12 Things You Carried in Your School Bag in the ’70s
A trip down memory lane with the iconic items every '70s student had stuffed in their backpack.
- Chris Graciano
- 3 min read
School life in the 1970s came with its own set of essentials that kids never left home without. From dog-eared notebooks to lunch packed in metal boxes, your school bag was practically a time capsule of the decade. Let’s unzip those old canvas bags and rediscover the everyday items that defined student life back then.
1. Spiral Notebooks
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Lined paper with perforated edges and brightly colored covers were the backbone of every subject. You’d doodle in the margins during class and tear out pages for passing notes.
2. No. 2 Pencils
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Sharpened to a deadly point, they were the universal writing weapon of choice. Everyone had a chewed-up one, maybe with the eraser long gone.
3. Trapper Keeper (Later in the Decade)
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This was the Cadillac of organization if your parents splurged for it. Loud Velcro flaps, dividers, and wild graphics made it more than just a binder—it was a status symbol.
4. Metal Lunch Box with Thermos
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Cartoon-themed and dented from playground drops, these lunch boxes were mini time machines. The inside always smelled faintly of peanut butter and warm milk.
5. Pocket Tissues
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Moms slipped them in every morning “just in case.” You either used them for runny noses or to clean off your glasses.
6. Glue Bottle (That White Stuff)
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Every bag had one with a dried-up cap and crusty rim. The temptation to peel it off your fingers during art class was half the fun.
7. Pencil Case (Plastic or Zippered Fabric)
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From simple plastic to zippered denim, this pouch held all your writing gear and random junk. The inside was a mess of broken leads, eraser bits, and maybe a secret note or two.
8. Construction Paper
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Folded and crumpled from being jammed into tight spaces, this rainbow stack was the ticket to every class project. You never used the brown or black sheets, and red ran out first.
9. Crayons (Worn Down to Nubs)
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Crayola was king, and every box had favorites with peeled labels. The box lid always tore off, and you’d end up with loose crayons rattling at the bottom of your bag.
10. Milk Money in an Envelope
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A couple of coins stuffed in a wrinkled envelope marked “Lunch.” Half the time, you lost it, or it spilled into the bottom of your bag with loose lint.
11. Homework Folder
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This battered folder, held together by tape and willpower, contained all your masterpieces and missed assignments. Teachers scribbled in red pen across the top corner.
12. A Paperback Book
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Usually, it’s a mystery book or something your teacher made you read, like Charlotte’s Web. Pages were bent, and margins were decorated with doodles.