10 Amazing Back To School Traditions for Families

  Do you have a little one going off to school soon? The anticipation of that day may bring you sadness or elation depending on where you are in your parenting journey.  And, while I don’t have any littles to send off to school yet, that hasn’t stopped me from gathering an abundance of adorable Back 2 School ideas on Pinterest.

Here’s 10+ amazing ways to celebrate your kiddos first day back to school that will definitely make it a memorable and exciting!

{This post contains affiliate links to some of the most adorably cute back to school supplies and such.  To read my Disclosure Policy click here.  Enjoy!}

So, out of my 31,000 (+) pins on Pinterest, I’ve gathered several Super Duper Cute Back 2 School ideas, that every mommy (& daddy) should add to their we’re-awesome-parents repertoire!

Do you have a Back 2 School Bucket List?  Maybe it includes getting your kiddos up earlier in the morning & sticking to a schedule again after a long summer off.  Or, maybe it involves doing some last minute summer activities with your family?

I love seeing the many pins that flood Pinterest this time of year as school approaches.  And, I’ve gathered several of my favorites to share with you.  These beyond adorable ideas would be great additions to your family’s Back 2 School Bucket List!

{For more of my “Pin Posts”, check out The Ultimate Guide to Glow in the Dark Activities & The Ultimate Cookie Jar Recipe Collection}

Let’s get started!!  Ready??  1,2,3….Blast Off!

1. Back To School Countdown

First of all, how about an adorable Back 2 School Countdown to the big day!  The blogger over at Our Thrifty Ideas, has created a 45 day printable countdown to the first day of school that is so stinkin cute!  I think any kiddo would get excited about going back to school if we celebrated with a countdown and activities just like we do for other holidays.  And, if you wanted to be a super impressive parent, you could write a special activity on each link of the chain to do during the days leading up to school…like shop for school supplies, pick out a backpack, or other ideas included in this post!  How fun would that be?

2. School Supply Scavenger Hunt

So, if you’re totally on board with doing a Back 2 School Countdown like I am, you’ll love this next idea!  How about a School Supply Scavenger Hunt?  I absolutely love this idea from Dating Divas, and on their site they include FREE printable clue cards!  They have clue cards for older kids, and picture clues for littles.  It’s beyond cute…like, seriously. You have to check it out.

This may be good reason to grab yourself a Starbucks, leave the kids with the babysitter, & go school supply shopping on your own.  All in the name of mom-sanity and the surprise of a scavenger hunt, of course! Any reason to get lost in Target, right?!

I guess if you have to spend a small fortune on school supplies anyways, you might as well celebrate & enjoy the purchase in some way! Don’t you remember how excited you got over a new box of crayons or your Lisa Frank Trapper Keeper back in the day?

Enjoy watching your kids get excited over new pencils and relish in that moment.  Next thing you know, they’ll be heading off to college and won’t want anything to do with Back 2 School traditions.  Ok, grab a Kleenex and let’s move on….?

3. Organize School Memories

Next, let’s talk about Organizing!  I’m talking about all those papers that eventually make their way home and create piles all over the house.  You know what I mean? How do we organize this mess, preserve the sentimental value of all the kids beautiful Nobel prize worthy art and writing, & not become candidates for that awful TLC hoarding show?! Well, I have some ideas.

First of all, I love the idea of each child having their own School Time Capsule to store important papers, notes from teachers, report cards, and small art projects in.  This fabulous idea comes from Simple As That Blog.  This site has printable labels for the front of each child’s box, along with instructions on what to include in each file folder, the supplies you’ll need, & more!  Such a cute idea!

A friend of mine shared that she photographs her children’s artwork that’s too big to store in a file folder or box.  She also takes lots and lots of photos throughout the school year of field trips, classroom parties, etc.  And at the end of each school year, she completes a Shutterfly Photo Book for each of her boys…kind of like their own personal yearbook.  You could even have their teacher and classmates sign it if you’d like.

I love using this Scanner to save important documents and papers in our home, and this could easily work for the kids art projects too.  The scan/photo saves to a photo card for easy uploading to your computer.  The photos can then be added to your Shutterfly Photo Books. Easy as that…less clutter but still able to preserve the memories!  What did we do before technology?!

4. Creative Homework Station

Next on the agenda is…drum roll, please….Homework!!!  Yay!!  I know you’re all so excited!  Isn’t after school just the best time of the day?  The kids are on their best behavior and spilling with excitement about their knowledge filled day of learning….NOT!!

My hubby and I have picked up our nieces and nephew after school enough times to know that they are usually cranky, tired, and ready to beat up their sibling in the back seat of the car after school.  It’s often not a pleasant time of the day, am I right for those of you that deal with this day and day out?!

We also have learned that homework time was a complete pain in the neck.  Which brings me to my next Back 2 School Bucket List idea.  Create a Homework Station…

The experienced mom of 3 over at the blog, The Polka Dot Chair, shares her homework time secrets and also what she includes in her DIY Homework Station.  Maybe her expert Mom advice will lessen the sting of this dreaded time of the day…maybe at least a little bit. ?

5. Back 2 School Interview

Now let’s get back to some fun stuff… How about we add a nifty little Back 2 School Interview with the kiddos to our Family Bucket List.  What do they want to be when they grow up?  What is their favorite color?  What are they most looking forward to in the upcoming school year?  All of these questions and more are included in this FREE printable from Yellow Bliss Road.  I love her blog and all of her printables, not to mention I have a hard time reading her blog title withought bursting into song… “follow the yellow brick road” from the Wizard of Oz! ?

These adorable printable interviews would be a great addition to a Shutterfly Photo Book and your child’s School Time Capsule, don’t you think?

6. Amazing 1st Day Photo Ideas

I’m sure most of you have seen the creative first day of school photo ideas on Pinterst, and if you haven’t you must be living under a rock. ? I’ve gathered some of my favorites to share with you, so here go’s…

How sweet is this DIY Crayon Frame?

Across the Internet world, over on Etsy (my other obsession beside Pinterest), there is a shop called PersonalizedChalk that can create beautiful posters like the one pictured below for a first day of school photo.

Another Etsy shop called, designdyer, has these Super Hero Signs available!  Perfect for the little misters who are heading back to school.

If you are looking for a cheaper option for first day of school photos, look no further than these Classic Chalkboard Signs from Yellow Bliss Road. They are a FREE printable on her site…amazing, right?  Just put these in a frame and you’re set to go!

If you are looking for more creative options, check out It’s Always Autumn for her creative photo ideas!

7. Back 2 School Family Celebration Dinner

This next idea literally has my heart going pitter-pat, as I think about the day that we will be able to celebrate going back to school with our kiddos.  Reading what Tiffany over at Peanut Blossoms has to say about her Family’s Back To School Celebration Dinner, is so wonderfully sweet.  I can hardly handle it!

She was inspired by the book, The Family Dinner, to create more lasting memories with our families around the dinner table.  I must purchase this book!  It’s being added to the Amazon cart as we speak!

She simply prepared her girls favorite meal;  baked some yummy cupcakes with Back to School Cupcake Decorations; and decorated the table with fresh flowers.  A celebration back to school dinner….what a great idea!

She also talks about gifting her girls a special book, which my hubby and I have done in the past with our nieces and nephews, particularly when they started kindergarten.  Wrapping a special book to read at bedtime the night before school starts, maybe with a handwritten message inside, is a wonderful keepsake and memory! Here are some book ideas…

 

8. Back to School Fairy

Another cute idea I’ve seen circulating on Pinterest, is a Back to School Fairy.  I think this could be super cute, with some imagination and creativity.

  We all know there are moms out there that want nothing to do with Elf on the Shelf, the Tooth Fairy, or any of that business. No shame in that game, but honestly, this idea might not be for you.

 The Pinteresty mom who throws enormous planned to the nines birthday bashes, and can’t even fathom not spraying the tooth fairy money with glitter…this is for you!!  We speak the same language! ?

The ideas I’ve seen on Pinterest, include a special gift coming the night before school from the Back to School Fairy.  This could be any number of things…from books, to a new outfit, to a new toy.  Use your imaginations here.  I think this idea could be really cute.

I also love the idea of using the Back to School Fairy to calm the kid’s first day jitters by sprinkling some of the “fairy’s magic dust”(which could be my lavender linen spray mixed with glitter ?) to help them get a good nights rest.

How could you use this concept and run wild with it in your family? I know some of you are bursting at the seams with creative ideas!  And others of you don’t want to touch it with a ten foot pole!  That’s ok!  Just keep scrolling! ?

But, for you mommies out there that eat & breathe these Pinteresty projects, I can’t wait to see how you incorporate the Back 2 School Fairy into your Back 2 School traditions! And, please share your creativity with all of us in the comments below!

9. Pencil Waffle Breakfast Tradition & More Recipes

Now let’s talk about some adorably cute Pinterest recipes that the kids will flip over.  What about making them a special breakfast the morning of school?  I know what you’re thinking…there’s a little too much going on the first morning of school, and I know you’re all leaving plenty of time for this cute back to school photos, right?

But, before you completely dismiss the idea, check out this adorable Pencil Waffle Breakfast from the Mommy over at the blog The Joys of Boys!  How cute is this first day of school breakfast?!

OK, so maybe the morning is too hectic to prepare something extra special, but what about these amazing After School Treat Ideas…

{Edible Crayons from The Girl Who Ate Everything}

{Krispy Apple Treats from Gourmet on the Go}

{Sugar Wafer Pencil Cookies from Shaken Together Life}

{Chalkboard Cookies from Ashlee Marie}

{Pencil Push Pops from Frugal Coupon Living}

10. After School Question Cards

After they’ve finished their first day of school…{& you’ve spent the day crying & snuggling their blankie, or rejoicing with your girlfriends while getting a mani/pedi…once again depending on where you are in your parenting journey ? Or ?}…and they’ve come home to one of those amazing Pinterest snacks you’ve made for them, you can whip out this After School Question Jar to learn all about their day!

I hope that you and your little ones all have a great start to a new school year, and I hope that this post sparks some fun Back 2 School traditions for your family.  Leave a comment below with any suggestions, Pinterest wins or fails, or any of your traditions that you do around the beginning of the school year.  See you again soon!