Move over North Face and Jansport, this year’s hottest senior trend is straight out of the elementary school lost-and-found.

Across campus, it’s hard to miss the sight, high school seniors proudly rocking kiddie backpacks. Glitter, dinosaurs, Spongebob, and Peppa Pig are just some of the designs Wakeland seniors have opted for this school year. What started as a joke has turned into senior tradition that decorates the halls in the most adorable way. 

“I think it’s funny how it comes full circle,” said senior Audra Cartwright. “We started wearing them in kindergarten and now we are wearing them as seniors.”

As graduation nears, these kiddie backpacks bounce through the halls like colorful time machines, carrying not just pens and snacks, but memories of how it all started.

“I never really thought I would be wearing something that a kindergartener would wear,” said senior Emily Cone, whose backpack features Marshall from Paw Patrol. “But as I’m wearing it, it makes me feel like a kid again. And I love it.”

The kiddie backpack trend is not just for laughs. It serves as a reminder of how far these seniors have come. From kindergarten to senior year, the backpacks may have stayed the same, but the students carrying them have grown.

“I think it’s a nice throwback to childhood,” said senior Lia Snively. “As some of us turn 18 it’s a nice way of appreciating being young.”