21 products you actually need when your kid starts school for the first time — from a mom of 3

Being a mom is a constant string of decisions, and with three kids at three different stages I don’t have room for ones I have to make twice. My son is starting Pre-K in a few weeks and though it’s an exciting time for all of us, it’s also a source of stress for me. To get ahead of lunch box spills, wardrobe malfunctions, and double booking mistakes, I tested a bunch of school supplies and related items earlier this year and through the summer to get us ready for this special time in his life. The products below made our mornings easier, stood up to beatings from three kids, and outlasted their competitors. Every product on this list was researched, reviewed and tested by me and my three kids under 5 years old to spare other moms (and their kids) the time and money. Some are bargain finds that also turned out to be gems, some are splurges that I found worth the money. All will last through the school year and beyond. Meal Prep & Snack Time Feeding three kids at three different stages — purees for one, snacks every 45 minutes for another, a full lunch period for the oldest — means I live and die by whatever makes packing food faster and cleanup easier. My Pre-K son is about to eat lunch at school for the first time this year — new territory for us — and the two lunch boxes we tried with him this summer both failed in the same way: either the seal gave out and soaked his bag, or the food came out cold and separated enough that he refused to eat it. After three weeks with the OmieBox, neither problem has come up. It’s lightweight and easy for him to open and close himself, which should give him real independence at the lunch table once he’s on his own. The built-in insulated thermos has kept hot food actually hot every time we’ve tried it, and the separate compartments have kept everything else at the right temperature too. Multiple small compartments means more parts to keep track of, but it’s a downside worth all the advantages that come with it. Not every kid wants a whole compartmentalized lunch box, sometimes it’s just one hot meal, and that’s exactly where this container earns its spot in the rotation. It’s built with triple-layer insulation, including double-walled stainless steel, copper coating, and vacuum insulation, so it keeps food warm or cool for hours, not lukewarm by lunchtime like with plastic containers. The 2.4 cup capacity is enough for a real meal, soup, pasta or leftover without being bulky, and the leak-proof, airtight lid has a pressure release valve that makes it easy to open even right after packing something hot. It’s made from BPA-free, food-grade stainless steel, according to the brand, so it’s durable and odor-resistant even after months of the same soup or sauce going in it. For a kid who just needs one solid hot meal instead of a multi-compartment setup, this is the simpler, lighter option that still keeps food at the right temperature all day. These have earned permanent cabinet space in a house that goes through snack containers fast. Between a baby just starting solids, a toddler who snacks every 45 minutes, and a Pre-K son packing his own snacks, I went through plastic containers quickly last year, and half came home stained orange or smelling like whatever lived in there last. These don’t hold onto stains or smells, I send a different size for each kid, and they nest together instead of turning the cabinet into a pile of mismatched lids. Last year my son’s previous straw cups had a habit of vanishing into the bottom of his cubby with half-drunk contents, mostly because he could never quite twist them open on his own and eventually stopped asking. He’s about to be trusted with a “big kid” bottle at Pre-K for the first time, and for the past month he’s used this Owala tumbler at home. It’s the first one he’s fully managed himself — no help opening it, no lost straw, no forgotten bottle sitting untouched all afternoon. It hasn’t leaked once, and cleaning it at night is one simple task, not a disassembly project. A water bottle’s independence hinges on whether a four-year-old can actually operate it, and this is the one that’s cleared that bar every time we’ve used it. This is the meal service I trust without checking the label every time. It covers every stage under one subscription: purees and cereal for the baby, finger foods for the toddler, kids lunches and prepped “plates” for my Pre-K son. The food is made with organic ingredients, no added sugar, and everything ships frozen and prepped, just heat and hand it over. Backpacks & Lunch Boxes This is the category of items that take the most daily abuse in my house: Things get dragged, dropped, sat on and used as a step stool, so durability here isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a must. I was shopping for a new backpack for summer, school, and pretty much everything in between, so it needed to earn its keep beyond just the first week of Pre-K. My 2-year-old’s last one lasted about six weeks last year: the zipper stuck, the strap frayed, and it never fully wiped clean after a juice spill. She’s moving into the Toddlers program this year and is at the stage of I want to carry my own bag and immediately hand it back to you. Two months of daily use into this bag, the exterior water bottle pocket has kept hydration within reach without issue, and the durable material wipes clean instead of staining. The organized compartments mean everything has a place, and there’s an interior spot for a name tag, which will matter once I’m juggling bags for three kids at pickup. The detail that actually swayed me over a few similar-looking options is that State donates a portion of every purchase to children and families in need across the United States. This is the backpack I’d pick for a kid who’s outgrown a toddler mini but isn’t ready for a full-size pack. It’s roomy without being bulky, has a padded laptop compartment, two exterior side pockets, and a zippered front pocket that fits snacks, a water bottle and a small toy without crushing anything. It survived a spilled juice box and a rainy afternoon at the park with no soak-through. Plus it’s machine washable, tumble dry safe and 100 percent vegan. My Pre-K son wants everything in its own little section these days, and the racecar print of this lunch box has become his go-to for weekends and park days as we gear up for school. Food stays put inside of it instead of turning into a crushed, sauce-soaked mess by noon, and it wipes clean easily instead of soaking through. We’ve used the box every weekend for the past two months, and the metal zippers still work as smoothly as day one, unlike the plastic ones on his other lunch boxes. Come fall, it’s the one I’m planning to grab on field trip days or whenever the OmieBox is in the wash. At two, my daughter isn’t carrying much of her own lunch yet, but I wanted something that looked put together without me having to think about it every morning, and that wouldn’t fall apart after a few months of school handling it. This lunch tote’s been in regular use around the house and on outings for a few weeks now, and the structured, reinforced base and sturdy top handles haven’t collapsed even when it’s not completely full. The garden print sits on a durable canvas-style exterior that wipes clean without any lingering stains, and the lined interior has handled a couple of leaky pouches without turning into a project. It’s simple enough that staff should be able to grab it and go without instructions, and it already looks like an actual nice bag, not just a plain lunch sack. I’ve bought a lot of pencil cases that didn’t survive a semester. Pre-K means small supplies my son needs to track, and these solve the everything-loose-in-the-backpack problem the flimsy zippered pouches never did. The rubber construction survives being tossed into a cubby without cracking, and he’s stayed on top of keeping it zipped since he picked the color himself. Plus, you can personalize the case so it’s never mixed up with anyone else’s. Regular colored pencils in my house have a lifespan of about a week before they snap in half or wear down to a nub that needs sharpening every five minutes, which is not great when my son is supposed to be finishing homework, not hunting for a sharpener. These are mechanical, so there’s no sharpening at all, just a click to advance the lead. The set comes with 12 pastel pencils and 24 matching refills, so a snapped or worn-down lead means clicking in a new one mid-worksheet, not tossing the whole pencil and losing momentum. I was skeptical of the thinner mechanical lead at first — my past experience with kids and mechanical pencils has been a lot of snapped tips. But he presses hard the way he always does, and with daily drawing over the summer, he hasn’t broken one yet, which I’m crediting to the thicker 2 millimeter lead. They travel well in a pencil case with no sharpened tip to break off, and the pastel shades have already become the ones he reaches for first, ahead of homework and quiet-time coloring once school starts. Clothing Between a Pre-K boy who needs to dress himself in less than two minutes, a toddler girl who fights every piece of clothing on principle, and a baby who ruins an outfit before 9 a.m., clothing in my house has to survive a lot more than a spin cycle. Here are my top picks for the kids. “Let’s stay inside because it’s raining” doesn’t fly with three kids, and recess doesn’t stop for weather. The taped, welded seams of this jacket and a genuinely high waterproof rating held up through two real thunderstorms this summer with no leaking at the shoulders. This isn’t a jacket I expect to replace next season, it’s the kind of piece built to outlast the kid currently wearing it. Sizing runs about an inch bigger than U.S. brands, which felt like a gamble when I ordered it, but that extra room is the point. This jacket is built to go from my daughter now to her little brother when he’s old enough, and eventually whoever comes after him. Reima’s been making kids’ outerwear since 1944, and it shows in the construction: taped seams, reinforced knees and elbows, real pockets, all made with sustainably sourced materials meant to survive more than one kid’s rough play. For something that’ll get handed down two or three times, the extra cost upfront starts to feel like a smart decision instead of a splurge. Finding pants that survive my son has been harder than it should be: most rip at the knees within a few months, and I find myself rebuying the same basics every season. He’s worn these almost daily through a summer of playground time and general chaos, and there isn’t a hole in sight yet. They come in a handful of colors, blue, black and tan, so he won’t be wearing the same pair three days a week once school starts. They’re in daily rotation because I have zero interest in fighting a button or zipper before drop-off, and he can get dressed independently. The quick-drying, moisture-wicking fabric dries out fast, and the stretch hasn’t loosened or thinned out the way cheaper leggings usually do by this point in a season. Starting a new school is a lot for a toddler. It’s a new building, new teacher — new everything. This sweatshirt and jogger set has colorful doodle graphics and phrases like “You Are a Star” and “Don’t Give Up” on the front and back, so it’s an easy grab-and-go outfit that also encourages a potentially scared kid. My husband can pull it straight from the drawer without needing instructions, and they make a varsity matching set for my Pre-K son too. The fabric is a soft cotton blend, and the elastic cuffs and waistband have made it through weeks of park visits and backyard play without stretching out. One note: It runs a bit big, so size down if your kid is between sizes. This is the jacket I reach for the second the temperature drops. It’s an actual must-have once cold days hit, not just a nice-to-have. With three kids, cold-weather layering is the last thing I want to think about on a rushed morning, and this puffer has made it a non-issue. My daughter wore hers all last winter, and despite playground mud and more than a few spills, it still looks like it did on day one. It’s built with an extra-insulating down alternative filling made specifically for genuinely cold days, so it’s held up on even the harshest drop-off mornings without additional layering. What actually sold me is the pack-away design: The jacket folds neatly into its own attached pouch when it’s not in use, so it’s not taking up half a backpack once the weather warms up, it just clips onto it. It’s machine washable on cold (unless you pick the faux fur-trim option) with a low tumble dry, no dry cleaning, no special handling, which is exactly why hers still looks new heading into a second season. These slip-on sneakers are built for kids who are still mastering laces. The design uses a stretchy, sock-like collar that pulls on and off in seconds, so your kid can get dressed and out the door without a fight over shoelaces. Underneath, a lightweight midsole keeps things cushioned for all-day wear. I ordered these online from Famous Footwear along with a few other pairs for the season, including rain boots and winter boots. They had a BOGO deal, which made stocking up for a fast-growing kid a lot easier on the wallet. Prices are affordable across the board, and the quality holds up just as well as what you’d get at any other retailer. This is the system that ended our school-week morning chaos. It includes six shelves labeled Monday through Friday plus weekend space, so I load a full week at once instead of scrambling daily. It comes as a two-pack, so we have one for each toddler. Loaded with a full week of clothes, the shelves haven’t sagged, and they mounted onto the closet rod in five minutes with no tools. What’s made them stick, though, is that my kids can use the shelves themselves. Each shelf is labeled clearly enough that even my 2-year-old can point to today’s spot, and my son grabs his own outfit off his shelf without asking me what he’s wearing. There’s no more me pulling clothes the night before or negotiating over an outfit at 7 a.m. — they walk over, find their day, and get dressed. It’s turned picking an outfit into something they do instead of something I do for them, and there’s a real sense of pride in it for both of them because they feel like they’re getting themselves ready, not just being dressed. Worth the closet space it takes up. Safety & Family Tech With three kids on three different schedules and pickups that will rotate between me, my husband, and occasionally a grandparent once school starts, this is the gear I’m counting on to keep everyone on track. This one’s technically built for kids 6 to 11, and my son is 4.5, but he was hooked from the first time we let him test it. Being able to call us straight from his wrist felt like a superpower to him, he thought it was the coolest thing in the world, and he’s used it to snap photos and FaceTime us just because he could. He’ll be in an aftercare program some afternoons this year where pickup rotates between me, my husband and occasionally a grandparent, and the location tracking has been accurate every single time we’ve checked it, no vague radius, no lag. Everything runs through the Verizon Family app, so I can turn features on and off depending on the time of day: location tracking on during aftercare, calling off during class — that kind of control. I get an alert the moment the watch comes off, and starting a video call takes seconds from my phone whenever I want to check in. Our old system was sticky notes and a group text asking “is today a half day?” at 7 in the morning. With three kids on three school calendars, different dismissal times and picture days landing with zero coordination, my brain couldn’t hold it all. Now every schedule lives in this one Skylight smart calendar, and it’s already caught two conflicts before they became a problem. The kid-friendly Skylight Buddy lets my Pre-K son run his morning routine on his own, no more repeating the list on loop. The device walks him through each step visually, with simple icons and prompts sized for a Pre-K attention span. He taps to check things off as he goes, which gives him a sense of ownership — this is his routine, not just a list I’m nagging him through. And because it’s consistent every single day, he’s memorized the flow faster than I expected, which means he needs me less and less each morning. Home, Sleep & Keepsakes This is the stuff that lives at home or in a daycare cubby rather than in a backpack, but still has to survive daily wear, three kids’ worth of destruction, and a few milestones worth remembering. This is one of the few things I bought that I expect to still be using in a few years, not just through this school year. It’s become neutral ground between my daughter and my Pre-K son over the past couple of months. It’s low enough for both of them to use independently, with built-in storage that keeps art supplies and toys off my floor. The table and chairs are solid wood with a smooth, splinter-free finish, and the tabletop is scratch- and stain-resistant, which has already been tested by a summer’s worth of markers. Right now it’s where my son practices letters in the afternoon and where both kids color in the evening, no furniture swapping required. Solid wood construction means this isn’t a piece I’ll be replacing as they grow, it’s one built to keep working as their activities change and eventually pass down to their baby brother. The chairs nest fully under the table when not in use, keeping the footprint small in the meantime. Teacher gifts are a category I refuse to overthink, and this tote has become my default. It gets used at school, the grocery store, on errands, and comes in enough colors that three teachers’ gifts don’t look identical. The canvas is strength-tested to hold up to 500 pounds, which tracks: Mine hasn’t frayed or sagged after months in and out of the car. It has five pockets total, including a snap-closure pocket and a built-in key strap. Why trust NBC Selected? I’m a mom who’s tested children’s gear through the most realistic daily scenarios — with three kids under the age of 5 years old in tow. I’ve written stories about the products that make beach days with small kids easy, and the best no-screen travel toys that your kids will actually play with. The products that make my lists solve actual parenting problems. I tested several products throughout the summer and beyond to come up with this list of items that will help parents with children going to school for the first time — including the ones that have stood up to toddler beatings and have made rushed mornings easier. Catch up on NBC Select’s in-depth coverage of tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok to stay up to date. [Image text:] little spoon. Pinchable pu