First Day of School: Fun Ideas to Make the Day Memorable

The new school year will be here before we know it so it’s time to start planning how you’re going to make that first day special! This is especially true if you have a nervous child on your hands as there are tons of fun things you can do to help ease those first day jitters!

• Back-to-School Fashion Show

  • The day before school, gather up some family or friends and clear a spot for a catwalk. Let them pick the music and strut their stuff as they knock off some of their first day nerves by showing off their new outfits!
    If as of reading this you haven’t finished your shopping yet, be sure to check out our Back-to-School Collections!

• No Worries Jewelry

  • If your littles are nervous about their first day of school, try sitting down the day before and making matching bracelets together. Tell them that you’ll wear the big one and think of them and the small one is to remind them of you too. Reassure them that it’s normal to miss each other, but you’re confident they’ll have a great time at school. When you help them put theirs on in the morning, inform them you’ll be there to get them off the bus or pick them up from school with something fun planned for you to do together.

• Morning Affirmations

  • Grab some sticky notes and a marker after the kids go to bed and get busy! Plaster their door, the bathroom mirror, or anywhere else they are sure to see them with words and sayings of encouragement to help them start the day off in a good mood! Need some help coming up with something? Here’s a list of our favorites to help you get started:
    • You’ve got this!
    • You make me smile!
    • Today is going to be awesome!
    • You will do great things today!
    • You’re capable of anything you set your mind to!
    • Even when I’m not with you, you’re always in my heart.
    • I can’t wait to hear all about your day!

• Special Breakfast

  • If you have time (and the cooking ability), there’s no better way to start the morning off right than with a fun yummy breakfast! Whether you make chocolate chip pancakes, sausage, and eggs or something like biscuits and gravy, make sure it’s something they love that will keep them full all morning!

• First Day Favorites

  • If your kids are packing their lunch, make it a day of favorites! It doesn’t need to be some Pinterest worthy lunch, it just needs to be yummy and filling so they don’t end up hungry again before the day is over. Add in a loving note or a fun joke to add a smile to their face no matter how the morning went.

• First Day Photos

  • Before you pack them all into the car or onto the bus, be sure to capture the moment! Just remember to keep it simple and easy so you don’t upset those first day jitters with a drawn-out affair. This can be as simple as snapping a photo on the front porch of them all geared up, or if you want some fun props, try making a sign for them to hold or stand by! To help you all remember the day as time passes, you can include their name, the date, what school they are going to, and what grade they are in.

• After School Bash

  • This one will depend on what time your children will get home from school, as some of you may need to do a special dinner rather than a special after school snack. But no matter what time your children are to get home, a fun way you can start it is by meeting them at the bus or as they get out of the car with silly string, bubble guns, or confetti launchers! Just be sure you’re ready to arm them and take fire yourself so you can all have a good laugh. With some excess energy spent and everyone grinning, head inside to have a special after school treat while they tell you all about their day. If you’re not sure what to make or get them for a special treat, my go to treats for occasions like this are homemade cookies, brownies, or some store-bought mini cupcakes!

No matter what you decide to do, know that it doesn’t really matter as long as you’re there for your children and they know you love them. The first day of school can be as fancy or as simple as you want it to be, parenting isn’t a competition, so you do you. Whatever works for you and your children may not work for others, today’s post is just about ideas to help you think about what you want to do.

p.s. If you have another cool idea on how to make the first day of school special, we’d love to hear all about it in the comments! Who knows, maybe you’ll inspire a new tradition.