Taking Skip Hop back to school

In Kids by JennaLeave a Comment

We have been all about back-to-school over here at Savvy Sassy Moms and how could we not be with so many kids to get ready? Starting the year off right is best for everyone involved. So while summer isn’t over yet, we can’t help but start to prepare for what’s ahead.

As a teacher myself, I know how essential it is to have the right back-to-school gear. I remember when Jonah was just 18-months-old, he picked up his Skip Hop backpack for the first time and put it on. The look on his face was priceless. You could see the pride in his eyes and the smile on his face. He instantly felt like a big boy! Carrying his own backpack gave him a sense of control and ownership over his belongings and since then, he has chosen each one of his backpacks.

Riggs Raccoon Skip Hop

Meet all the Skip Hop back-to-school friends

Skip Hop’s Zoo Collection is popular line — one that has been around in my house almost since the day Jonah was born, over four years ago! We have welcomed many of the Zoo Collection Backpacks into our life including the Marshall Monkey, Dakota Dinosaur, Livie Ladybug and Floyd Frog. Every child has a favorite animal and if they don’t, after seeing all of the animals available, there is no doubt that one will call their name. After all, there are 25 animal friends to choose from! This year, SkipHop has added four new friends to the crew: Cody Chameleon, Riggs Raccoon, Peyton Pig and Brett Bunny!

Skip Hop Back To School

Tips for prepping for back-to-school

My two little ones will both be starting at new schools this year. With new schools come new transitions, and with new transitions comes excitement… and some anxiety. As both a teacher and a mom, I find that one of the best ways to ease the anxiety and prepare for a smooth transition is to include your child in preparing for what’s to come. Here are some tips for preparing for back-to-school:

  1. Talk to your child about the school year beginning. Share with them any information you have, such as their teacher’s name, which friends will be in their class, and some of the fun activities that they will get to do at school.
  2. Encourage them to voice any concerns they may have so that you can try and tackle them ahead of time.
  3. Read a variety of books about starting school to help with the transition.
  4. If you have little ones entering preschool or kindergarten, make a little photo book with them of pictures of everyone in the family that they can keep in their backpack.
  5. Include your child in their back-to-school shopping, from their first day of school outfits to their backpack.
  6. Come up with fun lunch ideas with your kids before school starts and then include them in their own lunch preparation.
From home to school and back again

No matter what grade and stage your kids are in, they will be coming home from school with activities and work to share with you. They work hard all day long and take pride in their work, so you must make sure that you are sending your child to school with a backpack that can hold all their work, but not be too big and heavy for them to carry. Skip Hop backpacks are the perfect size for your preschoolers to carry! The adjustable pocket on the side is perfect for their matching straw bottles to ensure easy access. Keep important notes for the teacher or anything else you need to access quickly in the front zipper compartment. To avoid losing their belongings, write your child’s name on their backpacks in the space provided.

Riggs Raccoon and Eureka Unicorn Skip Hop Zoo Collection

If you child is a lover of all animals, welcome another zoo friend into their school day with a Skip Hop Lunchie and Straw Bottle. If they like to commit, like mine does, keep the theme the same and bring the whole animal family to school! But if your child can’t decide which animal to love, mix-and-match their Zoo Collection style.

The Skip Hop Zoo Lunchies have lots of room for their favorite main course and snacks. The insulated bag keeps their food and drinks cold — there is one large compartment that is big enough for main course, snack and drink. The interior mesh pocket is the perfect place to put their cutlery, napkin, and even a note to make your little ones smile! If their Zoo Backpack is full on the way to school, use the top handle clip to attach it to the outside instead of their backpack instead. We can’t help but love the write-on name tag that inside the lunch and zoo pack… they really thought of everything!

Skip Hop Zoo Collection

Learning independence, one school day at a time

As both of my kids start school, I am teaching them to become independent. We are all guilty of putting on our children’s coats and shoes to hurry them out the door, but it is important to give them time to dress themselves so that they are independent when we aren’t at school to help them. Zipping zippers is no easy task for their small little fingers, which is why I love the tags attached to the zippers on the Zoo Packs and Lunchies. The big tags are perfect for their little hands and help them get the grip to zip and unzip their zippers independently. This gives me peace of mind that while they are at the snack table during those first few weeks of school, they will be able to open their lunch boxes on their own.

The straw bottles are easy to flip open and closed to ensure they stay clean. The Velcro hand grab-strap attaches to anything or can be kept in the side pocket of the Zoo Pack so they have easy access to it at all times. Throw it in the dishwasher at the end of the day so it’s ready to go the next morning. Mom tip: Before school starts, show them how to open and close the bottles and they will be good to go. With the cute zoo character on their straw bottle, they won’t want to put them down.

Back to school with Skip Hop

This year, my kids will be off to school with their favorite zoo friends, Riggs Raccoon and Eureka Unicorn. They both can’t wait to show them off to their friends, but until school begins, they will settle for showing their back-to-school gear off to the neighbors!

Enter the giveaway to win

Don’t forget to enter the Savvy Sassy School Days Giveaway for your chance to win over $1250 in prizes, including Skip Hop Raccoon and Unicorn Backpacks and Lunchie and Straw Bottle Sets ($80 value). See our original post for all the details.

Meet the Author | Jenna


Jenna Berger is a mom & stepmom to 4 kids between the ages of 9 and 14. She loves staying up to date on all things kids and makes sure she is on point with the latest childhood trends! She is the owner of Savvy Sassy Moms and manages a team of creative contributors that work hard to keep moms up to date on the latest trends. Jenna loves social media and works on a variety of social media campaigns with brands big and small. Connect with Savvy Sassy Moms on Instagram

Leave a Comment