With school approaching, here's a simple idea that might make mornings a little easier. Near your front door, create a space for items like school bags, coats, hats and the like. Buy sturdy coat hooks and fasten them securely so they can withstand a book-bulging backpack.
Ideally, your kids will hang the backpack up as soon as they get home from school and after they finish their homework, then just grab it on the way out the door the next morning. This could spare you the "where's my backpack?!?" sprint around the house.