[allyr]

I know. Not all that important, but I have a few questions. We are moving back to Queensland and have three boys transferring to a Catholic school from a public one.

First question- Will a kindy sized bag be suitable for prep? My just turned 5yr old might be 15kgs and a full sized bag seems ludicrous!

Second Question- Do the Bobbleart Canvas bags last ok? I'd like quality so that I don't need to keep replacing them. Any recommendations? My older boys are 7 and 10.

Oh, also lunch box recommendations. We had Smash this year and I thought they were pretty crappy.

Thanks EB.

[Julie3Girls]

School bag - no idea about the brand, but for size, I try and make sure it is big enough to put an A4 book in, because their homework book is usually an A4 scrapbook for my kids. And their homereader folder is usually A4 size.
Once you have it big enough to take the A4 book, there is usually plenty of space for the lunch box, hat, homereaders and even the library bag with books in it.

Lunch box .. I get the girls one of the insulated lunch boxes, and then put the food in smaller plastic containers inside - the little decor ones, or klip it ones. Tupperware sandwich box. It's all lasting pretty well with my girls - I've only had one of the insulated boxes split, and I've always just bought from BigW.

[warriorsfan]

You might want to check with the school, as they might require a school bag from the school. My daughter is at a private school and needs to have their bag, the most expensive bag I have ever bought!

[Glr-r]

If the do library at school the books are largish sometimes so I've always got 30cm type size bags to accomodate A4 size books, folders, portfolios etc and I've always found it handy to have the drink bottle holder on the side of the bag so it wasn't going inside the bag.

[murraysmissus]

Our public school has optional blue school bags with logo etc printed on them. Very expensive though and not very strong for the way they get treated. at the beginning of last year I had enough of replacing school bags every term (UGH!! BOYS!!) so I went to Uptons army disposals and bought them khaki coloured canvas shoulder bags that they wear across their chests, over one shoulder. These have been treated the same way as any other bag, but one difference is - I can throw them in the washing machine on the holidays! They are good to go for at least another couple of years!! YES!!! $30 each they were, and I couldn't be happier!

[~strawberry~]

My DD was only 13kg when she started prep last year and she coped fine with the full sized school bag. At the end of the year it was really handy having the bigger bag to bring home all their school work books and art work.

[JKTMum]

Check with the school first. Our Catholic primary (Victoria) has a compulsory school bag, every kid from Prep to year 6 must have it (one size for everyone so they can use it for the entire 7 years if it lasts, which it did for DD1).

Even for Preps by the time they had their library bag, reader bag, lunchbox, drinkbottle and their jumper in it, it was pretty full anyway so we were glad for a slightly big bag.

[Propaganda]

I found that kindy-sized bags were much too small. It's got to at least fit a full lunch box, water bottle, hat and jumper in there, and they're often bringing home homework and library books and notes too. The cute Tiger Tribe bag I'd gotten in preparation was much too small, and quickly got replaced with a much larger bag.

If you're going Catholic though, you may have to use the school's own bag. I'd check and see with them before buying anything.

[Funwith3]

Agree, I'd check about school branded bags. My daughter's public school has one.
Our Smash lunch box has been fantastic so maybe you got a dud?