When my little one started nursery last year grandma wanted to buy him a bag he could use to take to school. He hasn't really got much need to take a bag to school with him, although in the winter months we did use it a lot to take a pair of wellies in the bag, or school shoes to change into when we got to school. It also carries occasional letters and items i wish to send into school with him.

The bag is not overly large. When we put a pair of wellies in, they filled a lot of the bag, so i have to say, if bought for a school bag, then it is not ideal if the child is older and has need to take more resources with them. However, for a little bag to pack a few belongings in when going out for a day, or even as a swimming bag, then i think it is a good size.

The bag has two sections. The larger inside section has a strong zip so that belongings are put in and kept secure. The smaller front compartment can fit in a pencil case, or a nintendo DS console in its case, and also has a sturdy zip.

The dimensions of these sections are:
small pocket - 20cm wide, 16cm tall, about 2.5 cm in depth. It is rounded at the top, so the height is at the highest point in the middle.
larger inside section - 23 cm wide, 28 cm at the top of the highest point in the middle (only 23cm at the outer edge) and it has a depth of 9cm.

The bag itself is a canvas material, so would not be completely protected from the elements in a heavy downpour or snow. The front pocket has a PVC front, and the bigger section has the characters of Woody and Buzz also in PVC sewn onto the front. This seems to be enough protection against a downpour to stop the contents getting wet.

The Woody character actually overlaps the edge of the bag. Initially i was worried by this as i thought it might easily get torn by an over enthusiastic child while it was a nursery. This has not happened as yet, but the PVC is a little cracked around the edge of the stitches. To me, if it tore off it would make the bag look very tatty and i would need to buy my son a new bag for school. So i am very relieved it is more hard wearing than i first thought.

The bag has two shoulder straps which are adjustable. They are a red colour, as is the whole back of the bag. They are padded, and my son has never complained that the bag is uncomfortable to wear. It also has a loop attached to the top of the bag, so my son is able to hang it up at nursery alongside his coat, so this probably helps to protect it somewhat from being pulled and trampled while it is there.

Overall, this bag is very attractive, and small children will really like it, find it comfortable and easy to use, and will be able to be quite independent with it. I do feel it would benefit from being a bit more weather proof (it seems to have rained and snowed a lot here this school year) and i would prefer it if the characters were fully contained inside the edges of the bag to keep it looking nice for longer. I am going to award it 4 out of 5 stars.