What Should I Put in My Backpack for School

Homework folder, pencil case, today's notebooks, water and lunch: what goes in your school bag, part by part.

Planner or assignment notebookWrite the homework down before the bell, not from memory at home.
Pencil caseEverything small lives in it, so the bottom of the bag stays clear.
Two sharpened pencilsOne to use and one for when the first one snaps.
Pens in blue or blackAsk which color your teachers want for written work.
EraserA block eraser lasts longer than the one on the end of a pencil.
School ID or lunch cardKeep it in the same small pocket every day.
House key on a clipClip it inside the bag, where it cannot fall out with your books.
Library book that is duePut it in the night before the day it is due.
Charged laptop or tablet, if your school uses oneCharge it overnight and slide it into the padded pocket.
Charger for your school deviceWind the cable and keep it in a pouch, so it does not knot round your pens.
Signed forms and permission slipsPut them in the homework folder the moment they are signed.
Book to readFor the ten minutes after a test or a wet lunch break.
Copy of your scheduleTape it inside a notebook cover until you know it by heart.
Phone, if your school allows itKnow the rule: off, silent or in a locker.
Bus pass or fareKeep it apart from your lunch money, so one never spends the other.
Homework folderOne folder that goes home and comes back, so finished work is never loose.

Next step Draw a lunch to pack Bag packed? Draw one chore

All 79 things for your backpack

Every day 16

Book to read For the ten minutes after a test or a wet lunch break.
Bus pass or fare Keep it apart from your lunch money, so one never spends the other.
Charged laptop or tablet, if your school uses one Charge it overnight and slide it into the padded pocket.
Charger for your school device Wind the cable and keep it in a pouch, so it does not knot round your pens.
Copy of your schedule Tape it inside a notebook cover until you know it by heart.
Eraser A block eraser lasts longer than the one on the end of a pencil.
Homework folder One folder that goes home and comes back, so finished work is never loose.
House key on a clip Clip it inside the bag, where it cannot fall out with your books.
Library book that is due Put it in the night before the day it is due.
Pencil case Everything small lives in it, so the bottom of the bag stays clear.
Pens in blue or black Ask which color your teachers want for written work.
Phone, if your school allows it Know the rule: off, silent or in a locker.
Planner or assignment notebook Write the homework down before the bell, not from memory at home.
School ID or lunch card Keep it in the same small pocket every day.
Signed forms and permission slips Put them in the homework folder the moment they are signed.
Two sharpened pencils One to use and one for when the first one snaps.

For class 17

Binder with dividers Handouts go behind the right tab on the day you get them.
Calculator Ask which kind your math class allows before you buy one.
Colored pencils A small set covers maps, graphs and diagrams.
Glue stick For worksheets that get stuck into notebooks. Check the cap is on.
Gym clothes and sneakers, on gym days In a bag of their own, so they never share space with your lunch.
Highlighters Two colors do the job: one for key words, one for dates.
Index cards Write one fact on each card and test yourself on the bus.
Instrument or art kit, on the day you need it Write a note in your planner the night before.
Loose-leaf paper A small stack is enough. Top it up on Sunday.
Notebook for each subject One color per subject makes the right one easy to grab.
Pencil sharpener with a lid The lid keeps the shavings out of your bag.
Protractor and compass Only in the weeks your math class is doing angles and circles.
Scissors with rounded tips Only if your class list asks for them. Keep them in the pencil case.
Short ruler A short one fits the pencil case. A long one bends in the bag.
Sticky notes Mark the page you need for homework before you leave the room.
Today's textbooks only Check the schedule, and leave the others at home or in your locker.
Wired headphones For the computer room. They need no charging and no pairing.

Lunch and water 10

Drink carton that seals Juice or milk for lunch. Water still goes in the bottle.
Fork or spoon Wrap it in a napkin and bring it home again.
Fruit that travels well Apples, clementines and grapes in a tub cope with a bag. Bananas do not.
Hard snack tub Hard sides keep crackers whole under a pile of books.
Lunch box Pack it the night before and add the cold things in the morning.
Lunch money, or a topped-up lunch account Check the balance on Sunday night.
Slim ice pack It keeps the lunch box cool until noon.
Small bag for wrappers Then peel and crumbs go in a bin and not in the bottom of your bag.
Snack for morning break Something that does not crush: an apple, crackers or a granola bar.
Water bottle that does not leak Stand it in the side pocket, away from your books.

For after school 12

Bike lock key Clip it next to your house key.
Clean shirt for after sport Roll it in a zip bag and put the worn one in its place.
Cleats or court shoes in a shoe bag Mud stays in the shoe bag and off your notebooks.
Deodorant For older students, after gym or practice.
Hair ties For gym, sport and science labs.
Homework for study hall or the bus Pick the piece that needs no computer.
Light jacket Afternoons can end colder than they started.
Note of who is picking you up Write it in your planner on days when the plan changes.
Second snack for a long day Practice and clubs run on more than lunch.
Small towel For after practice or a wet walk across the field.
Sports kit for practice Pack it the night before a practice day and hang the bag by the door.
What your club asked for this week Sheet music, a script, a chess set: check the message before you zip the bag.

Just in case 15

A few small bills or coins For a forgotten lunch or a bake sale.
Adhesive bandages For a paper cut or a new-shoe blister.
Card with a grown-up's phone numbers For the day your phone is flat or at home.
Folding umbrella It lives at the bottom of the bag until the day you need it.
Hand sanitizer For before lunch, when the line for the sink is long.
Hard case for your glasses It stops them being crushed under books.
Lip balm Heated classrooms dry your lips out by lunch.
Locker combination, written somewhere safe Inside your planner works. On the lock itself does not.
Pack of tissues For a cold that starts in second period.
Safety pin For a broken zip or a strap that gives up.
Small pouch for pads or tampons Keep a couple in an inside pocket, for you or for a friend.
Spare pen Pens run dry in the middle of a test, never before it.
Spare socks For a rainy walk to school.
Sweater for a cold classroom Some rooms run cold all year. Roll it up at the bottom of the bag.
Zip bag for a wet thing A leaky bottle or a rained-on hat goes in here.

Leave at home 9

Leave at home: a big pile of cash Bring what today needs and no more.
Leave at home: anything on your school's banned list Read the handbook once at the start of the year.
Leave at home: anything you could not bear to lose A bag gets dropped, kicked under seats and left on the bus.
Leave at home: books you do not need today Every extra book is weight you carry all day.
Leave at home: full-size bottles of anything Small sizes weigh less and spill less.
Leave at home: last month's handouts File them at home on Friday and keep the bag for this week.
Leave at home: open drinks and cans Only a bottle that seals belongs next to a laptop.
Leave at home: toys and trading cards They get lost, swapped or taken away until the end of the day.
Leave at home: yesterday's lunch box Empty the bag every night and nothing grows in the bottom.

How it works

What should I put in my backpack for school? Pack for today's schedule, not for the whole week. These 79 things cover every day, class, lunch and water, after school and just in case, with 9 to leave at home.

Read the full guide

If you pack only five things

Your homework folder, a pencil case, today's notebooks, a water bottle and lunch or the money for it. Check them against your schedule the night before and the morning is easy.

Empty it once a week

On Friday, tip the bag out. File old handouts at home, throw away the wrappers and put back only what Monday needs.

Give every small thing a pocket and put it back in the same one.

Questions and answers

What should I carry in my backpack?

What today needs and little else: the notebooks and books on today's schedule, a pencil case, your homework folder, a planner, a water bottle and lunch. On gym or club days, add the kit in a bag of its own.

What should I keep in my backpack?

The things that stay in all year: a pack of tissues, a spare pen, a few coins, adhesive bandages, a folding umbrella, a card with a grown-up's phone numbers and a zip bag for anything wet.

What should I put in my backpack for high school?

The same base, plus a binder with dividers, a calculator your math class allows, a charged laptop and its charger if your school uses one, and deodorant and a clean shirt for after practice.

What should I not put in my school backpack?

Books you do not need today, last month's handouts, toys and trading cards, open drinks, more cash than the day needs and anything on your school's banned list.