For Babies and Kids

12 Best First Day Of School Gift Ideas For Kids

Hey girl, I am so glad you stopped by to chat about the best first day of school gift ideas for kids.

First Day Of School Gift

The first day of school is so exciting and bittersweet at the same time for you and your kids.  If you are anything like me, you want to make it as special as possible for your kiddo.

As a mom of 4, I am here to give you the top first day of school gift ideas that I know your kids will be thrilled with.

All of these gifts are guaranteed to wow your kiddo, let them know you are thinking of them, and make their transition into school a little easier.

Let’s get started with these eipc frist day of school gift ideas for kids.

My post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Please read my full disclosure.

Best First Day of School Gifts

The first day of school is so hard for me.

As my kids get older, I have realized that time is a thief and each year seems to fly by faster than the last.

While I know my babies have to grow, man I wish I could hold onto them being little just a bit longer.

The first day of school is also hard for kids.

The first day of anything is emotional for anyone. But the first day of school for kids is especially tough. Kids experience nerves, anticipation, happiness, sadness, and every other emotion and the worst part is that they don’t know how to handle them.

They may be seeing old friends and making new ones.

And they have lots of questions: what is my day going to be like, who will I sit by, what is my teacher going to be like, will I have a friend to play with today, and so much more.

I try to make the first day of school as special as possible for my kids. This includes a special breakfast, Dad staying home from work to walk them to school (all of them), and giving them a first day of school gift.

1. Fun Shirt

Kids grow like weeds, and I am sure yours’ grew and will need some new shirts for the school year.

Let him pick out a few back to school shirts. They are all on sale right before school, which is a huge bonus for your wallet – save some money!!!

Boy Super Mario Bros Shirt

Girl Fun Print Shirts

2. School Logo Shirt

Most schools these days have a school store that carries clothes. Show some school spirit and get a shirt for your kiddo with their school logo on it.

There is a print shop in our town that supplies all the school logo gear. We love popping into that shop to stock up because there are always sale items.

3. Books

Reading is so important for kids of all ages. Encourage good reading habits in your home by expanding your library.

When my kids get new books, they sit for hours reading and exploring them.

I try to wait for the first Scholastic Book flyers to be sent home from school and see if my kids want to pick a book or 2 from there. It helps put more books into their classroom too!

If we can’t find a good book there, we turn to Amazon. Here are a few books that have been hits in our home.

Books for Preschoolers

Books for Kindergarteners

Books for 1st Graders

Books for 2nd Graders

Books For 3rd Graders

Books for 4th Graders

Books For 5th and 6th Graders

4. Board Games

A board game or 2 is an amazing fist day of school gift.

It will give your kiddo something fun to do to let him relax after a long day at school without putting him in front of a screen.

We love playing board games. It is so great that my kids love sharing more about their day as the game goes on.

Here are a few of our absolute favorites.

Trouble

Sorry

Ticket to Ride

Check out this post for more dynamite games: 21 Family Board Games Kids Can’t Get Enough Of

5. Toys

There are so many fantastic options when it comes to toys. And it all comes down to what your kiddo is interested in.

Favorite Girl toys:

Favorite Boy Toys

6. Water Bottle

Water is so important to keeping your kiddo healthy. Go with your kiddo’s favorite color.

You can get some fun water bottle stickers to decorate it.

7. Backpack

We have had the best luck with this backpack brand.

So far, all my kids’ backpacks have lasted multiple years.

I always let me kids pick out their backpacks but I have one rule. It cannot have a character on it.

Kids change their minds ALL THE TIME about their favorites.

8. Keychain

What better way to jazz up that new backpack than to add a keychain to it?

The sky is the limit on what you can find here.

9. Lunch Bag

Is your kiddo going to take his lunch to school ever? This is a great lunch bag that will last multiple years.

Grab this Thermos to go with it.

Read the directions, and it will work without fail.

There are some great food ideas for Thermoses that can be found on Pinterest.

10. Bracelets

If your little girl is having a hard time going to school for the first time, or going back to school – a matching mother/daughter bracelet may be helpful.

It may be just what she needs to build her confidence about leaving you and jumping into the unknown.

11. Felt Letter Board

Is your little girl turning into a tween/teen right before your very eyes? Mine is!

I’m not crying, you’re crying. Okay I am, but I won’t let my daughter see.

She will love this felt letter board as a first day of school gift.

You can leave messages on it to brighten her day.

12. Posters

Your kiddo can personalize his room without spending an arm and a leg with a fun poster.

It could be his favorite sports team, movie, or movie character.

13. Gift Cards

What better way to end an emotionally charged, high anticipated, and hopefully, happy day than to eat out at your favorite restaurant?

Get your kiddo a gift card to it.

Let everyone relax and retell their day. You can also save it as the first weekend after school starts treat. It is a big accomplishment to get through the first week!

Congratulations on sending your kiddo off to start their adventure of a new school year. I is a big deal for you both!

Good luck – this will be the best year yet. Take too many pictures and savor every minute of it.

Leave a comment below and let me know how the first few days of school went in your house.

I look forward to hearing from you and thanks for stopping by.

This post is all about the best first day of school gifts for kids.