Backpacks for Kindergarteners?

[vonfirmath]

What kind of bag did your kid take to school as a Kindergarten?

Toys R Us has a backpack sale this week and I'm considering taking my soon to be K'er.

 

[tarynsmum]

DD has this LLBean one. It's, um, not small, but she handles it fine. We have the matching lunchbox too.

First day of school pic: you can't really see the backpack, but you can tell size I guess from the straps and the bit on the edge. It'll last us at least another year or so. She's about 38-39lbs and 41inches in this pic (she had a giant growth spurt in December)

 

[sirrahn]

My petite youngest DD has used this LLBean pack since K. It still fits her well and holds plenty.

 

[Athena]

My petite youngest DD has used this LLBean pack since K. It still fits her well and holds plenty.

:yeahthat:

I love the prints.

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/62782?feat=506219-GN2

It was plenty big. It's kindergarten, so they really don't need to carry much.

 

[Meg]

Last year, Arden just picked out one from Target:

It was big for him, but he didn't mind. It held up great and there really isn't any evidence of wear and tear. He had to carry a folder, a notebook, a lunchbox, and he put shoes/boots in there too depending on the weather.

For first grade, we're going to buy this one:
http://www.landsend.com/pp/boys-spa...lunch-boxes-luggage-_-little-kid&origin=index
It's smaller and should be a much better fit.

 

[Holly]

I love the LLBean backpacks too. They are soooo durable and they have a lifetime guarantee too. I got Hannah the original book pack for Kindergarten and she used it that year and all through 1st grade too. She's about to start 2nd grade with it and it still looks brand new! I'm getting one for Abby as well. I bought a cheap backpack for Hannah for preschool and it broke after a few months, so I prefer having one that I know will hold up through several years so I'm not buying one all the time.

 

[jacqui276]

Aria had one from Children's Place. They have smaller and normal sized backpacks. I got her one of the bigger ones so that she would be able to fit library books in it. It lasted well. She used it up until near the end of grade 2 when the zipper broke so I replaced it.

 

[unityco]

DS1 had the small Children's Place one. I found it to be a great size. His duotang fit, and I could put his swim bag plus lunch in it too (DS, however, couldn't pack all that back in at the end of the day.) I liked that it had two full-sized pockets; it meant I could dedicate a pocket to a change of clothes for him that he never had to access unless he needed them. My only complaint with it was the exterior mesh pockets. They stood up better than many, but they still didn't make it through his first year. We don't use them though, so it wasn't a big loss.

He got a new NASA one this spring. I hope it lasts as well.

 

[rxmommy]

We have 3 Lands End backpacks and love them. they have held up so well. I haven't had to buy a new backpack every year like those who get the cheap character backpacks from wal-mart or whatever.

 

[Meg]

We have 3 Lands End backpacks and love them. they have held up so well. I haven't had to buy a new backpack every year like those who get the cheap character backpacks from wal-mart or whatever.

What size do you have? It looks like they have sm, med, or large. I can't decide if I should just skip the small and get a medium for a few bucks more.

 

[bree]

DD had the Original Plus Book Pack from LL Bean when she was in Kindergarten. I loved that it had 2 large compartments and that it was big enough to hold her lunch, snack, folder, artwork sent home from art class, her coat or sweatshirt if she wanted to take it off, etc. The size was good for first grade, too, and it should still work well for her in second grade next year.

DS has the Junior Book Pack for pre-school, and it would not have worked for DD as a backpack for Kindergarten unless she carried her lunch separately. Even then, everything else still would have been crammed into her bag.

 

[Kegracin]

My 3yr old who is average size uses a llb Jr back pack right now hes in an preschool class room a folder fits in, however the one we have is 5 or 6 yrs old (so I dont know if its exactly the same as the current ones). We also have an llb original back pack that my 2 and 3 yr olds also wear (2 yr old likes stuff her sock monkeys in it and wear it) its hangs down on them but its not to bad. (I got it for my DS1 when he was in first grade as he couldn't stuff his snow pants and boots in the Jr sized one.)

Since they last a long while I would probably skip the Jr sized and get one of the larger ones for a Kindergartener.

 

[StillThankful]

I was at TRU yesterday and I saw the backpacks for sale. DD1 carried one just like those to Kindergarten last year. The sale is pretty good :thumbsup:

 

[aeormsby]

We just got both kids the LL Bean Critter backpack. DD is starting 1st grade and I don't plan on buying her another bag until she starts middle school. We got one for DS (only in PK this year) so he'd have one for backpacking if we went. I like the curved shoulder straps on it, seems to help it fit the littler kids better even though it's a good sized pack.

 

[mom2juliarose]

For K we went with the Lands End Classmate Junior and it got so dirty, was hard to wash, and didn't fit DD's school folder well. So for 1st grade we got her the LL Bean Junior Bookpack and she used it in 1st and 2nd grade. It always fit her folder and her lunchbox, but she didn't have much more than that. For 3rd grade I think we'll be upgrading to the original bookpack.

 

[rxmommy]

What size do you have? It looks like they have sm, med, or large. I can't decide if I should just skip the small and get a medium for a few bucks more.

I think we have a medium. They all look different now - and why are they all such crazy colors?!? It's my 7-year-old who has the medium sized one, but it wouldn't be too terribly big on a kindy.

 

[Athena]

it meant I could dedicate a pocket to a change of clothes for him that he never had to access unless he needed them.

OP: The above quote reminds me that it might be helpful for you to list what it will need to hold. Apparently different classrooms require different things. In my case, it did not need to hold much. For example, we had a cubby for things like a change of clothes, so the backpack did not need to hold those on a daily basis.

unless she carried her lunch separately. Even then, everything else still would have been crammed into her bag.

My DD put her lunch in her junior, but I wished she would carry it separately because sometimes a 5 year old does not close those food containers properly.

What size do you have? It looks like they have sm, med, or large. I can't decide if I should just skip the small and get a medium for a few bucks more.

I appear to be in the minority here, but for me, like with car seats, I'd prefer to get the backpack that fits the child properly. I don't want one that is falling off or holds the weight too far away from them, potentially damaging their back. For DD1, the LL Bean Junior was the best fit and held everything she needed. We tried on the Lands End packs and for some kids the small classmate or featherweight 100 (I don't see that one this year) seemed like options and both well made nice packs, but they did not fit her well. From what I've seen, I think the LL Bean original is larger than those Lands End packs, so it was not something I considered. Those were the only 3 we seriously considered because it was important to me to have a good healthy fit and a well made pack.

On to the fun stuff - Both LL Bean and Lands End offer personalization using names or initials and Lands End offers pictures too. We did initials on the LL Bean pack and it turned out great. We've also done the pictures on Lands End lunch packs and they are really cute. Have Fun!

 

[sirrahn]

I appear to be in the minority here, but for me, like with car seats, I'd prefer to get the backpack that fits the child properly. I don't want one that is falling off or holds the weight too far away from them, potentially damaging their back. For DD1, the LL Bean Junior was the best fit and held everything she needed.

I completely agree with you. I have slight scoliosis which means my kids are all predisposed to it. I'm a little nutty about their having a backpack that fits properly, and isn't overloaded. I had a fit when DD2's teacher tried to make her carry her lunchbox inside her backpack as well. We don't use anything throwaway in lunchboxes, and it added substantially to the weight...not to mention frustrated her when trying to pack everything in.

She initially had a small Lands End backpack, but the straps were too wide and too far apart. The first day I watched her struggling to keep it on as she climbed onto the school bus, I went and ordered her the LLBean Jr. pack. It's been perfect, and I expect it will still be more than adequate for her next year in 2nd grade.

 

[bree]

<snip>
My DD put her lunch in her junior, but I wished she would carry it separately because sometimes a 5 year old does not close those food containers properly.
<snip>

I didn't have an issue with this, because I use insulated lunch bags. When DD's food containers leak, the leaks are contained within the lunch bag.

I completely agree with you. I have slight scoliosis which means my kids are all predisposed to it. I'm a little nutty about their having a backpack that fits properly, and isn't overloaded. I had a fit when DD2's teacher tried to make her carry her lunchbox inside her backpack as well. We don't use anything throwaway in lunchboxes, and it added substantially to the weight...not to mention frustrated her when trying to pack everything in.

She initially had a small Lands End backpack, but the straps were too wide and too far apart. The first day I watched her struggling to keep it on as she climbed onto the school bus, I went and ordered her the LLBean Jr. pack. It's been perfect, and I expect it will still be more than adequate for her next year in 2nd grade.

I have severe scoliosis and kyphosis, so I completely understand the fear of my children having it as well. I've found that the straps from the bigger bag fit just as well as the straps from the Junior, since they are adjustable.

I can understand the concern of using a bigger bag for young children if parents were using the bigger bags to stuff unnecessary, heavy items. But the weight difference between the bigger bag and the junior bag is minimal, so the organizational aspect and ability to carry everything necessary is worth the slight increase in bag weight, in my opinion. It's so much easier for DD to open one compartment for her lunch and slip her folder in another compartment, then to try to cram it all into one spot. Different strokes and all that, I guess.

 

[Athena]

I agree that the right backpack depends on the kid (size, proportion, how broad their shoulders are) and the school (how much they are expected to carry). hopefully the OP has enough details about the packs and kids for which they were chosen to help her choose. OP, I hope this has been helpful.