The back-to-school season is a whirlwind of excitement, new beginnings, and … a very long shopping list. As you tick off notebooks, crayons, and that perfect first-day outfit, there’s one task that can save you time, money, and sanity all year long: labeling.
And yes, you really have to label everything. Labeling is your best defense against lost property, accidental swaps, and the dreaded trip to the lost-and-found blackhole. It helps teachers keep things organized and ensures that what you buy for your child stays with your child.
I understand that the thought that you should be labeling everything might feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! From one mama to another, I’ve curated a list of things you absolutely must label before the first school bell rings.
Sports Gear Or Uniforms
A school-mandated uniform and a team jersey are often identical items that are expensive to replace. A clear label inside a shirt collar or on the shorts’ tag ensures the right uniform comes home after P.E. or practice.
What Worked For Me: I stick InchBug’s TagPal Kids Clothing Labels on the care tag of every uniform piece and jersey. They’re amazing clothes labels for kids because they actually stay on through countless sweaty practices and laundry cycles. InchBug also offers sports-specific clothing labels if you want it more tailored for your kid’s jersey.
Shoes
From sneakers for the gym to boots for rainy days, shoes are constantly being taken off and put back on. It’s not unlikely that another kid can have the same footwear as your kid, so it’s best to place a label inside each shoe to avoid a footwear mix-up.
What Worked For Me: InchBug’s ShoePal Solid Labels are a lifesaver. They’re designed to stick inside the shoe and hold up against all the running and playing. Plus, they’re specifically designed with cute icons that can help our little ones learn left and right!
Water Bottles
This is a big one for me, both for budget and hygiene reasons. Water bottles are highly likely to look exactly the same as everyone else’s, so it can be easy for your kid’s bottle to get lost among other bottles if not labeled properly. Or worse, your child could be drinking from another child’s bottle or the other way around.
What Worked For Me: My absolute favorite mom-hack for this dilemma is InchBug’s Orbit Labels® Personalized Water Bottle Labels. They’re stretchy silicone bottle bands that can be personalized with our kid’s name. I think of them as the ultimate water bottle name tags because they’re reusable, non-adhesive, and survive the dishwasher like a champ.
Lunch Boxes & Bento Containers
Make sure that the healthy, delicious lunch that you spent time packing ends up in the right tummy! A clearly labeled lunch box prevents dangerous mix-ups. And let’s be real, those trendy bento box sets are too expensive to go missing.
What Worked For Me: InchBug’s dishwasher-safe custom sticker labels are great for making lunch boxes and bento containers easily identifiable. Their Allergy Alerts Labels For Kids can also be a good option for kids who have certain allergies or dietary restrictions.
Backpacks
Kids usually love the same Paw Patrol or Unicorn prints on their backpacks, so it can be quite common for them to have the same backpack as their classmates. And I’ve actually seen kids walk off with the wrong bag at pickup more times than I can count. So, a big, clear tag is really a must.
What Worked For Me: InchBug has great personalized children’s bag tags that we make sure to get every year! My kids love picking out their own designs and shapes, and I love that their bag is easily identifiable from a distance.
Jackets & Hoodies
These are, without a doubt, the most common items found in the lost-and-found bin. As the weather changes throughout the day, our kids may always want to take off their jackets, until they forget that they easily left them behind on the playground, in the lunchroom, or on the bus.
What Worked For Me: Like in kids’ sports gear or uniforms, I also stick InchBug’s TagPal Kids Clothing Labels on the inside tag of my kids’ jackets. It really saved me from having to buy a replacement hoodie mid-season.
Pencil Cases
A pencil case holds all the small, essential tools for learning. Because they are often passed around or left on desks during group work, a label ensures they find their way back to your kid’s backpack at the end of the day.
What Worked For Me: InchBug’s custom sticker labels offered a great way to label my kid’s pencil case and the school supplies that it houses. It may also be a good idea to make InchBug’s Personalized Zipper Pouch your child’s stylish pencil case with their name printed on it in large fonts.
Notebooks & Folders
When every folder is the same color, it’s easy for homework, or, more importantly, a permission slip you need to sign, to end up in the wrong student’s backpack. Meanwhile, properly labeled notebooks can help your kid be more organized with their notes. Properly labeled notebooks and folders just make life easier for everyone.
What Worked For Me: InchBug’s custom sticker labels are also great for labeling notebooks and folders easily and in style.
Hygiene Kits
Many classrooms now ask students to bring a small personal hygiene kit with items like a toothbrush, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, and a comb. These items are highly personal, and you definitely don’t want them getting mixed up.
What Worked For Me: I found that InchBug’s Personalized Water Resistant Zipper Pouch helped my child learn how to organize their hygiene kit. I also made it a point to stick labels on each item to further ensure they wouldn’t be misplaced.
Nap Mats & Sleep Essentials
For preschoolers and kindergartners, naptime is a sacred part of the day. Labeling their nap mat, pillow, and special blanket provides comfort and ensures their cozy items don’t get swapped, keeping things hygienic.
What Worked For Me: InchBug’s laundry safe custom sticker labels had never let me down. They’re also great for labeling kid’s nap mats, blankets, pillows, and other sleep essentials.
How I Label Everything for School With Inchbug
Preparing for the back-to-school season isn’t just about knowing what to label for school; you should also know the best way to do it. While there’s really no hard rule for labeling school supplies and other essentials for back-to-school, I’d still like to share how I label my kids’ stuff for inspiration.
The first thing you should do is make sure that your kids know why you need to label everything; that labels aren’t just for us moms, but for them to always stay organized and keep track of their belongings.
Now for the labeling strategy. Mine is actually really simple.
For anything fabric, like jackets or uniforms, I use InchBug’s clothing labels for kids like TagPal and ShoePal. The best thing about these labels is that there’s no sewing or ironing required. With InchBug’s adhesive custom labels, you just have to peel and stick the sticker labels firmly onto the clothing’s care tag, and you don’t have to worry about anything else.
You may use InchBug’s adhesive custom labels on the fabric inside your kid’s backpack as well, but I also love using InchBug’s school bag tags as they’re readily seen hanging outside your kid’s bag.
For all others, especially those with hard surfaces like lunch boxes, notebooks, and pencil cases, I use InchBug’s other adhesive labels. They come in a bunch of different shapes and sizes, so I can use tiny ones for markers and bigger ones for folders. The trick is to apply them to a clean, dry surface to get the best stick, and you’re good to go.
Inchbug Is My Go-to for Labeling (And Should Be Yours, Too!)
The reason I really love InchBug labels comes down to a few key features that just make a mom’s life easier. Their durability is amazing; they genuinely survive the dishwasher and washing machine for the entire school year.
I also really appreciate that the materials they use are non-toxic, which just shows that they really care about our kid’s welfare. And a huge plus is that the kids also appreciate the many cute designs of InchBug labels, which the kids can pick on their own when we order. This can make them excited to use the custom sticker labels and keep track of their belongings. They’ll love to help you label everything, too!
So trust me when I say that a good labeling system, especially done right with InchBug, will save you so much stress during the school year. It’s one of those little things that made a huge difference and made my life easier. I have no doubt that it would make yours easier, too!
You can check out the useful back-to-school labels I’m talking about (and all other personalized items that are also great gifts!) on the InchBug website. Get your back-to-school order before the rush and thank me later!
