School Backpack Checklist – Free Printable

Sharing is caring!

Originally published August 2018 and updated August 5, 2020.

Use these two free printable school backpack checklists that help your child remember all the items to take to school and to bring home from school. It’s a simple organizing trick that really works. 

You’ve had a hectic day at work, now you’re rushing to get the kids started on homework and get dinner started. You’ve got way too many plates spinning and then bam! “Mo-ommmm! I forgot my _______ at school!”

It’s happened to all of us (more than once to many of us). As the mom of three, I know the struggle. What if I told you that you can save your sanity and teach your child responsibility at the same time?

As the parent of three and a parent educator for 25 years, I know that teaching our children independence and responsibility at any age (and at all ages) is a cornerstone of parenting. Children need to learn  to remember what to take to and from school in the same way that they need to remember to pay the electric bill and taxes as an adult.

This backpack checklist for school is a great tool to teach your child how to be responsible and organized – a skill that is invaluable in all stages of life.

Backpack Checklist 

The backpack struggle has two components:

• Remembering what to take to school
• Remembering what to bring home from school

And so, we have two school backpack checklists to make school organization simpler:

• The Take to School Checklist – This can be used at night to pack the backpack for the next morning or in the morning to make sure all needed items are in the backpack.
• The Bring Home Checklist – Your child can run down this checklist before leaving school to make sure all necessary items are packed up and coming home.

There are two ways to use the checklists:

• You can print these backpack checklists out and use them each day. Have your child physically check off each item on the list while packing the backpack.
• Or you can print them out and laminate them back-to-back to create a backpack tag. Attach the laminated backpack checklist tag to the backpack with a caribner and no lost checklists (and no more excuses).

You know your child best, so choose the option that will be most helpful. You may want to try both to see which works best for your child. And be aware that what works for one child may not work for the other (they like to keep us on our toes that way). 

Tip – You can print the checklist out full-size or reduce the size to make it easier to attach to the backpack. 

Backpack Checklist Supplies

• Card Stock Paper – This thicker paper helps hold up to real life kid use. 
• Backpack Checklists – Get your free copy of the checklists when you sign up for our free newsletter. Print out as many copies as you need.
• Laminator – I use a laminator to organize my children’s school morning routine, too. 
• Hole Punch – If you want to hang the checklist from your child’s backpack, simply punch a hole in one corner. 
• Carabiner Ring – This carabiner has ring to attach to the checklist and then use the carabiner to attach it to your backpack. 

Take to School Backpack Checklist

Your child should use this checklist to ensure that all needed items are packed in the backpack and taken to school. There is even a blank space so you can personalize it to your child’s specific needs.

Simply click on the image to download your free copy. 

Bring Home Backpack Checklist

Your child should use this checklist each afternoon while packing up to come home so that no items are forgotten as school. Again there’s a blank space available to add specific items.

More School Organization Ideas

• Back-to-School Morning Routine Printables
• 10 free Morning Routine Charts for Kids
• Morning Routine for School
• Organizing Kids’ Clothing
• Back-to-School Lunchbox Planner

And some fun free back-to-school printables:

• First Day of School Signs
• First Day of School Scavenger Hunt
• Library Scavenger Hunt
• 24 Free Lunch Box Notes for Kids

I teamed up with Vecteezy to create this exclusive school backpack checklist for you. These backpack checklists are exclusive for your use. Please share the link to this post with friends so that they can print their own free copies. If you’d like to create your own back-to-school organizing checklists, pop over and check out all the adorable icons, illustrations, and graphics available through both free and premium memberships. What organizing checklists would you create first? 

Be sure to pin so that you can find this great school backpack checklist resource year after year.

Check out all my simple back-to-school organizing ideas. 

For all of my best parenting tips and ideas, check out the table below. You can scroll though the table and look for ideas or search for specific ideas with the magnifying glass in the upper right-hand corner (on desktop). Click on the topic and then click through the specific article.