We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. A pack of Elmer's glue sticks because let's face it, children go through glue like it's *candy.* With this value pack, you can ~stick~ with a tried and true brand at nearly the same price as its generic (aka clumpy!) counterparts. Added bonus: these goes on purple and dry clear making it kids to see exactly where they applied the glue.
Promising review: "These were purchased for my son for school. What a deal! You get 30 glue sticks for $8.50. Now that is what I call a value buy. You can't even get that price at the local stores during the whole back to school sales. The cheapest you can get is $0.50 each (roughly). My son didn't need this many glue sticks but I couldn't complain about the price. He was able to take most of it to school to have plenty for backup, keep some for home use, and share some with his little cousin for their daycare activities. My son has stated the glue sticks are pretty adhesive." —Laura
Get a pack of 30 from Amazon for $8.20.
2. A pack of cult-favorite *pre-sharpened* Ticonderoga #2 Pencils but in ~neon colors~ (with standard graphite) so your kiddo can feel fancy-schmancy while writing essays.
Promising review: "The pencils are great. My kids love the bright colors and I appreciate that they come sharpened, so we can just throw the pack in their school bags and they're good to go! We'll definitely be getting more through the school year--thanks for making it easy to check pencils off the list!." —Adrienne Cooper
Get a pack of 10 from Amazon for $4.19.
3. A Crayola crayon set boasting 152 crayons to ensure each one of your kids has an *infinite supply* and all the colors they could possibly want (including metallic and glitter crayons) to save you from listening to them squabble over crayons ever again. Added bonus: It comes with a storage caddy and a crayon sharpener.
Promising review: "My daughter LOVES these crayons. Apparently has every color a 7-year-old would need (ie: neon, glitter, novel colors). She loves the caddy and the names of all the colors. Bonus is the sharpener that is included. It is small enough that she can take it to school and place it on her desk. Amazon had the best price so purchased it here. Was slightly concerned that they would come damaged- but came totally intact. Would be a nice gift." —SYK
Get a pack of 152 from Amazon for $15.37.
4. A pencil pouch that brilliantly turns into a pencil cup. Simply pull the top half down to fish out your pens and pencils easily. I mean, how can it not look ~purrfectly~ adorable sitting on any desk?
Promising review: "I love this case. It's exactly what I've wanted since high school. No more sifting through pens and highlighters for the color I need every time, no more laying them out in the table, and inevitably knocking them off said table. I can truly work absolutely anywhere now. The cat is adorable and makes me smile. The function is smooth and I can operate the whole thing single handed. This is beyond worth the money." —AylaJayn
Get it from Amazon for $8.99 (available in five colors).
5. Or a stinkin’ cute personalized case to keep all their pens and pencils handy and start the school year off on a cheery note.
Cost Custom Creations is a small biz based in Groton, Massachusetts owned by a mama of three that specializes in personalized gifts.
Add your child's name in the box to personalize the case. BTW, if you have your own box and just need just the decal, you can select the decal-only option for $5.
Promising review: "Beautiful pencil box with quick shipping! My daughter can’t wait to show it off at school. 💗" —Tanika Posey
Get it from Cost Custom Creations on Etsy for $14.95.
6. A Fortnite backpack that'll basically blow any Fortnite fan's mind and will have them *actually* looking forward to Monday so they can show off their cool new gear to classmates. (Reviewers say they were pleasantly surprised by the high quality of this book bag!)
Promising review: "Durable, and great design. I bought this for my 6-year-old, he is very rough on his stuff. This book bag was made for him lol. It has a laptop/tablet slot inside so it keeps his tablet safe and protected. It's big enough inside for school supplies/books. It's big enough for my high schooler too, so very roomy. Definitely worth the price! My son loves it." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $18.62+ (available in 9 styles).
7. Or a Disney Cars backpack to have your little Lighting McQueens chanting "I am speed" as they challenge you to a race while walking to preschool.
Promising review: "My son loves his Lighting McQueen backpack. It fits him just right, he's a tall 3-year-old. He likes to take it to school and play with it in the sand. It's a great substitute for toys especially when he is not allowed to bring toys with him to school. He feels like Lighting McQueen is with him always. #1 fan" –JeremiahAZ
Get it from Target for $18.99.
8. A pack of sticky note divider tabs so you can mark places in your textbooks *and* jot down notes to self. Def an upgrade from Post-it flags, amirite?
Promising review: "These are the coolest things I never knew I couldn’t live without! Now I use them constantly. I mark thing in textbooks and am able to write a little blurb about what I’m marking the page for but still stay super organized. I also use them as dividers in my notebooks to separate notes on different subject matters instead of carrying around several notebooks. These are priceless!" —Jgoff
Get a pack of 60 notes from Amazon for $5.79.
9. A pack of ~ink-credible~ fine-tip pens that won't bleed through paper and make color coding notes a silky smooooooth experience. Basically every student's dream come true!
Promising review: "I bought these for my daughter and she loves them! She uses them at school and at home. They don’t bleed at all and they write perfectly. All the kids are asking her where she got them! She highly recommends them! Great product for an awesome price!" —Laura
Get a pack of 18 from Amazon for $7.99.
10. An accordion folder with separate pockets for each subject so you can finally Marie Kondo the heck out of your kiddo's schoolwork. Not to mention, that smiley face on the cover will never fail to perk up your little scholar.
Promising review: "AMAZING folder for school!!! I love this folder! My mom got it for me to get organized at school. It has six sections so I have an assigned section for everything. It’s VERY durable. None of my papers have fallen out. I can even hold it upside down with all the papers not falling out. One of my favorite folders by far." —Lan-Dai
Get it from Amazon for $9.58 (available in nine colors).
11. A pack of Pink Pearl cap erasers that'll actually withstand the ~test~ of time. Reviewers say these last wayyyy longer than the flimsy ones found in local stores.
Promising review: "Best pencil top erasers in the world. Period. These erasers are awesome. As a homeschooling mother of seven, we got through erasers so fast. Usually I just grab a 40-pack of pencil top erasers from the dollar store, Walmart, or the office supply store. NEVER. AGAIN. Those do not compare to these. These stay on tightly, are very firm, and erase like a dream. I will never go back, you hear me? Never go back. It would be every teacher's dream if it would rain these erasers on school grounds, I swear it. They are that terrific. In case you are still questioning whether I like them... haha." —C. Anderson
Get a pack of 144 from Amazon for $6.88.
12. A pair of sparkly Unicorn scissors a ~cut above~ other scissors because they're designed for righties or lefties. Plus, these will add magical vibes to any humdrum schoolday.
Yoobi is a small biz based in Los Angeles that donates a school supply item to a child in need in the USA, each time you purchase a Yoobi product.
BTW, if your kiddo isn't into unicorns, check out these other ridiculously cute Yoobi scissors!
Promising review: "Super cute! My daughter is obsessed with unicorns so this was a must have for her lol" –Janean Rose
13. A pack of Astrobrights construction paper that are ~astronomically~ more vibrant than your regular 'ol construction paper and will add a fun pop of color to any art and craft project.
14. An electric pencil sharpener because "I enjoy sharpening pencils manually" — said no parent, ever. Reviewers say it sharpens in seconds without making a mess, and holds a TON of shavings so don't have to empty it often.
Promising review: "When back to school time comes around I spend a good hour or so sharpening dozens of pencils with a manual pencil sharpener. Between the pencil lead constantly breaking off (and having to dislodge it!) to hovering over a wastebasket in an attempt to contain all the pencil shavings to sore hands from all the twisting I've gotten quite sick of it. I ordered this electric pencil sharpener and I'm kicking myself for not doing it sooner. It is the best thing ever. You can go from a brand new, never sharpened pencil to a fully sharpened pencil in about 20 seconds. I've not had a single pencil lead break inside it yet. The pencil shavings are neatly collected in the plastic compartment; no more sharpening pencils over a wastebasket and getting your hands covered in graphite! When you aren't using it you can simply unplug it and tuck it away." —TheCatLady
Get it from Amazon for $14.88.
15. A pack of waterproof name labels with a a hint of ~pearly sparkle~ that reviewers say will *actually* stay put on all kinds of school supplies so you can rest assured your kiddo will return home without missing crayons or markers.
Twinkle Label is a small biz based in Los Angeles founded by a mother of one, who became obsessed with making sure all of her daughter’s belongings were labeled after her daughter entered preschool, but didn’t like the quality of many of the labels she used.
To personalize the labels, choose one font and place the order in your cart. At check out in the "note to seller" box, please write the name you want. Please write one word.
Promising review: "I really like these labels so far. Since the kids won't be sharing school supplies this year and need everything labeled. These labels are great since you get so many. All the others I looked at were so much more expensive."—terribeth07
Get a pack of 240 from Twinkle Label on Etsy for $9.99.
16. A leakproof, dishwasher-safe bento lunch box because this is the ONLY lunchbox I will ever use for my kids (and I've tried many brands). The compartments make it easy to pack perfectly portioned lunches. Did I mention it has taken a beating from my preschooler and is still going strong?
Promising review: "I bought three of these so that I could easily pack my kids’ school lunches and WOW, I love them so much! The serving sizes are perfect, they are relatively easy to clean (the removable tray is dishwasher safe for the top rack), and I swear my kids are eating more well-balanced meals just because of the fun presentation. If you need an extra compartment, just put in a cupcake liner and make your own (see photo). I also love that I am no longer washing multiple little Tupperware containers nor am I going through boxes of small sandwich bags. These are environmentally friendly, super cute, and so functional! I LOVE them!"—Kayla
Get it from Amazon for $27.99 (available in three colors).
17. And an iridescently pretty insulated lunch bag if you're looking for one that'll perfectly fit the above Bentgo lunchbox and even a small juice box. The best part? It won't break the bank.
18. Or if you're looking for a smaller bag, a mini freezable snack box with built-in cooling technology that you can clip onto their backpack to keep snacks cold all day long at school.
Promising review: "Love this bag. My daughter gets lunch in the cafeteria, but has snack time. This pack is perfect for sending along cheeses, fruits, or Gogurts. It's keeps everything nice and cool and the ice packs are usually still partially frozen by the time she gets home from school. I love that I don't have to pack ice packs." —Mariana
Get it from Amazon for $12.99+ (available in 10 colors and prints).
19. A Samsung Chromebook for parents looking for an entry-level workhorse that'll allow the kiddos to get their homework in no time — without shelling out $$$.
Promising review: "I like this Chromebook. It's perfect for my seventh-grader to do her homework and also for entertainment." —Adetokunbo Asaye Bobmanuel
Get it from Amazon for $119.99.
20. A pack of ingenious Sharpie highlighters with see-through tips that lets you see the text you’re highlighting for even more precision. Where were these when I was in school?
Promising review: "Hands-down some of the best highlighters I've ever used! Trust me, I go to law school so I've gone through a lot of different highlighters and these I would definitely buy again! They don't soak through the paper like some highlighters and the clear view is a must have! I could never stop with out going over onto the next sentence but finally I can stop exactly where I want to!" —Amazon Customer
Get a pack of eight from Amazon for $8.98.
21. A two-pack of truly spill-proof Contigo Trekker Autoseal water bottles if you're fed up of dripping wet backpacks because the kiddos don't properly close water bottles. This bottle (aka the answer to every parent's prayers!) boasts an ingenious one-touch lid that automatically seals between sips so you can say goodbye to leaks and spills!
Promising review: "These are great cups, we now have five of these for the kids lunches and I've never had one leak. They are easy for the kids to use and are the perfect size for their lunch bags." —burnem79
Promising review: "I love these water bottles. My kid has been through so many water bottles with the same problem: either they were difficult for her to open or close, or they leaked and wet her backpack. These though are perfect: after drinking, she doesn’t have to worry about making sure the lid is tight enough since it closes by itself. Perfect size as they fit in her lunch box and bottle holder well. Highly recommend to any parent whose kid might not be the most careful with closing their water bottles." —SW
Get a pack of two from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in three color combos).
22. A comfy nap mat with a built-in pillow and blanket guaranteed to make your little one feel at home and become their favorite snuggly spot for naptime at daycare, preschool, or kinder.
Wildkin is a small biz based in Nashville, Tennessee that specializes in kid's school gear, travel gear, bedding, and playroom furniture.
Promising review: "Awesome nap mat!! My daughter recently switched schools and now naps on mats instead of cots. I was a little worried about the transition and so I purchased this item (vs. other cheaper options which did not seem to be as high in quality) and it worked out fabulously. She had a week to get acquainted with the mat and even slept with it next to her in her bed (rolled up) at night! I love that the pillow is easily removed for washing and the mat rolls up neatly for storage while not in use. The carry handle is also a bonus for the parent with loaded arms, juggling a preschooler, backpack with lunch and nap mat every Monday morning : ) Love it!!" —lisa
Get it from Amazon for $59.99 (available in 17 prints).
23. A personalized nylon backpack they'll proudly show off to all their classmates their first day back.
Glamorosa is a small biz based in Puyallup, Washington, owned by a mom of two, that specializes in unique items to help you stay organized.
Select the bag color and the number of patches from the dropdown menu, and then specify the letters and colors of letters you would like in the personalization box. Don't forget to add the placement of the letters!
Promising review: "This may be my favorite thing I’ve ever purchased on Etsy. I wanted a custom backpack for my daughter but didn’t feel like getting one of the busy potter barn ones everyone seemed to have. This is SO CUTE and AMAZING quality. I hope it lasts forever!" —Emily Shrader
Get it from Glamorosa on Etsy for $60+ (available in six colors).
And before the first day rolls around, don't forget a chalkboard sign set so you can take approx. a million photos of your little munchkin's first day of school. I'm not crying, you're crying.
The double-sided sign comes with chalk in yellow, blue, and pink colors.
Promising review: "I ordered this with my daughter starting kindergarten in 2 days. Well it took me forever to decide, but with most of them you had to buy the chalk markers and the reviews on the boards were not so great. Not only is this board bigger than expected, it is not at all flimsy, it does have a good firm thickness to it, and the included chalk is PERFECT for what you use it for, it glides on super smooth. Oy wrote her favorite color because they meet there teachers the day before school. Thank you for an awesome board that is not only durable but also is budget friendly. If stored correctly could use throughout the whole elementary years!" —Shannon Anderson
Get it from Amazon for $13.97.
The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.
Looking for the perfect gift for any occasion? Check out all of BuzzFeed’s gift guides!
