Back to School Printables & Supply List (2026)
· 6 min read
Here's the printable back-to-school supply list for kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade — start with the grade-by-grade table below, then grab the crayons, folders, and binders that actually hold up to a year of worksheets. Everything here is skimmable and nothing is behind an email form.
Free printable supply lists by grade
These are the supplies K–2 teachers ask for most often. Amounts vary by classroom, so treat this as a starting point and check any list your school sends home. Want a blank copy to write on? Print our free checklist and copy the row you need.
| Supply | Kindergarten | 1st grade | 2nd grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2 pencils (pre-sharpened) | 12 | 24 | 24 |
| 24-count crayons | 2 boxes | 1 box | 1 box |
| Washable markers | ✓ | ✓ | optional |
| Colored pencils | — | optional | ✓ |
| Glue sticks | 4 | 6 | 4 |
| Blunt-tip scissors | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pink erasers | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Wide-ruled composition notebooks | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Two-pocket folders | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Pencil box or pouch | box | box | pouch |
| Headphones (for tablets) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tissues / classroom donation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Get a head start before day one. Print a few free kindergarten worksheets or a reading log to ease kids back into a routine — no new supplies required beyond a printer and pencils.
Best crayons and markers for worksheets
Worksheets ask a lot of a crayon: even color, no waxy skipping, and a point that survives a whole coloring page. For K–1, a fresh 24-count box of crayons plus broad-line washable markers covers almost everything. By 2nd grade, colored pencilsearn a spot for the smaller lines and detail work — and they won't bleed through thin printer paper.
Top crayons and markers
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- Best crayons for worksheets
Crayola Classic Color Crayons, 24 Count
The standard 24-count box every K–2 supply list asks for — smooth pigment that fills a coloring worksheet without waxy skips, at a price low enough to buy two.
- Best markers
Crayola Broad Line Markers, Classic Colors, 10 Count
Broad tips cover a printed shape fast with bold, even color — the right choice for tracing pages, posters, and first-day signs where crayons feel too light.
- Best for detail work
Crayola Colored Pencils, Pre-sharpened, 24 Count
For 2nd graders coloring inside smaller worksheet lines, pencils give more control than crayons and won't bleed through thin printer paper the way markers can.
Best binders and folders for printable storage
If you print worksheets at home, storage is the difference between a reusable library and a drawer of crumpled paper. A 1-inch binder with sheet protectors turns printouts into wipe-clean, dry-erase pages you can reuse, while cheap two-pocket folderskeep each subject's finished and take-home work apart. Pair these with the right paper — see our guide to the best cardstock for printables for flash cards and pages that last.
Top binders and folders
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- Best binder for printables
Avery Durable View 3-Ring Binder, 1 Inch
A 1-inch binder holds a full term of worksheets, and the clear front sleeve lets a child slide in a cover page — the simplest way to keep loose printouts from becoming backpack confetti.
- Best for reusable pages
Avery Heavyweight Sheet Protectors (Top Loading, 50 ct)
Slip a printable inside one and it becomes a wipe-clean, dry-erase page — perfect for tracing and math sheets you want to reuse instead of reprinting.
- Best folders
Oxford Twin-Pocket Folders, Assorted Colors (25 Pack)
Two-pocket folders are the workhorse of a K–2 supply list — one color per subject keeps finished and take-home worksheets sorted without a hole-punch.
Printable first-day-of-school signs
The classic first-day photo needs a sign, and you don't need to buy one. Print a coloring page and have your child add their grade and the date, then let them decorate it the night before — it doubles as a screen-free activity while the backpack gets packed. For a tidier look, print a blank handwriting worksheet so kids can write “First Day of 1st Grade” in their neatest letters, then hold it up for the photo.
Keep going after the supply run
Supplies get you to the first bell; a routine keeps the year on track. Once the backpack is packed, our guide to the best planners and notebooks for students and teachers covers the datebooks worth buying, and the best home printers for worksheets rundown helps if you'll be printing all year. Everything on Printable Polly is free to print — the supplies above just make it last.