Preschool Packing List & Lunch Ideas for Toddlers

If you’re wondering what to pack for preschool, whether your child is heading to daycare, Mother’s Day Out, Kids’ Day Out, or a half-day preschool program, this post is for you!

Our son goes to a 4 day a week preschool through a local church in the McKinney/Allen, TX area. It’s the perfect amount of time for him to play, be social with friends, and learn, but we feel like we have enough time with him at home too! It has been a great balance and good for me to go to doctor’s appointments alone, get my nails done, or run errands toddler-free.

This will be our 4th year at this preschool and I’ve learned a lot about what my kiddo actually needs each day. I’m sharing our preschool packing list, my favorite lunch ideas, and a few tips to help make mornings smoother.

What I Pack for Preschool Each Day
The Best Lunch Boxes
Toddler-Friendly Lunch Ideas
How to Organize Lunch Supplies
Our Preschool morning routine
Labels for school

Transitioning into Preschool: Our Story

We put our son in a 4 day a week preschool program when he was 18 months old, as both my husband and I were working full time from home, and my husband was also in flight training. It was a very chaotic time in our lives, but we did not want to put him in full-time daycare so but outsourcing was so important. Read my blog post on outsourcing here.

We love the school he is at, and this will be our 4th year there, and his last year before he starts Kindergarten!

What I Pack for Preschool Each Day

Here’s our go-to preschool packing list:

• Toddler-sized backpack (we use a small one that fits everything)
• Lunch bag (fits inside the backpack)
• Lunch box
• Nap mat (after age 3 they don’t nap anymore at our school, but we got 2 years out of our nap mat)
• Water bottle

We have been using the Pottery Barn Kids backpack for going on 4 years! It is the perfect size, fits a folder and his lunch bag, and we use it when we travel, too! It comes in a mini, small, and large size. We got the small and it is the perfect size! The mini is cute, but will not fit enough.

Preschool Lunch Essentials

I like to keep things fun and practical when it comes to Jett’s lunch. Here’s what works for us:

Two Lunch Boxes

The first year we used a Bentgo lunch box. It was great, but the silicone part on the top is not removable and ours got moldy. I threw it out and we switched to the Omie lunch box his 2nd year. We have now been die hard Omie fans going on 3+ years and even converted his teacher’s kids to Omie! They are a bit pricey, but they last. (Dear Omie, if you’re reading this – please sponsor me! ◡̈ )

I rotate between two lunch boxes so I always have a clean one ready. We have this one in green and blue for Jett. I bought a pink one for EL when it was on sale, and plan to get her the purple one too once she goes to school!

I bought extra silicone dip containers (available on Amazon) and these toddler utensil cases. They all fit in his lunch box that fits in his backpack!

Toddler-Friendly Lunch Ideas

I aim for a balanced toddler lunch with whole foods. Some go-to items:

• Fresh fruit
• Greek yogurt
• Baby carrots
• String cheese
• Crackers or pretzels
• Deli turkey or chicken
• Leftovers of whatever we had the night before – spaghetti is always a hit!

Fun Lunch Extras

I’m that mom who loves packing themed lunches! Try adding:

• Sprinkles to yogurt or applesauce
• Food picks shaped like animals or eyeballs
• A sweet lunchbox note or sticker
• Cut sandwiches into a shape

Preschool Lunch Organization

Below is a picture of how I organize our drawer of lunch supplies, sandwich cutters, lunch box notes, Omie snack organizers and parts, and fun lunch sandwich picks. Click here to shop fun lunch supplies.

Why Having a Preschool Routine Has Helped

Not only is Jett thriving at preschool, but I’ve been able to get more done during the week. Having Jett in a mother’s day out/preschool program has been great for my mental health and gives me some time for self care. Read my blog post on self care ideas here. Now that I have 2 kids, it’s nice to have some alone time with the baby and I plan my appointments during the day while he is at school.

My son is very well rounded, gets to learn and spend time with friends, learn how to walk in a line, behave in a class, and they even have chapel, P.E. and Spanish! The kids get to play outside every day (weather permitting) and it’s been so good for him!

Our Preschool morning routine before drop off

The key to a stress-free morning is prepping as much as possible the night before! This helps our mornings feel calm and efficient. Here’s how I set us up for success each day:

Night-Before Prep:

I always do these small tasks after Jett goes to bed so the next morning runs as smoothly as possible:

🌙 Pack his lunch (or prep most of it so it’s easy to finish in the morning)

I will make a sandwich or pack anything refrigerated, cut fruit, pack carrots and string cheese and put it in the refrigerator so I only have to add a couple non-refrigerated items in the morning.
Pro-tip: if budget allows, buy already cut fruit to save time.

🌙 Fill backpack with:

• Water bottle
• Folder
• Snack
• Change of clothes
  

Easy snacks I prep the night before are: bars, crackers, pretzels, and pouches. These don’t have to be refrigerated and can go in his backpack the night before.

I keep the same change of clothes in his backpack seasonally. I put a shirt and shorts/pants that are plain and are not a favorite so I don’t swap these out daily. When the weather gets cold I will swap shorts for pants. I also pack an extra pair of socks and undies.

🌙 Tidy up the kitchen and living room so we start the day fresh

🌙 Use a hanging closet organizer with 4 cubbies to pre-select outfits for the week
(Tip: choose one with 2–5 compartments depending on how many days your child goes to preschool)

This setup makes our toddler school prep feel streamlined and saves time during the morning rush.

Ideal Morning Routine Before School Drop-Off:

Key word: *ideal*
This is amazing if it happens, but sometimes I need to sleep a little longer, or the kids wake up early.

☀️ Wake up 30–60 minutes before my kids to enjoy quiet time and make coffee
☀️ Do a short devotional or quiet time
☀️ Make breakfast (for me and him—something easy like egg bites or bacon & eggs)
☀️ Set out a morning activity or bin on his table
☀️ Get dressed and do my makeup while he eats breakfast
☀️ Help him get dressed after breakfast
☀️ Occasionally allow a short 20–30 minute TV show
☀️ Feed the baby
☀️ Leave the house around 8:35–8:45 to make our 9 AM preschool drop-off

With a little planning the night before, the mornings feel a little more peaceful and less rushed. Having 2 kids definitely means I have to be really good at time management!

Now that Jett is older, he is able to check things off on our Skylight Calendar. I set up his morning routine of chores he needs to do with emojis next to them since he can’t read. He loves to check things off! When all the items are checked off it does a little celebration of emojis falling on the screen that he loves.

I could do a whole separate blog post on the Skylight haha! Our family loves this calendar to stay organized! I first heard about it through a Pilot Wives group I’m in and got it for my birthday last year. Since our schedules are so unpredictable with Spencer flying every other week, it helps our family stay organized with the shared calendars, chore charts, meal planning and lists!

Click here to get your calendar and Get $20 off by using the code FRIEND-MBJ9DHR

Also available from Amazon

We have the 15 inch size and love it!

Final Tips for Packing for Preschool

• Keep a spare outfit in their backpack in case of spills/accidents
• Prep as much as you can the night before. I pack the refrigerated parts of his lunch the night before then add the rest in the morning.
• Label everything (water bottles, bags, nap mats)

These are my favorite sticker labels. I got the combo pack when Jett was itty bitty and still have so many left! They hold up in the dishwasher and in the wash.

These are the bottle labels I use for baby bottles and water bottles. I got them as a gift before Jett was born and am still using them 4 years later! I had our last name put on them so I could use them for multiple kids.

Whether you’re a first-time preschool parent or just looking to streamline your routine, I hope this post helps make your life easier!