Clothes and gym wear School supplies are one of those purchases where it’s easiest to overpay. Stores put out “everything for students” bundles as early as July, teachers’ lists usually don’t arrive until late August, and in the meantime parents stock up just in case. The result is always much the same: a second sharpener for the pencil case, a drawing pad that isn’t the right one, and a backpack picked for its design rather than for your child’s back.
This guide is built to help you avoid that. It shows what a school supplies list includes at each age, what’s worth buying right away and what can safely wait until the first week of school. At the top of the page you’ll find a ready-made list you can add to your phone and check off at the store.
What’s on a school supplies list?
Back-to-school shopping splits into four parts that you buy at different times and by different rules. Keeping them apart is the simplest way to avoid buying everything at once and buying things twice.
| Part of the list | What it covers | When to buy | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| School supplies | Writing, art and geometry supplies, pencil case, backpack | Basics in August, the rest once the teacher’s list arrives | This is where most of the excess comes from: buying “in bundles” |
| Notebooks and paper | Notebooks, pads, binders, covers | Once you know the subjects and what the teachers require | The ruling has to match the age, not the price |
| PE clothes and shoes | Two gym outfits, indoor gym shoes, indoor shoes for class | August (this is where sales really make sense) | Size: kids grow over the year, but don’t buy “for two years” |
| Gear for studying at home | Desk lamp, desk organizer, class schedule, alarm clock | September, once you see how your child really works | Most often bought too early and never used |
School supplies list by grade
The same list won’t work for a first grader and an eighth grader. Below is what gets added at each stage and what you can drop without regret.
| Stage | What gets added | What you no longer need | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st grade | Art supply kit, triangular pencils, indoor shoes, shoe bag, lunch box | - | 1st grade is when you buy the most, and the most goes unused |
| Grades 2-3 | Notebooks with narrower ruling, a first fountain pen, replacement paints | Pencil grips, wide ruling | Mostly replacing what’s been used up |
| Grades 4-6 | Compass, protractor, set square, basic calculator, binders and sheet protectors | Full art supply kit, coloring books | Each subject gets its own teacher, so more notebooks |
| Grades 7-8 | Scientific calculator, math reference tables, atlas, USB flash drive | Big pencil cases, crayon sets | The backpack usually needs replacing with a bigger one that supports the back better |
| High school | Scientific or graphing calculator, A4 notebooks, laptop or tablet | Most art supplies, a paper class schedule | Students usually know what they like to write with, so let them choose |
School supplies list for first grade
First grade is special for two reasons. First, parents don’t have a point of reference yet and buy more than needed. Second, the school provides some things, but nobody says so plainly before the first parent-teacher meeting.
| Item | Who provides it | What that means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Textbooks and workbooks | Usually the school (public funding for textbooks in elementary school) | Don’t buy them before the first parent-teacher meeting, with some exceptions |
| Art supply kit | Parents, but often bought together for the whole class | Ask at the meeting before buying your own, it’s easy to end up with a duplicate |
| Writing supplies | Parents | Triangular pencils or pencils with grips, two or three, not ten |
| Indoor shoes and a shoe bag | Parents | Required from the first day, don’t put this off |
| PE clothes | Parents | Confirm the requirements (for example, the shirt color) before you buy |
| Locker or cubby | School | Sometimes you need your own lock, a small thing that’s easy to forget |
School supplies - what to buy now and what can wait
Supplies are the most expensive and most detailed part of back-to-school shopping. You’ll find the full rundown in the list at the top of the page, here it’s about the order, because the order decides how much of it actually gets used.
| When | What to buy | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| Before the first day | Backpack, pencil case, pencils, eraser, sharpener, ruler, one spare notebook | Your child can’t start the first class without these |
| After the teacher’s list | Notebooks with a specific ruling, pads, folders, geometry tools | Requirements differ between grades and teachers, so this is where it’s easiest to buy the wrong thing |
| After the first week | Highlighters, sticky notes, organizer, extra pens | Only now can you see what your child actually uses |
| During the year | Replacement notebooks, glue, refills, paints | These get used up, so stocking up on them in August doesn’t help |
Clothes and gym wear
PE is mandatory in elementary and high school, so gym clothes are as sure a purchase as notebooks. A sensible minimum is two sets (one at school, one in the wash) plus separate indoor gym shoes that never get worn outside.
| Item | How many | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Gym T-shirt | 2–3 | No prints if the school requires a uniform PE outfit |
| Shorts or leggings | 2 | One longer pair for outdoor classes |
| Sweatsuit | 2 sets | One lighter, one for the colder months |
| Indoor gym shoes | 1 pair | Light-colored soles, many gyms won’t let you in without them |
| Indoor shoes | 1 pair | Easy for kids to fasten on their own, especially in 1st grade |
| Sports socks | 4-5 pairs | A separate stash so you’re not hunting for them on PE day |
Notebooks and books
With notebooks, one thing matters most, and it’s the easiest to trip over: the ruling. A small-grid notebook is useless for a seven-year-old, and a teenager doesn’t need wide ruling with extra guide lines.
| Stage | Ruling | Size and cover |
|---|---|---|
| 1st grade | Three guide lines, large grid | A5, thin cover, 16 sheets |
| Grades 2-3 | Two lines, standard grid | A5, 32 sheets |
| Grades 4-6 | Regular lines, grid | A5 or A4, 60 sheets for core subjects |
| Grades 7-8 | Regular lines, grid | A4 and a binder for note-heavy subjects |
| High school | Any | A4, spiral notebooks or a binder with filler paper |
How much do school supplies cost?
The cost depends mainly on the grade and on how much carries over from last year. Below is a rough guide to help you plan a budget, not prices of specific products, since those change from season to season.
| Stage | What drives the cost up most | Where you can really save |
|---|---|---|
| 1st grade | Backpack, art supply kit, a full set of supplies from scratch | Art supplies bought together for the class, an off-season backpack |
| Grades 2-3 | Replacing used-up materials, a first fountain pen | Most supplies carry over from last year |
| Grades 4-6 | Geometry tools, more notebooks, binders | Notebooks bought individually, not in ready-made bundles |
| Grades 7-8 | Scientific calculator, new backpack, reference tables and atlases | Used reference tables and atlases, their content doesn’t change every year |
| High school | Devices for studying, graphing calculator | Devices bought once every few years, not every September |
It’s also worth checking whether your family qualifies for back-to-school assistance. Programs and their rules change, so it’s best to confirm the current rules with your school district or the school.
When to buy school supplies
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| End of June | Go through what’s left from the school year, it’s usually enough for all of September |
| July | Backpack and shoes, if a good deal comes up. The rest can wait |
| First half of August | PE clothes, indoor gym shoes, basic supplies |
| After the meeting or the teacher’s list | Notebooks with the required ruling, pads, workbooks not covered by funding |
| First week of school | Buy what actually turned out to be needed |
