For an ordinary day at a preschool in Ho Chi Minh City, most children need a small bag with two complete changes of light clothes, a labelled water bottle if the school asks for one, a sun hat, a light raincoat or poncho during the rainy months, any comfort object allowed for nap, and nappies or pull-ups for children not yet toilet trained. Many schools keep a set of spare clothes and nap bedding at school, so the daily bag stays light.
Every school has its own list, and that list always wins. Ask for it at enrolment and follow it. What this guide adds is the reasoning behind the usual items in a hot, humid city with a long rainy season, the things international families often bring that turn out to be unnecessary, and a few habits that make mornings easier and stop clothes from disappearing into the lost property box.
The everyday bag
These are the items most preschools in the city ask for daily or keep at school. Check each against your school's own list.
- Two full changes of clothes: top, bottoms, underwear, socks if worn. Light cotton is best in the heat. Two rather than one, because water play, a spilt lunch and a toilet accident can all happen in the same day.
- A water bottle, if the school asks for one. Many schools provide drinking water and cups; others prefer each child to have a named bottle. Choose one your child can open and close alone.
- A sun hat with a brim, for outdoor play and walks between buildings.
- A light raincoat or poncho in the rainy months, roughly May to November in the south, for the walk from the gate and for outdoor time if rain arrives suddenly.
- Nappies or pull-ups and wipes for children not yet toilet trained, in the quantity the school asks for, usually topped up weekly.
- A comfort object for nap, if allowed: a small soft toy or a cloth that can be washed.
- Any medicine, only if the school has agreed a procedure, with a written instruction and in the original packaging.
- A wet bag or sealable pouch to bring home soiled clothes.
Bedding, cups, spoons, towels and school uniforms are usually handled by the school, but policies differ. Some campuses ask for a small pillow and blanket that go home weekly for washing.
Clothes for a hot, humid city
Ho Chi Minh City is warm all year, with a hotter dry season and a humid rainy season. Inside classrooms there may be fans or air conditioning, and outdoors the sun is strong from mid-morning. Clothes that work best are light, loose and easy to put on and take off without help.
Cotton and cotton blends breathe better than synthetic fabrics and are kinder to skin prone to heat rash, which is common in young children new to the tropics. Avoid outfits with many buttons, tight jeans, belts and dungarees with fiddly clips: at preschool, children are encouraged to use the toilet and change by themselves, and clothes that defeat them create small daily frustrations.
Footwear is often removed at the classroom door in Vietnamese preschools, a custom carried over from homes. Shoes that a child can slip on and off alone, such as sandals with a velcro strap or slip-on sneakers, save time at arrival and after outdoor play. Ask whether children wear socks or go barefoot indoors.
If the school has a uniform, find out how many sets you need and which days it is worn. Some schools have a uniform for certain days and free clothes for others, or a separate sports outfit. Buy one extra set if possible; uniforms in a hot climate are washed daily.
Things families often bring that are not needed
Packed lunches and snacks. Most preschools serve breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack. Food from home is usually discouraged unless there is a medical or religious reason agreed with the school, partly for food safety and partly so all children eat the same at the table.
Toys from home. Apart from a nap comfort object, toys from home tend to get lost, broken or fought over. If your child needs a transitional object at drop-off, choose something small that can go into the bag once they are settled.
Tablets and phones. These have no place in a preschool bag. Most schools do not allow them, and they are easily lost or damaged.
Sunscreen without a plan. Some schools apply sunscreen before outdoor play, some ask parents to apply it at home, and some do not use it at all. Ask before sending a bottle, because staff may not be allowed to apply products without written permission.
Valuable or sentimental items. Jewellery, special hair clips or a much-loved jacket can go missing in a busy classroom. Keep them for the weekend.
Too many layers. Parents arriving from cooler climates sometimes send cardigans and long trousers for an air-conditioned room. One light layer is plenty; more often ends up stuffed in the bag.
Labelling, and why clothes disappear
Preschool classrooms contain many identical items: the same uniform shirts, the same brand of water bottle, similar sandals. Without names, they get mixed up within days. Teachers return things where they can, but they cannot always know which of fifteen white shirts belongs to which child.
Put your child's name on everything that leaves the house: clothes, shoes, hat, bottle, bag, raincoat, comfort object. Iron-on or stick-on name tags work well and survive daily washing. Write the name in the Latin alphabet the teachers can read easily; if your child's name is usually written in another script, add the Latin spelling too. Some families add a small symbol or colour that the child recognises, which helps children who cannot read yet find their own things.
Ask where the lost property is kept and check it every couple of weeks. Most schools give unclaimed items to charity or reuse them at the end of a term, so it is worth looking before then.
Finally, look at what comes home each evening. A missing set of spare clothes means you need to send a replacement the next morning; a bag of wet clothes means there was an accident or water play, and the teacher may already have mentioned it in the daily report.
Bags, cubbies and the morning handover
Where the bag goes in the morning matters more than parents expect. Most classrooms have a row of cubbies or hooks, one per child, often marked with the child's photo or a symbol. Putting the bag away is usually the first job of the day, and many teachers use it as part of the goodbye: bag on the hook, shoes on the rack, a wave, and the parent leaves.
Choose a bag your child can carry and open alone. A small backpack with one main zip and a front pocket is easier than a bag with many compartments, and lighter is better: a three-year-old walking from the gate with a heavy bag is already tired before the day starts.
Tell the teacher at handover about anything unusual in the bag: a new comfort object, medicine, an item for show-and-tell, a note. Teachers are greeting many families at once, so a short spoken reminder works better than hoping a note in a pocket will be found.
If two adults share drop-offs, agree who packs the bag, so that spare clothes are not forgotten on alternate days. A simple checklist on the fridge, written in the family's own language, helps carers and grandparents who are not used to the routine.
Seasonal adjustments for Ho Chi Minh City
The basic bag stays the same all year. A few items change with the season. Exact months vary from year to year, so treat these as rough guides.
| Period | Weather pattern | Add or change |
|---|---|---|
| Roughly December to April | Dry, sunny, hotter towards April | Sun hat every day, lightest clothes, extra water if the school asks |
| Roughly May to November | Rainy season, heavy afternoon showers | Raincoat or poncho, an extra change of clothes and socks, a plastic bag for wet items |
| Around Tết | Dry, often pleasant mornings | Festival clothes for school events if the school invites them |
| Days with heavy rain or flooding on the way | Streets may flood briefly | Waterproof sandals, a spare pair of shoes kept at school |
Heavy rain often arrives in the afternoon, close to pick-up time. Keeping a raincoat in the bag, rather than trying to bring one at pick-up, saves a soaked journey home on a motorbike or on foot.
Air conditioning is the other seasonal factor. Some classrooms are cooled strongly in the hottest months, and a child who arrives sweaty from the street can feel chilly after a while. A thin long-sleeved top kept at school covers this without loading the daily bag. Ask the teacher whether children nap under a fan or in air conditioning, since that decides whether a light blanket is needed.
A five-minute evening routine
Most morning stress comes from a bag that was not sorted the night before. A short routine helps:
- Empty the bag as soon as you get home: wet clothes to the wash, water bottle to the sink, comfort object checked.
- Read the daily report or any note from the teacher for requests, such as more nappies or a reminder about an event.
- Pack the spare clothes again so there are always two full sets in the bag or at school.
- Fill or rinse the water bottle and put it back with the bag.
- Lay out tomorrow's clothes or uniform, and check the weather if the rainy season has started.
- Let your child help with one step, such as putting the hat in the bag or choosing which spare shirt to pack.
Involving your child is not only about saving time. Knowing what is in their bag and where to find it is a small piece of independence that helps them at school when they need a change of clothes or their hat.
Items for the first day only
The first day, and sometimes the first week, often has its own list. Schools may ask for photographs of family members for a classroom display, a family photo the child can look at when upset, or forms and documents that were not submitted during enrolment. Ask the campus a few days ahead whether anything is needed beyond the daily bag.
A family photo can be a real help for children who are new to the city and the language. Some teachers keep a small album or a photo in the child's cubby so the child can look at it when missing home. Choose one where the faces are clear and familiar, and keep a copy, because these photos sometimes come home well used.
If your child is still in nappies, the first delivery is usually larger: a full packet rather than a day's supply. If they are mid-way through toilet training, send extra underwear and a few more changes of clothes for the first fortnight. A new setting often causes a few accidents even in children who were reliable at home, and having enough clothes ready keeps it a minor event rather than a stressful one.
Câu hỏi thường gặp
How many spare clothes should my child keep at school?
Two full changes is the usual minimum, and three is sensible for children who are toilet training or very active. Include underwear and socks if your child wears them. Check every evening that the spares are still there, because used sets come home in the bag.
Does my child need a water bottle?
It depends on the school. Many provide drinking water and cups, while others ask each child to bring a named bottle. If you send one, choose a bottle your child can open and close without help, and wash it daily.
Should I send sunscreen?
Ask the school first. Some apply sunscreen before outdoor play with written permission, some ask families to apply it at home in the morning, and some schedule outdoor time to avoid the strongest sun. Do not send a bottle without knowing the school's policy.
What shoes are best for preschool in Saigon?
Shoes your child can take off and put on alone, such as sandals with a velcro strap or slip-ons, work best because shoes are often removed at the classroom door. Choose closed toes for playgrounds if the school recommends it, and keep a spare pair at school in the rainy season.
Can my child bring a toy to school?
Most schools allow a small comfort object for nap and discourage other toys, which get lost or cause disputes. If your child needs something to hold at drop-off, choose a small item that can go into the bag once they settle, and agree it with the teacher.
What if my child keeps coming home in someone else's clothes?
It happens in every preschool, especially with uniforms. Label everything clearly, check the lost property regularly, and send borrowed items back washed and labelled with the other child's name if you know it. Mention it to the teacher if it happens often.