Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
Back to School Essentials for Florida Kids
16
items Back-to-school season hits different in Central Florida – you're shopping for supplies while it's still 95 degrees and pouring every afternoon. As a Kissimmee parent, these are the supplies and gear that have actually held up for my kids through the ...
We've put this brand through two school years and it holds up. The padded straps matter when little ones are hauling books, and there are tons of fun patterns the kids actually get excited about. Roomy enough for a folder, lunch box, and water bottle...
Wildkin Kids 15-inch Elementary School Backpack
The leak-proof compartments are a lifesaver for packed lunches – no more soggy sandwiches or mixed-up snacks. It's drop-proof (key for kids), dishwasher safe, and the portions are just right for elementary-age appetites. Pairs perfectly with a slim i...
Bentgo Kids 5-Compartment Bento Lunch Box
Hydration is non-negotiable in Florida heat. This keeps water ice-cold all day, the straw lid is easy for kids, and it's genuinely leak-proof in a backpack. Tons of fun colors, and the steel survives being dropped on the bus floor.
Simple Modern Kids Insulated Water Bottle (18 oz)
Every teacher's supply list asks for these by name – they're the gold standard. They sharpen cleanly without breaking and the erasers actually erase. Buying the box of 96 gets you through the whole year (and the inevitable mid-year restock note home)...
Ticonderoga #2 HB Pencils (Box of 96)
This case knocks out half the supply list in one box – crayons, markers, and colored pencils all organized in a sturdy carry case. It's great for homework and rainy-day projects (we get a lot of those), and the kids love having their own art kit.
Crayola Inspiration Art Case, 140 Pieces
Five Star is the brand that actually survives a backpack – the covers don't crease and the wire spirals don't get crushed. The 6-pack covers a full middle or high school schedule, and the perforated pages tear out cleanly for handing in work.
Five Star Spiral Notebooks (6-Pack, College Ruled)
Most schools want kids to have their own headphones for Chromebooks and testing. The 85dB volume limit protects little ears, the built-in mic helps with online assignments, and they fold up to survive the backpack. A required-list item that's easy to...
iClever Kids Volume-Limited School Headphones
Recess and PE are outdoors year-round here, so sunscreen is a school essential, not just a summer one. The stick format means kids can reapply themselves without a greasy mess, and it tucks right into a backpack pocket. Oxybenzone-free, too.
Banana Boat Kids Sunscreen Stick SPF 50
Standard supply-list folders that actually last the year. The 4-pocket design keeps each subject's handouts and homework separated, and they're hole-punched to drop into a binder. We go with one color per subject so the kids can grab the right one fa...
Five Star 4-Pocket Folders (6-Pack)
If you've ever lost a $30 water bottle to the school lost-and-found, you get it. These stick to bottles, lunch boxes, and clothing tags and survive the dishwasher and laundry. Labeling everything on day one has saved us so much money over the years.
Mabel's Labels Back-to-School Name Labels
In Florida heat, a lunch sitting in a cubby until noon needs real cooling. These are slim enough to slide into a lunch box without crowding out the food, and they freeze fast. Buy a few so there's always one ready in the freezer each morning.
Cool Coolers Slim Ice Packs (4-Pack)
Glue sticks are the one supply that always runs out by October. Buying the 30-count bulk pack means you're covered for the year and can send extras for the classroom supply bin. Washable and acid-free, so they wipe off little hands and desks easily.
Elmer's Washable School Glue Sticks (30-Count)
The most underrated Florida back-to-school buy. Those daily 3pm downpours soak a backpack (and the homework inside) during the walk to the bus or car line. This slips over the bag, has a reflective stripe for visibility, and packs down tiny when not ...
Waterproof Backpack Rain Cover (2-Pack)
The 24-count is on every teacher supply list for a reason. They color smoothly, do not snap the way bargain crayons do, and the box survives being crammed in a backpack all year.
Crayola Crayons (24 Count)
Composition books are required by name on most Central Florida supply lists, and the sewn bindings hold up far better than spiral notebooks that get crushed in a backpack. Buying the 4-pack covers the whole year.
Mead Composition Notebooks (Wide Ruled, 4-Pack)
A hard pencil box keeps crayons and pencils from getting crushed at the bottom of a backpack, and it is on nearly every elementary supply list down here. Cheap, stackable, and it survives years of use.
Sterilite Plastic Pencil Box