Back-to-School Essentials for Preschoolers
Our favorite things for back-to-school with your preschooler!
Supplies, shoes, water bottles, snacks, visual schedules — we cover everything your preschooler needs to start school!
Don’t forget about reading books to prepare for the transition to preschool. We compiled our favorite books to read to prep your child for going to school.
Whether your child is starting preschool, or staying home with you - there’s something here to help them learn, grow, and thrive this year!
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Preschool Supplies for Fine Motor Development
Wooden Lacing Threading Toys: These long, wooden beads help to increase success with lacing. Great for working on bilateral coordination (using 2 hands together) and an easy activity to keep in the diaper bag!
Montessori Locks: Work on using two hands together, increasing pincer grasp, and increasing functional wrist rotation as your little one uses the key to lock and unlock the different locks.
Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog: Take a break from writing/coloring and work on pencil grasp strength and coordination without a marker/crayon/pencil. Add some following directions by asking your little one to “find all the red ones” then purple, then green, etc.
LCD Writing Tablet: A great mess-free option for practicing holding a pencil and other writing skills (making lines, circles, and plus signs!)
*Pro Tip: Before your child can write their name, they must first be able to copy a horizontal line, vertical line, circle, plus sign, and diagonal line.Water Wow!: Another favorite no-mess activity! Just fill the pen up with water and let your little one color all over the pages, let dry, and repeat! Use the ‘seek-and-finds’ on each page to help work on visual attention after coloring the pages.
Doodle Mat: Another mess-free activity that works fine motor skills! Use water and water pens to work on scribbling, coloring, tracing, and stamping. This mat comes with all of the perfect tools to grow with your little one.
Sticker Activity Book: This activity book is filled with great activities for preschoolers. Through shape matching, color sorting, alphabet recognition, counting, more, your preschoolers will enjoy this hands-on version of learning!
Stacking and Lacing Pegboard: Work on stacking, lacing, and color matching with the multi-use peg board. Make like colored towers, lace blocks onto string, count blocks, and sort shapes. So many great learning opportunities!
Sticker Wow!: Use the stamp tool to work on aligning circle stamps into the circle outlines, as well as increase pencil grip strength and coordination.
Back-to-School Supplies for Preschool
Fiskars Starter Scissors: These scissors are perfect beginner scissors because they spring open all by themselves. Have your toddler work on using two hands - one to hold the paper, and the other to hold the scissors, align them to the paper, and squeeze them shut to make a cut. (Pro tip: smaller, firm sheets of paper [like construction paper] are easier to hold and manipulate!)
Honeysticks Beeswax Crayons: These short and stocky crayons are perfect (and safe) for toddlers’ emerging pencil grasp. Have your toddler practice making scribbles and lines on the paper. (p.s. - it’s okay if they switch between hands, they are exploring!)
Dot Markers Activity Set: A favorite! Dot Markers are a great way to practice holding writing utensils while keeping the activity short and sweet. Practice making dots inside the lines of the different pictures.
Reusable Sticker Books: Perfect on-the-go activity for increasing fine motor strength and coordination. Practice peeling and placing the stickers on the different scenes, then ask your little one to tell you a story about their picture.
Easy Grip Crayons: Jumbo crayons are great for preschoolers who are working on tracing and coloring in the lines (not perfectly though!). Encourage your little one to use their fingertips to hold the crayon instead of their whole hand. (p.s. - it’s okay if it is a little awkward for them as they are figuring it out)
Kid-Safe Training Scissors: The best scissors! These scissors are my favorite because you can lower the yellow bar to turn them into spring scissors (teaching scissors that open automatically) or close the bar to use them as traditional scissors.
Scissor Skills Activity Book: Interactive activity pages are perfect for increasing independence with scissor skills. Start with pictures that have straight lines, then move to ones with more circles as your little one gets better at using and manipulating scissors.
Water Drop Shaped Crayons: These small, water drop shaped crayons are a great tool to help your little one start to use a more refined pencil grasp. Smaller writing or coloring items help our fingers engage in more of the work instead of our whole hands. Practice coloring inside the lines with these new tools!
Tracing Practice Book: This book is filled with various tracing, counting, writing, and educational games. The best part?! You can wipe the pages clean when you are done and use them all again and again.
Dinosaur Matching, Counting, Sorting Activity: Help your little one increase fine motor skills while engaging in hands-on learning. Work on color sorting and counting as you use the tweezers to pick up, move, and release dinosaurs into their corresponding colored bowl.
Best Water Bottles for Preschoolers
The Thermos Funtainer: This is one of my favorite cups for littles 10 months and older since it’s very easy to open and shut and the straw is skinnier, so not as much liquid can be sucked through! It also comes in lots of sizes and colors so if your little one likes it, you have options for a long while! Great for water and milk!
Owala Straw Cup: This stainless steel cup also has a pretty strong valve that requires biting to break the seal and suck liquid up. I don’t recommend for littles under 18 months- 2 years or so who are learning how to drink because we don’t want them to learn how to drink by biting! But once your little one can drink from a straw normally and is competent with drinking, using a valve is not a big issue!
Zak Straw Cup: This stainless steel cup also has a pretty strong valve that requires biting to break the seal and suck liquid up. I don’t recommend for littles under 18 months- 2 years or so who are learning how to drink because we don’t want them to learn how to drink by biting! But once your little one can drink from a straw normally and is competent with drinking, using a valve is not a big issue!
Munchkin Cool Cat: This stainless steel cup has a pretty strong valve that requires biting to break the seal and suck liquid up. I recommend for children older than 2!
The Klean Kanteen Straw Cup: My new favorite stainless steel and silicone cup for older toddlers! The cap twists to close making it spill proof and the design is easy to clean. It requires some good fine motor skills for littles to open and close by themselves so it’s best for about 2.5 years and older. It’s also 12 ounces so a good cup for toddlers and preschoolers who drink lots of water throughout the day! Sometimes the smaller bottles just aren’t enough.
Simple Modern Kids Water Bottle: I recommend this more for preschool-aged littles because of its hard straw. Hard straws are NOT recommended for little ones because of the mouth injury risk. Babies and toddlers are constantly walking around with cups and sometimes letting them hang from their mouths OR walking and running while drinking. They get distracted! That being said, Alicia’s preschooler loves his and they come in great colors and designs!
Yeti Rambler Jr.: This stainless steel water bottle is 12 ounces and has a straw. It’s leakproof when the straw is closed! Comes in lots of colors. I recommend for 3 year olds and older.
Hydroflask Kids Water Bottle: Another stainless steel insulated option for your child. This bottle can keep drinks cold for up to 24 hours! It comes in 3 sizes. I recommend for 3 year olds and older
Packing Lunch for Preschool
Bentgo Chill: This bento box seals really well when you close it, making it leak-proof and keeping foods totally separated. Your preschooler will have fun finding out what food is in their “box” when they open it. We love the built-in ice pack!
Thermos Funtainer Food Jar: You know I love the Thermos Funtainer for drinks, and this one is great for keeping food insulated when you’re on-the-go! Leakproof and comes with a cute folding spoon.
LunchBot Stainless Sandwich Container: 100% stainless steel and the perfect size for a sandwich. Ditch the plastic bags and use this instead!
Weesprout Bento Box: This stainless steel bento box is adorable and great to pack your preschooler’s lunch. The outer silicone makes them easy to hold.
Lalo Stainless Bento Box: We are loving these stainless steel and silicone bento boxes. There are 3 compartments to focus on packing a carb, protein, and fat source to create a simple and balanced meal. Code “EATPLAYSAY” saves 10%!
Snack Spinner: This one is so much fun for travel and daily use! It’s a great way to offer choices for your toddler and take foods on-the-go.
Lalo Snack Cup: This snack cup is food-grade silicone and comes with a lid. You can keep it airtight when it’s not in use! Code “EATPLAYSAY” saves 10%!
Stainless Steel Snack Containers: A great little set of containers for smaller snacks like nuts, berries, or dips. Each holds one cup of food.
Stainless Steel Travel Spoon and Fork with Case: This is another great set for older toddlers who bring lunch to preschool! It’s one of our feeding favorites. The carrying case is washable. You can put dirty utensils back in after use and wash when you get home!
Stasher Bags: These are plastic-free, fun and functional for snacks and meals out of the house. Made of silicone, they wash super well and are very durable.
Healthy Snacks for Toddlers & Preschoolers
Golden Farms Fruit Sauces: These organic pouches contain only ONE ingredient - whatever fruit flavor you pick! Great for introducing foods for the first time and taking on the go for a sweet snack with no added sugars.
Emmy’s Organics Cookies: Soft and a little crumbly, Emmy’s cookies are so yummy! You only need to eat 1-2 since they are dense! The variety pack is sweetened with organic coconut or agave syrup. Note: The Chocolate Chip flavor has organic cane sugar in the chocolate chips, but that is the only flavor that has a hint of added sugar!
Mission Meats Kids Beef Sticks: This small business makes grass-fed beef sticks for kids with mild seasoning! Because of the toughness of beef sticks, I recommend offering to littles 3 years old and older.
That’s It Fruit Bars: Some of my favorite snacks for myself and the kids! Made with ONLY fruit- just two ingredients- these bars are great to have on hand. For new chewers, offer small pieces for them to pinch and chew. The Mango Apple flavor is the squishiest!
Bear Fruit Rolls: The same ingredients as the Minis, just in a fun fruit roll up style! They come with a cool collectible card that your toddler will find enjoyable!
Whole Foods Organic Applesauce Pouches: If you’re looking for an unsweetened organic applesauce- this one is my pick!
Archer Grass-Fed Beef Sticks: Another grass-fed beef stick that we love! The miniature size is great for toddlers (you can cut up the beef stick into half circles and supervise!)
Dino Bars: These bars are gluten-free and vegan with no added sugar. These organic bars are great for toddlers!
Gimme Seaweed Snacks: These are a guilty pleasure of mine! Made with avocado oil, these seaweed snacks melt in the mouth! Offer to baby once they can chew, and this may be the snack that helps get your little one to eat things that are green!
Skout Bar - Fruit Variety Pack: Only 7 ingredients or less, gluten free, vegan, and sweetened with dates, these organic bars are soft, yummy and packed with nutrients. They are a great balanced snack for back-to-school!
Bare Baked Apples: A wholesome snack with one ingredient? Yes, please! One of our favorite healthy snacks! They’re really crunchy and sweet.
Solely Organic Fruit Gummies: These gummies have just two ingredients and are so delicious! No added sugar. Pop them in the fridge for a nice cool snack.
Best Closed-Toe Shoes for Preschoolers
See Kai Run Ryder II Sneakers: These shoes have a great flexible base and a wide toe! The strap is easy to pull off and put on, so great for littles working on independence. Sizing from little toddler to big kid, so great for first walkers and beyond!
Bronax Wide Toe Box Running Sneakers: One of the best sneakers with a wide toe box for preschoolers. The rubber soles provide good grip and traction for running and playing sports. Offers a velcro hook and loop closure for easy on and off.
New Balance Sneaker: New Balance is known for their wider toed shoes! One wide velcro strap makes for easy on/off and motivates your toddler/preschooler to do it themselves!
Leisfit Barefoot Shoes: Some of our favorite shoes for toddlers. Come with elastic ankle support with an option to tie. Affordable price, and better toe coverage than some other shoes!
WHITIN Barefoot Sneaker: Great wide toe and easy straps for on and off. Under $30 so a great cost effective option. They are some of the best shoes!
Felix & Flora Mary Janes: A good dress shoe for toddler girls! Flexible but sturdy, minimal heel lift, and a wide toe box.
Merrell Hiking Sneaker: These sneakers are designed for hiking so the grip is GREAT. They’re also great for climbing and jungle gyms.
Hobibear Sandals: These are the best toddler sandals! We love the durability and support they provide! Really affordable, too.
Keen Closed Toe Water Sandals: The quality is great! They keep feet cool. Durable closed-toe sandals that are great for running around. Machine washable, too!
Backpacks & Lunchboxes for Preschool
PackIt Playtime Lunchbox: Pop the whole lunchbox in the freezer because it has built-in ice packs that keep food cold for longer! Made with nontoxic materials, too. So cute!
PackIt Freezable Lunch Bag: No ice packs needed, just flatten this lunch bag and pop it in the freezer. These are a game changer for keeping things colder for longer!
FlowFly Double Decker Lunchbox: This one has great reviews! We like that it has an upper and lower chamber, making it easier to keep some items cold and others more room temp. This can be helpful for some littles who have sensory sensitivities.
Skip Hop Backpack: This backpack available in two different sizes, allowing you to choose the right size for your kiddo’s needs!
Itzy Ritzy Toddler Backpack: This backpack is the perfect size for toddlers and features two side pockets for drinks and a front zipper pocket to quickly access items. Alicia owns lots of Itzy Ritzy products and love how they’ve held up over 3+ years!
Bentgo Backpack: This bag is good for older toddlers and also has a loop to hold a Bentgo lunchbox.
Urban Infant Lunchbox: This lunchbox is bento-friendly and also has a clear pocket with allergy alert cards, making it perfect for daycare. This item also is from a small business and matches the Urban Infant backpacks in the Personalized section of this guide!
Simple Modern Toddler Backpack: The quality of Simple Modern products is always great for such a reasonable price point. They have the cutest patterns, and I love that you can get other items from them in matching patterns!
Bentgo Kids Lunch Bag: These come in lots of fun colors and prints for kids and can accommodate lunch and healthy snacks! It’s the perfect size for bento boxes.
Simple Modern Lunchbox: These have excellent reviews and match the Simple Modern backpacks perfectly. Fun prints to choose from as well! Simple Modern also gives 10% of their profits to nonprofits which is awesome.
Visual Schedules for Preschoolers
Melissa & Doug Daily Calendar: We love using this for our homeschool preschool routine! Use it to talk about the days of the week, the weather, and holidays coming up.
Melissa & Doug Responsibility Chart: A magnetic chart with visuals for different responsibilities and chores like: brushing teeth, putting clothes on, getting a bath, making bed, etc. And stars to reward behavior, too. Another chart that can grow with your child as they develop more independence and ability to contribute to the household!
Magnetic Chore Chart: This personalizable, affordable chore chart can help your preschooler with learning responsibility. It can also help with morning and evening routines. Your child can use the slider to check off when they’ve completed something!
Magnetic Daily Visual Schedule: This is a magnetic board that has 72 different magnets to lay out parts of the morning and evening routines. It also comes with stars to use for rewarding behaviors. This can definitely grow with your child!
Velcro Visual Schedule: A good quality product. The visual symbols on each card are easy to understand. It includes 35 visual symbols including hygiene routines, different types of errands, and fun outings like going to the park and playing with friends.
Morning & Bedtime Routines Chart: This is from the same company as the velcro visual schedule and comes with more symbols specific to morning and bedtime routines and additional velcro boards.
Godery Visual Schedule: A highly-rated and affordable visual schedule with sections for morning, afternoon, and evening. This is a great option to walk preschoolers through a daily routine!
Dinosaur Visual Timer: This timer allows kids to see the numbers counting down along with dots to see time passing visually as well. It plays a melody when time is up.
Visual Timer: It goes up to an hour. It provides a way for preschoolers to visually see time passing.
Books to Prepare for Preschool
Llama Llama Back to School: We love Llama Llama books over here! Llama Llama prepares for school - picks his lunch box, finds his cubby, etc. A great introduction to what going to school can look like!
Llama Llama Misses Mama: This book talks about Llama Llama going to school for the first time. He’s nervous and misses Mama, but starts to have fun. He is glad when he realizes his Mama will always come back to pick him up!
Daniel Goes to School: Alicia’s boys love these books, and they have great teachings! Daniel is scared when he realizes his dad won’t be staying with him at school, but then the book explains grown-ups always come back!
Bye-Bye Time: This book uses simple language to explain drop-off (bye bye time). It’s not forever, and “hello again” will be coming soon. Great for preparing your little and helping them cope.
Spot Loves School: Join Spot on his first day of school in this simple book!
Pete the Kitty’s First Day of Preschool: This one talks about all the fun things you do at preschool, and gets kiddos excited for all the activities they will do!
Rosie Goes to Preschool: A sweet book with fun and colorful illustrations. Rosie talks you through your first day at preschool!
Going to School - Toddler Prep Book: A Montessori-style book with real pictures that takes your child through what school will be like.
Preschool, Here I Come!: From drop-off, to how the classroom looks, and more, this book talks about all preschool has to offer!
The Night Before Preschool: A book that follows the meter of “The Night Before Christmas” - talks all about getting ready for school!
Time for School, Little Blue Truck: These are fun books for any transportation lover! Little Blue Truck and his friend Toad meet a bright yellow school bus on the road.
Time for School, Mouse!: We love books with Mouse! Read as Mouse searches to find all he needs to go to school!
Looking for more?
We compiled a list of must-have items for starting daycare and our favorite healthy snacks for kids!
