Essentials for Back to School During Flu Season
Family - July 25, 2021

Thank you to any retailers who sent me products to facilitate this article. There are affiliate links in this post.

What do you need for back to school during flu season? Boy, I never thought I’d be writing about that! Here’s a list of some items I never thought I’d need until now!

Back to School items

I have never written a back-to-school list where I had to consider remote learning as well. Homeschooling during a pandemic may be a breeze for some parents who have home-schooled already but not me! It’s a lot to take in.

Even with school just two weeks away, I am still uncertain of how things are going to be and what we will need for back to school. We have been buying more disinfecting wipes and taking safety measures when we leave the house like wearing face coverings.

We will do remote learning for the first 3 weeks so there is some wiggle room for school supplies. But there are certainly some back-to-school items we will need with because of illness. You may need them too, whether your children are in grade school or high school.

I know that we will need masks and hand sanitizer for back to school which is a priority for us. We will need uniforms eventually and lunchboxes and art supplies.

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Masks for Back to School During A Pandemic

Old Navy masks Essentials for Back to School During A Pandemic

Old Navy Masks

Old Navy has kid’s masks – 5 for $12.50. They are really comfy and lightweight.

Disney Face Masks for kids for Essentials for Back to School During A Pandemic

Disney Masks

These Disney kid’s masks are on preorder and are a lot more pricey, but hey, it’s Disney!

Walmart Kids Face Masks for Essentials for Back to School During A Pandemic

Walmart Kid’s Face Masks

I haven’t tried these but if you want cheap, Walmart has a 3 pack of kid’s face masks for $3.97.

crayola masks for for Essentials for Back to School During A Pandemic

Crayola™ Kids Reusable Cloth Face Mask Set

Only $6/mask ($0.20 per day) these Crayola™ Cool Colors, non-medical mask packs come with a 5-mask system featuring unique face mask designs for each day of the school week to avoid cross-contamination.

Target face masks

Target Kid’s Face Masks

boy on a bike in a uniform with a girl running behind him in a uniform

Uniforms

You can get uniforms from Walmart and Target but I usually get them from French Toast. Right now, you can receive a free mask with any purchase.

School Supplies

For school supplies, we use OOLY Mighty Pencil Sharpeners to sharpen our pencils and Jumbo Juicy Scented Highlighters for highlighting. We also love the Unmistakeable Erasable Color Pencils. These are colored pencils that are erasable. Perfect!

Note Pals OOLY for Essentials for Back to School During A Pandemic

Note Pals are used for bookmarks, highlighting, and staying organized. We also use Stay Sharp Pencils and the Jumbo Rainbow Scented Eraser (which will probably last the whole year

Lunch Boxes for Back to School During A Pandemic

planet box rover for Essentials for Back to School During A Pandemic

Planet box

Planetbox lunch boxes are dishwasher safe, non-toxic, and have a 5-year warranty.  Planetbox also offers awesome accessories, from water bottles to utensils.

Blue Stuck on You Lunchbox and cover

Stuck on You

Stuck on You Bento Boxes are leakproof, dishwasher safe, BPA/phthalates free, and professionally custom-printed with your design. We love that it’s personalized.

They have 6 compartments in a handy inner tray that can be removed from the outer box. The lid is lined with a removable leak-proof silicone seal that covers each individual compartment.  You can also swap out the normal Bento tray for a 4-compartment sandwich tray.

paint brushes for Essentials for Back to School During A Pandemic

Art Supplies for Back to School During Flu Season

My boys can’t live without drawing, painting, and creating. They have to have art supplies at their fingertips at all times. We even travel with art supplies. and take them to restaurants (used to).

OOLY has been our go-to one-stop shop for everything. My “go to” art supplies for the kids are lil’ poster paint pods, watercolor paint pods, the paint brushes, Big Bright brush markers, and dot-A-lot craft paint in neon brights or pearlescent.

Backpacks for Back to School During Flu Season

two boys with backpacks with their arms around eachother

Pottery Barn

These boys have to have everything the other one has.  Down to the backpacks.  Last year I checked out Pottery Barn Kids because I was tired of our backpacks falling apart.  I was apprehensive because of the price but they were actually not much more than the standard backpack.  Personalizing them only cost us $12.  I was pleasantly surprised.  But these backpacks are sturdy, water resistant, and durable.

Oliver got the Mackenzie Blue Glow-in-the-Dark Shark Backpack and Henri got the Mackenzie Blue Skateboard Camo Backpack.  They are so happy and I love that these backpacks are strong and carry everything they need for school.

LeSportsac

I’m obsessed with LeSportsac. They have the best backpacks and bags. They are so versatile and lightweight. I use them a lot for traveling.

But this year I thought it was time to introduce my kids to them. Now that one of them uses a laptop and is a little more grown up, I wanted to give him a more grown-up backpack.

Delray Denim River Backpack

Del Ray Denim River Backpack

This is a great backpack for kids, with so many pockets and an interior pocket for a laptop.

Features two main compartments with dual zip closures:

The large front main compartment features three interior front wall open organizer pockets, Interior back wall large open pocket and a combination zip/open pocket

Pokemon Carson Backpack

Carson Backpack

My boys love Pokemon but I’m a kid at heart and I decided to use this one. I’m always using a backpack. I wish I used purses more but with two boys, I always need extras for them; snacks, water, clothing etc.

Plus, Pikachu has never been so fashionable! With an 80’s style and smooth checkered design, this Pikachu Backpack will make you the talk of your Hoenn town!

Features include:

  • Zip main closure with dual zipper pulls
  • Exterior front pocket with zip closure
  • Two exterior side open-top pockets
  • Top loop
  • Lightly padded adjustable shoulder straps
  • Interior front wall combination zip/open pocket
  • Interior back-wall large open pocket
  • Plastic hardware
  • Includes bonus mini clip-on zip closure pouch that fits an ID card and coins (3.12H x 4.37W in / 7.94H x 11.11W cm)

Chewies

boy writing while chewing on a chewy

My boys love to put their fingers in their mouths.  Sometimes it’s for comfort, sometimes boredom, and most of the time it’s a sensory thing.  I’ve been working on how to keep their hands out of their mouth for at least 6 months.  Since the Covid outbreak, I’ve been even more diligent.  I love Ark Therapeutic Chewies.  Their selection is amazing. 

You can also find chewies on Amazon.

EO Lavender hand sanitizer

Hand Sanitizer for Flu Season

I have to admit that this may be the one product that I did not put in the kid’s backpack last year. I’ve always kept it in my backpack though.

With the recent events, not only do they each get one in their backpack but they will each be labeled with their names. The French Lavender Hand Sanitizer is great for the kids and my boys use it every time we leave the house.

fidgets

Fidget Toys

My boys have relied on fidget toys more than ever this year. These 8Pcs Wacky Tracks Snap and Click Fidget Toys, Finger Sensory Toys, and Snake Puzzles are great for Stress Relief, ADD, and ADHD. I let them keep them in their backpacks. Sometimes they trade with their friends at school too.

hand wipes for flu season

Hand Wipes

I always keep hand wipes in my purse. The Eo Hand Sanitizer Wipes Lavender scent is great – they come in small packs of 15. Since I have helped out in the lunchroom, I see lots of kids needing wipes, so I’ll put a packet in the boys’ backpacks.

These back-to-school items are my “go-to” items every year, whether we are sick or not. School supplies are part of back-to-school. It’s up to you to make it fun!

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