Pencil Case
- #2 Pencils
- Tissues
- Wet Wipes
- A Change of Clothes
- Paper Plates and Cups
- Ziplock Bags
- Backpack
- Watercolor Paints (usually an 8ct)
- Paper (blank and colored construction paper)
Best School Supply List for K-12 Students - Kindergarten Cool
Kindergarten marks the official start of school for children across the country. Even if your little one didn’t go to preschool, rest assured that beginning kindergarten will be a huge milestone for them.
Related: Kindergarten Transitions Are Never Easy. But the Pandemic Has Made Them Harder
You may have heard that kindergarten is not the same as it was when you went. Most of us had half days, playtime, and Storytime.
A lot of people claim that kindergarten is the new first grade. That may or may not be true, depending on your school’s district.
But teachers know that the primary goal of kindergarten remains the same as it ever was. It’s for building good feelings about school and learning. Your child will still be engaged in the same familiar projects and crafts, such as painting and growing plants.
Kindergarten will also include basic math and language arts, and many even go on for a full day. Some schools may even introduce subjects like science and social studies.
The following is our thoughts on the best school supply list for K-12 students, of things that are sure to help your child in kindergarten succeed.
Our favorite K-12 Kindergarten supplies
Emooqi Premium Watercolour Paint Box
School isn’t all about academics, it a starting point to build and nurture your child’s artistic side as well.
iSuperb Transformer Stand Store Pencil Holder Canvas
Let your child help choose patterns and prints for longer lasting items, and this should help them put more pride in their belongings
Here is a list of some other useful supplies for Kinderkarten students
- Washable Markers
- Crayons
- Glue Sticks
- A Pencil Case
- Erasers
- Pencil Sharpeners
- Colored Pencils
- #2 Pencils
- A Box of Tissues
- Hand Sanitizer
- Wide Ruled Notebook
- Construction Paper
- A Backpack
- Folders with Pockets
- Blunt Tip Scissors
- Watercolor Paints
Best School Supply List for K-12 Students - 1st and 2nd Grade Super Stars
Now that your child has moved past kindergarten, the first and second grades can be almost bittersweet. They have officially entered grade school. They will have had a year or two under their belts.
Children will start to learn more independently and learn how to work with others in a group. They will be expected to sit quietly and listen to the lesson plan.
Second grade, especially, seems to mark the beginning of being one of the big kids in school. Most have grown used to the school environment as their attention span increases, and more difficult concepts will be applied as they learn.
Check out the following catalogue of the best school supply list for K-12 students starting 1st grade to get them started
Our favorite useful supplies for 1st & 2nd graders
Toddler Backpack Small Kids Backpack
As your child’s familiarity with school increases and the workload increases, investing in sturdy bags will help tote their schoolwork and supplies back and forth.
29 oz. Leak-Proof Bento-Style Kids Lunch Containers with Insulated Cooler Lunch Bag and Water Bottle
Your child has got to eat, and to do that, they need a top quality lunchbox, check out the best we’ve found below.
Here is a list of some other useful supplies for 1st to 2nd grade students
- Pockets with Folders
- Blunt Tip Scissors
- Watercolor Paints
- Washable Markers
- Crayons
- Glue Sticks
- A Pencil Case
- Erasers
- Pencil Sharpeners
- Colored Pencils
- #2 Pencils
- Lunchbox
- Backpack
- Construction Paper
- Wide-ruled notebook
- Hand Sanitizer
- Box of Tissues
Best School Supply List for K-12 Students - 3rd - 5th Grade Go-getters
Grades 3 through 5 are years when school begins to become, well, school. There is not much coloring and playtime anymore, such a shame.
Things will get more demanding for your child, and you will notice more homework as well. These grades give children a chance to prepare themselves for junior high.
Third grade will be a year of remarkable academic growth for your child. They will be encouraged to move from being a concrete thinker to having more of an open mind. Multiplications and organized paragraphs will be on the agenda.
Fourth grade will bring the challenge of cliques and will complicate your child’s social life. You’ll see the academic work becoming harder as your child has more long-term projects. They will also develop more complex means of mathematics.
In 5th grade, your child will be putting all the pieces together academically and will be expected to take on a lot more responsibility. Long-term planning and organizational skills are vital as they begin writing book reports and learning the basics of algebra.
This directory of the best school supply list for K-12 students of must-haves will help your child succeed in 3rd through 5th grade.
Our favorite glue sticks and binder dividers for 3rd or 5th grade students
Low-Odor Dry Erase Markers
As academics get more intense, provide the supplies to help them stay organized and colour coding could help with that
Two-Tone Binder Dividers with Two Pockets
These color coded tabs will help your child keep things organized so it makes it easy to focus on the subject of the moment.
Here is a list of some other useful supplies for 3rd to 5th grade students
- Dry Erase Markers
- Washable Markers
- Folders with Pockets
- 3-hole Punch
- 1-inch 3-ring binder
- Pencil Sharpeners
- Erasers
- Pencil Bag
- #2 Pencils
- Wide Ruled Loose Leaf Paper
- Spiral Notebook
- Glue Sticks
- Blue or Black Ballpoint Pens
- Colored Pencils
- 12 Inch Rulers
- Blunt Tip Scissors
- Subject Dividers
- Highlighters
- Crayons
- Hand Sanitizer
- Tissues
- Lunchbox
- Backpack
- Index Cards
- Wide Ruled Loose Leaf Paper
- Spiral Notebooks
- Glue Sticks
Best School Supply List for K-12 Students - 6th-8th Grade Rockstars (Junior High)
Elementary school is over. Your child has now moved up into the ranks and is no longer a little kid.
Junior High can be tough. Some say it’s harder than high school in a lot of ways. It’s a time when children are starting to figure out who they are and who their friends are, and it can be a lot of work.
Related: 8 Things I Know for Sure About (Most) Middle School Kids
Middle schoolers will care way more about what their peers think than what you or their teachers think. They are also going through puberty which can be scary. It also brings embarrassment quickly, and your child may shy away from praise.
They are slowly beginning to pull away from you, and that can be heartbreaking for a parent. But at the end of the day, they are still kids. Just kids going through a lot of changes, so be patient with them.
Ensuring your child is equipped with everything they need for these next years will help ease the strain of a heavier workload. Check out our in-depth index of the best school supply list for K-12 students focusing on 6th to 8th grade.
Our favorite supplies for 6th - 8th grade, welcome, junior high!
Bostitch Office HP12 3 Hole Punch
As the school work load increase, don’t sweat the small things this 3 hole puncher will be useful for years to come
Bostitch Office Heavy Duty 40 Sheet Stapler
A stapler will come in very handy over the course off your child’s academic years
Here is a list of some other useful supplies for 6th to 8th grade students
- A Personal Calendar
- Scissors
- Protractor
- 12-inch Ruler
- Pencil Sharpeners
- Erasers
- Pencil Pouch
- Ballpoint Pens
- No. 2 Pencils
- Folders with Pockets
- 3-ring Binder
- 3-hole Punch
- Index Cards
- Subject Dividers
- Back Pack
- Lunchbox
- Locker Accessories (lockers may not be available yet)
- Stapler
- Spiral Notebooks
- Watercolor Paints
- Drawing Paper
- Graph Paper
- Wide Rule Loose Leaf Paper
- Calculator
- Glue Sticks
- Markers
- Highlighters
- White-out
Best School Supply List for K-12 Students - 9th-12th Grade Big Leaguers
It may seem like just yesterday that your child was a little one starting kindergarten. Maybe the tears were flowing on both ends as you watched them step on the school bus for the first time. And maybe, the same is happening as you watch your baby head off to high school.
High school is such a critical time for kids as their grades truly do matter now. Children’s grades will reflect on what colleges will accept them if they plan on going. Classes become a lot harder, and subjects become more elective as they near closer to 11th and 12th grade.
A high schooler’s supply list is not much different from junior high. It’s essential to pay attention to what each teacher requires because classes rotate in high school, and no teacher is the same. Subjects differ greatly, and there is no longer that general category of learning as children take different classes based on their ability.
Your high schooler must be prepared with everything they need as they embark on what will be their last years of school. To see what supplies you should be purchasing, check out our listing of the best school supply list for K-12 students, defining the the last hoorah of school, the ominous 9th to 12th grade.
Our favorite education supplies for 9th - 12th grade students
HARDCOVER Academic Year 2021-2022 Planner
Between academics, sports, social and personal schedules it’s a lot to keep track of so these handy planners can help to keep them organized and on time
Sticky "Post-It" Notes
These bright colours sticky notes will make notes and reminders hard to miss and very useful to your child
Magicfly Adjustable Locker Shelf Organizer Kit
Lockers are small enough as is, no room for mess or clutter. This kit will help organize your child’s locker
Here is a list of some other useful supplies for 9th to 12th grade students
- No. 2 Pencils
- Ballpoint pens
- Pencil pouch
- Erasers
- Sharpeners
- Ruler
- Protractor
- Scissors
- Personal calendar
- Pocket folders
- 3-ring binder
- 3-hole punch
- Index cards
- Subject dividers
- White-out
- Highlighters
- Markers
- Glue Sticks
- Graphing calculator
- Wide ruled loose-leaf paper
- Graph paper
- Drawing paper
- Watercolor paints
- Spiral notebooks
- Stapler
- Locker accessories
- Lunchbox
- Backpack
Final Thoughts
No matter the grade your child is entering, look at it as one more step to reaching adulthood and leaving the nest. It can be scary for both parent and child but knowing that your child has the tools to succeed will be the foundation you both need.
Here’s a reminder though, this best school supply list for K-12 students provides a good base for your child, but due to the unforeseen impacts the pandemic has left on the new norm, it would be beneficial for you to look at our related post that list items to aid with dealing with the pandemic.
Getting the right supplies as a student can make or break your school experience. We hope the above featured supplies can be helpful to you to get your work done effectively.
Let us know in the comment’s how your back to school supplies purchasing goes, we’d love to hear about it.
Catch ya soon.
Hey, I’m Kris Taylor. I’m a Learning and Development professional currently in the healthcare field, with over 8 years of experience in the area of corporate education. I have created numerous instructional content for various corporate projects including eLearning, in-person facilitation, and virtual training across a wide variety of learning interventions and sectors. On Taughtup, I discuss topics ranging from how to succeed through K-12 to college all the way to instructional design tips for L&D designers.
