Are you wondering how to build some first day of school traditions with your child? Girl, here are the tested and approved ways you can make the first day of school special for your kiddo.
The first day of school is so exciting but can also be nerve-wracking for you and your child. If you are anything like me you like building traditions, and you can use these to calm those nerves for your kiddo while you make going back to school as enjoyable as possible.
As a mom of 4, I am giving you the top first day of school traditions that I swear by. From pictures to a special breakfast to the first day of school gift baskets, and so much more.
All of these traditions are guaranteed to make memories for you and your child that will last a lifetime.
Let's jump into best first day of school traditions to share with your kids.
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Best First Day of School Traditions
Whether you are sending your little one off to school for the first time or the last, you want to hold onto the memory of the day.
The first day of school is so full of emotions for my kids and me. I find myself tearing up a little more each year I send my kids off. Ugh time, slow down already!
So, I try to make the first day as special as I possibly can to let them know just how big of a day it is and how much I am thinking of them.
1. Decorations
Help build the first day of school enthusiasm while calming some nerves with some first day of school decorations.
Kids go wild when an experience is decorated for!
Put up some streamers and balloons, they go a long way when it comes to festive decorating.
They are cheap!
And you can put them up all over the place – doorways, around their beds, all over the dining chairs.
My kids love these.
2. Banners
Putting up a good banner is so great as well!
This large back to school banner is made for inside and outside use.
If you aren't looking for something quite that big, then you have to check out this cute pencil back to school sign.
3. New Clothes
Treat your child to a special new outfit or shirt for the first day of school.
It is a big day and they will be more excited about it when they get to wear something new that they picked out.
Thankfully we get loads of hand-me-downs, but for the first day of school, I let my boys pick out a new shirt and my daughter pick out a new outfit.
This year my boys went with Super Mario shirts and it was so fun to see them be excited to wear them.
4. Take Pictures
You are going to want to take a ton of pictures of your kiddo on the first day of school.
Have them stand in the same spot year after year to see how much they change and grow. You will be amazed by the changes.
Don’t forget to get in the picture with them, even if it is a selfie. A nice picture and a goofy/silly one to break some tension.
We have 2 spots that we like to take our first day of school pictures at. One is at our growth chart. The other is in the living room right by our front door.
My kids did make their own silly picture tradition by putting their backpacks on their stomachs instead of their backs. It breaks the nerves a bit and they love doing it year after year.
5. First Day of School Sign
While you are busy taking all the pictures you can, don't forget to include a first day of school sign, board, or frame.
It will help you in the future to know what grade your child was going into.
I really enjoy using this first day of school sign.
It has space for other fun facts about your child besides the grade they are going into.
Don't forget the liquid chalk markers so you can decorate your sign.
6. Walk or Drive Your Kiddo to School
Do you live close enough to walk to your child’s school?
If you do, walk them to school on the first day. My oldest still gets walked to school every first day and she looks forward to it.
If you don’t live within walking distance to school, be late to work and drive your child to school. It may seem like such a small thing but it makes a huge difference to your child for their first day.
7. Dad Takes Your Kiddo to School
Is your husband usually out the door before the kids go to school? Ask him to be late just on the first day of school to help your child get to where they need to go.
Even though it is not the norm for your kids, they will absolutely love that you are making the extra effort to help make the first-day special.
This has become a tradition here and it is so special to my husband and our kids.
8. Make a Special Breakfast
Get up a bit early and have your child’s favorite breakfast made. This way, even though they are nervous they are sure to still eat a full breakfast.
We run to the store the night before and spring for donuts and Danish pastry and you can bet your bottom dollar that there is nothing left of it.
9. Welcome Home Treats
After making the morning as special as possible, don't forget about spicing up your child's after school.
Your kiddo is going to be exhausted from their full first day of school. Reward them with a special after-school snack.
I love picking up ice cream and cookies as an after-school treat. If I am feeling really ambitious, I will make the cookies myself.
My kids are so excited to have that while sharing all about their first busy day of school. And I do want to hear all about it!
10. Welcome Home Sign
If it is not raining toward the end of the school day, get out and draw a welcome home sign on your driveway using this sidewalk chalk.
Don’t be shy about making it as large as possible! Like, so you can see it from outer space.
If it does end up raining, hang up a welcome home sign inside for your child.
I really like this welcome home sign.
It works great for the last day of school too!
Here is a really good smaller option of a banner if you just don't want the big mama-jama above.
11. Make a Special Supper
What is your child’s favorite thing to eat for supper?
Make it to celebrate the end of a long, emotionally charged, first day of school.
Here we celebrate with a few supper options:
- Mac and Cheese
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Brats and Hotdogs
- Chicken Strips and Fries
You guys, we do not eat like this every night though. I usually put forth my best effort to prepare well-balanced meals. But a special occasion calls for breaking the healthy rules!
I do not recommend going out for supper. As I said, it has been a long day for your kiddo and bedtime is coming up fast.
12. First Day of School Gift Basket
Kids love getting presents, and they mean so much more on special days. Show them a little love and put together a first day of school gift basket for them.
This can be given on the first day of school or just before.
Some ideas for this gift basket include:
- A Fun Shirt
- Books
- Board Games
- A New Toy
I always give books to all of my kids for the first day of school. Reading is so huge at our house. They get so excited about them and spend countless hours going over them.
Congratulations to you and your kiddo on starting a brand-new year of school.
Soak it all in and enjoy every hectic minute of it because before you know it, summer will be here again. I hope it is the best school year yet.
This post was all about the best first day of school traditions.
Leave a comment below on what traditions you like to do for your kids for their first day of school.
I look forward to hearing from you and thanks for stopping by.