These Toddler Backpacks Will Make Them Feel Like a Big Kid

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With a reliable toddler backpack, getting your kid ready to go to daycare or school has never been easier (or cuter!) Toddler backpacks are more durable and stylish than ever, and we've searched high and low to find the cutest backpacks that your toddler will love, even if they're not jazzed about daycare. From lions to spunky prints, there's an adorable miniature backpack out there sure to delight your little one.

They're the perfect gift to give kids before they start 2-year and 3-year-old preschool. Fill it with goodies like crayons, a water bottle, and wipes.

Best Backpacks for Kids

Because size matters, we made sure these toddler backpacks are just the right size for your little one. They're ideal for your preschooler who needs just enough space to tote around their school supplies, art projects, and a mid-afternoon snack. It might not seem like much, but giving kids a bit of responsibility by allowing them to help you by helping themselves is an important part of fostering independence in preschool-age children according to the Child Mind Institute.

One study argued that "independence is a way of developing and establishing trust in children. This, in turn, enables children to make the most of learning opportunities, opening up a holistic approach to child development." Or, basically, let them find a routine, let them assist you, and let them carry their own crap so that they can embrace doing things for themselves which helps their learning process overall. (And saves your bag from Goldfish crumbs.) Just remember, their pack shouldn't weigh more than 15% of their body weight.

Check out our top picks and bring home a toddler backpack your tot can rock in style.

Dino Kids Backpack

Wildkin is a trusted and popular brand when it comes to backpacks — and rightfully so! Every backpack is designed to endure heavy loads of popsicle-stick artwork and all of the markers your kid insists on dragging back and forth to school. Plus, it comes in lots of fun pattern options to choose from!

More: These Kids' Backpacks Are So Durable and Adorable

Mackenzie Minecraft™ Backpacks

Show me a kid who doesn't love Minecraft and...wait, just show me one. I've never met one. Pottery Barn Kids made a great, glow-in-the-dark Minecraft mini Mackenzie backpack. The Mini Mackenzie is a favorite among parents for the durability, the number of pockets, and the stellar designs. It will cart so many rocks, leaves, crackers, and juice boxes for your kid, and do it in style.

Get it monogrammed for extra adorableness!

Reebok Fillis Mini Backpack, Black

Let me introduce you to an inexpensive, yet pretty great toddler backpack for your sporty toddler. They're not the easiest to buy for. Been there. She now wants to play all of the sports, and at 12, she simply hasn't the time. It's basic, but the compact size is ideal for even the youngest toddler, and at $15, it's not precious.

Monsters Small Kids Backpack with Side Pockets

I just bought this one for my niece, and I am so impressed with it. I bought it because she loves monsters and genuinely believes Sully lives under her bed, but I love it because it feels really strong, and oddly luxurious? I know, weird. But do you know how many backpacks have that weird, scratchy texture? This one doesn't.

Noticing that may just be a function of my autism, but it made me fall in love with the bag so much that I bought a bigger version for my goddaughter.

Kids Backpack

Purely ridiculous, but kids love it. It's made for toddlers, they can handle it easily. They love that it's a rocketship, and there's a better than average chance they're going to get a wild case of the toddler zoomies, which may just tire them out before bedtime.

Small Dinosaur Backpack

Going to daycare or preschool for the first time can be really scary. Why not bring a friend? Naturally Kids is a soft-bodied backpack that comes with a detachable corduroy plush in a baby-carrier style harness. It gives kids a friend when they may need it most.

Toddler Backpack

This backpack is perfect for the cutie pie who's feeling confident on their first day of preschool. Store snacks, toys, and more in this pint-sized pack that looks just like a friendly robot. It's also available in multiple styles.

Dinosaur Backpack

Most kids are absolutely mesmerized by dinosaurs. For kids (and some adults), dinos are like mystical creatures that actually lived. Inspire your little paleontologist with this colorful and spacious dinosaur backpack.

More: We Love These Adorable Backpacks for Girls

Unicorn Backpack

Available in a wide selection of whimsical creatures (including this adorable unicorn), these toddler backpacks by Skip Hop feature two external pockets, slim, padded shoulder straps, and just enough room for lunch books and your little one's favorite toy.

Dinosaur Toddler Backpack

Admit it: All kids are strange (even yours). And some kids just go cray-cray for this backpack. Despite its spiky appearance, this bag is made from super soft and easy-to-clean neoprene fabric.

Whether they want to act like a dino or show the monsters in their closet that they aren't afraid, this bag might just be the answer for your brave kid.

Tractor Backpack

Adults know John Deere for their high-quality lawn maintenance tractors. Your “things that go”-obsessed toddler will come to know this backpack as the green one with that cool tractor on the front. The simple design is quintessential for your pre-K toddler who is instantly starry-eyed when they see anything that has wheels.

Toddler Backpack

Everything old is new again, and this backpack certainly shines in its retro '80s colors. Perfect for older toddlers and preschoolers, this bright bag has plenty of room for papers, stickers, and even a lunch box.

This backpack is just itching to be customized with patches and puffy paint, and for the price, it's affordable enough for that to make sense.

Forest Animals Backpack

Sweet forest foxes and deer dance over the fabric of this toddler backpack. The dark fabric, cute as it is, will also do a great job at hiding stains from sticky little fingers.

It’s roomy and easy to clean thanks to the tight-weave poly fabric, and the polymer-coated zipper won’t get stuck from your little one zipping it up and down like it’s a toy.

Kid's Backpack

Don't let the eyes scare you away from this amazing backpack. Little ArcEnCiel is a robot with an attitude, and he's on a mission to get your kid's books, pens, and pesky daily folder to and from school without missing a beat.

There are plenty of zipper pockets and compartments to equip your kid with everything they will need when they leave in the morning. Plus, the front pocket is insulated to keep their snacks at the perfect temperature all day.

Mini Backpack, Blue Ocean, One Size

Yes, there are parrots and turtles somehow swimming beside sharks, octopi, and whales, but that's neither here nor there.

The print on this Simple Joys by Carter's backpack is loveable, sweet — and best of all? It hides dirt. Sure, you can wipe it off, but what you don't see?

It's little, it's inexpensive, and it's made by a brand parents trust. Chances are that some of your baby's first things were from Carter's, and now you can transition to bigger kids' goodies.

Toddler Dinosaur Backpack

It has a tail. That right there is worth the cost of admission.

Your little tyrannosaurus-loving toddler will adore this detailed backpack. The spines down the center, the easy-to-adjust straps, and the roomy interior make it just the cutest and most usable toddler backpack we ever did see. And yes, it's available in multiple colors so that every Jurassic or Cretaceous kid can find one for themselves.

Insulated Toddler Backpack

Got a runner on your hands? Yeah, we know all about them. With this adorable shark backpack, not only will your little ones be able to haul their stuff to daycare, but you’ll be able to keep a solid grip on their squirmy little escape-artist selves.

Remember, it’s not a “baby leash,” it’s an “escape prevention tether.”

Backpack for Girls & Boys

If your child knows why Muffin is writing a letter to the toilet fairy, then they will shriek with joy when they see this Bluey backpack.

Sized just right for little backs, this adorable character toddler backpack has two pockets with easy-up zippers and wipeable interiors. Designed to be durable, your little puppy can drag this one all around the Outback without it taking damage.

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