My Essentials for The First Day of Preschool
I can’t believe it’s finally here! Preschool!! I can’t wait to watch performances and get all the artwork sent home to paste onto the walls like wallpaper. The beginning of preschool is a MAJOR milestone, but it also comes with a lot of prep. Here is how we are prepping:
First, we visit the preschool regularly. We have her play on their playground, meet the teachers, and observe circle time as often as possible leading up to the first day. This is super important. The first day will be tough for separation anyway, but this will lessen the anxiety for both you and your child.
Daniel the Tiger. For reals. Whenever I want to explain a concept or a trip, or an activity we’re going to be doing, i search for a Daniel the Tiger episode. There is usually one. I have been showing my daughter (who is 2) episodes of Daniel going to school and how mommy goes to work. There is a song that they sing about grownups coming back and this has started to click.
Prep a few weeks worth of lunches to save yourself the headache of figuring out what to make each week. Plan each day out and make a grocery list. Access my bento box planning template HERE.
Now comes the fun part: all the stuff to buy. Below are essentials for the first day of preschool. Note that this is going to differ depending on the school your child attends and your own lifestyle.
Here is a list of things I purchased with links if it tickles your fancy:
Nap-time Essentials: Pillow, crib sheet, blanket, and lovie (if needed)
Pillow: Elle has been asking for a pillow for some time. I found a great deal on a 2-pack of hypoallergenic toddler pillows from Amazon
Crib Sheet: We have extra crib sheets as hand me downs, but if we ever need to buy new, THESE are totes adorbs.
Blanket: Elle loves wrapping herself with THIS blanket, so we’ll be sending her off to school in it for her naps.
Everyday Essentials:
Get 2 physical sunscreens. One for home and apply every morning and one to keep in your child’s cubby for the teachers to use. We love THIS one.
Diapers and wipes. We personally use compostable diapers and wipes, but get whatever your child is used to.
Water bottle. Our preschool has us leave a water bottle there. We will be leaving the one she always uses and getting her a 2nd one from home. We should really buy 5 of them because they are great and leak proof too! We use THIS one to limit our use of plastic.
Lunch box - I personally LOVE this unicorn one.
Lunch storage - so we use a bento box to store her food and make sure she is getting a well-rounded lunch. I love how everything is portioned out. YUMBOX is a VERY popular choice.
A thermos for soups and liquids you might pack.
Ice packs to put in lunch box to keep food in the bento box cool. I love a cute design, and skinny, plus THESE are “sweat free” ice packs.
A small backpack for lunch, coat, everyday essentials. I love the linked bag because there are so many print options and it has handles.
A bag to leave everything else in.
Extra pair of clothes to keep at the preschool (pants, shirt, underpants, socks, shoes, sweater).
Non-Essentials:
Letterboard to document the first day. There are so many to choose from.
Functional shoes for running around. I personally love Native shoes since they’re so easy to clean.
Capsule wardrobe to make picking out outfits mindless. Think blank leggings, jeans, and shirts that match both.
Do you have any other recommendations to add to the list?
***The above links are Amazon affiliate links. I only suggest products that I love and adore and use myself. If you want to see more suggestions, go to my Amazon Storefront.