Back to School Traditions – 20 Blogs to help You!

Going back to school is a time that’s bittersweet, both for parents and kids alike. While you may be excited to get back into a routine, it can be difficult for kids to adjust having a set schedule again and for parents to not having the kids at home all day. Instituting a back-to-school tradition can help get everyone excited about the changes a new school year brings. Whether it’s a picture snapped right before school or a special breakfast served up before the kids head out for the day, there are many ways you can commemorate the start of a new school year. These 20 blogs will help you find a back-to-school tradition that will have everyone smiling as they head out the door.

Last Days of Summer

For a tradition that spans the last days of summer, consider taking the kids for one last hurrah in the days leading up to the first day of school. This tradition can be anything from a fun weekend away to a trip to an amusement park or to their favorite park with a picnic lunch.  These five bloggers show you how they celebrate the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year.

• Back-to-School Traditions To help the kids get used to getting up and moving early again, this mom wakes her kids up early, takes them to breakfast and then runs various errands with them during the last days of summer.
• Back-to-School Traditions On the weekend before back-to-school this blogger let’s her child pick a fun activity to do to celebrate the end of summer and start of a new school year.
• Oh Back-to-School Donut Tradition The day before the first day of school this mom takes her son to get donuts for breakfast as a way to commemorate another summer coming to a close and another school year beginning.
• End of Summer Traditions To celebrate the last days of summer, do something fun with the kids, like taking them to a movie or getting them a treat.
• Great Back-to-School Traditions This blogger takes her kids picnicking and running around doing something fun the day before school starts.

Say Cheese!

Many people snap a quick first day of school picture with the kids dressed in their new school clothes. This year dress up this tired tradition by having the kids hold up a sign or a chalkboard showing off what grade they are starting. Or do something totally different and shoot the kids with their friends on the first day.  For more unique photo choices for the first day of school, take a look at these five blogs.

• Back-to-School Traditions Take a picture of your child holding a chalkboard with the grade that they are starting to remember the first day of school.
• Back-to-School Photography Inspiration Try to take pictures of your kids in a way that shows their personality. If your son loves clothes, then take a bunch of model type shots. If he’s really into sports, throw in his soccer ball. There are hundreds of ways to highlight your child’s unique personality in a back-to-school picture..
• 5 Simple Ways to Create a Back-to-School Photo Tradition To show how your kids grow and age, print an adult-sized T-shirt with your kids’ graduation year on it and take a picture of them in it each year.
• 6 Creative Back-to-School Photo Ideas There are lots of ways you can turn a boring back-to-school picture into something fun. For instance, have older kids dress up in mismatched clothes and look silly for their back-to-school shots.
• Priceless Back-to-School Tradition Using a simple handheld chalkboard you can create memorable first day of school pictures.

Start the Day Right

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so why not fix the kids something special to eat before they head back to school? Serving up their favorite foods is a great way to get the kids even more excited about the prospect of a  new school year. Don’t know where to start? Check out these five bloggers for inspiration.

• Three Fun, First Day of School Traditions Before sending the kids off to their first day of school, make the kids their favorite breakfast or take them out to breakfast.
• Back-to-School Traditions Each year on the first day of school, this mom takes the morning off from work and cooks a special breakfast for her kids.
• First Day of School Celebration Check out the fabulous breakfast table in this post that has back-to-school supplies to celebrate the first day back.
• Supermom Moment: Back-to-School Breakfast To make the first day back special, create a breakfast table that is fancier than normal and put flags in the muffins.
• Back-to-School Breakfast Bash Make a weekend style breakfast on the first day of school and send the kids off with a home-baked goodie for a treat later in the day to celebrate the first day back in the classroom.

Surprises

Just about everyone loves surprises, so send a special note in your child’s lunch box or decorate the front door before they get home from their first day back in school as a way to surprise them and celebrate their first day. You could also serve your child’s favorite meal at dinner or ask them what they want to eat that night. These bloggers have come up with several ideas for new traditions that you can start this year; take a look!

• Back-to-School Traditions to Start This Year Celebrate the end of the first day of school by hanging streamers and balloons in the doorway with a welcome home sign.
• Back-to-School Traditions Make a special dinner for the first day of school.  The kids can help plan the menu or you can surprise them with their favorite foods.
• Back-to-School Traditions Sometimes going back-to-school can be scary, so this blogger suggests sending a felt heart in your child’s pocket just in case he gets nervous on his first day. He’ll feel like a part of home is with him.
• Back-to-School Traditions, Ideas, and Free Printables Send a special snack for the first day of school that commemorates what grade your child is in.
• Simple Back-to-School Traditions Decorate the kids’ rooms like it was a party to celebrate their big first day of school.

 

It’s been a week or so by now, and we would love to hear Your Story about the ‘first week back‘. Send all submissions HERE.