Family Life Fun Entertainment The Best Back-to-School Gear for the New Year Back-to-class shopping feels especially celebratory this season. Get kids in on the excitement with fun yet functional supplies, from stylin' backpacks to so-cool pencil sharpeners. By Jessica Hartshorn Jessica Hartshorn Instagram Jessica Hartshorn has covered the baby and kid-product market for 22 years and is a mother of two herself. At the holidays, she helms parents.com/besttoys. our editorial guidelines and Rebecca Rakowitz Rebecca Rakowitz Rebecca Rakowitz is the former ASME intern and current editorial assistant at Parents, where she covers children's health, development, toys, apps, skincare and more. She's a proud graduate of the University of Alabama (roll tide!) and previously worked at The Week Junior magazine. Her forever fun fact is that she went to Harry and Meghan's royal wedding (and they totally waved to her!). our editorial guidelines Updated on July 9, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Courtesy of Manufacturers. 01 of 21 Mini Kane Fuzzy Bolt Backpack Jeffrey Westbrook Your child will feel like a superhero when wearing this lightening backpack! At just over a foot high, it's large enough to fit lunch and early-grade-school supplies. (And a shout-out to the brand for gifting backpacks to children in need.) 02 of 21 Staples FurReal Heartdogs Backpack Jeffrey Westbrook Extra credit for cuteness! The dachshund-in-a-bun-covered FurReal Heartdogs Backpack is a tall 16 inches for big kids with books and has a water bottle pocket on each side. 03 of 21 Liewood Allan Backpack in Arctic Mix Shop It Jeffrey Westbrook Made of recycled polyester, this adorable 11-inch backpack is gender-neutral animal chic for preschoolers who only need to tote a few essentials. 04 of 21 LEGO Brick Backpack Shop It Jeffrey Westbrook Their favorite toy in bag form: The LEGO Brick Backpack is a little over 15 inches high, comes in 11 colors, and has one water-bottle pocket and two fun circular zipped pockets, plus a laptop sleeve inside. 05 of 21 Skip Hop Zoo Big Kid Backpack Shop It Jeffrey Westbrook The soft ears make it, but we love the clear pouch and puffy koala nose too. Skip Hop's 14-inch-tall backpack—which comes with a water bottle pocket—is the right size for preschool and kindergarten. 06 of 21 L.L.Bean Junior Original Book Pack Shop It Jeffrey Westbrook Kids can rock the coolest reptile print with this classic 16-inch backpack for grade school. Add a monogram so that the swamp comes back home with the right kiddo. 07 of 21 Stasher Sandwich Bags Shop It Jeffrey Westbrook Reusable silicone Stasher Sandwich Bags make ditching single-use plastic baggies a no-brainer. Plus, a portion of every purchase from the new Endangered Seas Collection—with wavy, colorful stripes—goes to the protection of oceans and their ecosystems. 08 of 21 Nalgene Kids On-the-Fly Lock-Top Astronaut Bottle Shop It Jeffrey Westbrook The BPA-free 12-ounce bottle serves up out-of-this-world characters: space explorers doing their thing as surfers, dancers, loungers, and dunkers. 09 of 21 Bear Ice Pack from The Container Store Shop It Jeffrey Westbrook Who better to chill out your child's lunch than a frosty blue polar bear? And don't worry; the nose on the lightweight Bear Ice Pack is sealed shut for a leak-free freeze. 10 of 21 Scandibørn Fabelab Lunch Bag Shop It Jeffrey Westbrook The tiny Fabelab Lunch Bag, made of organic cotton, adds a little bit of magic to lunchtime. Tie the ears of the unicorn to hold a sandwich or snacks inside. 11 of 21 Precidio Design Snack in the Box Shop It Sized for little fingers so kids can serve themselves. Jeffrey Westbrook Reminiscent of a Tic Tac box but with dual compartments, these containers can fit 4 ounces of snacks in either side, which kids can have fun dispensing from the tiny doors. The boxes are also dishwasher safe. 12 of 21 Lands' End Kids Insulated TechPack Lunch Box Shop It The handle is strong enough to hang from a backpack. Jeffrey Westbrook This lunch box, which comes in this otherworldly Mermaid Multi Swirl pattern, is thick and sturdy so food stays cool and unsquished. FYI, you can stash a drink in the bottom. 13 of 21 Yoobi x Marvel Avengers Amazing Spider-Man Bento Box Shop It Jeffrey Westbrook The skateboard, hammock, pool float, and break dance motif on this bento box is a mash-up kids didn't know they needed. It's got three compartments and an ice pack. 14 of 21 ban.do Write On Pencil Set Shop It Jeffrey Westbrook Maybe you can't be in the classroom to motivate your child, but this pencil set can, with feel-good reminders like "Be Kind to Yourself" and "It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect." 15 of 21 Fiskars Blunt-Tip Kids Scissors Shop It Jeffrey Westbrook These Fiskars scissors are engineered with your child's safety (no sharp edges) and comfort in mind. A little digit can fit nicely into the finger loop, while the smaller thumbhole prompts more precise snipping. 16 of 21 OLIKA Hydrating Hand Sanitizer Spray with Clip-On Shop It Jeffrey Westbrook Let this Peeps-like product charm your kid into sanitizing their hands. Hook it onto their backpack or lunch box for easy access. You get to choose from five scents, like this orange blossom, or go fragrance-free. 17 of 21 ZIPIT Monster Pencil Case Shop It Jeffrey Westbrook Drop writing utensils into the mouth of an amusing monster! The soft sack is actually one long zipper, so your kid can unzip it all the way to watch the monster unravel, then cinch it back up again. 18 of 21 OOLY ClickIt Eraser Shop It Jeffrey Westbrook Encourage less stress about making mistakes with the ClickIt Eraser at the ready. Your kid taps the top, and more eraser appears. 19 of 21 Poppin Neon Pink Ruler Jeffrey Westbrook The bright colors and big numbers on this acrylic ruler make learning to measure a treat for the eyes too. 20 of 21 Genuine Fred Great Write Pencil Sharpener Shop It What’s the point? These keep pencils sharp. Jeffrey Westbrook Here's a shark that doesn't chomp—it sharpens. Open mouth and insert pencil with the Great Write pencil sharpener. 21 of 21 Little Navy Sticky Labels Sport Pack Shop It A cuter, more personal way to label everything. Jeffrey Westbrook Kids get a kick out of designing their look-alike with these labels! You'll be thrilled that the name stickers are waterproof—they stick to clothes through the washing machine and lunch supplies through the dishwasher. Label with abandon! Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit