The School Supplies Every '90s Kid Had in Their Backpack

No school bag in the '90s was complete without a bold, velcro-sealed Trapper Keeper. Whether you had a neon geometric pattern or a Lisa Frank explosion of color, this binder was more than organization. It was personality, pride, and sometimes your best defense against a pop quiz. The satisfying rip of the velcro still lives rent-free in many memories.

Every note passed in class was an artistic masterpiece thanks to a rainbow of glittery gel pens and those unmistakable scented Mr. Sketch markers. Strawberry, grape, and mint turned even math notes into sensory experiences. You weren’t just writing. You were expressing yourself, one smelly doodle at a time.

A proper pencil case was just as much about style as storage. Maybe you had one shaped like a boom box, or one with a secret sliding drawer. It was where you kept your mechanical pencils, erasers shaped like aliens, and the occasional mood ring. Bonus points if it was puffy or holographic.

From spiral-bound notebooks with wild patterns to composition books covered in stickers and white-out doodles, every page carried the weight of classroom boredom. These notebooks were more than paper. They were your secret diary, your math graveyard, and your creative playground when lessons dragged on.

'90s backpacks weren’t just for school supplies. Tamagotchis, slap bracelets, pocket trolls, and sticky hands were essential cargo. A pack of Fruit Gushers or a hidden Game Boy Color was a lunchtime flex. And let’s not forget the importance of the right keychains swinging from your zipper - the more, the better.