The essential 2024 school supplies list: Top picks by grade

Families are spending more than ever on school materials. With major back-to-school sales like Prime Day, summer is the perfect time to shop (and save). Which items do kids need the most? Which products offer the most bang for your buck? Use our easy back-to-school shopping list to get everything they need from elementary to high school.

Plus, product recommendations, where to buy, and how to save money on school supplies.

Parents are spending more

Parents and caregivers are expected to spend nearly 23% more on back-to-school supplies in 2024. That’s up from a 15.7% increase in back-to-school spending from 2022 to 2023. It’s also significantly more than the inflation rate, which has hovered below 4% in 2024.

What is the average cost of school supplies?

The amount people spend on back-to-school shopping varies depending on who you ask. According to the JLL Back to School Shopping Survey, families will spend an average of $475 to get their kids back in the academic groove.

A survey commissioned by NerdWallet estimates that parents and students will spend closer to $541 on average. However, data from Statista projects an even higher number – $890 toward school expenses per American household.

How to save money on back-to-school shopping

We have lots of ideas to trim your school supply budget (more on that later). First up: Shop smarter, not harder. Focus on the absolute necessities for your child’s school. While many schools send out supply lists over the summer, all schools are different, and many of those lists include extras and “nice to haves.” 

Start with our one-stop shopping list of the most common items kids need by grade, plus specific recommendations to fit different budgets. 

Elementary school supplies list

The earlier years are all about learning new routines and preparing to become a “big kid.” Remember your backpack and lunchbox, drink water, and wash your hands. So the materials are more basic. Consider whether you want to invest upfront in more durable products that can last a few years or just enough to get them through one academic year, knowing they’ll grow out of them faster than shoes.  

Cool and cute are the two most important factors for most kids when choosing elementary school supplies. These picks address a range of budget, fashion, and durability features.

Essentials and top picks: Grades 1-3

Backpack 

Heavy textbooks usually don’t arrive until 6th grade. Before that, you want a bag that can withstand everyday wear and tear and the stuffing of folders, paperback books, a water bottle, and a sweatshirt or sweater. By grades 4-5, some kids carry school-issued laptops, so you may need a sturdier padded bag at some point. 

• Wildkin - Simple one-compartment design for littles still mastering zippers

• Pottery Barn Kids - Sturdy and customizable with optional matching accessories like lunch boxes and water bottles

• L.L. Bean Original Book Pack - High-quality marks from multiple review sites that say its water bottle holder is the best 

• Lands' End - Solid bang for your buck during summer sales 

Lunchbox 

For easier cleaning, choose a washable fabric or plastic lunchbox. But check that the interior liner is food-safe (some waterproof liners aren’t). 

• L.L. Bean - Comes in an expandable version for a few bucks more

• Pottery Barn Kids - Long-lasting and lots of cute colors and patterns

• Bentgo plastic or stainless steel bento boxes

• HydroFlask insulated kids’ lunchbox or lunch bag 

Water bottle (insulated, waterproof)

• Yeti Jr. 12 oz - Ultra-durable

• CamelBak Eddy+ insulated; non-insulated

• Simple Modern

Pencil box 

• Monster! Easy zip and adorable 

• Cute cat standing pencil pouch

• Sterilite plastic pencil box

• Crayons 

• Colored pencils

• Pre-sharpened No. 2 pencils

• Erasers

• Glue sticks

• Scissors (kid-safe)

• Washable markers

• Composition notebook

Essentials and top picks: Grades 4-5

• Larger-capacity pencil case 

• No. 2 pencils and mechanical pencils

• Two-hole pencil sharpener

• Highlighters - Stabilo makes kid-size ones in cute colors and patterns

• Washable markers

• Art erasers or a basic pack of 12 

• Three-ring binder - Or get wild with colorful designs.

• Lined notebooks

• Sketch pad 

• Plastic folders

• Washable glue 

• Student scissors (pointed)

Nice to have / worth the investment

• Stick-on labels - Label Daddy makes 100% dishwasher, laundry, and microwave-safe labels in customizable variety packs.  

• Mira - 1 for $20 or 2 for $34

• Thermos Funtainer, $21

• Cooling elements

• Construction paper

• Tissues to-go

Middle school supplies list

Middle school is a huge leap in responsibility. Many kids have multiple teachers for the first time, changing classrooms throughout the day. Some will have lockers and need to swap books and supplies between classes. All this juggling and multi-tasking requires organization and time management tools. This list is designed to set kids up for success from the jump. 

Essentials and top picks

Backpack

• Gear-Up Backpack Pottery Barn Teen

• The North Face - For kids who walk or bike 

• Columbia Zigzag - Laptop sleeve and all the pockets 

Calculator pouch 

• EASTHILL - Big enough for a calculator and large-size scissors; multiple compartments

• CICIMELON - Washable, large capacity with carrying straps

Lunch box

• Double-insulated

• Freezable Velcro-close

Hot food storage

• Simple Modern thermal food jar with handle

• Thermos Food Flask

Pens and Pencils

• Ballpoint pens 

• No. 2 pencils (Target, Walmart, Amazon)

• Mechanical pencils with erasers (Amazon, Walmart)

• Manual pencil sharpener 

• Erasable highlighters - Make thin and thick lines

• Single-subject spiral notebooks or hard-cover spiral notebook

Zipper binder

• Five Star Binder

• Case-It Mighty Zip

• Scissors for ages 12+

• Textbook covers (stretchy, non-adhesive) 

• Plastic folders

• Student planner

• Three-ring binders

• Calculator

• White-out correction tape

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High school supplies list

At this stage, kids develop a greater sense of identity and independence. High schoolers often have more responsibilities as academics and extracurricular activities become more demanding and future planning comes into play. Organization is key to balancing it all. These high school supplies are designed for multi-tasking teenagers.

Backpacks 

• Patagonia Refugio - Lightweight, comfortable, stylish with a large capacity

• Herschel Classic XL - No-frills, cool, and roomy, with a lifetime warranty

• Fjallraven Kanken - Retro, rugged, built to last

Lunch containers for teens (categorized by vibe)

• Canvas brown bag

• Looks like an iPhone

• Lunch in a purse

• Steel canteen

• Freeze it ahead

• Keep it cool

• Thermos King

Insulated containers

• Zojirushi full-size thermos - Keeps things warmer longer

• Stanley Adventure To-Go - 24 or 36 oz.

Notebooks and organizers

• Academic planner or journal - Rifle Paper Co. makes keepsake-worthy planners and paper products you can have monogrammed for your child. They also make beautiful graduation gifts.

• Ring binder

• Subject tab organizers with pockets

• Hard-cover spiral notebooks

• Pencils

• High-quality ballpoint pens

• Permanent markers

• Multi-color performance highlighters

Graphing calculator

• Advanced: Texas Instruments TI-84 

• Beginners: Texas Instruments TI-83

• Under $50: Casio 9750GIII

• Graph paper or graphing notebook

More ways to save on school supplies

Start early. Nearly 25% of parents in a Retail Dive report started their back-to-school shopping before the current school year was even over. About 23% start in June, followed by 20% in July and 16.8% in August.

Follow the sales. In 2024, 68% of back-to-school shoppers plan around retail sale events like July 4 and Labor Day.

Shop office supply stores. Office retailers like Office Depot and Staples stock many of the same products for significantly lower prices than department stores. You can find big deals on basics like paper, pens and pencils, folders, and organizers. 

Hit the dollar store. You can get a good portion of your basics for less than $1 each at stores like Dollar General, The Dollar Store, and 99 Cent Store. Think pens, pencils, markers, crayons, glue, folders, stickers, notepads and notebooks, lunch bags and boxes, and snacks. You can also get basic self-care stuff like shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, hairbrushes, and hair clips. 

Look for sales tax holidays. Some states offer tax-free days when you buy certain things without paying sales tax. Check out the 2024 sales tax holidays for tax-free clothing and other school supplies in your area.

Teachers usually have to pay out of pocket for classroom supplies: Don’t sweat the small stuff. Most schools provide basic supplies like pencils, crayons, and paper. Don’t worry if you can’t get every item on the list before the first day of school.

Want more smart money tips and parenting hacks? Visit the Greenlight Learning Center for more resources on family, finances, and fun.

How we made the selections: We crowd-sourced the research so you don’t have to, surveying a combination of popular review sites, customer reviews, quality and customer service reports, and independent research. We’ve also included a healthy mix of small businesses and large retailers.

This blog post is provided "as is" and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional advice. Some content in this post may have been created using artificial intelligence; however, every blog post is reviewed by at least two human editors.