As the beginning of the school year approaches, your young children are probably super excited over the idea of having a brand new backpack bursting at the seams with new school supplies. While you’re filling up your child’s book bag, would you consider packing a couple of extra backpacks for elementary students in need?
Most of us remember the nostalgic feeling of arriving on the first day of school in brand new shoes, a stylish outfit to match and trendy backpacks stuffed with the required classroom essentials.
However, in the midst of all the commotion, it’s often easy to overlook the students that truly need the help of the fortunate families who can afford the entire list of supplies.
A shocking number of 1 in 5 children in America are coming back to school every year with next to no school supplies. Chances are high that your child will befriend an underprivileged student this year. Likely, your child would want to help their friend in any way possible if they were aware of the unfortunate circumstances their friend was facing.
There are many ways that you can help your local school district accumulate the most necessary supplies. One of these ways is to stuff a new backpack with brand-new supplies and gift your child’s school with the backpack for them to distribute to the right student.
This is a great activity for the whole family to get involved, all the way down to the toddlers. Ever since he was tiny my youngest has been obsessed with backpacks – maybe because of one of his favorite toddler books was “What’s in Dragon’s Backpack” which I’m sure he would still say is one of the best books for two year olds!
Following is a list of necessary items to consider when packing backpacks for elementary school students in need. This comprehensive list may or may not cover the entire list of supplies requested by the actual school, but after raising six kiddos I can testify that these items will most likely make an appearance.
If you want to make sure you’re buying the supplies the kids in your school will most likely need, click here to search specific school supply lists by state and city.
Items for Backpacks for Elementary School Students in Need
- #2 pencils – Ticonderoga pencils are hands down teacher preferred. Consider the jumbo size for kindergarten.
- Pencil box – Perfect for helping young students keep small supplies together and organized.
- Colored pencils – Those with creative minds will appreciate a pack of colored pencils to unleash their artistic talents.
- Colored markers – Preferrably the washable kind, because….kids!
- Crayons – A student can never have too many crayons. Be sure to purchase the trusted brand for durability and longevity.
- Water Colors – For the never ending art projects that are a staple in grade school.
- Glue Sticks – Less messy than a bottle and easier to store.
- Easy-Grip Erasers – Big pink erasers have been the choice to erase mistakes for decades.
- Scissors – Smaller Fiskars sized just right for little hands and with blunt tips are the trusted go-to in this area.
- Pocket Folders – One thing I have learned over the years, folders in every color are a yearly necessity.
And don’t forget the backpack! Here are some of my favorites:
- Everest Basic Backpack – comes in 28 different colors and won’t bust your budget.
- Veegul Cool Backpack – five different patterns suitable for boys and girls!
- Hynes Eagle Unisex Casual Daypack – lots of extra pockets and great reviews!
Want to give back in an even bigger way? Host a backpack benefit event and rally other parents to join in the cause and help pack even more backpacks for elementary students in need!