Sure, most everyone knows that it’s a great idea to start off the new school year with an adorable photo of your child standing at the bus stop with their backpack, but we have some cute out-of-the-box ideas for you to help celebrate the beginning of the school year.
Start a Scrapbook
Scrapbooking can be a fun project that kids can do either alone or with a parent. Start a scrapbook to keep track of all the fun things that happen during the school year. Place in it any special school work, art, photographs from field trips or awards. At the end of the year you will have a great memento to remember the school year by. And hopefully you won’t have stacks and stacks of school work floating around the house while you try to decide what to do with it.
Make a Stepping Stone
Before your garden is shut down for colder weather, find a stepping stone kit like this Mosaic Leaf Stepping Stone Kit. Have fun decorating one with each of your kids. Be sure to add a hand or foot print so you can compare how much they grew in the spring when the snow thaws.
Make a School Year Bucket List
Did you see our 50 Summer Bucket List Ideas? Don’t forget to have fun during the school year as well. We all get so busy with soccer games, dance rehearsals, homework and let’s not forget our own grown up stuff! Don’t wait until next June to have some fun. Plan out your bucket list for the school year with easy to do outings like visiting the children’s museum, going sledding, seeing a family movie, and watching a holiday play, to name a few. We know you can think of more!
Have a Back To School Party
Celebrate the start of the new school year with a party. Invite a few new classmates so your child can make some friends before the first day of school. Bakerella’s Cake Pops book has awesome instructions for making some apple shaped cake pops. What a fun school themed treat!
Plan a Special 1st Day Breakfast
Nothing can take away those back-to-school jitters like homemade pancakes. Made better with chocolate chips of course. Whipped cream wouldn’t hurt either. Having a special breakfast planned is sure to get your kids out of bed quickly that first day the alarm goes off oh-so-early in the morning.
Put Together a Time Capsule
Collect some current artwork, family photographs, maybe even a toy or two and start a time capsule to be opened at the end of the school year. Make it a fun project by having your kids write a letter to themselves to read when it’s time to open the capsule. It will be fun to see how their handwriting changes and also compare what’s important to them now versus in the spring. Any box will do but if you want a fancy time capsule check out the Smithsonian Time Capsule.
Have a Back To School Fashion Show
After you’ve done all that fun back to school shopping, plan a fashion show. Pop some popcorn and put on some music. Let your kids take turns strutting their stuff down a makeshift runway. You can even snap a quick photo of each “look.” Then post the photos in your child’s closet to simplify their morning routine.
Start Reading a New Bedtime Story
Did you fall off the bedtime book wagon over summer vacation? We can’t blame you. We know you were way too busy playing at the beach and jumping in summer puddles. Now is the perfect time for a fresh start. Have your child choose a new book or pick one out you can read together for some special mommy time every night before bed.
Give Your Child a Bedroom Makeover
Getting back into the groove of waking up early after a lazy summer is a nightmare. Take a quick trip to a store or check out some online discount websites like Zulily or Gilt to update your child’s bedroom. Even adding a few special touches can make a room feel brand new. If your child is proud of their room they are more likely to keep it clean and to be willing to get into bed at the end of the night.
Take Your Child On a Kid Date
The school year is a busy time for families. There’s not a lot we can do to get around that. Before the craziness ensues, take each of your children out on a kid date. It will be a great opportunity to have some one-on-one bonding time, making your child feel special as well as giving them an opportunity to discuss any worries they might have about the impending school year.
Photo Credit: Little Miss Eclectic Photography
