"That Massive Case is for your CLARINET?" (for beginners)

 Yes. Yes it is."What all do you have in your case?!"
Let me enlighten you:

I think that clarinet players are notorious for having everything they could possibly need in any situation on their person at all times. Loose screw? Screwdriver. Flooding pads? Cigarette paper. Reed is too soft? Reed clipper. Reed is warped? Sand paper (personally, I use a ReedGeek). Accidentally drop your mouthpiece and it shatters? Backup mouthpiece (and probably a few tears but whatever). The list can go on, and on, and on...

Of course, more advanced players are going to have more specific things with them, but what about younger players? What do they need?

*If you're a band director, I would really stress the importance of some of this to your clarinet players. You will thank yourself later!

Let's start big:
A clarinet gig bag/ case ~ $25-$50. "Why do my students need a new case," you may be asking yourself. Let me ask you if this conversation is at all familiar to you:
Student - "I need to buy a reed. Mine broke."
You - *looks at reed, which, at this point, is only half of a reed* "Is this your only reed?!"
Student - "Ya."
You - "How long have you been playing on it?"
Student - "I dunno. Like 8 months or something."
A clarinet case with pockets will make it a lot easier for students to have multiple reeds on them, which will then encourage your students to rotate reeds (this is an important habit to establish with your players from the very beginning!). It will also be possible for your younger players to carry around other items that will be discussed in this list!
Here are some links to affordable cases. The prices are cheap enough to not scare your students' parents (important). Note that I have never used these two cases before, but they are from respectable companies with good reviews.
These cases look like they could easily last from 6th grade until early high school.
$25 - Allora Clarinet Case
$50 - Gater GL Series Clarinet Case

Multiple reed case ~ $5-$20. Refer to the hypothetical (yet nearly everyday occurring) conversation above. This definitely isn't a necessity, but it will make being a young reed player a lot easier. I don't know about you, but if I were told to rotate through different reeds each day and had to look at a pocket full of loose single-reed cases, I just wouldn't. (In fact, I didn't. Oops.)
$20 - The Multi-Instrument Reed Case by Rico (D'Addario) is one that I really like. It's more expensive, but it's totally worth it. It does a good job controlling humidity of reeds, which will give them a longer life (especially if students don't use the same one every day for 8 months). If you have students who are excited about clarinet, guide them toward a reed case like this.
$5 - The Reed Guard is a good, cost-effective option for beginners. It holds up to 4 reeds, which is plenty for starting that rotation habit!

Reeds ~ $20-$30. Something's gotta go in that new, snazzy reed case! Even though it's possible for students to purchase reeds from band directors, I would encourage your students to buy their own boxes of reeds. When students have 10 reeds at home, they can put however many they need into their multiple reed case (are you beginning to understand my diabolical plan?), and then they'll have 4-8 reeds with them at all times. When one dies, they can put a new one in their case when they get home. Especially at the beginning levels, students will probably only buy one box a semester. If they're in 6th grade, it'll probably be one box for the whole year (unless you have little 6th graders who love practicing).
Of course, always check with your local music store to see what they have in stock. I will say, at music stores, reeds are generally more expensive than they are online. If your conscience is telling you to support your music store, then please do that! However, if your students' parents are always looking for the cost-efficient way (which I get), then wwbw.com is always a good place to go.
I recommend the blue-box Vandoren reeds (only because that's what I was essentially raised on, and they're good quality) for students of all levels, even beginners. For beginners, I would encourage students to buy their own reeds after a month or two of regular playing in band class. Start students on softer reeds (if Vandoren, then either 1.5 or 2). They'll need that time to develop the proper muscles, but once they do, they'll be able to go up a strength (or half strength) in size. Directors: your beginners need quality reeds to start on. Keep that in mind when you're stocking up for beginner band class!

Swab and cigarette paper/pad paper. All beginners are given a care kit when they first get their instruments, which is awesome. However, be warned of some of the things inside. 

• If your kit comes with a pad saver (the fluffy things that are supposed to absorb condensation - more commonly found in flute kits), do not leave it in your instrument. If left in the instrument, it will absorb the moisture, but it will also keep your pads moist (which will then ruin them).

• If you see a mouthpiece brush (the wire brush with usually colorful spindles on in), do not use it. It will scratch the inside of your mouthpiece (which will be an issue especially if your student buys a mouthpiece of their own - that will be a later topic).

The swab that comes in those kits isn't usually very absorbent. There are plenty of swabs you can buy on the market, but whichever you buy, make sure it's made of a material that will grab the water. Here ($15) is an example from a reliable company, BG France.
Cigarette paper?! Yes. Cigarette paper, indeed. Whenever clarinetists play their instruments for an extended period of time (sometimes after 5 minutes, even... I think I'm cursed), water can get caught in the pads, which creates water bubbles. If you slide a piece of cigarette paper under the pad and gently lower the pad on the paper (and then lift again before pulling the paper out), then you'll catch a bulk of the water. Cigarette paper (maybe $3?) is a must! You can snag some at any convenient store. If there's anything on this list that's going to make it into your clarinet players' new bag, hopefully it's a new swab and some cigarette paper!
Another option is a pad dryer (again, from BG France). I've never used these before, but I've read that they're pretty good. They're about $5 each, but they're reusable and washable, so they'll most likely get some good mileage!

Screwdriver/Spring Hook Tool ~ $8. This is one of my favorite inventions of all woodwind-kind. It's a screwdriver on one side, and a spring hook on the other! About 6 times a week, a student will walk up to me and say "my clarinet won't work, fix it." Usually, a screw needs to be screwed back in. Sometimes, a spring comes out of place. Whatever it is, I can usually fix it with my fancy screwdriver/spring hook gadget. Now, here's the ideal situation:
Student: "Mr. Day, my instrument won't play properly. Could you help me figure it out?"
Me: "Of course! Go get your screwdriver/spring hook gadget-gizmo, and let me show you how to fix this."
Boom. Student autonomy. They're now empowered with the skill to find and fix small kinks with their instrument, and they have their own tool to do it.
$8 - Fancy gizmo 

Mouthpiece Patches ~ $7. These are the best. These make playing reed instruments so much more comfortable. They give players something other than the mouthpiece to sink their teeth into, which provides stability. It also keeps players from leaving bite marks on their mouthpieces (which is what I did when I was a beginner).
$7 - These mouthpiece patches are the ones that I use. I prefer the .8 mm small black. This package comes with 6 mouthpiece patches, which will last for a very long time. Your students can keep them in their clarinet case, because you never know when you need a mouthpiece patch!

This list is not the be-all-end-all. It's also not a complete list (trust me, there's so much more!), but it's a good starting place for your young players!