Montessori Routines

How can my child pack their own school bag?

Give your child a picture list of what goes in their bag for each school day, and have them pack it the evening before. A weekly sheet shows Monday to Friday side by side, so gym days and library days are easy to see.

Updated

Make this chart

How to do it

  1. List what goes every day

    A water bottle and a snack go in most days. Put them under every day.

  2. Add the day-only items

    Gym clothes, library books, an instrument, or show and tell go under their own day.

  3. Add weekend jobs

    Saturday's home care and Sunday's self care fill the bottom of the sheet.

  4. Pack the evening before

    Your child packs from the sheet after dinner, and you check the bag together at first.

  5. Keep the sheet by the door

    Hang it where the bag lives, so the list and the bag are in one place.

Make a picture routine chart

Chart

Fill from your school calendarFor families whose school uses Future Nerds.

Steps

Add a step

  1. 1Water bottle
  2. 2Snack
  3. 3Folder

Preview

Weekly packing sheet

Monday

  1. Water bottle
  2. Snack
  3. Folder

Tuesday

  1. Water bottle
  2. Snack
  3. Gym uniform

Wednesday

  1. Water bottle
  2. Snack
  3. Library book

Thursday

  1. Water bottle
  2. Snack
  3. Instrument

Friday

  1. Water bottle
  2. Snack
  3. Show and tell

Questions parents ask

When can a child pack their own bag?
Many children can pack from a picture list by four or five, with an adult checking. By seven most need no check.
What if the school changes the week?
Print the sheet again when a week is different.
Does the sheet work for two children?
Print one sheet per child, so each one packs from their own list.