Senior year is full of “lasts,” so some seniors commemorate their last year by throwing it back to kindergarten and wearing their favorite cartoon character backpacks. 

“I chose a Barbie mermaid backpack. The inspiration was because the mermaid movies were my favorite out of the Barbie franchise, and it also has a fairy in there which I thought was a cool detail. The main part of my back pack is blue with the front of it being a mix of blue, purple, yellow, and pink. The front has two Barbie mermaids and one Barbie fairy with glitter as well as the quote ‘born to dream’,” senior Ameera Hooks said. 

Kid backpacks often feature Barbies, Disney princesses, and even superheroes. 

“I chose a Spiderman backpack because I have loved Spiderman since I was a kid, so it was nice to be able to bring it back in my last year. It has comics on the straps and back with a big Spiderman face on the front. I really like it,” senior Eliana Anderson said. 

Although fun, size can be a problem.

“I chose not to have a kids backpack because I needed space for all my stuff. I have my Under Armor backpack from freshman year instead. It has lasted me all throughout high school, so I figured it would be good for one more year. I did not want to worry about my backpack potentially breaking, especially during the school day,” senior Zach Penn said. 

Although fun trends like the backpacks stereotypically attract the girls, the males in the senior class are participating, too. 

“I did SpongeBob for my senior backpack. The inspiration was not anything special. I just wanted it to be funny and original. It does hold everything well for the most part, but it is a little bit smaller than I am used to. So far it has not been a problem though,” senior Tyson Jones said.

Even though some seniors do not think kid backpacks are a smart choice, many have a dream of owning one. 

“If I got a kids backpack, it would be a Lightning McQueen one. I grew up watching the Cars movies, so it is a very nostalgic character for me. I wish they made bigger and more durable backpacks so that I could participate,” Penn said.

Senior is a hard year of change and growing up, so this trend allows for soon-to-be graduates to be kids one last time. 

“I wanted to have a kids backpack because I think it is a cool senior tradition and it allows me to express myself in an unconventional way. Plus, it was only $20 from Walmart, so that was nice rather than spending $80,” Anderson said. 

The nostalgia that comes with the kid backpacks also encourages students to participate. 

 “I have always loved the idea of seniors changing it up for their last year and using a backpack like they would have for elementary school. It brings a huge sense of nostalgia to me, and the kid backpacks are super cute. I knew getting a kids backpack would be tricky because of space, but after searching for a while, the one I found is perfect and the size feels like any normal backpack,” Hooks said.