14 best places to buy masks for kids going back to school

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There is no evidence to support that wearing a face mask will protect you from COVID-19. You should still avoid touching your face, washing your hands frequently for 20 seconds using warm water and soap and practice social distancing.

With new school year soon approaching, ensure your kids are protected in and around school grounds with a comfortable face mask. According to the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention, all schools reopening should adherence to behaviours that prevent the spread of COVID-19. Practical recommendations include cloth face coverings on school supply lists and provide cloth face coverings as needed to students, teachers, staff, or visitors who do not have them available. The list of recommendations also includes ensuring that students and staff are aware of the correct use of cloth face coverings, including wearing cloth face coverings over the nose and mouth and securely around the face.

But on top of finding the right sizes that are best suited to fit your little ones, an easy way for children to feel more comfortable with this new normal is by giving them kid-friendly patterns and cute colourful options to choose from — because let’s face it, explaining to your kids why wearing a maks is crucial and convincing to keep them on is a major challenge in itself.

To make things easier, have them be apart of the shopping process and look for face masks that feature your child's favourite colours and/or cartoon character. And in cases when wearing a face mask isn’t feasible, such as instances where health and communication come into play, the CDC recommends wearing adaptations and alternatives whenever possible.

Rather than opting for face shields, which the CDC does not recommend for normal everyday activities or as a substitute for cloth face covering, clear face masks are the perfect solution. As its name entails, these innovative face masks feature a clear window to showcase the mouth.

With high demands for children’s face masks, shopping online for the perfect one has never been easier. Below, we've listed retailers that offer kid-friendly non-medical face masks

Gap Kids

These masks are made with soft, lightweight cotton so your littles are comfortably covered. With every three-pack purchase, Gap Inc. is helping to get masks to those who need them most, including a donation of 50,000 reusable masks to Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada, which has many Clubhouses still open and operational as a safe place for kids and families in underserved communities.

SHOP IT: Gap, $15

Maisonette

Specially designed for children, these non-medical face masks are made with printed cotton and soft, double jersey fabric. For every set purchased, Maisonette will be donating a set to a child impacted by COVID-19, through their partnership with Oso & Me.

SHOP IT: Maisonette, $16

Old Navy

Old Navy is now selling non-medical face masks for the whole family! They're made with three layers of 100% cotton poplin and are designed according to the CDC recommendations for non-medical-grade masks. Old Navy is proud to be donating 50,000 of these masks to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Additionally, Gap Inc. is supplying millions of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) to frontline healthcare workers.

SHOP IT: Old Navy, $13

Disney

Now available for pre-order, Disney is offering family-friendly reusable cloth face masks ($20) adorned with your beloved characters.

Disney is donating one million cloth face masks for children and families in underserved and vulnerable communities across the U.S. that will be distributed by MedShare. They will also donate all profits from the sales in the U.S. of Disney’s cloth face masks to Medshare, up to $1 million, now through Sep. 30.

SHOP IT: Shop Disney, starting at $20

Peace Collective

Each mask was designed to fit snugly to cover the area between the bridge of the nose down to the chin. The top part of the mask comes with nose wire to help shape the mask to your face shape across nose and cheeks for tighter fit and comfort. For every pack of masks purchased, Peace Collective will donate one mask to a frontline worker.

SHOP IT: Peace Collective, $30

Cubcoats

These adorable masks are made of two layers of fabric and the inner layer is made of 100 per cent cotton. Made durable and reusable and can be safely machine washed and dried. Each mask features elastic ear-loops and shapeable metal nose-piece ensures a comfortable and secure fit and an integrated pocket to easily add filters.

SHOP IT: Cubcoats, $13

Sanctuary

Sanctuary’s Essential Lifestyle Kids Pack is designed to create a barrier to protect your little one from the environment around them, while also making them excited about wearing a mask. These masks are scaled to fit ages two to 10.

SHOP IT: Sanctuary, $25

Onzie

Made with upcycled fabrics used in their yoga clothing, Onzie’s assorted two-pack mask for kids features Full Flex Spandex technology for the exterior, a high-performance inner lining and elastic straps. Fabric is stretchy, comfort fitting, quick-drying and breathable.

SHOP IT: Onzie, $20

Athleta

No offering masks for girls, Athleta designed its machine-washable 5 Pack Non-Medical Face Masks with three breathable fabric: lightweight outer layer and two inner layers of soft, breathable cotton.

SHOP IT: Athleta, $30

Los Angeles Apparel

Los Angeles Apparel’s 3-Pack face mask is made of 100 per cent cotton and features an adjustable nose that you can form to the contours of the face. The two straps to be worn around the head and neck that can be tied and tightened to preferred fit. Sizes for kid's masks are currently only available in Black, Heather Grey, Charcoal/Asphalt, Royal Blue, Orange/Royal, Bright Blue/Fuchsia, Bubblegum Pink/Lapis and Seashell and Pink/Lavender.

SHOP IT: Los Angeles Apparel, $43

Claire’s

Claire’s offers fashionable and functional 100 per cent face masks that are available in three sizes and a wide range of trending colour and pattern options.

SHOP IT: Claire’s, starting at $14

Green Sprouts

While their adult face masks are available in multiple colours for versatile wear, Green Sprout offers child sizes in cute prints to encourage little ones to keep masks on. 10 per cent of all mask sales are donated to groups and organizations dedicated to helping those in need.

SHOP IT: Green Sprouts, starting at $13

Vistaprint

Each kid’s mask is designed with a replaceable, high-quality filter system and is made with lightweight materials that wick away moisture for comfortable, all-day wear. Available in a wide range of colours and fun prints, all kid’s mask come in one start size.

SHOP IT: Vistaprint, starting at $13

Etsy

For clear face masks, Esty is one marketplace that has tons of options. These ones by Etsy vendor CraftyMerMade are specially made to prevent fog for a clear view of the mouth window.

SHOP IT: Esty, starting at $28

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