The summer days are passing quickly, and soon it will be time to buy school supplies and send your kids back to the hallowed halls of their educational institutions, or if you’re like me, you’re sending them there for the first time. While looking towards a school year of possibilities can be nerve-wracking, there are ways to make going back to school a time of fun and excitement by starting some new traditions.
Here are a few you might want to include in your festivities.
1. Back to School Countdown
If you have a child who is going to school for the first time or one who can’t wait for school to start, then creating a countdown might help prepare that child for the upcoming school year. To create this school bus countdown, all you’ll need is some construction paper and a stapler. Let your child pull off a ring each day and count their way to the big day.
2. Big Day Breakfast
Whether it’s your child’s first day of Kindergarten or their first day of high school, it’s always nice to make it a special day for them. You can start off the festivities with a celebratory breakfast. Reading Confetti suggests putting candles (one to represent each grade level) in a waffle or pancake and singing “Happy Back to School Day” to the tune of “Happy Birthday.” Not only will this make the day special, but it will give your nervous first-timer a much-needed distraction.
3. First Day of School Photos
Who doesn’t remember their parents posing them in front of the front door or the fireplace and snapping that all-important first day of school photo? Today, there are dozens of ideas for ways to take “the photo.” The mom behind Bombshell Bling made her son’s first day of school photo a tradition by having him pose in the same spot, holding an apple. Not only does it allow you to see how your child has grown from year to year but it is simple enough to recreate every year.
4. Class of… Picture
The mom behind FunCheaporFree.com started an adorable tradition with her son that not only commemorates his first day of school but celebrates his whole school career. She bought an oversized $4 T-shirt and ironed on the words Class of 2028. Then she took his photo wearing the too-big shirt. She plans to take a picture of her son in the shirt throughout his entire school career, and document how much he grows every year until the day he graduates from high school. It’s fun, creative and so darn cute.
5. Mommy and Me Bracelets
Sometimes a child’s first day of school is their first time away from mom. This great idea from Tie Dye Diva Patterns, gives the child (and let’s face it, the mom, too) a reminder all day long that they are together in spirit. The mom behind Tie Dye Diva Patterns bought two bracelets, one for her daughter and one for herself, and gave them to her on the first day of school. She included a little poem that says:
“Here are two bracelets,
One big and one small
For your first day of school
That is coming this fall.
I’ll wear the big one
And I’ll think of you.
The small one is yours
So you’ll think of me, too.
Wear it to school
While you work and you play.
To have my heart with you
While you’re away.”
Jessa is the Editor-in-Chief of Hooray for Family and the mom of three energetic children. She has a BA in Mass Communication/Journalism from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, and is a long-time resident of Central Texas. When she isn't writing and editing, she enjoys playing board games with her kids, teaching Sunday school and channeling her creativity into craft projects.
