The first day of school has always been a big deal in our house. It could be because I’m a teacher, or it could just be because my mom always made it a special day when my brothers and I were young. Regardless, each school year is a new beginning and deserves to be celebrated. Most children will only have 13-15 first days of school, preschool through grade 12. Luckily, there are some great ways to make the first day of school special for them each year.
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9 Ways to Make the First Day of School Special
1. Buy new supplies
Sure, as parents, we want to reduce, reuse, and recycle, but there’s just something about a new pack of crayons or a notebook with a Ferrari on the cover that appeals to kids. Take your child shopping and allow him or her to pick out a few favorites. Even if the item is not on the school list, you can always purchase it to use at home in your child’s study space. If the teacher asks for a 24 pack of crayons, get it, but then also buy the 64 pack with built-in sharpener to use at home. You don’t have to buy every item that they see–set a limit and allow them to pick either a certain number of items or up to a certain dollar amount.
2. Pick out a new outfit
Even if your child is the youngest and has a lot of hand-me-down clothing, allow him or her to choose a new outfit for the first day of school. A brand-new dress or pair of jeans and a special shirt can really make a child feel special.
3. Get a fresh haircut or style
When Meg was in grade 4, she and her friend Ashley wanted to be twins on the first day of school. They found matching outfits and wanted special hair-dos to go with them. Luckily, that was a year where I went in to work after school started. The girls ended up with their hair French-braided into hearts. It took time, but the smiles on their faces made it worth it.
Don’t need a haircut? Try a manicure and new nail polish, even if it has to be clear.
4. Take traditional photos
My mom always took our photos in the same place each year (n front of the rhododendron bush. My kids took theirs in front of a picket fence for many years. I took Rory’s in front of his high school sign each of the four years he attended school there. Don’t worry, we went early enough that none of his friends saw it.
Today, parents use chalkboards and signs to record information and help make the first day of school extra special. I wish this idea had been around when my kids were younger.
5. Make a Special Breakfast
For our first day of school celebrations, I always cooked breakfast. Even if I needed to leave the house by 6:45 (before the kids), I would wake them up in time to eat a home made meal. It may have been the only breakfast I cooked on school days all year, but it was definitely worth it.
Use the fancy china
One thing that made our back to school breakfasts special was that I always used the fancy dishes. The kids knew that this was a special day. It made them feel so grown up when they were little to use crystal goblets and fine china. I always set the table the night before, so I didn’t need to worry about it in the morning.
Fix something good to eat
Pancakes were always an easy homemade first day breakfast. The nice thing about pancakes is that you can make them in advance and freeze them. For the first day of school, I would make my classic pancake recipe and add something special, like 1/4 cup of chopped pecans and a chopped up banana to the batter. If you want to get even fancier, arrange their food to make a design, like the tropical beach below. A pancake bar with toppings such as sprinkles, blueberries, whipped cream, chocolate sauce and more would also be fun!
Don’t have time to cook? Pancakes can be made ahead and frozen. Or, you can try a breakfast casserole. Make it the evening before and pop it in the oven before your morning shower. Be careful, though, many breakfast casseroles take an hour or so to bake. Leave yourself plenty of time. You can also use your crock pot to make stuffed French toast or other delicious breakfast food. If you like the tropical beach pancake idea, click on this Pinterest link for more fun back-to-school breakfast ideas.
We usually had some sort of meat (bacon, ham, or sausage) and fruit salad, in addition to our main dish. I made the fruit salad the evening before school started and used Ready Bacon or ham if I didn’t want to make a mess. I served juice in wine glasses, and if I wanted to make it even more special, I would use half juice and half soda (Sprite) to make it a little bubbly.
6. Pack a special lunch
No one wants to buy a school lunch on the first day back. You never know what you’re having. Help your child pack his or her lunch the night before, and then sneak in a surprise. You can easy slip in a baggie with their favorite cookies in or something you don’t normally purchase, like the spreadable cheese and crackers.
If your child always wants to buy Lunchables, and you just can’t justify the cost, give him or her a small cookie cutter and some lunch meat and cheese to make his or her own. Add in a few crackers, a couple of cookies, and a juice box, and you have the homemade equivalent.
7. Sneak a surprise into your child’s backpack
Those cute food shaped erasers your son wanted? The star-shaped post-it notes your daughter thought were so cute? You can also make your child’s day special by sneaking a small school-appropriate surprise (wrapped or not) into his or her backpack. Need ideas? Try magnets for their lockers, small notepads, pencils, a new book, erasers, or glittery crayons.
8. Write love notes!
Post-it notes are the perfect size for little I’m thinking of you reminders. Write a few and tuck them away for your child (or your teacher spouse) to find them during the day. Dennis wrote a note on napkin last year, and I kept it the entire school year. The inside cover or random page of a notebook is a great place. They can say “I love you,” “You’re amazing,” “I’m proud of you,” or “I hope you’re having a great day.” All the note has to do is tell your child that you love them and that you’re thinking of them.
9. Try to be home when your child’s school day is done
While I’m not a big fan of driving your child to school on the first day, I do think it’s important to be home when they get off the bus if you can. The reason I think children should ride the bus the first day is because it sets the tone for the entire year. If you don’t want to drive them every day, you may not want to start the year off by doing so.
Being home and available to listen when your child gets there is important. Sure, you can listen after you pick him or her up from the sitter, but make sure that your child has your attention after school. You’ll want to hear all about his or her first day, new (or renewed) friendships, and classes.
Final thoughts on ways to make the first day of school special
The first day of school each year is a milestone in your child’s life. He is a year older and a year more mature. Taking the time to celebrate these new beginnings lets your child know that you love him or her and value education. Take the time to set first day of school traditions and make that first day special every single year. I promise you–your children will remember the little things that you did to make the first day of school special, and they will carry on some of your traditions as they celebrate the first day of school with their own little ones.
What first day of school celebrations do you have for your family? Let me know in the comments!
The first day of school can be scary for any child. What I like about this post, is that these ideas can help allievate the fear and certainly make it special.
thanks so much for these all 9 ideas, am keeping this as my little niece is going pre school next yr, will be practising them to make her 1st school day special 😀
Going into my first fall without school in over 15 years (!), I’m going to miss deciding on a first day outfit 🙂
Quite insightful and informative post. I learnt something new today 🙂
This is super sweet. The kids are always so nervous during the first days of school so little things like this help them a lot. I’m sure.
Great ideas. Even my mother is a teacher and we too had some of these special rituals when we were kids.
You are a very sweet Mom, and your family is so lucky 🙂 We miss the traditional first day school photo op 🙂
These all are equally perfect. When I was in school my mum did them on the first day of my school….
Love all of these 9 ways to make the first day of school special. It really doesnt take much effort, but with a little creativity and devotion to put in the time, you can really impact your children with the simplest of touches. I love those Banana Palm Tree Pancakes and the idea of sneaking it notes and treats!
I loved to read your post, it brought a flood of memories as my kid will be soon out of school. I really cannot believe time just flew.
I really love these ideas. Growing up, my family did a few special first day traditions, but not like this. The breakfast idea and using the good china, can really set the tone of the day. All these tips are so fantastic, that they should be a staple must do, for the first day of school.
I always loved shopping for school clothes and having the best outfit for school!
This is such a great idea! Love the pancake set up!
These are great ideas even during this pandemic. Keep it as normal as possible. Doing all of your traditions brings a sense of normalcy. This was a very good post.
These are really great ideas! We do the 1st day picture (done by dad as mom is at her 1st day of school) and new outfit. This school year is surely going to be different. We received information that the 1st 6 weeks will be virtual and even after that kids and family can chose between virtual, face to face or hybrid. GL to you for a new school year!
Aww, these are some really nice suggestion and I remember making my daughter’s favourite Macaroni when she started her playschool. These are very special days for them and we should look to make them memorable for all of us 😊
So sweet how you made it special. I love all the cute ideas!
Great ideas! Kids will be needing more motivation than before as they will be joining after a long time.
Ahh… This post made me miss my school days! How much i enjoyed shopping for school suppplies! Especially a new school and lunch bag! 😃
Love your list. Even though mine are grown now, we always made the first day of school memorable with a photo! Great memories for me!
New haircut, new outfit, well prepared food…those were done by my mum on my first day at school as a kid.
New haircut, new outfit, well prepared food…those were done by my mum as a kid.
I think just being there is the most important thing which is why I really like that you mentioned that. Just being there when they come home
Great ideas! It is so important to start the school year off with a good breakfast and routine! Plus, getting a fresh hair cut and cute outfits are great ways to feel good about yourself in another new beginning. Thanks for sharing!
Aaah, I love your palm tree pancakes idea! Our tradition is to have scrambled eggs for breakfast on the first day of school, then take a 1st Day picture with their cute little chalkboard sign, then we have warm chocolate chip cookies after they come home from school that day. I even had some delivered to my oldest after his first day of classes at college! Making it special is a fun tradition that starts the school year off on a happy note. Thanks for sharing your fun ideas!
Back to school was one of my FAVORITE times of the year as a child. I just loved the newness of new school supplies and a new outfit to wear on the first day. I don’t think that parents know how exciting this can make it for their children, but it seriously used to crush those first day jitters and turn it into first day excitement! 🙂
My first day at school always was very special: my family took it as a holiday on par with smaller holidays like Girls or Boy days. Your ideas follow my parent’s list to the letter
Lovely post. Every one is gearing up for back to school and yes first day should be a special one. I do make special breakfast, sneak a surprise in bag. Love notes are things that goes all the year around. Thanks for the reminder
These are great ideas! I especially like the idea to make pancakes ahead of time and freeze them. My kids would love pancakes on their first day of school, but I don’t want to have to get up any earlier than we already do to make them!
This is so awesome! My son’s first day of school ever will be in September! I’m a nervous and excited at the same time! I love all these ideas!
HOW SWEET! My favorite is using the fancy china and cooking a special breakfast!!! My girls would LOVE that!!! The pancakes and palm tree breakfast is SOOOO cute!!!! love love love!
Aw such great ideas! I always LOVED the first day of school! My mom used to make a school bus cake for my brother & I when we got home from the first day, so that was always something we looked forward to!
-madi xo | http://www.everydaywithmadirae.com
I love this list, especially sneaking in something special to their bag or the notes. Those are such special touches that kids will remember! Such simple yet wonderful ways to make the first day of school very special.
I am not yet a parent and don’t have children either but I remember my schooldays and my mother, whenever these above mentioned are fulfilled, they made going to school lighter and more exciting. 🙂
Hi Tracy, I love this! It was so bittersweet reading it because I just left my 20 year teaching career! You have so many great suggestions especially using china for a special breakfast and sneaking a surprise into the backpack. I don’t have kids, but I sneak surprises in my hubby’s lunch lol! Thanks for sharing! Sincerely, Melissa
My kids have already started back to school for the year! We did a few of these things on the first day, but not all. I really like the “sneak a special item in their backpack”. I may think about doing that randomly on occasion throughout the year!
You really made me think with this article. I almost feel bad, actually. I didn’t pay as much attention to the first day as I should have. Except for last year when my middle son started kindergarten. But now, I think I will try to plan something special. Thanks for pointing this out!
Trying to be home at the end of a day is a great tip. A childs day is all new on the first day… a way to make become normal is by simple actions…like being available for them so they can talk about the ups and they downs of their first day
Love this post! I can still remember that feeling – the dread of going back to school but you’re absolutely right! It’s the little things like fun lunches or a brand new outfit that made it a little easier 🙂 I just need to remember this for when I have kids!
As a former teacher, I agree parents should try to make the first day of school special. I loved having a new diary, fancy pens and pencils and even post its. The love notes work with the little kids. Do that to your teen and he mat not like the attention it will get from his friends. T
Lol, you just have to be sneakier about it!