2nd & 3rd Grade Boys

[JuliaM]

My company sponsors children each year and puts together a backpack with school supplies. This year, my coworkers and I are sponsoring two children - both boys - 2nd and 3rd grade. I was wondering what boys that age might like regarding a backpack (plain or with something on it & what) or even school supplies like notebooks - just plain ones or with something on them. It's been a few years since my nephews were that age and I'm sure whatever was cool then has changed today so I'm hoping those who have boys around that age might be able to help. Thanks!

[HeatherB]

For their backpacks, my boys liked bright red or orange. If you can find a patterned one, just skip pink and you should be ok.

For notebooks, binders, etc, my boys loved a variety of bright colours: red, yellow, blue, purple, orange, multi-coloured patterns. Maybe stick with bold geometric patterns instead of florals.

[lauren grier]

For school supply type things i'd stick to plain coloured ones- no designs. None of connor's teachers K-5th grade now have allowed any designs on their folders/notebooks/etc :]

[Jjriward]

My soon-to-be second grader loves camo of any color.


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[kristijoy]

For my 2nd grader it's all orange and blue! Our school sticks with plain backpack folders.

But if I were to choose designs it would be a LEGO something or a STAR WARS something. (Skip the cute little dinos or spaceships)

[SmallMoments]

It really depends on the kid. I teach 2nd grade. Some of them still like characters- usually Lego, Skylanders, Star Wars- and some are past characters and just do plain. Your safest bet for backpacks is probably plain.

The notebooks, etc. you'd be safe with any of the characters above.

[JuliaM]

Thanks for all the advice...it's really helped.

[adi&co.]

my boys would be happy with basically anything so you probably couldn't go wrong!

[SeattleSheri]

I think color and/or pattern is totally personal preference, so I'd just stick with something fairly plain -- since kids that are less likely to use it if they don't like the pattern, but if it's plain they can dress it up. That's awesome you are sponsoring some kids!

[kim21673]

My boys LOVE orange and red backpacks!!! I bought them Jansport ones last year because they didn't want character ones.

As for supplies, the bulk of our list says plain folders and notebooks, so we get one of every color and then a special one.

[Jen22]

Camouflage too. My soon to be 4th grader (ahhh!) loves Minecraft, so I'm gonna look for that. But the one he had last year was camo and was a one strap one that went across his chest (I did this because even when he had two straps, he'd only use one and put it across his chest)

[ashersmommy]

My son will be entering fourth grade and although he's past the characters for shoes, he still loves the stuff for school supplies as do some (not all) of his classmates. I don't think anyone in his grade doesn't like Lego and/or Minecraft. My son particularly is in love with Star Wars and Lego at the moment but if I were to get him something Minecraft, he would still love it. As for the rest, I would check and see if the teachers have a supply list yet. They sometimes get them early (we did last year) and we have always had to have solid notebooks in various colors (green, red, blue, yellow, orange). Number two pencils are great but at this age my son is allowed mechanical pencils. A pencil box of some sort is still a good idea as is something to color with (at least at our school) like markers, colored pencils, etc. We never need folders because the school provides a plastic one with the kids name on it every year. This year we needed red pens too for proofreading. Hope that helps!

[Sherri Tierney]

I work with 250 2nd and 3rd graders... and have one of my own (going into 3rd). Solid colors are always a good choice. I saw a lot of Angry Bird backpacks last year (which surprised me as Angry Bird seems on the out to me), sports themed ones, etc. Personally, if I were getting them and didn't know the boys well, I'd go with a simple boyish pattern like checks or something plain. My son really likes flames (on his lunch box and pencil box) and he has a backpack that is plain with what looks like paint splatters on it). As for school supplies, my kids LOVE the themed stuff. Their teachers don't have a problem with it but I know a lot of people have had issues with anything decorative or themed, teachers have requested everything be plain. We buy extra stuff to donate to the school. It really is shocking how many kids don't have what they need It is easier to buy things when it isn't going to a specific child... the kids can look through what we have and choose something. I think it would be harder buying for a specific child without knowing what they love.