I wasn't on Pinterest when my babies were born, so I feel like I missed out on a lot of fun ways to
- Take a photo of your child in the same place every year.
- Make a sign to announce their new grade level or write it in chalk on the driveway. There are even printables available from I Heart Nap Time and Botanical Paperworks.
- Have your child hold last year's first day of school picture.
- Capture the moment they meet their new teacher.
- Have them draw a self portrait each year.
- Plan something special. Or let the kids plan it. (My kids like to put together picnics.) This is also great time to cross off the last items on your summer bucket list.
- Make a time capsule of fun summer memories. Include photos, ticket stubs, or mementos from trips. Don't open it until after you've made another one next year.
- Make a back to school countdown like the one at Happy Home Fairy.
- Let kids help with the back to school shopping. Search the sale ads together and set a budget before you set out. (It's also great math practice.)
- Decorate some paper lunch bags together. Even if they have a lunch box, it's fun to surprise them occasionally with a bag they customized themselves.
- Make breakfast special. Put some candles in their waffle (one for each grade) and sing "Happy Back to School" to the tune of "Happy Birthday."
- Give a gift: A traditional German schultute is a cone filled with treats presented on the first day of school. A new book also makes a nice back to school gift.
- Tuck an encouraging note into their backpack. There's cute printables at Urban Bliss. Or make your own. The note from my mom that I remember best said, "You are a (pumpkin sticker). I (heart sticker) you."
- Pack a secret message banana in their lunchbox.
- Give them something to look forward to when they get home. Tell them you'll have a treat waiting (like these easy back to school cupcakes from Creative Southern Home), or water balloons ready, or whatever you think they'll like most.
Do you have special back to school traditions in your family?
Welcome to the Back to School with KBN Link Party featuring activities, crafts, supply ideas, recipes, organization, books, and MORE to get your family ready for the upcoming school year! Link up your kid-friendly posts to have them featured on 27 blogs: The Educators’ Spin On It ~ Baby Bump & Beyond ~ B-Inspired Mama ~ Blessed Beyond a Doubt ~ Busy Kids Happy Mom ~ Coffee Cups and Crayons ~Creative Connections for Kids ~EleMeNO-P Kids ~Fireflies and Mudpies~Growing Book by Book ~iGameMom ~JDaniel4’s Mom~Edventures with Kids~Kitchen Counter Chronicles ~Laly Mom ~Living Montessori Now ~Play Dr Mom ~Puttis World~Reading Confetti~Steve Spangler~My Buddies and I ~The Good Long Road ~The Pleasantest Thing ~The Stay at Home Mom Survival Guide~Tips From a Typical Mom ~Toddler Approved~True Aim Education
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Linking to Discover & Explore
Thank you so much for hosting the Back to School linky with me. These are are all great tips to make a memorable start to the school year. Thanks for including the helpful links too. I've shared on my Back to school Pinterest Board! http://pinterest.com/educatorsspinon/back-to-school-with-earths-best/
ReplyDeleteI love idea of putting encouraging notes in their backpacks.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing our School Bus Paper Chain Countdown! :-) This post is AMAZING.
ReplyDeleteGreat roundup, Lorie! I pinned your post to my Back to School Pinterest Board at http://pinterest.com/debchitwood/back-to-school/
ReplyDeleteI love this roundup! So many great ideas! We always shop for supplies together, get a first day of school outfit, and do a first day picture by the classroom, but now I see many others I'd like to try! Thanks so much for linking up to this week's Discover & Explore linky!
ReplyDeleteI think you have some fantastic ideas for creating back to school traditions! Thanks for sharing on the Discover & Explore linky!
ReplyDelete-Courtney
These are great ideas! I especially like the ideas for making the last days of summer count. Thanks for linking to Discover and Explore. I'm featuring your post today on Fantastic Fun and Learning.
ReplyDeleteThe schuletute is just for the first day of the first year. Ive made that to give - he's starting kindergarten. A picture each first day. A new school outfit. This year Im taking him out to eat after. And last year, on the last day of preschool we went out for ice cream and looked through his final crafts that were sent home. I also plan an getting a tshirt -large men's- and writing Class of 2026 and taking his picture in that. Before it was more a measurement of how big his backpack was at the beginning and end, which I'll probably still measure cause I think it is stinking cute when they are so little!:)
ReplyDelete