OT - back to school backpacks

[gris gris]

DD is starting Kindergarten in September! I'm not sure what kind of backpack to get her. I was thinking of a Critter backpack from LL Bean with the hope that she'll use it for a few years. Do you have to buy your kids a new backpack each school year?

 

[carissanboys]

I'm not sure about buying a new one each year (we've been homeschooling), but I bought both of my boys a backpack from L.L.Bean a few months back when they were on sale for $7.95 each. I figure Bean backpacks will hold up to a lot! And it was such a good deal, I couldn't pass it up.

 

[Gillian]

My son, a smallish soon to be 2nd grader, has a critter backpack and I love it! It's just the right size and is very lightweight yet sturdy. It has just one large book-sized compartment, which is easier for him to manage than 2 or more. Silly thing, but it means he doesn't "lose" his folder or whatever.

He got in a few months into 1st grade and I expect it to last through 2nd grade. For 3rd we'll decide then, because his needs will change. He goes to day camp also and can use it for that. LL Bean I think will repair or replace bags that rip, should that be a consideration.

His first backpack for 1st grade was larger and heavier, with too many pockets, and it ripped after a few months so I replaced it with the shark LL Bean one, which DS likes a lot.

There is only one small problem with that backpack, but I'd still buy it again, and that's that the zipper goes all the way down the sides. When DS hangs it on his hook he unzips it all the way on both sides and the stuff falls out. I've been thinking of adding some heavy stiches across the zippers so it only goes half way.

 

[bluejaygirl]

The LL Bean backpacks are wonderful. I live in Maine and they are pretty much the norm. I would definately get it monogrammed, just in case!

Having said that, my DD went through 2 "non-LL Bean" back packs in grade K last year.. so this year I will be getting her an LL Bean even if it isnt as cute as the Princess ones she really wants.

Older DD likes LL Bean and we can get 2 years out of them...

 

[Minnie824]

My DD is starting kindergarten in the fall as well, and I just ordered her the cutest backpack! I got it from Hanna Andersson and they have matching pencil cases. Check them out....they have about 6 designs for girls, but they're adorable.

 

[MNT568]

LL Bean backpacks are awesome! My DS got one in kindergarten and he used it all the way through 2nd grade. He still could have used it in 3rd grade, it looked good. But he used it for camp over the summer and I couldn't get the chlorine smell out of it. I bought him a new LL Bean one for last year and he could still use it for the upcoming school year but he tells me he wants a new color.

 

[cccm]

Each year we get a new LL Bean backpack. We have the last two years still around. She will be using this past years for day camp for 5 weeks. They are in great shape and we use the old ones for sleepovers, etc. I don't really know why I get her a new one every year, I just do.

 

[Piper]

Please do not get a small "cutsey" backpack for kindergartners. They need a backpack large enough for a folder to fit without bending. Also think about their library books. I have had many children get very frustrated when their library book would not fit in their backpacks!

 

[MouseLover]

Some schools in our area are starting to require clear backpacks for K-12. Our school doesn't yet, but I expect it soon.

I do not buy a backpack every year. I do buy a new lunch box each year, sometimes two new ones. My daughter takes her lunch almost daily. They go from the cafeteria to recess, and set their lunch boxes on the ground. They get grungy after a while.

 

[kinntj]

I was told to get my DD a regular size backpack for Kindergarten. Her teacher said that some of the books are of the bigger variety and to hold folders they get on Friday's and return on Monday.

I also thought of any sweaters or winter stuff she needs to hold in there as the weather gets cooler and gym shoes. I bought her the green one with flowers on it. We bought our preschooler a regular size one too, even though it'll be big on her, but she'll grow into it and be able to wear it for 3-4 years. The other backpack is from Lands End; which was much more expensive, but it was the only one that was purple with flowers on it. I thought it would be worth it if they really liked it.

 

[Manda]

My DD is starting kindergarten in the fall as well, and I just ordered her the cutest backpack! I got it from Hanna Andersson and they have matching pencil cases. Check them out....they have about 6 designs for girls, but they're adorable.

DS has a Hanna backpack that he's used every day for over 2 years now and it looks as good as the day I bought it. It's also our Official Backpack of Disney World (C) . I love that bag. It's been all over the place and used for everything.

 

[northriver]

We have an LL Bean backpack that I bought 7 or 8 years ago. My son used it for school for 2 or 3 years then upgraded to one with a pocket for our laptop. That backpack has taken several WDW trips and I have used it as a carryon for other traveling. I use it for other things as well, picnics and shopping (church sales, used book sales - where I need to keep stuff and have my hands free). The reflective strip has a couple scratches but otherwise it is in excellent condition. I machine wash and line dry a couple times a year. I don't know if LL Bean's quality is still so superior, but I would highly recommend their backpacks.

 

[elan]

My youngest just picked out her first back pack for kindergarten yesterday. TRU has a special this week, buy the backpack get a free lunch box. So for 14.99 she got a barbie backpack and an ariel lunchbox . She'll probably get a couple of years out of both if she follows suit like my 2 oldest.

My ds used his spidey backpack for 3 years. This year he wants a "plain" one.
My dd used her barbie one for 2 years and every year since I've had to buy her a new plain one. Hers it seems barely make it thru a school year.

I also always buy full size ones.

 

[Elmo888]

DD7 has an LL Bean backpack that has lasted 2 years of preschool and 2 years of elementary school. It is still going strong. I told her that I would buy her another when her sister goes to preschool in a couple of years (hand the old one down to her sister). If you buy a good one, you don't need to buy one every year. I agree about buying lunch boxes every year. They can get gross. (Although I'm considering buying a Lands' End or LL Bean lunch box to see how they hold up.)

 

[mhm]

I just bought dd a Critter backpack. She turns 5 on our Disney trip in September. I wanted her to carry her own entertainment for the plane. It says it's for ages 7 & up, but my dd is almost as big (within an inch) of her almost 7-yr old cousin, so I figured it would be ok.

 

[cccm]

The lunch boxes from LL Bean hold up well. I usually just need to clean the inside once a week. I need to go up a size though, as it is difficult getting lunch, snack and beverages in there.

 

[surfgirl]

Another dedicated LL Bean user here.

Order NOW. In August, they will be backordered for the school year. Even if you order two now and let them decide which they like, you can always return it. Better that than starting the year without one.

Even the LL Bean Jr. backpacks will hold a full-sized folder. For K and 1st graders, I would not recommend the larger ones -- they are too big for these little guys and gals to carry comfortably. For this reason, I would not buy a large one now and have them use it 'until they grow into it'. If you get a great deal, I would keep it until they are large enough to carry it. If your child has to once a week carry something outside the backpack, that is better than creating back problems now.

No matter how good a lunchbox is, it stills get crusty after 180 days of spilled milk, OJ, watermelon juice, etc. Having said that, I still buy LLBean b/c of the quality. I know it will last all year! I don't like the 'foldover top' ones -- I can't fit things in w/o them getting crushed. I like the 'lay flat, zipper around' ones instead.

 

[Clutterbug]

DD has an LL Bean backpack that was the predecessor of the Critter pack. We bought it when she was 2 1/2 and outgrew the diaper bag for daycare. She's now almost 8 and going into 2nd grade and the pack is still going strong. She has asked to get a new one this year just because she wants the pink Critter pack. She and DS have also had the LL Bean lunch boxes for 2 years and they are still in great shape. They wash up nicely. I did have to replace DS's when he spilled milk in it because I couldn't get the smell out of it.

I will also second the need for a full sized pack even for a K student.

 

[LilGMom]

We had to buy my ds a regular sized backpack last year and the only rules were that it couldn't have wheels and had to fit on the child. Unfortunately we can't use the same backpack this year because they label everything that the child takes to school with black permanent marker. Our ds's last name, teacher's name and room number went on the backpack in permanent marker.

 

[CharmedLife]

Please do not get a small "cutsey" backpack for kindergartners. They need a backpack large enough for a folder to fit without bending. Also think about their library books. I have had many children get very frustrated when their library book would not fit in their backpacks!

HOWEVER - you need to account for the size of the child when you choose their backpack. I can't stand seeing these tiny little kindergartner and first graders with backpacks that are almost as big as they are. It's not HEALTHY for their backs to be carrying something so large (I'm a professional ergonomist, and you can't believe how many articles are written about this subject).

Lands End has a junior size backpack that a full-size folder will fit in perfectly, but is sized for smaller kids and therefore is healthier for them to carry with a better fit. I also got DD's monogrammed last year. After a year of first grade, bringing home stuff every night, it barely looks used. It will definitely get her through second grade and then some...