Is your kid bummed about the end of summer? Try one of these back-to-school ideas to turn those frowns upside down.
By Amanda Kippert, Taste of Home
Ah, back-to-school time. That deafening sound you hear is the collective cheers from parents ’round the world and the simultaneous moans of kids who will NOT get out of the pool. No matter your kid’s age, the transition back to the classroom can be a tough one, even if you spring for a new backpack that looks like a unicorn. Below, six back-to-school ideas that will help get kids jazzed about transitioning into scholarly mode once more.
Create a Back-to-School Survival Kit
Get a small container—like a pencil box or a zippered makeup bag—and fill it with things that you think your kid might find helpful or comforting when they head back to class. Depending on their age, this might include things like gum or candy, fun pens and pencils, stickers, a hairbrush, lotion, lip gloss, hand sanitizer, a stress ball, a few dollars for the vending machine or an encouraging note from mom and dad.
Pick Up These Picture Books
For younger kids, reading picture books about the first day of school can help squelch some of their fear and anxiety. After all, if the Pout Pout Fish isn’t scared, there’s no reason they need to be. Good picks include: First Day Jitters, The Pout Pout Fish Goes to School, The Night Before Preschool, Kindergarten, Here I Come or The Kissing Hand.
Promise Breakfast for Lunch
Break from tradition for just the first week of school lunches. Sure, PB&J in a brown bag is all good and fine, but to make your kiddo feel extra special, pack some of their breakfast faves for lunch—waffles strips with strawberry preserves for dipping, Mini Ham ‘n’ Cheese Frittatas or scrumptious Sausage Bacon Bites.
Carve Out a Kid Cave
Anybody who’s ever picked up a grumpy kid from school knows they need some downtime after a day of rules to unwind. The first week back might be kind of stressful for your kids, so providing them with a spot simply for relaxing might do the trick. This could be as simple as creating a cozy reading nook with a beanbag chair, some new books, a juice box and maybe one of these yummy snack ideas.
DIY a Portable Homework Station
Blogger Melanie of Simple Made Pretty had the great idea to create a homework station out a Dollar Store shower caddy that she spray painted silver (your child would have fun helping with this part), then filled it with plastic cups that each held a homework essential—pencils, markers, a ruler, stickers, etc. You could even put some energizing snacks in one cup, like this Granola Trail Mix, to help keep the brain fueled up and ready to conquer algebra.
Cake Fixes Everything
Saying goodbye to summer and hello to the classroom can be a tough transition, but luckily, there’s nothing that a big Back to School Cupcakes cake can’t fix! If this greets your little students when they walk through the door on that first day, there’s a good chance they’ll forget all about that first-day homework assignment.
