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As the back to school season rolls around, it’s a great time to bring out fun and engaging projects that help kids mark the start of a new year. This back to school backpack craft is a simple and colorful way to do just that! It’s a wonderful way for little ones heading off to preschool or kindergarten for the first time to feel excited about their new adventure.

If you’re on the lookout for even more back to school crafts, this activity makes a great addition to your collection of ideas.

Colorful back to school backpack craft for kids shown in blue and pink versions, with step-by-step activity visuals and bold title text, perfect for preschool and kindergarten DIY projects.

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Printable Backpack Craft

Kids will love cutting, gluing, and designing their own paper book bag with this colorful project. They’ll be excited to pick out bright shades of construction paper to assemble the different parts giving their little backpack a personality.

This paper craft also helps build important skills like scissor control and hand-eye coordination. Kids can make their backpack as unique as they like by choosing their favorite colors and adding little details with crayons or stickers.

Don’t forget to grab the free backpack template to make this back to school activity a breeze! Since everything is ready to print and go, it’s easy to bring this creative project to life for your students or kids at home.

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Supplies

Colored cardstock or construction paper
Scissors
Glue
Back To School Backpack Template (click the “click here to get your freebies” image at the end of the post)

Click here to see our favorite kids’ craft supplies.

Directions

Start by downloading and printing the template. Once the template is printed, gather the materials for this fun activity. Get those scissors ready, and let’s help the kids bring this backpack to life!

Hands holding a black and white printable backpack craft template labeled 'Back to School,' designed for preschool and kindergarten kids to color and cut.

Take the pouch piece and glue it to the lower middle section of the pink backpack base.

Hands gluing the front pocket onto a pink paper backpack craft base, part of a back to school activity for preschool and kindergarten kids.

Next, take the pouch stripe and glue it right above the dashed line of the pouch. This adds a fun layered look, just like a real backpack.

Hands attaching the flap to the front pocket of a pink paper backpack craft, part of a simple back to school activity for preschoolers and kindergarteners.

Click here to see why I recommend these craft supplies

Glue the “Back to School” patch to the center of the pocket.

Hands gluing a 'Back to School' label onto the front pocket of a pink paper backpack craft, part of a fun classroom activity for preschool and kindergarten students.

Find the small yellow zipper pull and glue it to the right side of the pouch, just above the dashed line. This makes the backpack look ready to zip up and go!

Hands attaching a yellow clasp detail to the front pocket of a pink paper backpack craft with a 'Back to School' label, designed for preschool and kindergarten kids.

Next, glue the green side pockets on each side of the backpack base.

Hands attaching side pockets to a pink paper backpack craft labeled 'Back to School,' part of a fun and simple activity for preschool and kindergarten kids.

Then, glue the yellow straps at the bottom of the backpack shape. This gives it the full backpack feel.

Hands adding yellow straps to the bottom of a pink paper backpack craft with a 'Back to School' label, part of an easy preschool or kindergarten classroom activity.

Glue the big round eyes above the smile, just below the eyebrows. Watch your child’s face light up when their backpack comes to life with a smile!

Hands attaching eyes to a pink paper backpack craft with a 'Back to School' label, ideal for preschool and kindergarten activities.

Grab the two little pink cheek circles and glue them right below each eye.

Hands assembling a cute pink paper backpack craft with a 'Back to School' label, perfect for preschool or kindergarten activities.

Finally, glue the green top handle to the top center of the backpack. Your backpack is now complete and ready to shine on the first day of school!

Hands attaching the top handle to a pink paper backpack craft with a 'Back to School' label, perfect for preschool or kindergarten projects.

Don’t you just love this adorable backpack craft? It’s such a fun way to get kids excited about a new school year while practicing their fine motor skills.

Looking for more school-themed ideas? Check out our favorite School Bus Crafts. It’s a perfect follow-up activity to keep the back-to-school energy going!

Hand holding a completed pink backpack paper craft with a 'Back to School' label, next to a blue version, ideal for preschool or kindergarten classroom activities.

Back To School Bus Craft

Back To School Books For Children

We Don’t Eat Our Classmates – This silly book is about a dinosaur named Penelope who is starting school and just can’t resist eating her classmates! Kids will love the fun drawings and crazy antics of Penelope, while also learning that being mistreated is never fun.

Chairs On Strike – The chairs have had enough of all the crazy things the kids do to them so they go on strike! This story helps kids learn to take care of their property and has lots of fun and silly humor.

Daniel Goes To School – If you have a little one who’s starting preschool or kindergarten and is reluctant to be away from you, this book is perfect for them! Daniel Tiger learns “grown-ups come back” at the end of every school day. We love this cute book!

Hand holding a blue paper backpack craft with an orange front pocket and 'Back to School' label, with a pink version in the background—perfect for preschool or kindergarten activities.

Back To School Crafts With Paper

Back To School Gnome Craft – Send your little learners back to school with a smile by making this adorable gnome! This cheerful gnome comes dressed for the occasion, sporting a pencil shaped hat and holding an apple for the teacher. Kids will love bringing this sweet school buddy to life!

Photo Bus Craft – All aboard for a fun back to school activity! Kids will create a school bus with their own photo riding in the passenger seat. It’s a cute and playful way to celebrate the new school year and makes a keepsake parents will absolutely adore.

Popsicle Stick Crayon Craft

Crayon Box Craft – Brighten up the day with this adorable paper crayon box! Kids can create their own set of colorful crayons and tuck them inside the classic yellow and green box. They’ll work on essential skills while making a bright way to welcome the new school year.

Pencil Paper Bag Puppet Craft – Bring stories to life with a fun pencil puppet! Your little puppeteers can create their own smiling pencil friend using a paper bag and our free template. Once it’s made, they’ll have a ball “writing” and sharing back to school stories with their new puppet.

First Day Of School Printables

Keep kids busy and learning with these fun back to school dot to dot printables. This set includes four school themed designs featuring a stack of books, a box of color pencils, a watercolor palette, and a chalkboard.

Kids will connect the dots up to 25 and then color their finished picture. These activities help strengthen number recognition, fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination.

It’s a fun way to combine learning and creativity for the new school year.

collage image of 4 First Day Of School Printables

These back to school color by numbers are a classic coloring activity kids of all ages love. This set includes 8 designs of items you’d find in a classroom like a backpack, globe, crayon box, and more.

Kids will reveal the hidden pictures as they match the colors in the key at the bottom of the page to the numbered spaces. Color by number activities help strengthen number recognition, build focus, and improve fine motor skills. Print for a fun, no prep activity to celebrate back to school season!

Back to School Cutting Practice Pages

Kick off the school year with these fun and engaging back to school activity sheets. Kids can try shadow matching, object matching, counting and graphing, and even help a backpack find its way to the school bus through a maze.

These engaging activities help boost critical thinking, counting skills, visual recognition, and problem solving. They’re full of hands-on fun to keep kids busy and learning as they work through each page.

Blue paper backpack craft with an orange front pocket and 'Back to School' label, displayed with scissors, glue sticks, and colorful paper—perfect for a preschool or kindergarten art activity.

Build, learn, and play with these back to school printable LEGO mats! Kids will love creating fun school themed builds like scissors, glue, pencils, a school bell, schoolhouse, book, and chalkboard.

Each page includes a vocabulary word to trace and a spot to count or tally the LEGO pieces used. These simple builds are a good way to boost creativity, math skills, and handwriting.

Did you make this activity with your kids or students? We’d love to feature them on our social media!

For a chance to have your child’s project featured, simply snap a picture of the completed project and post it to our Facebook page, email it to us directly by clicking here, or use #simpleeverydaymom on your social media!

Completed pink paper backpack craft with 'Back to School' label displayed on a colorful background with scissors, glue stick, and construction paper, perfect for preschool or kindergarten craft activities.

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