Clothing Labels for Back to School: A Simple Trick to Keep Kids’ Stuff from Getting Lost

Every year, when back-to-school season rolls around, there are a million little things to get ready. School supplies, backpacks, lunchboxes, uniforms, water bottles... and somehow half of it seems determined to disappear before the first month of school is over.

One of my favorite simple back-to-school solutions is clothing labels. They take just a few minutes to add, and they make it much more likely that a lost sweatshirt, uniform shirt, lunchbox, or water bottle will actually find its way home.

Bonus: if you have more than one child, I have a little trick that can make labeling everything a lot less expensive.

Label Everything!

If you've ever looked through a school lost-and-found, you know how quickly it fills up. Kids leave jackets on the playground, water bottles in the classroom, lunchboxes in the cafeteria, and sweatshirts... well, those could be just about anywhere!

That's why I like to label anything that has a reasonable chance of being left behind.

Backpacks and lunchboxes are obvious, but don't forget things like:

• School uniform shirts and pants
• Jackets, sweatshirts, and sweaters
• Water bottles
• Lunch containers
• Pencil cases
• Sports gear
• Hats and gloves
• Shoes
• Anything your child takes to school regularly

Waterproof peel-and-stick labels are especially handy because you can use the same type of label on lots of different things. Look for labels that are designed to withstand washing, dishwashing, and everyday kid wear and tear.

My Money-Saving Clothing Label Trick

Here's the trick I used when my girls were younger.

Instead of ordering a separate package of clothing labels for each child, I ordered one set with our last name. That way, the same package worked for everyone in the family.

But I still needed to know which uniform shirt belonged to which daughter.

My solution was ridiculously simple: colored Sharpie permanent markers.

I gave each daughter a color and added colored dots to the labels. Pink dots for one kid, orange for another, and so on. At a glance, I could tell exactly whose shirt I was holding. It was particularly helpful when two girls started wearing the same size.

Not only did this trick save money, but it made laundry sorting so much easier! (That may be my favorite part.)

Don't Forget the Things That Get Wet

Water bottles and lunch containers are some of the things kids are most likely to leave behind, so they're high on my labeling list.

For those, make sure you're using waterproof labels, not regular stickers. A good waterproof label should withstand condensation, washing, and all the other abuse that comes with being tossed into a kid's backpack every day.

They're also great for reusable snack containers and other items that regularly go through the dishwasher.

One tip: follow the manufacturer's directions about where to place the label and how long to wait before washing the item. Giving the adhesive enough time to set can make a big difference in how well the label stays put.

What About School Uniforms?

If your kids wear uniforms, labeling clothes becomes even more important.

When twenty kids own essentially the same navy polo, there's no easy way to tell whose is whose once one ends up on the classroom floor!

I was a substitute teacher at my kids' school, and I can't tell you how many identical navy blue sweatshirts I sent to the lost-and-found box. Fortunately, our last name on the labels was enough information to keep their things out of the box.

I like putting the label somewhere easy for an adult to find, such as just inside the collar. That's also what made my little permanent-marker dot system so useful. I could quickly sort clean uniforms without having to remember which identical shirt belonged to which child.

It was one of those tiny organizational tricks that saved me more frustration than it probably should have.

A Few Minutes Now Can Save a Lot of Hassle Later

Labeling school supplies isn't the most exciting part of getting ready for a new school year, but it's one of those jobs I'm always glad I took the time to do.

Before the first day of school, gather up the things your kids will take to school and have a quick labeling session. Pay special attention to anything expensive, anything that looks just like everyone else's, and anything your child is likely to take off during the day.

A few little labels now might save you from digging through an overflowing school lost-and-found later!

Need some cute labels for your kids' school gear? I've found some fun waterproof and clothing label options on Amazon that work for everything from water bottles and lunchboxes to school uniforms and jackets.

*I am an Amazon affiliate, and your purchases earn me a small commission. Thank you!

Check out more organizing hacks for kids by clicking on the images below.