Essential Back-To-School Supplies for Preschoolers

As summer comes to a close and your little one gets ready to go back to (or start!) preschool, it’s important to be prepared! There aren’t many back-to-school supplies needed for your preschooler, but below are some essentials that will help keep your little one engaged and excited to learn.

For Home

For families that are doing online or homeschool preschool, or families that just want to keep their little one practicing their skills outside of the classroom, there are supplies you can keep stocked at home for your little one’s learning journey:

Alphabet and Counting Sets

ABC’s and 123’s in the form of blocks or puzzles, as well as different textures/materials (sponges, foam, etc), are great for letter and number recognition practice AND sensory exploration as part of their early childhood education.

Playdough

Playing with playdough works so many skills for your little one. They exercise creativity by creating different shapes. They work their fine motor skills by using their hands to mold as well as holding tools to cut and mold the playdough into shapes, numbers, and letters.

Tracing Sheets

Once your little one starts picking up crayons and pencils, it’s a great time to introduce worksheets where they can practice tracing! It will take some time until they start to follow the lines, but having the early childhood education sheets on hand helps encourage tracing letters, numbers, and shapes.

Storybooks

You can never have (or check out) too many books for your little one’s library, especially books that support social-emotional learning, as well as the special classics that you and your family grew up with. Reading with your little one creates time to bond and instills a love for learning that lasts all year round, not just during back-to-school season!

Matching Games

Learning is always more engaging for little ones when games are involved. Matching games in particular work cognitive skills, like short term memory and concentration. The best part is that there are matching games for all interests; featuring animals, planets, colors, whatever your little one loves to learn about!

For School

Teachers work hard to make their classrooms ready for their new students. Little ones can be prepared with some back-to-school supplies below, along with anything specified by your school or teacher:

Backpack  (if not provided by school)

Your little one’s first school backpack is essential for bringing water bottles or snacks, if needed; as well as taking home art projects, notes from teachers, etc.

Fidget Tools

Especially for little ones who need support staying focused or sitting still, fidget tools can be extremely beneficial for their early childhood education. When little ones are saying “see ya later” to their grown-ups for the first time, having something they can hold on to can be very soothing. Like Playgarden Prep, some schools may have fidget tools in the classroom already, but if your little one has one they prefer, it can be a big comfort, and it makes a great first day of school gift as well!

Extra Clothes

Accidents happen — it’s always good to be prepared! Bringing an extra outfit and underwear or diaper to keep at school and/or in their backpack is always a good idea. 

Donate to your Teacher’s Classroom

Teachers spend a lot of money to make the classroom a place your little ones love to be. Donating to your teacher’s classroom — whether it be back-to-school supplies, snacks, or lunch supplies — shows appreciation for the early childhood education professionals who are teaching your little ones every day.

Playgarden Prep wishes you a wonderful end of your summer and a successful school year!