Make Back to School Fun

Posted by Robyn | 0 comments

Gear up for a year full of fun and learning.

Remember the excitement and nervousness of your first day back to school when you were a child? I do. I remember the weeks leading up to the big day, my mother would take my sister and me back-to-school shopping. We would be treated to new outfits, shoes for our bigger feet, and of course new school supplies. As we were preparing to start back to school in our homeschool, I remembered the fun of getting ready to head back for another year. I want my son to have his own great memories and knew I needed to be sure to help create them.

Tip 1. Spruce Up. During the week leading up to our starting back to school, I would not let my son come into the schoolroom. It was off limits. While he was out of the room, I cleaned out old paperwork and filed it, removed old curriculum that would not be needed for this year, rearranged furniture a bit, and added new decorations and items.

Tip 2. Talk it up. Make a big deal about your child advancing to the next grade. It is a big deal. Show them how excited you are and they will certainly join in on the excitement. We talked about all of the fun things my son would be learning in third grade and thought of fun field trips we could enjoy during the year. My son eagerly participated in the discussion of learning new grammar rules, division, and more about American History.

Tip 3. Get Something New. Remember your Trapper Keeper from when you were a child? Mine was bright purple and I loved it. I decorated it front and back with puffy hearts and stickers. And then, the next year, my mother let me pick another one – fresh and ready for a new year’s adventures and doodles. Take your child to pick something new for the upcoming school year. It helps to make a list together with your child of the items that you do need for the school year. Pencils, paper, erasers, notebooks – while these may not sound particularly thrilling to you, allowing your child to pick them as his or her very own is a big deal.

Tip 4. Dress up. Have your child start their first day back to school in a special outfit. My son selected his favorite dressy shorts and shirt to wear on his first day instead of his usual gym shorts and t-shirt. And I made a special effort to dress up as well.

Tip 5. Capture it. Grab your camera and be sure to take pictures of your child’s first day of the new school year. Include you and your spouse in some of the pictures. These make great beginning shots of your homeschool yearbook or scrapbook and will be treasured photographs of your family. We took tons of pictures outside and with us, but one of my favorites was in front of the white board where I had written the date and “Welcome to Third Grade!” Having these details in one of the photographs provides a great point of reference and makes the photograph interesting, too.

What is your favorite back to school ritual?

Robyn Stone is a wife, entrepreneur and homeschooling Mom to one very energetic little boy who is not quiet so little any more. She shares about her journey in life on her blog Our Homeschool Home. She loves a good cup of coffee, photography, and a great conversation.