The all-important backpack
Whether they cycle, walk or ride the bus to school, kids need a good backpack. Be sure to choose one that’s the right size for them. If you give your kids a pack that is too big, they’re bound to overload it. To protect children’s backs and muscles in general, the American Occupational Therapy Association recommends that children carry no more than 15% of their weight. In other words, a 100-pound child shouldn’t carry more than 15 pounds. To help distribute the weight of the pack, look for one with a waist belt—it will transfer weight away from the back. Also, look for a pack with sturdy, well-padded shoulder straps and reflective trim for visibility.

Once you’ve purchased the right backpack, make sure your child wears it correctly. They should always use both shoulder straps and the straps should be adjusted so the pack is snug against your child’s back. For instructions for making your own personalized backpack, go to our craft guide.

Stuff we love
Even though some teachers suggest waiting for the first week of class before buying supplies, we couldn’t help but find a few goodies to keep your eyes peeled for.

• Smartlap LapDesk: If your kids like to do their homework in the car or on the bus, this plastic storage case could come in handy. The top flips open to hold school supplies and closes to become a small portable desk.
• Stand n Store: This nifty case converts from a pencil pouch to a pencil stand. In class kids can save space by standing their supplies up on their desk.
• Crayola twistable crayons: Crayons can be fun, but they wear down quickly and sharpening them can be a real pain. Try these twistable crayons. Instead of sharpening or peeling, you just twist them to reveal more tip.
• Sanford Col-Erase pencils: Depending on their age, kids can color or add color to their notes with these erasable pencils.
• Foray Liquid Graphite pencil: This graphite pencil looks and feels like a regular pencil and writes with a Number 2 lead. The best part? It doesn’t need sharpening.
• Fiskars 4" control tip scissors: Designed for little hands, the three finger holes on these scissors will help your child get a better grip—and they can be used by righties or lefties. For those worried about safety, buy them with blunted tips.
• Elmer’s Glue funpack: If you want to buy you kids their own glue, this pack is a convenient option. It contains five ounces of liquid glue and a small glue stick. The glue is washable and comes in both red and blue.

What the kids say
Now for the real experts. We asked the Zeeks kids, aged nine to 14, about their favorite school supplies. Here’s what they said:

I always go with a theme for my school stuff. Last year all my pencils and folders had SpongeBob printed all over them. This year my locker theme will be pink and fuzzy and my school stuff will be Hello Kitty! -chica500

I just buy the supplies on my list. I don’t care about the brand—I choose whatever is the cheapest but strong enough for a full school year. I also buy extras of everything just in case stuff breaks or my notebooks get totally full, which they always do at my school! -MissHAP52

I love it when the flyers with school supplies start to arrive and my mom lets me sit down and pick out which new pencils & backpack I want to get. It’s the best part about going back to school! -AliM55