Your child is starting kindergarten, our tips for choosing their school bag
Children love to carry or roll their school bag. And for your child's first day at school, you want to make them happy by buying a backpack that they really like.
However, there is an essential question to answer before going shopping: what size of backpack for kindergarten should I have?
In this article, we will give you valuable advice for choosing the perfect school bag for a kindergarten start.
We will also answer the question of why you need to consider this factor. But first, let's see if kindergarten children really need backpacks.
Do kindergarten children absolutely need backpacks?
Yes. Once your child starts kindergarten, you should invest in a quality backpack that they will use to carry their school supplies, snacks, spare clothes, etc. In addition, your child must have seen you or other children with backpacks. Fueled by the desire to imitate you or those children, they will soon ask for one.
Therefore, getting a backpack for a child starting kindergarten not only reinforces their self-confidence but also helps them carry their belongings to school or elsewhere. At this age, wheeled backpacks can be too heavy to use. So, what size of backpack for kindergarten should you have?
Finding the right size of backpack for kindergarten
First, you need to take your child's measurements, then find a backpack that fits them.
Two things to pay attention to when determining backpack sizes are:
- Your child's torso height
- Your child's back width
We addressed this topic in the article: HOW TO CHOOSE THE SIZE OF A SCHOOL BACKPACK.
Storage capacity of the kindergarten backpack
Small backpacks - 15 to 20 liters
This is a good size for a kindergarten backpack as it is suitable for daily use and can hold everything the child will need. Small backpacks are also more compact and have additional compartments that can be used to hold smaller items such as pens and pencils.

Medium backpacks - 21 to 30 liters
If your child has more to carry, a larger backpack may be necessary. A backpack with a capacity of 21 to 30 liters is one of the most common sizes you can find for schoolchildren. They are large enough to hold everything the child needs, but not too large and difficult for small children to handle.
Large backpacks - 31 to 40 liters
Older children tend to use larger capacity backpacks because they have a lot of things to carry every day. However, you also need to pay attention to the child's back and the weight of the backpack to ensure that it is not too heavy. In this case, a chest strap and padded shoulder straps can help support the weight of a heavy backpack and make it more comfortable to carry.
Other things to consider when buying a kindergarten backpack
Although backpack sizes are important, they are not the only things to consider before buying a backpack for your child. Here are other equally essential factors:
- Capacity: The capacity of a backpack determines the things your child can put in it. As a rule of thumb, kindergarten children should not carry backpacks that can support more than 15% of their body weight. This places the average size of a school backpack at 22 liters for kindergarten children.
- Manufacturing quality: Another thing to pay attention to is the quality of the backpack. Children are not the most meticulous. Therefore, a backpack made from top-notch materials will save you from buying a new backpack every year. If you want something water-resistant, look for backpacks made of synthetic materials like nylon or polyester. However, you must also remember that these materials are less environmentally friendly than more natural fibers. Quality zippers are also important. You don't want your child to struggle with the zippers of their backpack and risk the zippers getting caught in the fabric.
- Organizational features and comfort: in addition to what it can carry, an ergonomic backpack should be comfortable for your child to wear all day. For example, those with back cushions and waist belts are among the most practical for kindergarten children. Multiple compartments are also useful if you are looking for a backpack for children with a lot of storage potential.
- Design and color: this is obvious and certainly what matters most to children. However, do not invest in something that might disinterest your child. Your child would probably like backpacks in bright colors with cartoon characters. But to be sure, you can invite your child to choose their school bag.
- Other features: some children's backpacks have a single main compartment while others have many small pockets for more organization. Think about the features that your child will use the most and what will be most useful to them. Side pockets, for example, are ideal for holding their water bottle while small zippered pockets are the perfect place to safely store lunch money.
In conclusion
Kindergarten is the beginning of many adventures for your child, and choosing their backpack is one of the best things about going back to school.
You now have all the cards in hand to choose the ideal school bag or backpack for kindergarten.