When did your child go from the book bag to a backpack?

[myusernameisnotmyusername]

Hi my dd moves up to year 1 in September and I'm wondering what year kids stop using their book bag and go towards a backpack type bag? Thanks.

Reception...

Year 1 for both of mine.

Can fit so much more into a backpack and it's part of the new uniform tradition for us to get a new bag/stationery for school.

Ds is 15 and going into year 11 and he likes North Face ones as they have the clips across the front, handy when running for the bus!

Dd is 7 and going into year 3 and wants another Smiggle one, they're good value when used every day for the academic year and we tend to use last years backpacks for swimming/sleepovers/holidays so don't really go to waste.

Are you at Infant or Primary? Both my DC went from book bag in Y2 to backpack in Y3 when they went up from Infant to Junior school x

@Zoflorabore are smiggle good then? I've not heard the most positive comments about them!

Primary @KnickerBockerGlooooory

Year 1 - the Velcro on the book bag had given up at the end of Reception and I didn't want to get another one as it wasn't ideal to fit the things DD was expected to take in - reading book, water bottle, fruit.

Year 1 usually, quite a few did it earlier.

myusername

Yes I think the Smiggle ones are great. Dd has not been precious with hers and it's taken some wear this last year, is still in pretty good condition and has so many different compartments which i like.

Lots of children in her school have them and I imagine lots will get them for the new school year.

We've had character ones in year one and they fell apart after a few months, Smiggle are not cheap but do last.
I'm crazy getting her another one but I know of a family who would be very grateful for dd's current one so I will probably offer it to them.
Also she's starting juniors I'm not convincing myself here haha I'm just soft

At the primary the dc went to it was a school issues book bag until Year 3 when they changed to a school logged backpack. PE kits were in a school logged pump bag & had to stay in school. They were sent home every half term to be washed.

Sometime in year r / start of year 1.
The bookbags wouldn't loop over my wrist so I got them backpacks so I could chuck them over my shoulder and have a spare hand.

At my DD's school, it was book bags from Reception to Y2, and backpacks from Year 3 onwards.

Ours are all given a book bag in reception (funded by the PTFA) but it's not a great one. The shop that stocks the logo'd uniform bits does better ones, stronger fabric, bigger, and with a long strap so they can wear it cross body. I will probably switch to backpacks in about year 3.

Can fit so much more into a backpack

But what are you taking in year 1 that you might need to fit in?

Preschool. Couldn't fit everything in otherwise.

Year 1. They weren't allowed rucksacks in reception as the bookbags had to be kept in class and no space for rucksacks. Year 1 they had pegs. Just as well, I hated bookbags with a passion. They look cute on the first day of school but hold next to nothing, won't stay shut, won't hold a water bottle and are a pain for scooting etc.

What on earth is a book bag? (I did Google before asking)

@SpacePenguin where are you? these are book bags, only most if not all infant/primary schools in the uk sell school logoed ones the flatter ones are the normal ones for reception year 1 and 2, the wider one for juniors, but buy juniors most are moving to backpacks.

On back packs, I would say definitely not character as they can be quite faddy and unless from Disney store or something are quite cheaply made so don't last long

I wouldn't say smeegle either

I'd say a good quality one like hype or jansport

I work in an infant school and they pretty much all have book bags.

Bookbags all the way to year 6 because there was not enough room to store rucksacks. Ask the school what their policy is perhaps.

Y1. bookbags are only allowed in nursery and reception

@sirfredfredgeorge water bottle, reading book, homework book, trainers for PE if they had gotten wet. Swimgear in awimming days (for us y1 and y2). project work.

yes, it all could be carried seperately, but that could be up to 4 bags. backpack is more practical

Agree that there is more than just books.
For us it's PE kit which is sent home every Tuesday after PE, reading books and record, homework, Sun cream, water bottle, spare bobble/socks/purse for snack money etc.

Also if the weather is a bit dodgy I will put dd's coat in her backpack, they fit so much in them.

i couldn't fit all of that in a book bag.

Half way through year 1 as the book bag had seen better days and the velcro wasn't sticking properly.

Some children used backpacks from reception and never had a book bag.

I find that backpacks have more room and are easier for my son to carry on his back rather than a book bag over his shoulder that keeps slipping off.

From his first day - his water bottle/play piece won’t fit in the book bag. His backpack can fit his book bag in it, and his jacket or jumper if they get taken off as well as a water bottle and snack.

Just bought DS2 a backpack as we increasingly struggled to fit stuff in the bookbag. He's going in to Y2 shortly.

DS1 swapped mid way through reception, after he wore holes in the bookbag by scraping it along the ground all the time.

@spacepenguin
I came on this thread to find out what a book bag was

I went to two different primary schools and never had one. Never heard them mentioned either. And having looked at the design now, it's not a type of bag I've ever seen. That's in Scotland - don't know if it's just my area then or not.