Back to School To Do List for a Smooth Start to the School Year

A little planning now means a smoother start to the school year. To help, here is our Back to School To Do List, filled with tips and resources for saving money, time, and your weekday morning sanity. You can even add it to your Cozi account for easy tracking. We hope this helps start your school year off on the right foot!

Make a list for school supplies

Check to see what you already have before you go shopping, then find out if your school website has a list of suggested supplies for your child's grade. If not, here are school supplies starter lists by grade. Visit Motherly for a list of 10 money-saving tips, like following the social media accounts of your favorite stores so you’ll get the heads up on sales and coupons.

Check for tax-free days

Certain states run tax-free shopping days to help you save on school supplies and clothes. Find out if your state has tax-free days this year.

Set up a shared family calendar

Set up a shared calendar in Cozi to track everyone’s busy schedules in one place.

Update emergency contacts

Keep a list so that sitters, grandparents, and even your kids have a handy reference for neighbors, doctors, and poison control. Put the list on your fridge and add it to Cozi for easy reference.

Fill out Cozi’s 2023 back-to-school planner

Cozi's free planner gives you space to map out August and September, plus plan breakfasts and lunches for the first week of school. It's a quick way to stay organized during a hectic part of the year!

Use the premium planners available with Cozi Gold

If you subscribe to Cozi Gold, you get access to three additional, all-new planners for 2023: Prepare for the First Day of School, Essential School Details, and Back-to-School Family Meeting. Start off on the right foot-you'll have thought of everything!

Donate clothing

Collect clothing that your kids have outgrown or won't wear, and donate it to a nonprofit. Some school nurses and daycares also welcome extra clothes for kids in need or kids who have an accident at school.

Organize the kids’ bedrooms

Invest in storage solutions to tame toys, equipment and clothing spillover.

Create a homework area

Designate a quiet, uncluttered area in your home that’s just for schoolwork.

Check for meet-and-greets

Your child's school might have a meet-and-greet event scheduled before school starts. This is a great way to become familiar with the school, the teacher, and classmates. Add the date to your Cozi Calendar and the family members who should be reminded!

Practice the route

Walk through the school transportation routine if your child will take the bus or walk to school. Get to know the bus stop, practice safe crossings, and go over expectations for when things don't go as planned, e.g., the bus is late or doesn't come.

Start an end-of-summer tradition

Even a small tradition can make long-lasting memories. How about an ice cream bar for dinner? See more fun ideas from families for simple end-of-summer traditions.

Make copies of filled-in forms

Until schools start transferring last year's information to this year's forms, we're stuck starting from scratch each year. Do your next-year's self a favor by taking a picture or making a copy of each one.

Create to do lists for the kids

Consider a school morning checklist and an after-school checklist to help your kids with time management.

Prepare for school lunch

If your child is new to school and buying lunch, describe how that will work, and even practice the process with young kids. If your child is packing lunch, make a list of lunch ideas together.

Stock up on healthy snacks

Make sure your cupboards have healthy options for after school. For inspiration, here is a list of snacks kids can make themselves, organized by age.