Day 6 of 12 Days of Back-to-School Prep: Backpack SOS Kits
Posted on September 9, 2026
Welcome to Day 6 of our 12 Days of Back-to-School Prep series! So far we’ve covered the fridge, my yearly refresh list, my drop-off-to-gym outfit, breakfast burritos, and washing the lunchboxes — today’s project is one of my favorites in the whole series: backpack SOS kits!
Day 6 of 12 Days of Back-to-School Prep: Backpack SOS Kits
The idea is simple. A small pouch, tucked into each backpack, filled with the little things they might need to get through a school day without having to track down the nurse’s office or ask a friend. I made one for each of my boys — high school, junior high, and elementary — and honestly, I kept them pretty much the same across all three. My youngest is dead set on doing everything his older brothers do, so there was really no version of giving him a “smaller” or “younger” kit. If big brothers have it, he needs it too. Always!
Why Every Backpack Needs One
Kids run into all kinds of small, annoying problems during the school day — a scraped knee at recess, chapped lips, a stomach ache from lunch, needing to freshen up before an activity. None of these are emergencies exactly, but they’re the kind of thing that’s so much easier to handle when there’s a solution already sitting in the backpack, rather than scrambling to find one!
What’s Inside Each Kit
I used these black canvas pouches for all three boys — simple, durable, and easy to toss in any backpack. They are the perfect size – not too big and not too small!
This is genuinely one of the quickest projects in this whole series — maybe fifteen minutes total once you have everything gathered. I lay everything out, fill each pouch the same way, and zip them straight into each backpack’s front pocket so they’re easy to find and forget about until they’re needed!
One Little Pouch, One Less Worry
Once these are packed and tucked away, it’s one less thing I have to think about once the boys are out the door. Whatever comes up during the school day — chapped lips, a papercut, or a moment where they just want to freshen up — they’ve got what they need without having to ask anyone or wait until they get home. It’s a small project and has come in handy so many times for them already this year. We’ll just say we’ve had to restock the gum and mints a few times 😉
Shop My Backpack SOS Kit Essentials
Click on any of the thumbnail images in the gallery below to shop the pouches and everything I pack inside each one!
This is Day 6 of our 12 Days of Back-to-School Prep series! Follow along @thisisourbliss for the rest of the series, plus everyday boy mom life, style, and family adventures.
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