Primary school bag recommendations

[pepinanalilyplant]

My 5 year old niece is starting school in August and has asked for a school bag as her birthday gift. She loves princesses and unicorns. The bag has to be big enough to put the book bag in as well so spares her carrying two bags ...

Any recommendations please? Since it's a gift I'd like to get something nice.

Her mom has a new baby so quite busy and I'm trying to help her get organised for school. Any recommendations for gym bag and arts overall would be great as well.
Ta.

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MNHQ

Try smuggle my girls love them

Sorry smiggle!

Thanks. I'll have a look

Loads on smiggle and it was the first bag that actually lasted my daughter the whole year without getting completely trashed. They always have sales too

Is she going to be allowed a school bag? Our school and many others specifically asks only book bag to be brought in (and PE kit in drawstring bag) as there isn’t room to store 30 backpacks in the classroom and they don’t really need a school bag for a book bag and a water bottle. The book bags usually go in a tray or a box. Backpacks on pegs just don’t fit.

Every school is different though.

Gym bag I’d get a drawstring one (they fit better on pegs) and Amazon do ones in all colours of the rainbow with their name on which is quite useful.

I’d check if school bags are allowed first. Lots of schools don’t have space for 30 backpacks, and like ours are book bags only.

Book bags are designed to fit in a tray neatly.

Agree, we have a school bookbag and they provide a plastic one of not, and a school or bag although you can take your own.

My son's friend has her pe bag in school colours but with her name and a Unicorns printed on it. You can probably get personalised book bags too

What @deadleaf29 said.....when little it's a drawstring bag for PE - you could buy a nice personalised one with her name on. (Make sure it's big enough....some of the cheap personalised ones don't fit the shoes in.) Then her school probably sell a book bag. And she might want a lunchbox if she isn't going to take advantage of free school meals....and or a water bottle.

It's about y2 or 3 they ditch the book bag and take a school bag.

But you could get her a nice backpack anyway for school trips, sleepovers, if they're out for the day so she can pack her own waterbottle etc?

Thanks everyone. I checked with mom and school bag allowed and a separate book bag provided.

I have found Jansport backpacks to be very hardwearing. They are a small bit pricier than some of the other brands, but I was so tired of bags falling apart and these don't. My youngest got one when he started school and five years later it's still going strong. His sibling also has one for the same length of time. I haven't seen unicorns or princesses, but they have floral patterns etc. They do make them in various sizes - some would be more suited to older/college students.
I don't even know what a bookbag is tbh, it's all backpacks where I am (Ireland).