10 School Items That Are Easy to Lose or Mix Up

The school items most worth labelling are those children regularly remove, share or carry between classrooms.

Start with expensive belongings such as coats, shoes and bags, then label everyday items including water bottles, lunch containers and stationery. Where an item has separate parts, such as a bottle lid or detachable hood, label those too.

1. PE Clothing

PE kits are easily mixed up because pupils often wear the same colours and styles.

Remember to label:

• PE shirts and shorts

• Tracksuit bottoms

• Hoodies

• Sports socks

• Swimming costumes

• Towels

Super Stick-On Clothing Labels are available in both Classic designs and Colour designs and can be applied to a suitable care tag. Iron-On Clothing Labels are useful when there is no suitable tag. 

2. School Shoes and Trainers

School shoes, trainers, football boots and dance shoes are often left together during PE, swimming and after-school activities.

Place a Shoe Label inside both shoes so the pair can still be identified if they become separated.

3. Coats and Outdoor Clothing

Coats are frequently left on playgrounds, school transport or crowded coat hooks.

Label the coat as well as detachable items such as:

• Hoods

• Linings

• Hats

• Scarves

• Gloves

Each glove should have its own label.

4. School and Sports Bags

A lost school, PE or sports bag may contain several expensive belongings.

A personalised Bag Tag makes the bag easier to recognise and helps staff return it to the correct pupil.

5. Water Bottles

Water bottles move between classrooms, playgrounds and sports fields, making them particularly easy to misplace.

Use a waterproof, dishwasher-safe Multi-Purpose Label on the bottle. A smaller Micro Label or Baby Dot Label can be added to the removable lid so both parts can be identified if they become separated.

6. Lunch Boxes and Containers

The main lunch box may be distinctive, but the smaller items inside it are often harder to identify.

Label:

• Snack pots

• Sandwich boxes

• Flasks

• Reusable pouches

• Cutlery

• Removable lids

Multi-Purpose Labels work well on many smooth food-container surfaces.

7. Pencil Cases and Stationery

Pens, pencils, rulers, scissors and glue sticks are regularly lent, dropped or left behind.

Classic Wrap-Around Pen and Pencil Labels and Colour Wrap-Around Pen and Pencil Labels are designed for narrow stationery. Calculators, geometry sets and other more expensive equipment should also be clearly labelled.

8. Books and Folders

Reading books, notebooks and folders can easily end up in the wrong classroom or another pupil’s bag.

Classic Book Labels and Colour Book Labels can be used on:

• Homework folders

• Reading records

• Ring binders

• Music books

• Revision guides

• Art folders

They are especially useful for older pupils who move between several classrooms.

9. Sports and Club Equipment

Items used only once or twice a week are easy to forget because they are not part of the normal daily routine.

Examples include:

• Shin pads

• Gum shields and cases

• Swimming goggles

• Hockey sticks

• Tennis rackets

• Dance equipment

• Art supplies

Choose a label based on the size, shape and material of the item. Larger labels work well on equipment such as rackets and hockey sticks, while smaller labels are better suited to goggles, gum-shield cases and other compact accessories. Clothing Labels should be used for fabric items such as dancewear and sports clothing.

10. Musical Instruments and Accessories

Instrument cases can look almost identical when several pupils are learning the same instrument.

Use a personalised Bag Tag or larger name label on the case. Smaller labels can also be added to music folders, accessory boxes, headphones and recorder cases.

What Should You Label First?

When time is limited, prioritise:

1. Coats and school uniform

2. Shoes and trainers

3. PE clothing

4. School and sports bags

5. Water bottles and lunch containers

These are the belongings most likely to be removed, mixed up or expensive to replace.

Get Ready for the New School Term

A few carefully placed labels can make lost belongings much easier to identify and return.

Explore our personalised Clothing Labels, Shoe Labels and Bag Tags, or browse the complete Classic Label and Colour Label collections to find the right option for each school item.