When August hits, does anyone else get eager to stock up on school supplies and essentials?! I kind of love it! Fresh boxes of pens, markers, post-its, OHMY!! It also means hitting the town (or computer :D) for new clothes and school gear, so our team put together a collection of our favorites, some of which we go back to year after year! From budget-friendly picks to the latest trends and sustainable choices, we’ve got you covered! *As Amazon Associates and LTK affiliates, we earn commissions from qualifying purchases when you use our links.
TWEENS
Kicking it off with the age we know best! All our kids, for the most part, fall into this category so we’re comfortable and familiar with the items we know and love! We feel particularly confident in tween girls – there’s three of them between us who keep us on our toes!
We polled you ladies and confirmed for us the best places to shop for our tweens. These are the collective retailer favorites:
FAVORITE TWEEN RETAILERS
SPECIFIC ITEMS WE LOVE FOR TWEENS
GIRLS
We have always been a big vans family. I think my love of color plays a part in this! Oh and the slip-ons are where it’s at! So easy! – K
This is the cutest All in Motion crop hoodie from Target! XS seems to work for tween girls!
There were a happy accident. They were too small for me and ended up fitting Ellis. They are now her favorite!
Are you even a tween girl without a belt bag?!
The perfect affordable cropped (but not too cropped) graphic Tees for tween girls!
The cutest athletic shorts for little ladies!
These are quite popular with the tween girls and I can see why. They are adorable!
Let’s be honest, kids these days will not wear ‘hard pants’ aka: jeans. These are the only jean shorts Ellis will tolerate. I also think the length is perfect.
M’s girls and tall and lean and love these Target leggings! – M
Under Armour in general was mentioned quite a bit!
Great for under skirts and dresses. my girls wear these under their uniforms. -M
The absolute coziest Target pullover with thumb holes!
These are known as the ‘Butterfly Shorts’ in our house. Ellis is dying for a pair, but her dad thinks they are too short! LOL (In her defense, they DO have bike shorts under them.)
So popular with the crew socks to the right! 🙂
The ohh so popular nike crew socks!
BOYS
The Nike Court Boroughs are very popular with the Tween boys!
Speaking of Nike, hoodies + boys are like PB+Jelly – they can’t get enough!
So many of you recommended these Old Navy joggers for boys!
These lightweight dri-fit soccer hoodies are THE BEST! Great for everyday wear or under jerseys.
Target athletic shorts are a good, versatile option.
Under Armour joggers are popular with the boys and we love their outlet store!
Twill joggers. I little more dressed up sweatpants. LOL
While all the other boys are wearing head to toe Nike and Under Armour, my little California boy is head to toe is surfer and skater brands. lol -K
Under Armour boys shoes were mentioned time and time again!
ELEMENTARY
Ah, the sweet spot of kids clothes! They aren’t picky about brands (yet) and they might still let us dress them 😉 Keep it simple here! Clothes that last are KEY! These kids tend to be pretty rough and tumble so we appreciate good deals!
Popular retailers for this age group:
The Cat & Jack line from Target is a fan favorite! Did you know they have a one-year guarantee, so if something wears out you can return for a refund or new item?! You need your receipt but who has time for that?! Use the Target Circle app and your purchases will be saved!)
FAVORITE ELEMENTARY RETAILERS
BOYS
These StretchTech performance jogger shorts for boys are quick-drying, breathable, and lightweight so they dry in a flash.
I love these for when we go out to dinner. Throw them in these twill shorts and a polo or button down and you are goo to go.
The amount of pants little boys go through is INSANE. These Iron Knee pants from Lands’ End may be a bit more expensive, but they absolutely last longer. Love them!
Warm, but not bulky. Works easily under seatbelts.
The only Jeans I can get Lennon to wear.
Native shoes are a great warm-weather or indoor option during the winter! Kids can slip them on independently and they look better than Crocs! LOL
I have been buying my kids the Lands’ End Graphic Tees for as I can remember. They have so many fun prints and they wash well and last forever!
A crowd favorite are these Cat&Jack joggers!
GIRLS
My favorite $5 dresses for little girls! Ellis lived in these and I didn’t care if they get ruined at daycare!
Basic Tees from Old Navy!
Great fall staple from Lands Ends.
I’m obsessed with overalls for girls – so dang cute!
We love Bog Boots! A great all-weather boot that kids can get on themselves!
I will always be a sucker for the vans checkerboard slip-ons
The tough cotton Lands End leggings continue to be one of our favorites!
TOTS & BABES
While this age group doesn’t necessarily mean “back to school”, now is the time to take advantage of sales and stock up! Whether for day care, play, or just around the house, this group of kiddos gets the “cutest dressed” award. We loved dressing our kids at this age and included some of our favorites that still get the stamp of approval today!
FAVORITE BABE & TOT RETAILERS
Walmart was mentioned time and time again for this age group – especially Garanimals and easy-peasy!
Love these simple GAP dresses!
K’s fav shoe for tots! That Velcro strap is a must!
Love GAP hoodies – the color block is fun!
Toddlers need nothing but leggings – easier for potty training too!
Stride Rite shoes are parent favorite for toddlers! Love the wide size range for chunky feet:)
My favorite Lightweight jacket from Gap! -L
I love the pull on joggers from Gap!
You ladies love these Cat&Jack joggers for boy tots!
See Kai Run shoes have always been a favorite of mine. I mean, how fun are these?!!
Easy-Peasy clothing line WINS the gold for affordable and adorable natural clothing.
Our kids each got these patagonia coats when they were toddlers. A bit of a splurge (especially as young parents) but we loved them so much!
BACKPACKS
We know our favorites and we’ve included those below but we also found some new brands thanks to you! We love it when you ladies recommend items and we can share them, it’s our favorite thing about this community! Backpacks can range in cost and some of you buy new ones each year (with evolving kiddo interests) and others invest in bags that last!
Several followers who are educators did suggest that whatever you spend, buy full size backpacks, even for the smaller kiddos. Those little backpacks are cute but they don’t hold standard size folders, let alone lunches, winter boots, etc. We love that recommendation!
Our favorite, and yours – Lands End backpacks do not disappoint! Linking them all, but our kids have used the XL!
Under Armour backpacks for the sports lover! They are great for team practice too!
Another Lands End backpack option we love. This is the TechPack option. Works great for kids with laptops/devices.
Never thought to search Old Navy for backpacks but the designs are so cute!
For the Amazon lovers, Abby loves this style for her kiddos!
State backpacks are so fun, with some great older-kid friendly designs. But they are pricey!
For the Disney or Super Hero lovers out there. Simple Modern has some cute options!
Pottery Barn was another popular response for backpacks. If you can catch them on sale, they are fab and we love the monogram option!
Love the colors on these and that they are different from your traditional backpack!
You ladies love Tilly’s for backpacks! We love all the “vintage” options like Jansport, North Face and Roxy!
Who knew Simple Modern made backpacks?! These are adorable!
This Athleta Girl backpack would make your Tween so happy! Comes in blue and black too!
LUNCH BAGS, WATER BOTTLES & ACCESSORIES
Of all our Back-to-School polls, this one got the most responses. You ladies are passionate about your water bottles and labels! We love the 20 oz Stanley for bigger kids but found a lot of you use Simple Modern, so we linked a few of those too! We LOVE Mabels Labels for all your kiddos school supplies, but many of you like Name Bubbles too! We also love that so many of you stick to good ol’ fashioned Sharpies and masking tape – you are our people, LOL!
Hands down, the Lands End lunch bag is your favorite, and ours! There’s a reason we keep coming back to them year after year! When it comes to lunch containers and water bottles, there was one reaction we had from teachers: make sure they can open it independently! Have your kids test their lunch / snack stuff before sending them to school – – we LOVE this tip!
Bentgo boxes were the #1 response for lunch containers. Love the range of sizes, styles and designs!
We love these thin ice packs, they fit great under lunch containers and stay cold until meal time.
Our favorite option for bigger kids. The 20oz Stanley is a winner for M’s girls!
Simple modern came up again and again in this poll, a pleasant surprise!
Abby loves these Owala water bottles for tots, many of you agree!
K’s favorite container for littles. She sent her kiddos to daycare with these everyday!
Our collective favorite lunch bag! Lands End never disappoints!
The tiny fork and spoon kill me – SO CUTE!
We were surprised how popular these Simple Modern water bottles were – we love the recommendation!
Another great option for ice packs!
Mabels Labels are our favorite for school supplies. You ladies agree!
These kids’ headphones get great reviews and come in a few fun color options.
K got this bottle for Ellis – a great option for the Tweens!
What sports kiddo doesn’t have at least two/three of these at any time?!
Another great option for the tots – no spill and easy to operate independently!
Uniform polo staple! Love the cut of this one!
M’s fav uniform skirts for her girls. They’re great because you can bring them into winter by throwing on some leggings or tights! They do NOT have built in shorts.
This cute dress pairs well with leggings and a cardigan in the winter!
I think these skorts are so cute with a polo and some sneakers!
We tend to go with cardigans that aren’t “uniform” cardigans. Our school isn’t as strict. We love these ones!
My girls stick to skirts and dresses mostly, but here are some great options for pants and polos!
Check out all of our favorite back to school children’s books HERE! There are so many good ones!
We know the end of summer and the start of school can be BUSY for families. We hope this post can be a resource you can continue to come back to, we plan to keep it updated as often as we can!
So, what did we miss?! Let us know your other favorites in the comments!
