Preschool Must-Haves for Kids, Parents, and Teachers!
This list of preschool must-haves include some favorite picks for teachers and parents from a four-time mother! When you’re done, check out my favorite travel activities for toddlers too. This post contains affiliate links and gifted product.
There’s something magical about preschool, from both the parents’ and teacher’s perspectives. For teachers, they are guiding the youngest students, and watching them go from toddlers to first graders.
And parents are sending off their little babies for new learning experiences.
This year, A is starting her first year in a big school’s preschool. While she was in a preschool program last year for Pre-K, she is repeating in the large school we plan to send her to. And Baby Jay – yes, my tiny baby – is starting in a nursery program for 2-year-olds. It’s not quite preschool, but it’s more structured than day care.
To celebrate this unique milestone, I decided to create this list of preschool must-haves for both teachers and parents, to share with you some fun ways to make the school year go smoother! Most of the teacher ideas are great for parents too – I just decided to group those together as specifically for teachers, to make the skim easier for teachers looking too!
Preschool Must-Haves for Teachers
If you’re a parent and looking for a great gift for teachers, these ideas are fabulous. They are also great finds for your own home for the new school year.
If you’re a teacher, these must-haves will help the transition to the new school year go smoother.
The Self-Regulation Workbook for 3- to 5-year-olds
When it comes to big emotions, preschoolers are masters at… not quite mastering them! The Self-Regulation Workbook for 3- to 5-year-olds is unique in that it combines information and actionable activities for kids. It addresses both teachers and parents – and anyone in a child’s “village”.
I’ve found loads of activities to try with A to help with those meltdowns and challenging moments. Especially when big changes come around, these big emotions can get hard to handle without the right tools. It’s a win, and a must-have for preschool teachers and parents!
Craftzilla Colored Masking Tape
Colored masking tape is a power tool in a preschool classroom for a few reasons! First of all, I personally like using it as a craft supply with my kids for building fine motor skills. The kids love playing with tape, and they can create all sorts of fun collages and crafts with it.
Craftzilla’s 11-pack of colored masking tape is also a super cool organization tool – perfect for color coding! Assign kids a certain color, use them to label days of the week, or subjects. It’s got all the functionality of masking tape, plus color!
You can grab a stack of tapes on its own, or check out their craft supply kit, that comes with preschool-friendly spring scissors, as well as a stack of colored paper.
Surebonder Mini Cordless Hot Glue Gun
A hot glue gun can be a preschool classroom power tool, but I love Surebonder’s mini cordless version. You can plug it in far away from kids, take to the spot it’s needed (for example, your bulletin board), put back out of reach of the kids between uses.
It comes with a stand with a built-in drip pad and has a fine nozzle that’s fabulous for detail work.
Chunkies Paint Sticks
If you haven’t yet heard of paint sticks, I am more than pleased to make the introduction! These solidified tempera pain “glue sticks” are spot-on for everyday applications and any time you need to color. I like to use them for quick-drying party crafting but they’re perfect for keeping things neater in the classroom too!
They have thick, solid coverage (like paint) and work on materials like canvas, wood, posterboard, and more. And yes, brand matters! While off-brands are okay for some materials, with paint sticks, the wrong brand can be too soft or degrade with time (and I’ve even had some mold). Chunkies has stood the test of time – a pack lasts me (at home) for years.
Elmer’s Color ‘n Glitz Glue Sticks
Elmer’s took the “disappearing purple” glue stick concept to the next level with their Color ‘n Glitz glue sticks – that dry clear!
Preschool Must-Haves for Parents & Kids
Here are a few favorite picks for those preschool must-haves that are on your list!
Stonz Cruisers
When you have a little one with chubby feat, it can be hard to find the right shoes (we’ve gone through so many with J.) Stonz Cruisers are so easy to get on and off. It’s got a hook and loop strap that opens wide to reveal a tongue that peels far back, so that chunky feet can get right in! They are breathable, vegan, and non-toxic, making them perfect for those little feet.
The strap style means that they can be closed looser or tighter, depending on how narrow the foot is. And many preschoolers will even be able to take them on and off on their own!
It’s roomy and flexible, perfect for those kids who are still mastering the correct gait, as many preschoolers still are. We found them to be easy for kids to play and move around in – a must for preschoolers!
DIY Marky
When it comes to preschool, labeling EVERYTHING is a must. Kids often forget which things are theirs (especially early in the year when it’s all new) and preschoolers just don’t have the executive functioning skills to keep track of it all.
After wasting a fortune on custom name labels for camp, we discovered DIY Marky – the preschool must-have labeling solution! With four kids in the family, this is the perfect labeling solution for everyone, not just the preschoolers. In the package, you get a self-inking stamper (yes, the ink pad is replaceable) that is blank. It has three sets of ridges for applying the included rubber character inserts.
Simply arrange the first and/or last name, and even phone number on the rows and stamp! Replace the top line with the first name for each sibling.
The stamper works on multiple materials and yes, you can stamp directly onto lighter fabrics and loads of school supplies! The kit comes with dishwasher safe labels for those lunchboxes and water bottles, as well as iron-on ribbon to stamp for darker fabric labels. This is truly an all-in-one affordable solution that is so easy to use for labeling everything!
Reading Eggs
When it came to grade placement for A, we faced a huge dilemma. Her birthday is close to the deadline, and she’s a smart and sassy little girl, who is TOTALLY ready to learn how to read. So do we keep her back in pre-K (which is more in line with the school deadline) or move her up to Kindergarten?
We decided to hold her back for social emotional purposes – but figured, why not let her learn how to read too? Reading eggs provides the perfect structure for that, with games, sight words and more. It takes kids through learning from A to Z literally!
After completing each letter in the app, you get access to printable worksheets to expand their knowledge, and allow them to practice the letter structure in a more real-life environment.
They also have fun workbooks that are perfect for at-home support for kids who need more, or who want supplemental learning to what they’re doing in school. These can be done with the app but are also so helpful on their own!
Preschool Must-Haves for Packing Lunches
Lunches are truly a challenge for me and so if I encounter a solution I’m going to share it! This year I’ll be packing a grand total of FOUR lunches daily, and two of them are for preschoolers. Here are my top preschool must-haves for packing those lunch boxes!
GoodCook EveryWare Meal Prep Containers
Designed with lunches in mind, these meal prep containers are lightweight and can be reused multiple times – perfect for toddler lunches! The set comes with two each of: larger Bento-style boxes with pretty deep compartment, AND an insert that goes over one side for additional munchies, sandwich containers, two-section snack containers and dip/condiment containers.
They stack and store well – both full, in the fridge, and empty in the cabinet.
I find these types of containers to be perfect for preschoolers, as they are lighter weight than your typical bento box. Giving young kids options allows them to choose and hopefully eat something nutritious at some point during the day!
I love pairing a sandwich container with the two-section snack containers for younger preschoolers. I give them a sandwich, some cut fruit or berries, and a vegetable. These containers allow me to match the container to the meal plan, with loads of options.
Comotomo Toddler Tumbler
Our younger preschoolers are basically still toddlers – and having an easy drink is a must! The Comotomo toddler tumbler transitions from sippy spout to straw for a smooth switch. It’s like a double-wall vacuum insulated Mommy tumbler but in mini!
The bottle seals so that the handles are correctly positioned, it has an easy-to-open button that’s perfect for young preschoolers, and an easy carry ring.
The 8 oz capacity is ideal for a day at preschool: we don’t want them drinking so much that they don’t eat, or lugging heavy bottles, and preschool teachers tend to refill bottles as needed.
SunButter & SunButter Jammies
Most schools are nut free, and forgive me for saying this, but it’s a good thing! I have one child who is seriously allergic to nuts, and the anxiety we feel for our kids’ safety – especially in preschool when they can’t advocate for themselves yet – is unimaginable.
But what about those kids who NEED their PB&J for lunch? SunButter makes the fix: totally nut and top 9 allergen-free sunflower seed butter that’s rich in protein and made in an allergy-safe environment!
Our favorite is the creamy version and my kids ask for it daily for lunch!
They now have a pre-made crust-free sunflower seed and jelly sandwich that gets stored in the freezer and makes lunch-packing so much easier! The sandwich is the perfect size for little kids and packs 7 grams of protein per serving. They come in both strawberry and grape flavor and yes, they’re even Kosher!
Arctic Zone Lunch Box Cooler
Keeping my kids’ food fresh all day is important, and since we love sending healthy snacks along with lunch, insulation is important! Arctic Zone are pros at making coolers, and so their new kid-friendly cooler lunch boxes are a win! They come with a bonus sandwich box and an ice pack, and have loads of space for lunch, snacks, and an extra drink.
They have a few styles, but this bucket-style is perfect for preschool. They tend to not have much else in their backpack at this age, so it can fit, and it allows them to have all their food consolidated in one spot. Parents can separate things into two sections for lunch (in the zippered top, for example), and snacks so that little ones know what to eat when!
Got any preschool must-haves to add to the list? Comment below!
