Chicago shoppers can find the Dante Beatrix Dino Little Kid's
Backpack at Twinkle Twinkle Little One. (credit: Dante Beatrix)

---

Related Articles

• All Back to School articles

• Shop for Schools program at The Red Balloon Co.

Chicago families searching for unique or personalized children's backpacks for the back-to-school season can try both larger toy stores and small children's boutiques around Chicagoland to find school bags that will stand out in a crowd of plain satchels and licensed character backpacks.

Land of Nod backpacks and lunch sacks

Fans of the Land of Nod's playful style will appreciate their When I Was Your Age Backpacks by Crocodile Creek, which come in Solar System and Butterfly Garden styles, and their Answer the Bell Lunchboxes (also by Crocodile Creek), which come in Flower,  Butterfly Garden, Solar System, and Dinosaur themes. For a simpler means of carrying school supplies, parents can also check out the Crocodile Creek School Sack, decorated with either a butterfly or a stegosaurus.

As part of their Fall 2009 Back-to-School line, Land of Nod will also be carrying adorable Penguin, Mouse, and Dog Skip Hop backpacks.

View their Backpacks & School Supplies and Lunch Bags online ahead of time and then use the online store locator to find the Land of Nod nearest home

Chicago families can find this Dabbawalla bag at
The Red Balloon Co. (credit: Dabbawalla)

Pottery Barn Kids backpacks and lunch bags

Pottery Barn Kids is also offering a range of cute school bags, some available exclusively through their catalog and Web site, while others can be purchased in PBK brick-and-mortar stores. All can be personalized for an extra fee. Standouts of the PBK backpack collection include the preschool animal backpacks and Star Wars™ X-Wing school bags.

Use the online store locator to find the Pottery Barn Kids nearest home.

Unique school bags at The Red Balloon Co.

Families looking for unique school bags can visit The Red Balloon Co. for a variety of cute and sweet backpacks from brands like Miquelrius, Four Peas, and Dabbawalla. Many of these school bags can be monogrammed or otherwise personalized. Standouts include the handmade metallic vinyl airplane backpack by Zid Zid Kids and the Stop Light washable preschool backpack by Dabbawalla.

Find The Red Balloon Co. at 2060 N. Damen Avenue in Bucktown or 5407 N. Clark Street in Andersonville.

Chicago parents can purchase the DwellStudio Kid's
Backpack Transportation at giggle. (credit: DwellStudio)

Cute school backpacks at Twinkle Twinkle Little One

Children's boutique Twinkle Twinkle Little One stocks a line of adorable Dante Beatrix backpacks decorated with designs like animals and symbols. The little sizes are good for children ages 2 or 3 and up. The Big Kid size fits children ages 5 to 10. The Eco-Backpacks and Eco-Packs are made from nylon constructed from recycled plastic water bottles with a trim of naturally biodegradable canvas.

Some Dante Beatrix backpacks and lunch totes can be ordered with personalization from Script and Scribble online.

Stylish toddler backpacks at giggle

For the toddler about town who wants to carry school supplies in a stylish bag, parents can check out the DwellStudio Kid's Backpacks at giggle. Available in Chocolate Dots, Gio Lemon, and Transportation styles, each sturdy and chic preschool backpack comes with a matching pencil case.

Visit giggle at 2116 North Halsted Street in Lincoln Park.

Find out more about:

• Deals and sales on licensed character school bags like Disney character backpacks and Hello Kitty totes.
• The best deals on back to school backpacks.
• school bags that kids can draw on.