Back-to-School Fun: Paper Backpack Craft for Kids
Ready to kick off the school year with a creative and confidence-boosting activity? This Back-to-School Paper Backpack Craft for kids is the perfect way to celebrate the excitement of the first day while helping little learners build fine motor skills, learn about school supplies, and create something theyโll be proud to take home.
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This simple, colorful craft is engaging for young students and makes a great addition to your first week of school plans. It comes with a downloadable template, so all you need are scissors, glue, and a few basic materials to get started. In this post, weโll explore how to use the craft, what skills it supports, and a few read-alouds and seasonal ideas to take it even further.
Whatโs Included in the Backpack Craft for Kids
This paper backpack craft includes a printable template with everything you need to create a miniature backpack filled with school supplies. The template features a backpack base, front pocket, and items like a pencil, ruler, scissors, glue stick, and crayon. It also includes optional elements like sunshine, clouds, and an apple to use as background decorations or extensions of the craft.
Students cut out the pieces, glue the supplies into the backpack, and decorate their project using crayons, markers, or construction paper. Itโs flexible enough to fit into your art center, small group work, or a quiet time activity at home.
Skills This Craft Supports
This activity offers much more than just artistic fun. Itโs packed with opportunities to support early childhood development in meaningful ways.
- Fine motor skills: Cutting, gluing, and coloring build coordination and precision.
- School readiness: Recognizing and naming school supplies builds vocabulary and familiarity.
- Listening and following directions: A great way to start practicing classroom routines.
- Creative expression: Students can customize their backpacks and choose their own colors.
- Confidence: Completing and showing off a finished project gives kids a sense of pride, especially in the first week of school.
This craft is an excellent icebreaker that also serves as a visual reminder of the tools and routines that make school fun and productive.
Book Pairings for a First Day Theme
Pairing a craft with a read-aloud is a powerful way to reinforce learning. Here are a few back-to-school favorites that pair well with the backpack craft:
โThe Kissing Handโ by Audrey Penn โ A comforting story about separation and reassurance, perfect for the first day.
โSchoolโs First Day of Schoolโ by Adam Rex โ Told from the perspective of the school building, this book is a fun and imaginative way to approach back-to-school nerves.
โLlama Llama Misses Mamaโ by Anna Dewdney โ A gentle story about saying goodbye in the morning and adjusting to new routines.
โMiss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergartenโ by Joseph Slate โ A playful, rhyming book that shows what teachers and students do to prepare for the big day.
โDavid Goes to Schoolโ by David Shannon โ A humorous story that introduces school rules and expectations in a relatable way.
You can read any of these before the craft, then encourage kids to decorate their backpack with their favorite supplies from the story or draw a picture of something theyโre looking forward to this year.
Seasonal Ways to Use This Backpack Craft for Kids
This backpack craft is ideal for the first week of school, but itโs also versatile enough to adapt to other seasons and themes.
In August or September, use it as a welcome activity. Students can fill their backpack with drawn pictures of what theyโre excited to learn or do in school.
In October, turn it into a fall-themed activity. Add paper leaves or pumpkins around the backpack and talk about things we โcarry with usโ during the changing seasons, such as kindness or courage.
In January, revisit the backpack as a goal-setting tool. Students can write or draw a new skill they want to โpackโ for the year ahead.
In May or June, use the backpack as part of a memory book. Have students draw or write their favorite school memory and tuck it inside their backpack as a keepsake.
How to Use This in the Classroom or at Home
There are so many ways to incorporate this craft into your routine. In the classroom, it works beautifully as a morning work activity during the first few days of school. It also fits well in an art or fine motor center, where students can work independently or in small groups. You can personalize the backpacks with name tags and display them on a bulletin board titled โWeโre Ready to Learn.โ
You could also use the backpack to introduce school supplies. As students glue each item into their paper backpack, they can find the real-life version in the classroom during a simple scavenger hunt.
At home, this makes a fun evening or weekend activity for kids getting ready to start school. Itโs a great conversation starter to talk about what to expect, and you can even turn it into a pretend play opportunity as children role-play โpacking for school.โ
Tips for Success
- Print the templates on cardstock for extra durability, especially if you plan to send them home or display them.
- For younger students or those still developing scissor skills, you may want to pre-cut the pieces.
- Offer choices with colors and decorations to make each backpack unique.
- Add ribbons or paper strips as backpack straps for a more 3D effect.
Grab Your Template
The printable template for this backpack craft is available for download and ready to go. Whether you’re a teacher prepping for the first week or a parent looking for a simple and fun school-themed project, this activity helps ease the transition back to school while reinforcing essential early learning skills.
Celebrate the new school year with creativity, confidence, and a backpack full of potential!
