Back-to-school season is officially upon us! This means that itâs high time to start picking up everything theyâll need for a successful school year, ranging from a roomy backpack to organized lunch boxes and handy pencil cases. Luckily for you, weâve rounded up a list of the best back-to-school supplies at Walmart this year, where you can shop must-haves without breaking the bank.
We all know how pricey back-to-school shopping can be, so we were super excited to see that Walmart has our backs with affordable supplies. Ahead, you can check out our top picks for the best back-to-school supplies that both you and your kiddos will love!
Reviews of Back-to-School Supplies at Walmart
1. Best Backpack: Eastsport Core Scholastic Unisex Backpack
A backpack is always essential for heading back for another school year. We like these picks from Eastsport because they both boast affordable prices, sturdy designs, and unisex looks that any kiddo can rock. Theyâre also large enough to bring all their books, pencils, and graded homework assignments to and from the classroom.
Get the Eastsport Core Scholastic Unisex Backpack:
Get the Eastsport Unisex Commuter Tech Backpack:
2. Best Bento Box: Tasty Bento Box
A bento box is super handy for making easy and tasty lunches for school. This budget-friendly option from Tasty has four compartments that are large enough to fit a sandwich and a few sides and snacks, but you can also upgrade to this leak-proof pick if you want something super safe and dishwasher-friendly. Either way, youâll definitely want to nab these ice packs that will keep their food nice and cool until lunch.
Get the Tasty Bento Box:
Get the Bentgo Kids Leak-Proof Bento Box:
Get the Bentgo Ice Lunch Chillers Ice Packs:
3. Best Lunch Box: Arctic Zone Expandable Lunch Box with Ice Pack
If your little student needs something bigger than a bento box, an expandable lunch box is guaranteed to boast enough space for snacks and drinks galore. Both of our favorite options are from Arctic Zone and come with ice packs, making them particularly good options for field trips or lengthy days filled with extracurriculars.
Get the Arctic Zone Expandable Lunch Box (with Ice Pack):
Get the Arctic Zone Lunch Box Combo with Ice Pack:
4. Best Notebooks: Five Star Wirebound Notebook, 3-Pack
When it comes to the best notebooks, you definitely want something that will stand the test of time (or at least, the whole school year). This three-pack of Five Star spiral notebooks is a great value, especially since each one is two subjects and has a handy folder. If theyâre prone to waste a few too many pages on doodles or large lettering, you can upgrade to a six-pack of notebooks from West Coast or just settle for a one-subject option from Pen+Gear.Â
Get the Five Star Wirebound Notebook (3-Pack):
Get the Pen+Gear 1-Subject Spiral Notebook:
Get the West Coast Paracord Spiral Notebooks (6-Pack):
5. Best Art Supplies: Crayola Crayons and Colored paper
No school supplies shopping trip is complete without some Crayola art supplies! This four-pack of the brandâs iconic crayons is up for grabs for less than $5 (!), while you can nab 120 sheets of colorful construction paper or a 100-pack of colored pencils for every school project theyâll have to complete this upcoming year.
Get the Crayola Crayons, 24-Count (4-Pack):
Get the Crayola Construction Colored Paper:
Get the Crayola Colored Pencils, 100-Count:
6. Best Dry-Erase Refridgerator Calendar: Volcanics Fridge Calendar
Keep things super organized with this magnetic fridge calendar, where you can write out the month, dates, and any big events and activies going on. Itâs a great way to keep track of anything going on in your kiddoâs life, whether it be school shows, quizzes, or book review due dates, as well as their after school activities and concerts. Just make sure you snag a set of low odor Expo dry erase markers for cute doodles!Â
Get the Volcanics Fridge Calendar:
7. Best Binder: Avery 3-Ring Binder
If notebooks are so yesterday, grab a binder (or four) at Walmart this school year. Itâs an easy way for them to keep their notes and handouts organized, as long as you pick up the plastic dividers to boot.
Get the Avery 3-Ring Binder:
Get the BAZIC 3-Ring Binder (4-Count):
8. Best Pencil Case: Livhil Pencil Case
Theyâre probably going to lose some of their pens and pencils this year, but a pencil case may steer them on the right track to keeping them organized⦠at least for a little while. Regardless, you can get a large-capacity pencil case with enough space for them to separate their pens from their pencils, markers, and highlighters.Â
Get the Livhil Pencil Case:
Get the Mr. Pen Large Capacity Pencil Case:
9. Best Planner: Pen+Gear 14-Month Weekly Planner
They may not need a planner yet, but keeping track of your life and theirs is super handy when you have a paper planner on deck. Either of these options from Pen+Gear is great, especially since theyâre affordable, but also because they both have weekly and monthly spreads so you can see whatâs coming up at a glance.
Get the Pen+Gear 14-Month Weekly Planner:
Get the Pen+Gear 12-Month Weekly Planner:
10. Best Pens: BIC Cristal Xtra Smooth Ballpoint Stick Pens
Everyone has their preferred pens and pencils, but we like this 10-pack of ballpoint pens from BIC, especially since theyâre up for grabs for less than $3. They all have blue ink so if you want something more colorful (for your planner, for instance), we recommend these Paper Mate pens that come in eight ink hues.
Get the BIC Cristal Xtra Smooth Ballpoint Stick Pens:
Get the Paper Mate Profile Retractable Ballpoint Pens:
11. Best Reusable Water Bottle: TAL Stainless Steel Kids Water Bottle
Gone are the days of milk cartons at lunch â nowadays, you can snag a handy water bottle for your kiddo for less than $15. This stainless steel option from TAL is available in three different colorways and keeps water cold for up to 40 hours, while this option from Owala is just as reliable, just in two fun pattern options.
Get the TAL Stainless Steel Kids Water Bottle:
Get the Owala Flip Kids Water Bottle:
12. Best Fidget Toy: LTONLINE Magnetic Ring Fidget Toy, 9-Pack
Keep anxious hands busy with some of the best fidget toys we found at Walmart. Weâre big fans of these ring fidget spinners, along with this pack of puzzle balls.
Get the LTONLINE Magnetic Ring Fidget Toy (9-Pack):
Get the Neliblu Puzzle Balls:
13. Best File Box: The Home Edit Office File Box
It isnât just about keeping your student organized â itâs also about making sure that any important documentation, work, or reports are kept in an orderly fashion, too. The best way to do just that is with this file box, which comes with a removable lid and top side handles for transportation. Just make sure you get the tabbed file folders to go inside!
Get the Home Edit Office File Box:
14. Best Cleaning Supplies: Germ-X Original Hand Sanitizer
Parents donât need a reminder of how germy kids can be, so itâs best to get ahead of the pack by picking up cleaning supplies before the year starts. Hand sanitizer is always a must-have, and these popular Clorox disinfectant wipes are great for wiping down notebooks, backpacks, and everything in between.
Get the Germ-X Original Hand Sanitizer:
Get the Clorox Bleach-Free Disinfecting and Cleaning Wipes:
15. Best Folder: Pen+Gear 3-Prong 2-Pocket Folder
Whether youâre shopping for folders for yourself or your kiddo, theyâre a back-to-school essential for everyone. You can get two-pocket plastic ones for less than $1, or if you want to do your shopping in bulk, a 10-pack is available for a little over $5.
Get the Pen+Gear 3-Prong 2-Pocket Folder:
Get the Pen+Gear 2-Pocket Portfolio (10-Count):
Why You Can Trust Me
Hi, Iâm Melissa! Iâm a writer and editor with years of experience in helping readers shop for the best products money can buy. Whether it be small kitchen appliances or organizational items, Iâve spent my fair share of time scouring popular retailers and editorial sites to keep a pulse on all things home, lifestyle, beauty, and cooking.
With the help of Kids Activities Blog, we created a list of the best back-to-school supplies at Walmart. We considered what makes an item an absolute must-have, taking factors like budget, usability, and customer ratings into account.
Prices were accurate at the time of publication.