The Ultimate Back to School To-Do List for Busy Moms

Summer’s winding down and that means school will be starting soon. That’s why this Back to School To-Do List for busy moms is perfect to make sure you don’t miss a single item on your checklist.

Why is Back to School “season” so busy?

Well, there’s preparing all of the paperwork, the health forms, and of course the school supplies shopping. And that’s just mentioning a few!

Does the idea of 30-plus things to do before school starts seem daunting?

No worries, some of these ideas you might have already done, others might not be applicable for your child, and a few are options to make the First Day of School super fun.

We suggest you print out our free Back to School Checklist printable before you begin this list.

Then you can jot down the ideas you like or apply to you. This way you start the year off right by staying organized from the beginning.

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Back to School To-Do List: Clothing

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Clothes | Back to School Clothes Shopping is almost a tradition before school starts back up.

With tax-free shopping weekends and sales, this is a great time to stock up on socks, underwear, and pajamas.

First Day of School Outfit | If your child doesn’t wear uniforms to school, make sure you let your little one pick out a fun First Day of School outfit.

We all know this outfit will forever be documented in hundreds of pictures, so if they like it, they are more likely to smile.

Picture Day Outfits | Go ahead and add that perfect Picture Day Outfit to your shopping list too. Some schools have Picture Day during Back to School Night, and others later in the year.

Either way, make sure you have an outfit that your child loves so that again, they smile big!

Shoes | Want some advice from a former teacher? Well, here it is  – buy your child sturdy, play shoes. Shoes that let them run and chase their friends on the playground without tripping and falling.

Also, make sure you check your school’s clothing policy before purchasing shoes. There are rules about footwear – such as no cowboy boots, flip-flops, and noise-making shoes are a few common ones.

Purchase or Clean Backpack & Lunchbox | Make sure your child has a clean or new Backpack that fits them properly and follows school rules. Again, some schools have very specific details about backpack sizes, wheels, etc.

If your child will be taking their lunch, make sure they have an easy-to-unzip lunchbox and possibly a thermos for warm foods.

Back to School To-Do List: Supplies

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School Supplies | The most traditional of all back-to-school to-do’s is shopping for school supplies! Check your school’s website if you don’t have the list yet, as most schools now post them online.

If you have the list early on, you can purchase a few items every time you are at the store and help with the cost. It also allows you to look for sales early since Back to School shows up in stores in July.

Supplies for Projects & Homework | Go ahead and purchase some poster board. You will most likely need it at the least opportune time and having a stash can never hurt.

Also, make sure you have school supplies for homework.

These are the four supplies that my boys use the most while doing homework: pencils, crayons, scissors & glue sticks.

Stock Up on Perishables | Now is the time to make sure you have plenty of ziplock bags, reusable pouches, napkins, ice packs, disposable silverware, etc.

Stock Up on Snacks | If your school has snack time go ahead and purchase or prepare snack-sized portions. Put these in an easy-to-grab place so your child can help with packing them.

If your school is nut-free remember to find snacks that are allowed such as chips, goldfish, or fruit.

Back to School To-Do List: Health & Personal Care

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Check Immunization Schedule | If you immunize, now is the time to make sure your child is caught up on vaccines and copy the appropriate paperwork for school.

Physicals | If your child’s school requires a physical, make sure you ask around and see if anywhere is doing sports or back-to-school physicals at a discounted price. Our local Convenient Care offers them one evening about a month before school starts.

Hair Cuts | Schedule those haircuts! Another great way to save money is to check for back-to-school specials at chain haircut shops. My boys aren’t particular about who cuts their hair, so the savings add up when specials are running.

Lice Prevention | Yep, I slipped this one in there! When my middle was in Kindergarten they unfortunately had head lice visit their classroom.

We got lucky and my son stayed lice-free, but it did make me invest some time into ways to prevent head lice.

The two items I use are available on Amazon. The first I use as a preventative spray is the Fairy Tales Rosemary Repel Daily Kid Conditioning Spray for Lice Prevention.

The second item I use on book bags and coats when lice have been confirmed in my boys’ classrooms. It is the Eco Defense Lice Treatment for Home, Bedding, Belongings.

Back to School To-Do List: Paperwork

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Label Everything |  This isn’t exactly paperwork, but it’s important so I slipped it in here. Seriously, label it. All of it.

Label all book bags, lunch boxes, coats, sweatshirts, and school supplies – unless your teacher requests you not to label them.

They will lose it and having it labeled will make finding it so much easier.

If your child wears uniforms to school, labeling is super important. All of the sweatshirts and hoodies seem to match!

You might consider using labels like the Avery No-Iron Kids Clothing Labels.

School Paperwork | Pick a night and knock it out. Yes, there seems to be a crazy amount of paperwork for back-to-school, but it’s all important to either help your child succeed or to keep them safe.

If you have more than one child and the same paperwork for each of them, here’s a little tip. Fill out one form with all of the info that pertains to all children and then copy it.

Now you can fill out the information for each child and save yourself some time.

Check all School Info is Up to Date | If you have moved, changed phone numbers, or your child’s health situation has changed, double-check that this information is current.

One thing I’d recommend is highlighting the information that has changed on the form. For example, if you’ve discovered your child is allergic to bees, highlight in bright yellow that section of the health form.

School Calendar | Print out the school calendar and place all important dates on your wall calendar, in your planner, or on your phone calendar app.

Bonus points if you go ahead and let Grandparents know about important events this year like Grandparent’s Day, School Concerts, and especially days off school you might need them to help with childcare.

Lunch Money | If your child will be eating lunch at school, go ahead and send in their lunch money. Take time to make reminders in your phone or planner to send in more lunch money weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.

If your school has a program to track lunch money, make sure you write down your password somewhere easily accessible.

Finish Up Summer Work | If your child has summer homework, reading logs, or a fun project from their new teacher – finish those up now. Place them in their backpacks so they don’t get lost before the first day of school.

Back to School To-Do List: Before School / After School Info

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Set up Before and After School Care | Make sure you have your plan for before and after school care for your child.

Now, create a backup plan for things such as a sick babysitter, working late, inclement weather (most schools don’t have after-school care if closing for bad weather), and sick child care.

Go over your Pick-Up Plan | Now is the time to talk to your child and remind them of how pick-up will go after school.

If they will be doing different things on certain days, think of laminating an index card with the info and dropping it in their backpack.

Or if they have a daily folder or a planner, you could write the information in there too.

After School Rules | If you are battling technology in your home (hand-raised, my tweenager loves YouTube) you might want to create an After School Rules Sheet.

For example, before technology is allowed they must: read, finish homework, and play outside for 30 minutes.

Back to School To-Do List: The Memory Makers

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Back to School Signs for First Day Photos | Printer out of ink? Can’t find a sign you like at midnight on Back To School Night Eve? Do yourself a favor and print out those First Day of School signs before the last minute arrives.

Back to School Interview Forms | These are so fun! My oldest is only 10 and I already love reading his responses from when he was in Kindergarten.

Teacher’s Favorites Interview Form | This is something that will help with finding those teacher gifts. You can make a little questionnaire, or use our free printable Back to School Teacher Gift Questionnaire and give it to your child’s teacher on Back to School Night.

It can ask about their favorite restaurant, store, drink, snack, and so on. After they return it to you, you will have gift ideas for the holidays and teacher appreciation week!

Back to School To-Do List: It’s Almost School Time!

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Host a Last Day of Summer Party | But not on the night before school! Make it a special family outing or let your child have a few friends over. Just do something to celebrate a great summer and the start of a great school year.

Start Working on Bedtime | I will admit, this is one we don’t do in our family. In this situation, we are blessed, and in other ways cursed. Our children never needed long naps or tons of sleep.

However, if your child does require sleep to function, then I suggest you start working bedtime back 5 to 10 minutes a night until you are closer to their school year bedtime.

Back to School Night | Attend Back to School Night and meet your child’s teacher and classmates. This is a great time to ask for clarification on the school supply list. Or any other quick questions you might have for your child’s teacher.

Party Sign-ups/Room Mom | Want to try a new classroom game you found on Pinterest? Be ready to sign up for treats, snacks, and so on at Back to School Night. With 3 kids I’ve learned to write down what I sign up for on a post-it so I don’t forget!

Mentally Prepare for Back-to-School Mornings | Heading Back to School can be a major transition, especially if your children have been sleeping in all summer. Make sure you have a plan for adjusting to the new routine & consider starting it a week or so before school starts. Need even more ideas? Read our 20+ Tips for Stress-Free Back-to-School Mornings.

First Day of School Breakfast | There are two ideas here… The first one is to plan an amazing first-day-of-school breakfast. The other, more this night-owl mama’s speed, is to make sure you have easy breakfast meals prepped or stocked up.

The Night Before School Starts

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Finish up any Last Minute To-Do’s! | Anything that needs to be done – get it done! Don’t worry, I’ll be right there finishing up with you. Even with all my good planning and a great back-to-school to-do list, there’s always something left to be done.

Read a Back to School Book | A great way to start the year off right. This is a perfect idea if you have a younger child attending school for the first time. There are tons of great back-to-school books to help ease your child’s fears. Check out our list of Back to School Books here!

Camera Prep | Make sure you have your camera clean, charged, and with lots of memory available. Also, make sure your phone memory isn’t full. This way you can snap away without deciding which vacation pictures you have to delete.

Prep Work | Double-check that the backpacks are ready to go. You can set out school clothes so they are easy to find in the morning too. This way you have more time for the mandatory Back to School Photo Session.

Bedtime | It’s bedtime! Make sure you get plenty of sleep yourself. You are going to need extra time in the morning to adjust to a new routine too. Also, don’t forget extra time for pictures.

So there you go! The Back to School To-Do List for Busy Moms is complete. Hopefully, it helps you stay organized for the Back to School season.

Have any other ideas you do before school starts back up? Drop them in the comments!