As the parent of a rising 1st grader, I remember my anxiety from last summer of sending my very first baby off to Kindergarten all too well. For weeks I checked for a teacher's list and waited until one was finally released. Each district and teacher will have different recommended lists of "must haves" for your child. Ours was essentially a pencil box stocked with crayons, markers, glue sticks & scissors- no big deal. Below is a list of items I didn't know I'd need for Kindergarten, shared in the hope of making this first year easier for you first time Kindergarten parents! Granted, none of these are critical items, but they are nice to have on hand.
1). Colored Shirts.
I didn't know there were so many holidays, activities, and events to celebrate. Be sure to have a shirt or outfit ready for the following:
- Veteran's Day (red, white, blue)
- Halloween (costume)
- Sports Teams (Eagles, Phillies, Flyers). The Eagles in the Superbowl was amazing last year. We had Eagles or green shirts at least 4 times.
- Spirit colors- school swag or school colored clothing
- Red shirt- works for Valentine's, Phillies, and patriotic days
- 100 days. Kids who wanted to participate were given the option to dress like a Centenarian (100 year old version of themselves) or attached 100 things to a shirt
- Green for St Paddy's.
- Holiday shirt/ugly sweater
2). Spirit Shirt.
My daughter's school gave the option to buy a spirit shirt the first month of school. I bought it (thankfully), but admittedly thought it was a silly novelty. Man, was I ever wrong. There were so many "spirit" days kids wore those shirts. Additionally, they were asked to wear them on their field trip, for field/Olympic day, and end of the year group picture. Alternatively, if you don't want to buy the shirt, find out what color it is & make sure you have a shirt in that color.
3). Poster boards.
Kindergarteners have class presentations to help them be comfortable with public speaking. It's a great idea, just do yourself a favor and stock up with a few poster boards now so you're not running to the store the night before.
4). Quality water bottle.
This one is probably child dependent, but if you have a kid who likes "ice cold water" be sure to invest in a water bottle that will hold the cold all day.
5). Activities for the Bus.
Coloring Books and crayons (pencil boxes stay at home), scrap paper, trading cards. Some bus rides can be lengthy & they'll need something to keep them entertained. Bonus: my girl asked for earmuffs for the bus because it's too loud.
6). Hair Chalk and Face Paint.
Definitely not required, but if you want to really lean into all of the fun holidays and classroom celebrations (after all, pretty soon it won't be "cool" anymore!). I got a pack of hair chalk a few Halloweens ago. This year I used them for many dress up days (white for 100 days, green for St. Paddy's, rainbow for crazy hair day, etc). It washes out easily & is just plain fun. Also, a small face paint kit came in handy to make quick whiskers for "Safari Day".
7). Gift Cards, Small Presents, or Venmo.
Teachers are amazing. There are a lot of things that come up (holidays, teacher appreciation week, end of the year) while not required, it's always nice to give a little gift if you can. Also, many classes will have someone volunteer to organize a group gift (thank you!)- so if you don't have one, set up that Venmo now to take one thing off your list come gift time.
8). Plastic Snack Bags or Containers.
Kindergarteners typically have a snack time that's brought from home. If you want to send fruit or a snack that's not individually packaged, you'll need a small container.
9). Close toed- shoes.
While not a formal rule, it's highly suggested to avoid trips on stairs and mulch at recess.
10). Sweater or Hoodie to Leave at School.
Some classrooms are hot, some are cold. Give them one to leave at school so they're not chilly throughout the day.
11). Tissues & Band Aids.
It's always nice to send in a box of tissues for the classroom. Additionally, get a small travel pack or tissues and a couple band aids for their backpack so they're available if needed on the bus.
Finally, good luck and enjoy, Kinder-parents! Our littles won't stay little for long- soak it in & watch them soar!
