How big should a backpack be for an A4 folder?

You went through the effort of measuring your child for a backpack. You managed to choose one that she actually likes for more than 3 days. Then her teacher stuffs her precious artwork in her backpack, folded in half and crumpled. That was what happened to Claire when she first started daycare. We kept the artwork anyway. We even framed one of them up. First-time parents. Over time we realized everything came on A4 paper – artwork, consent forms, daycare news and warning letters. It looked like our little toddler needed a backpack that can fit an A4 folder but her backpack was way too small. In order for a single A4 plastic folder to sit upright in the main compartment and not be bent at the edges, your child’s backpack should be at least 15 inches high and 10 inches wide. The extra height is needed because many backpacks are curved at the top.  Let’s dive into the details:

What is the size of an A4 folder?

A4 paper measures 11.7 x 8.3 inches. An A4 folder is just that little big bigger to fit a few pieces of A4 paper. The average plastic A4 folder is 12.9 inches in length and 9.4 inches wide. There is no reason for a preschooler to need anything more than a single A4 envelope to keep their paper artwork. However, if for whatever reason, your child needs one of those expanding file folders, the average size for those are 13.5 x 10.25 inches and they can expand up to 3.5 inches.

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What size backpack fits an A4 folder?

In order for a simple A4 plastic folder to sit upright and not be bent at the edges, your child’s backpack would need to be at least 15 inches in height and 10 inches wide. The extra length in height is needed because many backpacks are curved at the top. If it’s a plastic A4 folder and you’re not worried about the folder bending a little, then you’ll be able to fit it into a 12-inch backpack. However, if you’re using paper A4 folders, this isn’t going to bode well for the long term as it will start creasing where its bent and eventually look a bit tatty.

What is the standard size for a child’s backpack?

While there is no standard size for children’s backpacks, the average size for a toddler’s backpack is about 11 inches high and 9 inches wide. This is a little too small to fit an A4 folder but bigger backpacks are not safe for your toddler to carry. For preschoolers (3-5 years old), the average backpack size is approximately 15 inches high and 12 inches wide. These backpacks easily fit A4 folders.

Do Pottery Barn children backpacks fit an A4 folder?

Pottery Barn is so popular among children that it’s worth mentioning this. Pottery Barn’s children range of backpacks come in mini, small and large sizes. The mini backpacks are 10.75 inches in height and will not fit an A4 folder. The small backpacks are 15 inches high while the large backpacks are 17 inches high. Both the small and large Pottery Barn backpacks will fit an A4 folder or two just fine.

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What can you do if your child’s backpack doesn’t fit an A4 folder?

While it’s tempting to buy a backpack that is big enough for A4 folders, your toddler might not be big enough to carry a larger backpack. You need to buy the right size backpack for your child first then get creative with what they can carry later. Fortunately, there are other options for keeping your munchkin’s artwork safe until you can squirrel it away into your keep box:

• Keep an A4 folder in your child’s pigeon hole at daycare and leave specific instructions for the teacher to keep all their artwork in the folder instead of cramming it into their small backpack, origami-style. Just make sure you clear out the folder weekly to avoid a build-up.
• Accept a one-fold solution. A piece of A5 paper is the size of a folded A4 paper. This makes A5 folders, which are about 9.5 x 6.7 inches, the perfect size for your toddler’s backpack. If you don’t mind a neatly folded A4 piece of artwork (vs crumpled), this might be the solution for you.

To wrap up

To fit an A4 folder into a child’s backpack comfortably, you’ll need to buy one that is more than than 15 inches in height. But if you don’t mind bent edges, an 11-12 inch backpack should be able to just fit an A4 folder.