One of my favourite things about being a kid was heading to the shops to choose a new school bag. It seems I still love a good rucksack and once we stopped using the changing bag we moved on to little rucksacks for the girls to use.

They are ideal for nursery days or trips out. Ok, so the girls very rarely carry them themselves for more than 5 minutes but that makes it all the more important to have an ace one that I don’t mind sporting on my shoulder!

I can honestly say that rucksacks have come on leaps and bounds in terms of designs. There are SO many that I would want the girls to have. Plus in mini sizes they look super cute.

Animal Inspired

We have long been big fans of Skip Hop. Purely for the amazingly fun animal designs they produce like this giraffe and monkey. There is everything from plates to playmats and over the years we have always gone back to the brand for the girls. Their rucksacks are our favourite with the cute animal faces in bright colours. Molly had the owl when she started nursery and Alice now has the polar bear. They are roomy enough to chuck in everything from spare clothes and nappies to a few toys. They also wear incredibly well. Molly is still using hers four years later although I am tempted to upgrade to this amazing Unicorn design. Yep, a unicorn backpack is a definite winner in my books.

It seems animal shaped backpacks are a big trend for kids! The Little Life mini backpacks contain a parent safety strap (a bit like reins) so you can keep hold and avoid the inevitable attempts to run off at every given opportunity! They have a whole host of designs from Tigers to ladybirds. The bags are quite small so ideal for a few essentials but it does mean they are easy enough for even the smallest toddler to carry.

Trunki are well known for their quality fun cases for kids but they also have a great range of backpacks for the littles. Another animal shaped offering but these one’s are waterproof making them ideal for wet swimwear or day trips out. After all, we know it is likely to rain when you head out for that visit to the zoo! I love the octopus or fish design.

Next has some great priced rucksacks like this little elephant or bunny designs.

I will pre-warn you that this bag is super spendy but I just had to include it. The traditional styling coupled with the rust colour and fun giraffe print make this a winner.

Bright

This M&S buckle rucksack is such a fun design. Covered in bright badges with super smart detailing and your usual M&S quality make this a great choice.

Ideal for trips to the swimming pool or beach these duffle string bags from Zara come in a host of bright colours. Plus they are only £10.99 which makes them a bargain in my eyes.

Monsoon have got a great collection of pretty printed rucksacks. This hummingbird design is so bright and fun or this Sophia rucksack is really lovely and only £12.

Denim

This amazingly fabulous denim Billy Bandit bag is currently reduced in House of Fraser and I am incredibly tempted to make a purchase. It is such a good choice.

These beautiful Scandinavian inspired rucksacks from AnnaLiv are super cute. Mini enough that the little’s can carry them around as they are so lightweight but still roomy enough for all the the things children deem necessary for a day out.

Grey

Mi Pac are a favourite in the RMLtd team for their great laptop cases and it seems the rucksacks are just as great. There is an unbelievable choice of colours and patterns and they make a great pre-school or school bag. Personally I am admiring this soft grey version or the black and white elephant print. Promise they aren’t for me!

Fun

Joules always has really good quality backpacks and this season they have some seriously fun designs. The horse and floral print is super pretty but can we just talk about this rocket? It even has flames coming out the bottom. AMAZING!

In truth your little one would probably love a Peppa Pig or Frozen backpack if you let them choose. Sometimes you just have to let the little’s have their fun don’t you!

 
Have you spied any great rucksacks out there that I should know about?