Back to School | Shop School Supplies, Backpacks, Lunch Bags | Canada

The first day of school for students is September 1, 2020.

September will be here before you know it, which means it’s almost time to stock up on back-to-school school supplies for the academic year ahead. Whether you’re shopping for school supplies for yourself or your kids, Indigo has you covered with all the essentials—including pens, pencils, backpacks, journals, notebooks, agendas and more. Here are some tips and tricks to help you breeze through your back-to-school shopping, so you can get back to enjoying the rest of the warm summer days ahead!

How to choose a back-to-school backpack

A backpack might be one of the most important school supplies on your list because it helps you shuttle your books and binders from your bedroom to the classroom (and everywhere in between). Backpacks for students in elementary school and kindergarten come in an array of fun patterns and colours. But before young scholars choose one solely based on the fact it’s covered in magic sequins, make sure that sparkly backpack is both functional and stylish. You want to look for wide straps and a good amount of padding. Find backpacks for girls and boys backpacks from brands like Crocodile Creek and Parkland at Indigo.ca.

Older students in high school, college and university—or office dwellers—might prefer a more sophisticated backpack—one that they can tote to class and beyond. Look for options from backpack brands like Herschel, Fjallraven, Matt & Nat and Love & Lore.

Get inspired with beautiful notebooks, journals and agendas

There’s nothing more inspiring than a blank journal, waiting for you to fill its pages. While students can use basic activity books for most classroom activities, inspire them with a gorgeous notebook or journal at the beginning of the school year. They can use it for creative writing projects, for collecting ideas or just reflecting on their progress over the school year.

Agendas are another back-to-school supplies must-have. And nothing will encourage students to stay organized more than a unique and well-designed agenda. Some agendas—from brands like Kate Spade, Ban.do and Rifle Paper Co.—are so gorgeous, you, or the student in your life, will want to carry theirs around everywhere! And isn’t that exactly the point?

How to tackle that litter-free lunch

Students and adults both need to think about packing lunch. So this year, instead of relying on single-use plastic wrap and baggies, add sustainable lunch supplies to your back-to-school shopping list.

First up, swap out those brown paper bags! Kids lunch boxes and bags have come a long way—and these school yard staples are available in designs adults will love too! Choose one that makes you happy, so you’ll actually enjoy filling it with nutritious food each and every day. Indigo has its own line of cute lunch bags and look for adorable lunch boxes from Kate Spade, too.

Instead of single-use plastic zip-top baggies, switch to Stasher bags. These squishy silicone containers are washable, which makes them completely reusable. That means you can fill them with snacks time and time again. And don’t forget to pack a stainless steel water bottle! Look for options from S’well, Indigo, Larq, Hidrate Spark or for glass bottles by Bkr.

If you’re hoping for an all-in-one lunch solution, kids and adults can make healthy use of bento boxes, which let you pack an entire day’s worth of food (your main and your snacks) in a single reusable container. For kids bento boxes, look for brands like Monbento—and best of all, this company makes lunch boxes for adults too.

Now, you’re ready to start shopping for those back-to-school supplies!