25 Amazon Must-Haves for Elementary Back-to-School Success (2025 Edition)
This may feel a little premature, but like it or not, back-to-school season is here! If you’re shopping for an elementary school student, Amazon has everything you need to get organized, excited, and stress-free. I was a teacher for 13 years, remember? I know what your kids REALLY need, and what their teachers would prefer they leave at home. I’ve also used each of these with my own kids, so you can trust they survive real school days! Whether you’re prepping for Kindergarten or 5th grade, this list has parent-tested favorites and teacher- and kid-approved essentials that will make the 2025 school year a breeze.
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School Supplies They’ll Actually Use
- Sturdy, colorful backpacks
- We usually get a Pottery Barn backpack and use it for a few years (since they can be pricey). I do find them on sale a lot and that makes their price comparable to most others. Bonus: you can throw these in the washing machine on school breaks – just make sure to shake ’em out over the trash can first in case you have rock collectors like mine. These Bentgo backpacks on Amazon look great too, and they come in lots of prints. They say to wipe clean, but I’d imagine you could probably still wash them on a gentle cycle and hang to dry.
- Insulated lunchboxes
- You can get a Bentgo lunch box to match your backpack! We use these and love them. They keep food cold and wipe clean really easily.
- Reusable snack containers
- Fine motor development-friendly pencil grippers, crayons
- Kids who struggle with handwriting often have a poor pencil grip. This leads to a lack of control and hands tiring easily while writing. Help your child develop the correct pencil grip early on and save them some trouble later!
- Ticonderoga pencils
- Yes, they’re better. Most other pencils just fall apart in the sharpener or while writing, and they’re frustrating for kids to use. They even make shorter, triangular, beginner pencils for children learning to write! Tip: get the pre-sharpened ones and earn MAJOR brownie points with the teacher for saving them so much time! I remember all the times that parents either brought pre-sharpened pencils, or even sharpened them for me – it’s just such a thoughtful thing to do.
Personal Care & Hygiene Items
- Mini hand sanitizer gels or sprays
- Refillable water bottles (Owala is our favorite – BPA-free, leak-proof)
- Face wipes / boogie wipes for young kids
- Aquaphor
- Kids are always getting chapped lips, noses, and dry knuckles (especially when they lose or refuse to wear gloves). Aquaphor works for all three problems, and this handy two-pack gives them one for their desk/cubby and one for their backpack.
Homework Helpers
- Headphones for iPad use
- I’m sorry, but earbuds just don’t work for most little kids. We like these for the volume limit, comfort, and fun colors!
- Whiteboards, sheet protectors, and dry-erase markers
- I love these options for working out math problems before transferring to the paper. Much easier to revise work, over paper and pencil. We like this set because it comes with markers AND erasers, as well as two dual-sided whiteboards. My daughter loves to play school with them too!
- Flash cards (math, sight words)
- Lap desk or portable work station
- I love this folding option with storage for writing utensils and paper
Fun Extras
- Bento box-style lunch containers
- My kids LOVE these – they don’t like their food to touch (me neither TBH). You can even get them in prints to match their lunch box. They last forever, too – I still have the first one I bought when my 7th grader went to kindergarten.
- Motivational lunchbox notes or jokes
- Fidget toys
- For focus, not distraction – I always allowed these in my classroom but check with your child’s teacher before sending. I like these sensory “worry stones” for a quiet option.
Bonus: Teacher Wish List
- Expo marker packs + dry erase board cleaner
- Seems like the whiteboards always became covered in gunk and grime throughout the year and then the markers wouldn’t write anymore. Dry erase board cleaning spray to the rescue!
- Kleenex, antibacterial wipes, or paper towels
- Seems like supply lists always ask for Clorox wipes, but I loved having Wet Ones instead! They are gentler so that kids can use them to disinfect their own stuff. I used the Clorox ones myself as needed, but for use around the kids, a container of Wet Ones or isopropyl alcohol wipes was like solid gold to me.
- If you’ve ever spent any time in a public school, you know the paper towels are not exactly helpful when there’s a major mess. Some decent paper towels will be MUCH appreciated by your child’s teacher!
- Magnetic clips
- I used these for EVERYTHING
- Flair pens or Sharpie pens
- Amazon gift cards
- Class treasure box goodies like suckers or water bottle stickers
- Class snacks
- Be careful to avoid allergens if possible. You can always check with the school or teacher to find out if there’s anything you need to avoid. If your child’s class has a snack time each day, the odds are pretty good that their teacher is providing those out of their own pocket, so sending something in will likely be a huge blessing to the whole class! If they are individually wrapped, even better – but not necessary as I’m sure they will be grateful with anything you can provide.
Back-to-school shopping doesn’t have to be a chore – it’s one of my favorite times of year. I love the excitement of a new beginning! With these Amazon must-haves for elementary school, you’ll set your child up for success — and maybe even a little excitement too. Don’t forget to bookmark or pin this list to refer back to every school year!
