Back to School Checklist
Get every child ready for the new term in one place. Each child gets their own checklist — uniform, stationery, bag and lunch, tech, admin forms and health — so nothing is double-bought or forgotten. Tick things off, count down to the first day, and print it all.
Children
About Back to School Checklist
The Back to School Checklist takes the yearly scramble of getting children ready for a new term and turns it into one calm, organised plan. The new school year means uniform that's been outgrown, stationery to restock, forms to return, dinner accounts to top up and a hundred small things that are easy to forget until the night before. This tool gathers them into six practical areas — Uniform & Clothing, Stationery & Supplies, Bag & Lunch, Tech & Equipment, Admin & Forms, and Health & Wellbeing — each pre-filled with the things most families need and fully editable to match your school's list.
Its standout feature is per-child lists. Add each of your children and every one gets their own independent checklist, so an older child's calculator and PE kit never get muddled with a reception starter's book bag and name labels. Switch between children with one tap, see each child's progress at a glance, and watch the overall progress bar across the whole family fill up. Set the first day of term for a handy countdown, add or remove items and categories freely, and print a tidy PDF that lists every child. Everything saves automatically to your browser's local storage — no account, nothing sent to a server. Pair it with the Daily Checklist for the morning routine and the Checklist Generator for anything bespoke.
How to Use Back to School Checklist
- Set the first day of term at the top for a countdown (optional), then add each of your children with the "Add child" button.
- Select a child from the chips to open their list, and give them a name and year or grade so the lists stay clear.
- Work through each category. Remove anything that doesn't apply with the trash icon, and add your own items in the "Add an item" field — press Enter or tap the + button.
- Rename a category by clicking its title, delete one with the trash icon in its header, or add a new category with "Add category" — each child's categories are independent.
- Tick items off as you buy or sort them. Each child's progress bar and the overall family bar update instantly.
- Use "Untick child" to clear one child's ticks (handy for reusing the list next year), or "Reset" to start completely fresh.
- Click "Download PDF" for a printable copy covering every child, and Export to back up or move your lists to another device.
Tip: check each child's list against the official requirements from their school before you shop. Schools often specify exact PE kit, book bags or calculator models, and a quick compare against the supply list saves returns later.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do the per-child lists work?
Each child you add gets their own complete, independent checklist. Adding, removing or renaming items and categories for one child doesn't affect the others, so you can tailor each list to that child's age, year and school. Switch between them with the chips at the top, and the overall progress bar totals every child together.
Can I add, rename, or delete categories?
Yes. Rename a category by clicking its title, delete one with the trash icon in its header, and create new ones with "Add category". Each item also has a trash icon, and you can add items with the field at the bottom of each card. All of this is per-child.
Do I have to set the first day of term?
No, it's optional. If you set it, you get a friendly countdown to keep the deadline in view; if you leave it blank, the checklist works exactly the same without it.
Can I reuse the list next year?
Yes. Use "Untick child" to clear a single child's ticks while keeping all their customised items, or keep everything and just update what's changed. Because the list saves locally, it's waiting for you next August or September with last year's setup intact.
What's the difference between "Untick child" and "Reset"?
"Untick child" only clears the ticks for the child you're currently viewing, leaving every item and every other child untouched — ideal for starting a fresh term. "Reset" wipes everything: it removes all children and starts again with one blank list.
Can I print it or save a PDF?
Yes. Click "Download PDF" for a clean printable version that lists every child with their categories, items and tick boxes. In the print dialog choose your printer for paper, or "Save as PDF" to keep a copy on your phone while you shop.
Is my data private?
Yes. Your children's names, lists and progress are stored only in your browser's local storage on this device. Nothing is uploaded to any server and there's no account. Clearing your browser data removes it, so keep a JSON export if it matters to you.
Does it work offline?
Once the page has loaded, your lists live in local storage and work offline. Open the page on the same device where you saved them; your data only moves between devices if you Export and Import it.