We all lose things! The lost and found collection at every school and children’s activity proves it. Between school, playdates, sports, dance classes, and field trips, children’s belongings travel everywhere. Labeling clothes, shoes, backpacks, lunchboxes, water bottles, jackets, and spare outfits makes it easier for nannies, parents, teachers, and children to identify what belongs to whom. It can save parents money, reduce lost-and-found frustration, and make busy transitions a little smoother.

As a nanny, I consider good labels a small investment in household organization and a big help in finding children’s belongings they forget, misplace, or leave behind.

Here are my favorite labeling choices and why:

1. Name Bubbles
Cutest Personalized Designs

These personalized waterproof labels come in different sizes and a large selection of the cutest designs for all of the everyday items that seem to wander away from children. They’re designed for daycare, school, sports, and other activities. I love the Name Bubbles Daycare Labels Pack because it has a large variety of different sized labels.

Worth buying because: Name Bubbles waterproof labels come in the most adorable designs with the child’s name already on them making finding belongings easier for children to recognize at a glance.

2. Lil’ Labels
Best All-In-One Starter Pack

This combination of clothing labels and labels for gear is a practical starting point for labeling children’s belongings. I like the Lil’ Labels Daycare Mega Pack because it includes labels for everyday essentials without having to buy separate labels for every category. Simply write the name of the child on the label with a permanent marker and stick it on the clothing or belonging so it can be found in the pile of lost and found. This starter pack also includes daily use labels that are meant to use for one to two days and super easy to remove on breast milk containers, baby bottles, or food to include dates or times to ensure you don’t use spoiled food, milk, or formula.

Worth buying because: It offers a convenient way to label clothing and other belongings in one purchase.

3. Mabel’s Labels
Great Personalized Variety

Peel, stick, and get on with your day! Mabel’s Labels are personalized to attach to clothing care tags, making them useful for jackets, sweaters, uniforms, and spare outfits. They are designed for repeated laundering when used as directed on the clothing care tags. No sewing or ironing required. The sleep away camp pack is my favorite even when used for other activities like school or sports because it includes a variety of labels made specifically for sneakers, clothing, lunchboxes and water bottles, and even two personalized bag tags. You can also find smaller packs of Mabel’s Labels specifically for clothing or gear on Amazon.

Worth buying because: They are personalized with the child’s name already on the labels making them quick to apply.

4. Avery No-Iron Fabric Labels
Best Budget Friendly

For families who prefer practical over personalized, these write-on labels get straight to the point. Add a name with a permanent marker, peel, and stick. They’re designed to withstand multiple washing-machine and dryer cycles. Teens and adults certainly may prefer these straight forward, no frills labels to the cutesy designs of the personalized options above.

Worth buying because: They’re simple, versatile, and handy when you need to label lots of everyday clothing without ordering custom designs.

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