Backpack Organization Tips for a Child With ADHD

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Helping your child with ADHD develop good backpack organization skills can significantly reduce their stress and improve their overall school experience. In this blog post, we’ll explore practical tips and strategies to make packing and unpacking a backpack an enjoyable and productive routine for your child. From using visual schedules to incorporating rewards, we’ll guide you through the process of teaching your child essential organization skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.

Staying Organized

Keeping a backpack organized can seem especially intimidating to a child with ADHD. Because of their faster and more complex information processing, packing and organizing bags can be challenging for them. Poor memory and “scatterbrain thinking” can quickly cause chaos when they try to remember essential items. ADHD children’s “fight or flight” response is triggered by being overwhelmed, making tasks like packing a backpack challenging. Developing routines can be helpful in combating these difficulties. Those routines (including packing and unpacking their own backpack) can be very useful for a child with ADHD as the school day have a lot of tasks and interactions that backpack organization is key for success.

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Using Charts and Visuals To Remind Kids of Backpack Necessities and Routines

Keeping chore charts and lists are a great way to reinforce routines and help children with ADHD understand what they need to do and exactly how to do it. Charts come with written tasks and photos of tasks so children of all ages are able to understand them. To make packing a backpack easier on a child, use visuals wherever possible. Goally can be an instrumental tool in helping with visual prompting and helping kids remembering routines. Another option is to make use of written words or pictures of what activity occurs on certain days and to show what must be in their backpack each night for the following morning. Understanding your child’s learning style is important for teaching children with special needs, in particular.

What Items Should Be Packed in a Backpack?

Each child will have their own unique items to pack into the backpack for the day. The school preparation for a child with ADHD will vary but here are some normal items to include:

  • Lunchbox:
    • Small snacks
    • Lunch
    • Beverage
    • Ice box
    • School supplies
  • Appropriate shoes such as gym shoes
  • Sweatshirt/jacket
  • Folder with homework assignments
  • Other necessary items for your child

Helping your child to start to practice thinking through what items they might need in advance will assist them in avoiding disorganization and feeling more prepared. These are important skills for a child with ADHD that will serve them throughout their lives but especially during school.

Backpack organization this image shows a dad helping his child pack lunch

Lunch Packing Fun for Children

The more children with ADHD can do on their own, the more they learn and retain. This added sense of confidence in turn helps them feel better about themselves overall. Pinterest has some excellent ideas for easy lunchbox packing for children with ADHD. In our house, we are big fans of the refrigerator setup that allows children to simply open the refrigerator and take individual items from specific bins or drawers to create a complete lunch for themselves. Parents can set up fruits, vegetables, yogurts, string cheese, applesauce, juice boxes, water bottles, pre-made sandwiches, pasta or salads, and similar healthy items for kids to grab at their leisure.

Build Custom Printable Visual Schedules

Is your child having trouble managing their routines? Here’s a free visual schedule builder. Goally’s custom tool allows you to create printable personalized schedules that motivate your child to focus on their tasks. Perfect for morning, homework, and bedtime routines, this free visual schedule builder is easy to use and will help your child reach their full potential.

Click below to make your CUSTOM printable visual schedule! 👇

Letting your kids pack their own lunch can actually be a great way to talk to them about making healthy food choices and how to store food properly. You can teach them about using ice packs to keep cold food like yogurt fresh and avoid any stomach upsets. Plus, kids with ADHD are usually pretty quick learners and enjoy new information, so this is a great chance to take advantage of their curiosity!

Reward Each Completed Step in the Packing Process

Ok, we got through lunchbox prep for the next day – check! Time for a quick reward such as a piece of gum, lollipop, or 10 minutes of screen time banked for later. Parents should review what they just accomplished and why it is important, as children with ADHD are often very literal and logical thinkers so having facts about why they should be doing this in the first place will help retain the life lesson. With enough practice, parents may not even have to reward each small step after a while, the child will just know what has to be done and be fine with having a reward once all is done. Identifying and developing similar routines for other items in the backpack for a child with ADHD, like homework, clothes or books can follow a similar process to lunch packing with success.

Packing and unpacking a backpack with a child with ADHD can be a lively event. Get your child talking about their day and their feelings about what happened. Each step of the process is another chance to communicate with your child about their wants, needs, likes, and dislikes. This also fosters their independence and self-esteem. They can pack and unpack a bag like any other child and it does not have to be an overwhelming or overstimulating occurrence each day. Just be sure to be available to help them when or if necessary and remind them of their ability to do this task!

Backpack organization this image shows a young girl packing her things for school

Unpacking a Backpack With a Child With ADHD

Talking to a child after school about their day can be interesting. They just spent six to eight hours in a building doing multiple activities and interacting with various individuals, yet they sometimes can’t seem to recall one event they want to tell their parents about. Unpacking their backpack after school can be a great way to open dialogue about their day and talk about the things to accomplish after school, such as homework or chores.

Here are some simple tips to unpacking a backpack and having a conversation with a child with ADHD after school.

Have them take out their lunchbox to prepare for another day of school or to wash it out over the weekend. Take this opportunity to ask them:

  • What they ate from it and when
  • Did they eat one of their snacks with lunch?
  • What did they eat for lunch and did they like it?
  • Who did they sit with and what did they talk about?

Have them take out their home-to-school folder. Are there any notes from the teacher or school? If so:

  • Is there an upcoming dance or social event to talk about?
  • Is picture day coming up?
  • Is there a school-pride day in the near future?
  • Is there homework to complete this afternoon or over the weekend?
  • How does that make your child feel?
  • Are they comfortable with the material in the homework?

Try Goally For Your Child With ADHD

Goally helps kids with ADHD stay focused and build skills. Unlike a Kindle or an iPad that kids get easily distracted on, Goally has no YouTube, no social media, no web browser, and especially no ads.

Goally uses game play as a points-based motivator for your kiddo with ADHD and helps them learn emotional regulation skills. It’s simple to set up and has an expert-informed design.

A young child demonstrates brushing teeth on the best tablet for kids by Goally, highlighting a kid-friendly interface.

Final Thoughts

Teaching your child with ADHD effective backpack organization skills can greatly enhance their confidence and independence in their daily school life. By implementing visual schedules, rewards, and engaging in open communication, you can help your child develop essential habits that will serve them well beyond their school years. Remember, patience and consistency are key in this process, and with time, your child will be able to master the art of backpack organization, making their school experience more enjoyable and stress-free.

FAQs About Backpack Organization

Why is backpack organization important for kids?
Backpack organization helps kids develop good habits, reduces stress, and promotes efficiency in finding and accessing school materials.
How can visual schedules assist with backpack organization?
Visual schedules provide a clear, easy-to-follow guide for kids to arrange their backpacks, ensuring all necessary items are included and easily accessible.
What are some effective tools for backpack organization?
Some effective tools include labeled compartments, color-coded folders, and designated pockets for specific items like pencils, calculators, and water bottles.
How can rewards help improve backpack organization?
Rewards can motivate kids to maintain an organized backpack by providing positive reinforcement for their efforts and encouraging consistent habits.
Can emotional regulation apps help with backpack organization?
Emotional regulation apps can indirectly help with backpack organization by teaching kids to manage stress and anxiety, which can improve their ability to focus on tasks like organizing their backpacks.

This post was originally published on December 28, 2020. It was updated on June 19, 2023.

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Goally
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